The Parkway North girls’ softball team made history last week by advancing to the Final Four of the Missouri state tournament for the first time ever.
The Vikings (20-6) will take on Lee’s Summit on Friday afternoon in the state semifinals at 1 p.m. in Springfield. Leading the Vikings on their historic run through the postseason has been the dynamic duo of junior pitcher/infielder Anna Chisolm and sophomore catcher Ria Smith.
The two standouts have been nothing short of sensational throughout the season, and especially during Parkway North’s postseason run. Chisolm is one of the top offensive performers in the St. Louis area. She has been terrific at the plate all season with a .678 batting average, which is tops in the St. Louis metro area. She also has eight home runs, 40 runs batted in, 48 runs scored and 22 stolen bases. She is also North’s top starting pitcher with a 7-3 record with two saves.
Smith has come on strong during the postseason, where she has hit three of her four home runs in the Vikings’ last three games. Her most dramatic homer came in last week’s state quarterfinals against Fort Zumwalt North where she hit a two-run walk-off shot to give the Vikings an 8-6 victory and their trip to the Final Four. Smith also added a run-scoring double to give her three RBIs for the game.
In North’s 6-1 victory over Hazelwood West in the sectionals, Smith hit a three-run homer to spark the Vikings to the rout. Smith also hit a grand slam in North’s 7-3 victory over Ritenour in the district championship game. Chisolm also added a home run and three runs scored as the Vikings won their first district crown in 27 years.
Tigers in driver’s seat
The Missouri Tigers have become perhaps the biggest story in college football this season with their 7-0 start and meteoric rise in the national rankings. Mizzou is currently ranked No. 5 in the first Bowl Championship Series poll that was released on Sunday night. With consecutive victories over Georgia and Florida, the Tigers are now in the driver’s seat in the Southeastern Conference East division. It has been an amazing run so far for the Tigers. Some of the area products contributing to the cause are defensive end Markus Golden (Affton), freshman defensive back Aarion Penton (CBC) and linebacker Michael Scherer (MICDS). Senior defensive lineman Kony Ealy from New Madrid Central in Southeast Missouri has also been a force. Mizzou will host South Carolina on Saturday evening at 6 p.m.
Sheldon Richardson taking New York by storm
Former Gateway Tech and Mizzou football star Sheldon Richardson has been an impact player in his rookie season with the New York Jets. The first-round selection has recorded 35 tackles with 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Along with third-year defensive end, Muhammed Wilkerson, the Jets have been strong on the defensive line during their surprising 4-3 start. As well as his fine play on the field, Richardson continues to speak his mind. In the days leading up to the Jets’ overtime victory over the New England Patriots, Richardson made some subtle and not-so-subtle remarks about how the NFL and its officials go out of their way to protect Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
