North Callaway had allowed Mark Twain to score 22 points following a 71-yard kick return with five minutes left in the second quarter.

Those were the final points the Thunderbirds allowed as they proceeded to score 22 unanswered points to win the Eastern Missouri Conference road matchup 34-22. North Callaway forced four turnovers and made Mark Twain give up the ball on three of its final five drives.

Braydn O’Neal and Sergio Moreno each had interceptions for North Callaway, and Kyle Pennell had the other one along with his team-high 14 tackles on defense. On offense, O’Neal threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns on 11-for-23 passing and ran for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. The two passing touchdowns both went to Moreno, who caught four passes for 129 yards.

Head coach Kevin O’Neal said his defense focused on stopping the run, Lakoda Preston in particular, and thinks North Callaway did just that by surrendering 140 yards on 43 carries. Preston had 129 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries but was only able to rush for at least five yards twice after halftime. When the Tigers adjusted, the Thunderbirds did too.

“We had focused on stopping the run game because (Preston) is an excellent athlete and a very good runner,” O’Neal said. “They had a couple long runs here and there, but I thought our defense did a good job of stopping the run. They were getting their big chunk yardage on pass plays, so we made some adjustments there and ended up shutting down their pass plays for the most part.”

O’Neal said linebackers Pennell and Eli Henry were key in stopping Mark Twain’s run because they both do their homework.

“Both guys, Kyle especially, watches film and understands the game,” O’Neal said. “He’s another intelligent player for us. He had the reads down for their run.”

O’Neal admits North Callaway’s secondary was surprised when Mark Twain (2-3, 1-2 EMO) threw 20 times as the run is the Tigers’ most potent weapon. When it was aware, he said the Thunderbirds swooped in for some turnovers.

North Callaway was unable to cash in on the first Mark Twain turnover near the end of the first half as O’Neal threw one of his two interceptions. A lost fumble in the third quarter led to a seven-yard run by O’Neal and a 26-22 lead for North Callaway.

Tucker Wright scored from 34 yards after the Thunderbirds picked off Mark Twain for the second time.

Moreno made an impact on the defensive side with his interception along with the touchdown catches on offense. O’Neal said Moreno had to sit out in the previous 30-12 home victory against Louisiana because a deep thigh bruise sustained at South Callaway in the week before that. I was safe to say, O’Neal said, that Moreno felt well.

“He’s really been wanting to get back into it,” O’Neal said. “He’s been working hard in therapy with our trainer. He didn’t start tonight, but once he got in and was moving well and felt good, him and Braydn started clicking and did a good job.”

O’Neal said Moreno seems to have a chemistry with O’Neal after working together during the summer that involves Moreno making an adjustment on routes “based on the coverage” he sees – as he did on one of his touchdown catches.

North Callaway has lost players to injury like running back Riley Humphrey, but ONeal said it has gained a togetherness that has helped the Thunderbirds perform well, particularly in the second half, scoring the final 16 points against Louisiana and now the final 22 at Mark Twain.

“We’re starting to play as a team more,” O’Neal said. “I don’t think there is anybody that is selfish out there. Whoever gets the yards, gets the yards. Whoever makes the tackles, makes the tackles. It’s everybody starting to realize that if they do their jobs to the best of their ability, we’re going to have success.”

North Callaway (3-2, 2-1 EMO) hosts Van-Far (1-4, 1-3 EMO), who lost 41-28 at Wright City in Week 5, for its homecoming.

Softball

North Callaway takes fourth in California Tournament

North Callaway felt third place within its grasp Saturday but allowed the game to get away.

The Ladybirds finished its run in the Versailles-California Turf War Tournament, winning one of three games to finish fourth in the tournament. They committed eight errors to allow four unearned runs to score in their 9-5 loss to St. Elizabeth in the third-place game. Prior to that, North Callaway lost 10-8 to host California, allowing seven unearned runs on five errors, and defeated Montrose 10-3 without any errors.

In the three games, Jaylyn Leible hit .667 with two doubles and two RBI, Kymorie Myers finished at .400 with four RBI and two doubles, and Abigail Schmidt had a .429 average with three RBI. North Callaway pitching allowed seven earned runs in about 17 innings. 

California took a 7-0 lead after one half inning before North Callaway scored seven runs in the first three innings, but a three-run third inning was posted by the Lady Pintos to get revenge from the 7-2 loss they suffered to the Ladybirds earlier this season.

North Callaway scored six of its runs against Montrose in the third inning. Myers and Schmidt each finished with two RBI and at least one double — with Myers picking up two doubles.

St. Elizabeth scored in each of the first four innings to once again open up a lead North Callaway couldn’t surmount. Leible and Myers hit back-to-back doubles in a two-run first inning, and Faith Cash drove in a run in the third inning.

Ladybirds run-ruled in three innings to lose 15-0 at Fulton

Fulton pitcher Mylee Hawkins did walk some but did not allow much beyond that.

North Callaway was shut down at Class 3 No. 2 Fulton in a 15-0 loss in three innings. Hawkins walked a batter in every inning but also struck out eight Ladybirds and allowed one hit to Faith Cash.

The Ladybirds led off the first and second innings with a walk prior to Hawkins striking out the side in both frames. Fulton had an 8-0 lead after two innings and threw the knockout punch the next inning to secure its 20th win — the ninth with double-digit runs. 

North Callaway (6-10, 4-2 EMO) went back to its Eastern Missouri Conference schedule Tuesday with a contest at Louisiana (6-7, 3-3 EMO) before it faces another state-ranked team in Class 1 No. 4 Silex (10-8, 4-2 EMO)  on Thursday at home.

Cross country

Schmauch medals for North Callaway at Gans Creek Classic

Out of 163 runners Saturday, Pressley Schmauch represented North Callaway well.

Schmauch finished 24th to medal in the girls white at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia. The Ladybirds were 13th out of 17 schools as Grace Rasmussen was 65th to give them another top-100 finisher. The boys were 28th out of 33 teams in the boys white division, placing Tristan Young at 57th and Brendan Reinhard at 77th in the top 100 out of 251 runners.

Schmauch had a time of 22:00.30, and Rasmussen ran to a time of 23:47.60. Young was the Thunderbirds’ top finisher with a time of 18:46.60, and Reinhard had a time of 19:21.00.

Volleyball

Ladybirds get out of Hallsville Invitational with win

North Callaway was winless Saturday during the Hallsville Invitational until its final match.

The Ladybirds were swept in two sets to Centralia and Stover and then lost the first set of its final match with Tipton 25-20. They came back to win the match with set victories of 25-19 and 25-21.

Head coach Andrew Klein called the Tipton match the “most complete win” he’s seen from his team this year after having issues with the “speed” of Centralia and Stover. He said sophomore Natalie Shryock’s match-winning kill against Tipton was “emphatic” as the Ladybirds finished the day strong.

North Callaway (4-10-1, 0-2 EMO) hosted Russellville on Monday in a rematch from its season-opening sweep to the Lady Indians before it attempted its first Eastern Missouri Conference win this season on Tuesday when it hosted Wright City. The Ladybirds travel to conference foe Bowling Green on Thursday.

North Callaway swept by Russellville second time

North Callaway couldn't take a  set against Russellville again Monday night.

The Lady Indians, who is now 10-2  after sweeping Calvary Lutheran on Tuesday night, swept the Ladybirds in set scores of 25-18, 25-16 and 25-15. It is the second time this season North Callaway lost in three sets to Russellville.

Outside hitters Natalie Shryock and Rylee Horstman each had five kills.