2012 Big 8 All-Conference Football Teams
Offense
	Position	Class	Name
1st Team	Tight End	Jr.	Sam Bailey-Lamar
		Sr.	Logan Scott-Cassville
2nd Team		Sr.	Zane Phillips-Mt. Vernon
Hon. Mention		Sr.	Devon Overall-Monett
	Tackle
1st Team		Sr.	Austin Boice-Lamar
		Sr.	Reece Bounous-Monett
2nd Team		Sr.	Dalton Cloven-Carl Junction
		Sr.	Brett Roark-Seneca
Hon. Mention		Jr.	Jimmy Keutzer-Lamar
		Sr.	Payton Meeks-Mt. Vernon
	Guard
1st Team		Jr.	Ben Bailey-Lamar
		Sr.	Josh Carlton-Cassvile
2nd Team		Jr.	Devin Madison-Seneca
		Sr.	Tyler Richardson-Mt. Vernon
Hon. Mention		Sr.	Clint Bray-East Newton
		Jr.	Matt Wentz-Monett
	Center
1st Team		Sr.	Justin Frieden-Lamar
2nd Team		Jr.	Mac Yust-Seneca
Hon. Mention		Sr.	Trevor Carney-Cassville
	WR
1st Team		Sr.	Kurran Blaney-Monett
		Jr.	Matt Magee-Carl Junction
		Sr.	Jalen Skaggs-Seneca
2nd Team		Sr.	Andrew Parker-Aurora
		Sr.	Stone Phelps-Cassville
		Sr.	Chance Smith-Seneca
Hon. Mention		Sr.	Brandon Abbott-East Newton
		Sr.	Denton Thomas-Mt. Vernon
		Sr.	J Thomas-Carl Junction
	QB
1st Team		Jr.	Levi Petterson-Lamar
2nd Team		Jr.	Payton Rawlins-Seneca
Hon. Mention		Jr.	Dustin Satterlee-Carl Junction
	RB
1st Team		Sr.	Everett Basham-Aurora
		Jr.	Jared Beshore-Lamar
		Sr.	Aaron Hall-Monett
		Sr.	Shane Williams-Mt. Vernon
2nd Team		Sr.	Chris Dunker-Cassville
		Sr.	Marty Mailes-Seneca
		Sr.	Nick Thompson-Carl Junction
Hon. Mention		Sr.	Ian Plemmans-East Newton
		Sr.	Brent Thompson-Cassville
All-Purpose Back
1st Team		Jr.	Braxton Graham-Seneca
2nd Team		Jr.	Grarrett Kirk-Cassville
Hon. Mention		Sr.	Cedric Gartman-Lamar
Defense
	DE
1st Team		Sr.	Reese Bounous-Monett
		Jr.	JT Tucker-Lamar
		Sr.	Braiden Vaught-Cassville
2nd		Sr.	Josh McCulloch-Aurora
		Jr.	Mac Yust-Seneca
Hon. Mention		Sr.	Alex Sheppart-East Newton
	DT
1st Team		Jr.	Brandon Eaves-Lamar
		Sr.	Drew Henbest-Cassville
2nd Team		Sr.	Montanna Cooper-Seneca
		Sr.	Jake Sizemore-Cassville
Hon. Mention		Jr.	Dez Bradford-Monett
		Sr.	Dallas Doyle-Lamar
	LB
1st Team		Sr.	Everett Basham-Aurora
		Sr.	Cody Franna-Cassville
		Sr.	Jake Morgan-Lamar
		Sr.	Matt Murphy-Monett
		Jr.	Hayden Prater-Cassville
2nd Team		Jr.	Calvin Bremmerkamp-Carl Junction
		Sr.	Korbin Carlson-Carl Junction
		Sr.	Rocky Liveoak-East Newton
		Sr.	Marty Mailes-Seneca
		Sr.	Kaden Schader-Seneca
		Jr.	Dominic Swillum-Mt. Vernon
Hon. Mention		Sr.	Zack Justice-Mt. Vernon
		Sr.	Dalen Merriman-Seneca
		Sr.	Devon Overall-Monett
		Sr.	Chad Rice-Lamar
	DB
1st Team		Sr.	Kurran Blamey-Monett
		Jr.	Ty Craig-Cassville
		Sr.	Garrett Kirk-Cassville
		Soph.	Brett McDonald-Lamar
		Sr.	Shane Williams-Mt. Vernon
2nd Team		Jr.	Braxton Graham-Seneca
		Sr.	Kurt Hadlow-Aurora
		Jr.	Matt Magee-Carl Junction
		Sr.	Jalen Skaggs-Seneca
Hon. Mention		Sr.	Tyler Bass-Monett
		Jr.	Landon Compton-Lamar
		Sr.	Tyler Ng-Seneca
		Sr.	Denton Thomas-Mt. Vernon
	Punter
1st Team		Sr.	Stone Phelps-Cassville
2nd Team		Sr.	Keenan Bagley-Lamar
Hon. Mention		Sr.	Dima Spellman-Mt. Vernon
	Kicker
1st Team		Sr.	Bradley Loeckenhoff-Cassville
2nd Team		Soph.	Reece Tholen-Carl Junction
Hon. Mention		Jr.	Ben Bailey-Lamar
	Returner
1st Team		Jr.	Braxton Graham-Seneca
		Jr.	Matt Magee-Carl Junction
2nd Team		Jr.	Mark Barlett-Lamar
Offensive Player of the Year:  Jared Beshore-Lamar
Defensive Player of the Year:  Hayden Prater-Cassville
Big 8 Coach of the Year:  David Large-Cassville

Big 8 preview Hope this helps

 

Loaded Big 8 is hard to predict

By Jared Lankford

Cooler temperatures and the smell of tailgating will soon dominate the air as we enter the 2012-13 football season.

Before every season, pundits and experts pour over notes, rosters and off-the-record conversations in order to predict how teams will hold up over the course of the grueling season.

While it is impossible to accurately predicting every twist and turn a single team will undergo, let alone an entire conference, I have given my best effort in predicting how I think the conference will finish.

The Big 8 Conference has established itself as one of the premier football conferences in Missouri. Six of its eight members have state championship banners hanging on their wall.

Lamar reached the title peak last season with a dominating effort in Class 2, and Cassville earned Class 3 state title in 2009.

This year, the conference is as tough as ever. Each member has reasons to hope for success and reasons to be concerned.

I believe the conference can be broken down into three tiers. That is not to say that a team in the second or third tier is overly inferior to the top schools but merely has more obstacles to overcome to reach the top of this sports editor's list.

• Tier one: Cassville, Lamar and Aurora.

• Tier two: Monett, Seneca and Mt. Vernon.

• Tier three: Carl Junction and East Newton

Cassville

The Wildcats finished the season with a 12-1 record and notched another conference and district title.

Coach Large and his staff have done an outstanding job of reloading every season. Until another Big 8 Conference school defeats the Wildcats, they reign as the preseason favorite.

Reason for hope: The Wildcats return seven starters on defense and will make teams earn everything the hard way.

Reasons for concern: Graduation was unkind to Cassville on the offensive side of the ball. The quarterback position has been the biggest question mark of the offseason.

Lamar

Claiming a state title last year was only a small step in the right direction for this Tigers program. Coach Scott Bailey and his staff are trying to develop a sustained tradition and culture of success at Lamar.

The Tigers' motto for this season is "One is not enough."

Reason for hope: Depth is a huge strength for this year's Tigers squad with 16 returning starters that garnered 27 All-Conference, All-District and All-State awards.

Reason for concern: Lamar could very easily be the conference champion this season. However, their only blemish last season was a lopsided loss to Cassville. This season, Lamar again travels into the hostile confines at Cassville.

Aurora

The Aurora Houn' Dawgs have scratched and clawed back from a 0-10 season in 2008. The Dawgs went 6-5 last year and have earned the respect of the football community.

Aurora returns eight players from last year's squad, including Everett Basham who ran wild in the Big 8 a year ago. The Dawgs are more than a dark horse in the conference title chase this season.

Reason for hope: The Houn' Dawgs are going to be big and physical and control the line of scrimmage. They have improved each year under Rick Scholten's leadership.

Reason for concern: Aurora has had a game each season that has got away from them. Last year, Seneca held off Aurora 27-25. If the Dawgs aren't careful, the pattern could repeat itself.

Monett

The Cubs reached the playoffs last season and are looking to make a deeper push into the postseason with this year's team.

Monett returns several key performers and skill position players, but the Cubs need to solve some issues on their lines.

Reason for hope: Running back Aaron Hall and utility player Kurran Blamey give the Cubs plenty of reasons to smile. Hall is a tough player to bring down, and Blamey is a threat to score any time he touches the ball.

Reason for concern: The Cubs are still thin on the offensive and defensive lines. Speed and skill can't help your team if there is not any blocking.

Seneca

The Indians should probably be moved higher on this list.

Dan Scheible's team returns 17 starters (10 offensive and seven defensive) from a team that went 5-5 a year ago. The Indians are the dark horses that can wreck a lot of team's plans for conference dominance.

Reason for hope: With a full year of the Scheible system under their belt and a large number of returning starters, the Indians will be dangerous.

Reason for concern: Seneca has 42 players (including nine freshmen) listed on its preseason roster. As injuries take their toll, the Indians will be hard pressed to find replacements.

Mt. Vernon

The Mountaineers are a big question mark in the Big 8 this year and not for the reason you would think.

New coach Ozzie Riley has brought a new energy and excitement to the proud program. Nine starters return on both sides of the ball for the green and white.

Mt. Vernon hopes that Riley's energy translates onto the field.

Reason for hope: Mt. Vernon has key players returning, including All-Conference running back Shane Williams, an offensive line that returns all five starters and quarterback Alex Hausman.

Reason for concern: It typically takes more that one year for a new coach's system to take hold in a program.

Carl Junction

The Bulldogs are still looking for their identity as a football team. Jesse Wall and his staff continue to build a winning tradition at Carl Junction.

Reason for hope: As the biggest school in the Big 8, Carl Junction can continue to try to wear down teams each game to secure victory.

Reason for concern: The Bulldogs are short on experience and are still a season or two away from having players off their dominant youth football teams.

East Newton

The Patriots went 0-10 last year and have fallen on hard times. Size, numbers and coaching changes have hurt East Newton's ability to return to the success of the 1990s.

Seth Johnson, a long-time assistant and former player under legendary East Newton coach Larry Bunn, is looking to turn things around.

Reason for hope: Johnson will help the Patriots find their identity and should have a positive impact on the squad. We may see the trick plays and deception that Bunn made famous at East Newton return to the Patriots' playbook.

Reason for concern: East Newton has too many holes in key positions to challenge for a title spot this season.

 

 

Big 8 All-Conference Baseball

PITCHER
1st Team:
John Cavness (sr) (U) Cassville
Payton Walker (sr) (U) Carl Junction
Jared Lipe (sr) (U) Seneca
2nd Team:
Cody Lee (sr) Mt.Vernon
Markell White (sr) Lamar
Chase Marrs (sr) Carl Junction
Ben Makala (sr) Cassville
Hon Ment:
Aarron Patton (jr) Monett
FIRST BASE
1st Team:ऀCody Lee (sr) (U) Mt. Vernon
2nd Team:ऀJohn Cavness (sr) Cassville
Hon Ment:ऀAJ Eaves (sr) Lamar
SECOND BASE
1st Team:ऀAustin Lenox (sr) Aurora
2nd Team:ऀZach Kelly (sr) Seneca
Hon Ment:ऀTripp Tucker (fr) Lamar
CATCHER:
1st Team:ऀTrey Rose (sr) (U) Cassville
2nd Team:ऀMac Roach (sr) Mt. Vernon
Hon Ment:ऀKurtlin Hulett (so) Carl Junction
SHORT STOP
1st Team:ऀRicky Nichols (sr) (U) Cassville
2nd Team:ऀChase Johnston (sr) Mt. Vernon
Hon Ment:ऀJeff Terry (sr) Carl Junction
THIRD BASE
1st Team: Dalan Merriman (so) Senecaऀ
2nd Team: Nathan Skaggs (sr) Carl Junctionऀ
Hon Ment: Skylar Phillips (jr) Mt. Vernon
OUTFIELDER:
1st Team:
Colten Webber (jr) (U) Seneca
Chase Mars (sr) Carl Junction
Kreg Myers (sr) Cassville
2nd Team:
Braxton Grahm (so) Seneca
Dillion Bunch (jr) East Newton
Zane Phillips ( jr ) Mt. Vernon
Payton Walker (sr) Carl Junction
Hon Ment:
Mark Bartlett (so) Lamar
Kyler Shoff (jr) Mt. Vernon
Garrett Kirk (jr) Cassville
DESIGNATED HITTER:
1ST Team: Payton Rawlins (so) Seneca
2nd Team: JT Tucker (so) Lamar
Hon Ment: Dominic Swillum (so) Mt. Vernon
UTILITY PLAYER
1st Team: Carlin Ballay (sr) Monett
2nd Team: Sam Swartz (fr) East Newton
Hon Ment: Dallas Peterson (jr) Aurora
PLAYER OF YEAR: Trey Rose Cassville
COACH OF YEAR: KYLE WOOD CASSVILLE