New year begins with review of 2019 top local sports stories

As we transition into 2020 it’s time to look back at some of the top local sports stories from 2019. Admittedly, there were others, but agree or disagree, these were some of the most important events we were privileged to cover. Numbers count down from 10 but they are certainly interchangeable.
10. After a solid career with the Lady Bulldogs, Gallatin senior Kelsey Maxwell signs in March to continue her basketball career at North Central Missouri College in Trenton. Maxwell led the Lady Bulldogs in 2018-19 with a season double-double average, points (16.2) and rebounds (10.1).
9. The Lady Bulldog varsity golf team captured Gallatin’s 14th overall Grand River Conference girls’ golf championship in October. Elle Copple (5th) and Jessica Hart (7th) earned all-conference honors for their high finishes.
8. The NCMC men’s basketball team, under the leadership of Penney High School alum Jeremy Esry, advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament. Esry, in his third season as NCMC men’s coach, was named NJCAA District 13 Coach of the Year. The Pirates are currently ranked #1 in NJCAA Division II rankings.
7. Winston’s boys won their 12th straight HDC Conference Basketball Tournament title in February and would again finish with league and district crowns. In the Class 1 sectional at Civic Arena, the Redbirds defeated District 14 champion Pattonsburg to advance to the state quarterfinals, where they saw their season end at the hands of the Jefferson Eagles.
6. In May, Pattonsburg’s Cameron Jones led the Panthers to a second place finish in the Class 1 state track meet in Jefferson City with four individual medals, including his second championship in the triple jump event. The Panther two-man state contingent also included Trevor Ireland, who medaled in both hurdle events.
5. Also in February, Jameson native Larry Holley announced his retirement as Head Men’s Basketball Coach of the William Jewell Cardinals. The all-time winningest basketball coach in the state of Missouri, Holley graduated from Jameson High School in 1963 after leading the Huskies to a 33-1 record and third place finish in Missouri Class S. Larry finished his coaching career with 919 victories and is one of only ten four-year college coaches to amass at least 900 wins.
4. Sept. 6 became a memorable day for Gallatin football as the Bulldogs defeated rival Hamilton for the first time in 12 seasons. The Bulldogs’ GRC best defense came up big on the game’s final series by shutting down the Hornet offense on four downs inside GHS territory. Gallatin also kept the Bulldog challenge trophy for the fourth straight season after a win over Trenton. The Bulldogs would earn a three-way share of their first GRC football title since 2006.
3. The Pattonsburg Panthers finished the 2019 football season in November as GRC West Division champions during a record campaign. Quarterback Steven Willhite was named Missouri 8-Man Player of the Year for the second straight season after passing for 5,424 yards and 93 touchdowns, a National Federation of High School Association TD record. He also rushed for 751 yards and 19 scores. Willhite’s two-season total with the Panthers included 9,469 passing yards and 163 TD tosses.
2. Hy-Strung Motorsports of Gallatin captured second place at the 2019 Championship Tractor Pull at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, KY, on Feb. 16, wrapping up the most successful season for Brice Terry and the Hy-Strung crew. Brice and son, Tayton, alternated driving through the summer competitions.
1. Gallatin wrestlers capped their season in February with a third straight GRC wrestling title, school record eight individual conference champions and by sending a record nine Bulldogs to the Class 1 state tournament in Columbia. The Bulldogs earned six state medals, including a 220-pound state title by senior Graydee Rains.