Area Sports and Education

By Coach Cole Roark On Thursday, September 18, Licking played host to Iberia. After a few days off from playing, Licking struggled to get going on the mound, giving up a three-run first inning. Licking trailed for the remainder of the game, but did make it interesting in the latter half of the game. Scoring…

By Cole Roark The Licking Wildcats brought home some hardware last week, as the number one seeded Wildcats won two close games to win the tournament and another conference tournament plaque. Wednesday, September 10, saw Licking square off against number four seeded Dixon. Conway Adey threw a gem on the mound, going the distance for…

The Licking Wildcat runners traveled to Willow Springs on Thursday, September 11. Senior runner Tyrone Merdian finished 15/135 runners and seventh in Class 3 with a time of 19:40 in the boys varsity race, earning a medal. Also running in the boys varsity race were Ethan Stout, 54/135 (22:22), Dawsynn Moore, 60/135 (22:35), Jeffrey Alkire,…

The Licking Lady Wildcats Volleyball team dropped two matches last week on the road to Mountain Grove and Houston, but showed progress, taking the Mountain Grove match to five sets and taking the final set to the wire, 22-25, 13-25, 25-21, 25-21, 14-16. The Houston match went four sets, 17-25, 25-18, 22-25, 18-25. The young…

Wildcat Volleyball started on the road this year. After the Jamboree in Willard on August 26, the Licking girls headed to Mountain View-Liberty on Tuesday, September 2. The young team came up short, with the varsity losing 0-3 and the junior varsity faring no better, 0-2. The first home game of the season was Thursday,…

The Licking Wildcats Baseball team began their season at Ozark with a double header on Friday, August 29. They earned a split, losing to Silo, Okla., 0-6 and defeating Southwest Washburn in five innings, 14-0. The following day, Licking defeated Purdy in an extra-inning game, 7-6. The JV opened their season that day as well,…

By Shari Harris, Publisher Cross Country Coach Kayla Kinder and her runners are excited about the 2025 Licking Cross Country season. “We have a lot of talent and some new faces,” Coach Kinder said. “I’m excited to see where they go, what they can do this year.” Senior Tyrone Merdian joins the team this year. This…

By Supt. Telena Haneline The Licking R-VIII School District is off to a wonderful start to the 2025-2026 school year, full of energy, excitement, and new opportunities for students and staff. Steady Enrollment This year, the district proudly welcomes 807 students districtwide. Elementary enrollment stands at 429 students, while the junior high and high school…

Licking R-8 Schools began a new school year last Wednesday. On the secondary campus, students picked up schedules and locker assignments in the courtyard, eager to see what their day would entail. Though there may have been a few tears shed on the elementary campus, mostly it was smiles that were seen on the faces…

By Shari Harris, Publisher Young athletes and their families are well aware of the busy weeks of sports that fill the short summer months. Two Licking youth added to their summer baseball schedules when they were selected to play on the Team Missouri 13U team at the USSSA National Tournament in Indianapolis, Ind. Jasper Rodgers…