Area Sports and Education

The 2026 Licking High School (LHS) Homecoming game and coronation were held at Sherman Hill Fieldhouse on Friday, January 16. The Licking boys varsity and junior varsity basketball teams played conference rival Iberia, with the crowning of the 2026 Homecoming King Kobye Dunigan and Queen Katelyn Mitchell between games. LHS Principal Dr. Jarad Rinne emceed…

The Licking R-8 Board of Education held their monthly business meeting on Monday, January 12, at the Office of the Superintendent. During the closed session of the meeting, the resignation of Dr. Jarad Rinne, principal of Licking High School, was accepted by the Board. The open session of the meeting began with a review of…

By Coach Chris Harris On Tuesday, January 13, the Wildcats traveled to Mountain Grove to face the Panthers. In the varsity game, the Cats saw a tough defense from the Panthers that held the scoring in check. The Cats continued to play hard and work as a team, fighting back from down 24 at one…

By Coach Chris Harris On Tuesday, January 6, the Wildcats hosted the Bears from Willow Spring in a Class 3 District 9 matchup. The Cats fell a little short, losing 52-64, but the score doesn’t always show how well the team played. The Cats played hard on both ends of the floor and made the…

On Friday, January 2, the Licking High School Volleyball team of 1975 and the Licking High School Boys Basketball team of 1975-76 were recognized at halftime of the Licking-Houston boys basketball game on the 50-year anniversary of their award-winning seasons. The 1975 Licking Wildcat Volleyball Team made history by winning the first Missouri State Volleyball…

By Chris Harris The Wildcats opened up the Cabool Holiday Tournament against the Mammoth Springs Bears on Friday, December 26, winning 47-43. Defense came up big in the second and fourth quarters, holding the Bears to only 7 and 8 points. The team took care of the ball, scoring 30 points in the paint, and…

The Licking Lady Wildcats entered the 12-team Mountain Grove Holiday Tournament as the number six seed and faced 11th-seed Houston in the first round on Monday, December 22. Two weeks after defeating the Houston Lady Tigers on their home court, the Lady Wildcats were victorious again, with a lopsided score of 70-40. Almost all Licking…

The Licking Elementary School Concert was held on Monday evening, December 15, and a standing-room-only crowd of family and friends were on hand for the event. The concert began with Mrs. Clonts’ and Mrs. Williams’ preschool classes. Under the direction of Mrs. Clonts, these students gave a lively and animated performance of “Jingle Bells” and…

By Coach Chris Harris The Wildcats started the week off by hosting conference opponent Crocker. After a little bit of a slow start, the Cats took off defeating the Lions, 60-23. The defense set the tone for the game, collecting 15 steals on 18 total forced turnovers, scoring 24 points off those turnovers. The defense…

On Monday, December 15, the Lady Wildcats faced conference foe Richland on the Lady Bears’ home court. The Lady Cats held a five-point lead at the half. The two teams battled it out defensively, but a deficit near the end of the fourth quarter forced Licking to send Richland to the charity line. The Lady…