SPRINGFIELD — High school sports for the fall season are entering the final third of the calendar. Top performances are happening across the area, from district titles to game-winning plays.
It's now time to vote for the News-Leader's Athlete of the Week for Oct. 5-10. Voting closes at noon Friday, Oct. 16. Here are the nominees.
If an area player has made an impact, send nominees with stats to Liam Keating at lkeating@usatodayco.com or on X at @liamkeating7.
Braxton Bell, Ozark football
Ozark defeated Lebanon 42-14 thanks to 35 unanswered points on Friday, Oct. 9. Bell scored two rushing touchdowns in the win. On defense, Bell also picked off an interception for a touchdown to highlight the game.
to game
Cole Evans, Logan-Rogersville football
When the Wildcats were down for the count, Logan-Rogersville needed a hero. On the final drive of the game, quarterback Kasimir Manczuk found a wide-open Cole Evans downfield. The wide receiver made one of the biggest catches of his career, a 61-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left. Evans’ touchdown delivered his team a 36-30 win over West Plains. This is Logan-Rogersville’s first-ever 7-0 start in program history.
Phoebe Lin, Central golf
The junior won the Class 3 District 3 Championship at the West Plains Country Club on Oct. 8. Lin fired a round of 68, 2-under par, to win the title. Lin finished four shots ahead of the field. Lin will enter the state tournament with loads of confidence after finishing fourth in Class 3 last year.
Ava Tiedemann, Springfield Catholic golf
The senior led the Irish to the Class 4 District 3 team title on Oct. 7. Springfield Catholic shot a team score of 311, six shots ahead of Ray-Pec. Tiedemann led the field with a 69, 1-under par, at Bill and Payne Stewart Golf Course. Tiedemann has enjoyed a successful season and will look to improve upon last year’s 15th-place finish at the state tournament.
Jordan Whrill, Hillcrest football
Hillcrest earned its second win of the season, defeating Marshfield 34-13. Whrill was all over the field, especially in the second half. He caught two touchdown passes in key red-zone opportunities. Whrill also scored a third touchdown by jumping on a fumble in the end zone.
Previous fall athlete of the week winners
Aug. 24-29: Alivia Arauz, Willard
Aug. 31-Sept. 5: Nolan Lashley, Republic
Sept. 7-12:Trevor Heman, Glendale
Sept. 14-19: Trenton Joplin, Kickapoo
Sept. 21-26: Trent Rosenthal, Marshfield
Sept. 28-Oct. 3: Jett Lewis, Springfield Catholic
Liam Keating covers high school sports and Missouri State athletics for The Springfield News-Leader. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Vote for Springfield area's high school Athlete of the Week for Oct. 5-10










