Lake Game Night's blog

Lake Game Night will be branching out into other sports starting this winter, as we pick up lake area basketball.

Before the season starts, you'll find previews for lake area teams, and once the season begins, you can get short wrap ups on all the games around the area featuring Camdenton, Osage, Eldon and Versailles.

Check back for photo galleries and video interviews.

The Eldon Mustangs nearly ended their losing streak on Friday in their closest game of the season, but the Pintos had enough to pull it out in a 15-0 win.

The season is now over for both Eldon and California.

The Lakers took care of business at the Jaws of Death on Friday with a 21-13 win over the previously undefeated Rolla Bulldogs, and were forced to await the outcome of the Waynesville-Lebanon game to find out whether they'd make the playoffs or not.

Finding themselves in the rare position of rooting for Waynesville, the Lakers got what they need as the Tigers beat Lebanon 57-41 to give Camdenton it's first district championship since 2005 when they won the state title.

Shane Hardman led the Lakers with 110 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including one to put the Lakers up 21-7.

Had the Lakers won by at least 13, they would have automatically clinched the district.

But midway through the fourth quarter, Rolla blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown. A blocked extra point still had the Bulldogs down just 21-13.

But with things now settled in the district, the Lakers will now enjoy a bye game in the first round before hosting a second-round game on Monday Nov. 9 against the winner of the district 7 and 9 runners-up.

A torrential downpour, gusting winds and a stingy Osage team couldn’t prevent Versailles from winning its first district title since 2002. The fact that the Tigers’ star player stepped up when it matter most didn‘t hurt, either.

With 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, quarterback Jesse Loganbill hit fullback Cody Bowers for a 22-yard touchdown pass on a playaction bootleg. It proved to be the decisive margin as Versailles won 14-7.

“There were two guys closing in on me and I just kinda lower my shoulders and next thing I knew, I had scored,” Bowers said.

The Tigers finish first in the Class 3, District 9 pool and will host either Mountain Grove or Ava on Wednesday. Osage will have to travel to Logan-Rogersville, a team that’s 8-1 and ranked No. 1 in Class 3.
 

The Lakers came about two feet from a win on Friday night.

After marching 99 yards down the field for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, the Lakers cut the lead to one.

On the ensuing extra point try, the snap went over the head of kicker Jeff Dorhauer. Dorhauer scooped the ball up around the 35 yard-line and evaded a couple of would-be tacklers.

Much to the surprise of the crowd, Dorhauer stayed on his feet and started charging toward the endzone, he took a hit inside the 5-yard line but kept moving, only to be brought down inside the 1-yard line.

Lebanon ran out the remaing 3:16 by running the ball up the middle.

Shane Hardman rushed for 99 yards and three touchdowns in the game, while Jacob Dines rushed for 96.

Lebanon quarterback Cole Matlock was 24-37 for 288 yards and three touchdowns.

For more on this game and others, pick up a copy of Monday's Lake Sun.

Another blowout win, another monumental night for a Versailles running back.

Senior fullback Cody Bowers broke the school's single-game rushing mark of

311 set by Eddie Stevenson just one week ago as the Tigers took control

and won 42-21 at California Friday night.

Bowers had four touchdowns and, according to radio reports, 319 rushing

yards on 28 carries. His first carry of the game went for 15 yards and he

took the next one 45 yards to the endzone to give Versailles a 7-0 lead

after just two plays.

Bowers had 280 yards and all four scores in the first half. The Tigers got

two first-quarter interceptions, including one that was returned for a

touchdown by Nathan Henderson, and led 42-6 at halftime.

Just two weeks ago the school's single-game rushing record was held by

Wade Chism, who ran for 267 yards in 1979.

The win sets up a showdown next Thursday night. Versailles hosts Osage, a

37-7 winner over Eldon.

Both Versailles and Osage have clinched playoff spots, but the winner gets

homefield advantage for the first round.

The Osage Indians clinched a playoff spot with a win over Eldon and Versailles win over California on Friday.

The Mustangs, coming off a 32-14 win over the Pintos, got on top of Eldon early. They were up 28-0 at the end of the first quarter.

After that, it was all academic, as the Indians rolled to a 30-point win.

Osage will travel to Versailles next week to fight for home-field advantage in the first round of playoffs.

A back-and-forth first half led to a 14-14 tie at intermission, but the second half was all Osage on Friday as the rolled to a 32-14 win.

At one point in the first quarter, the teams traded touchdowns on three consecutive plays. Osage scored on a 38-yard run by Cody Maher, then California scored on a 64-yard pass to Mitchell Cox, and on the very next play from scrimmage, Osage scored on a 72-yard Spencer Webb run. The three scores went on the board in a matter of 34 seconds of game time.

But the second half belonged to the Indians, who forced four turnovers and scored three touchdowns to seal the victory.

Webb led the Indians with 194 yards rushing and a touchdown.

The Indians are now 3-5 on the season and 1-0 in the district. They'll travel to Eldon next week, which is 0-1 in the district.