September 30th - October 6th, 2019

By CLINT DYE • Leader Sports Reporter

When the East Buchanan Bulldogs (2-2) and Plattsburg Tigers (3-1) meet this Friday in Gower for their annual rivalry clash, Bulldogs head coach Kevin Bryan will be standing with his team on the home sidelines.

As one of the longest-tenured coaches in the KCI Conference (only Lawson’s Todd Dunn has been with his team longer), Bryan has seen everything this rivalry game has to offer. He’s seen the blowout victories like in 2010 and 2014. He’s seen the tightly-contested nail biters, as was the case in 2012 when the Bulldogs escaped with a 42-41 victory, and even though he wasn’t on the sidelines (battling cancer kept him from coaching the game), he’s felt the tough losses like the 28-6 defeat in the 2016 Class 1, District 7 Championship.

Since Bryan took over the East Buchanan program in 2007, the Bulldogs are 11-3 against their Clinton County rivals, and as always, he knows how important this game is for his players and the community.
“This rivalry is so special because the kids know each other so well and the community members have probably competed against each other,” Bryan said. “Both teams have a rich football tradition and they want to continue to have bragging rights for the next year.”

Across from Bryan on the visitors’ sideline Friday night, making his debut in the Clash of Clinton County, will be Plattsburg Head Coach Ross Rosenbaum.

As the newest and youngest head coach in the KCI Conference, Rosenbaum has brought a renewed attitude and a sense of toughness to the Plattsburg football program – something desperately missing a year ago.

In his first year as a head coach, Rosenbaum has the Tigers playing with a ton of confidence and momentum, entering the game with a 3-1 record, a mark they haven’t achieved in over a decade. He knows a win over one of their fiercest and most historical rivals would be a huge building block as they enter the second half of their season.

“It’s exciting to be a part of a game that goes back several years and that means so much to everyone. I know what it means to the people of our town and theirs as well,” Rosenbaum said. “These are two schools that go after each other in every sport, and football is one of the biggest. It’s certainly a different feel when we play East Buch. The players are locked in because they want to come out on the right side of this one. I’m ready to go lead these guys Friday.”

The most intriguing thing about this year’s meeting of the Bulldogs and Tigers is just how similar the two teams have been. In most years, this contest would be an extreme contrast in styles when it comes to the offensive approach, but that is not the case in 2019.

East Buchanan has long been the spread out, air attack of the KCI Conference, but this year they have adopted a run-first, run-often mindset through their first four games. A plethora of Bulldogs has carried the ball out of the East Buchanan backfield, with seniors Tucker White and Owen Fortney setting the tone. Through four games, White has rushed for 394 yards while Fortney has rushed for 252 yards, with seven rushing touchdowns between them.

“They have some talented kids on their team. We have to be prepared to stop several different guys,” Rosenbaum said. “They have a few guys they put in the backfield that run it hard. When you try and stack the box on them, they can beat you through the air, as well. It’s going to be a tough task to find the balance on defense to slow them down.”

A year removed from a failed attempt by the previous coaching staff in implementing a spread-it-out, air-it-out approach like East Buchanan, Plattsburg has gone back to the roots of what historically has made it a formidable program – power running.

Spearheading the Tigers’ ground game is Austin Rankin. So far this season, the hard-running junior has rushed for over 600 yards and has scored six touchdowns. His play, along with the play of his offensive line, is something Coach Bryan knows will be a tough challenge for his Bulldogs’ defense.

“They are huge up front and they do a good job of getting into their man and keeping with their blocks,” Bryan said. “Then when you put a good back like Rankin behind them, it is a load to stop.”
If the Bulldogs concentrate too much on Rankin, senior Isaiah Graham can easily make them pay from the quarterback position.

Since 2016, East Buchanan has rattled off three wins in a row (they defeated Plattsburg twice in 2017) in the rivalry. Each game has been highly competitive, and each time Plattsburg went into the rivalry tilt with a coach in his first year leading the way.

Either Coach Rosenbaum, the new blood of the KCI, will end the Tigers’ current losing trend against the Bulldogs, or Coach Bryan, the old guard of the KCI, will notch yet another victory under his belt over the Tigers. Either way, the 2019 Clash of Clinton County is shaping up to be a good one.

Leader Sports Reporter Clint Dye

1. Lathrop (4-0) LW1 – Mules handled Hamilton for the third year in a row with relative ease. This week they travel to play West Platte. Judgement Day the following week at Lawson looms large.
2. Lawson (3-1) LW2 – Pitched an impressive 35-0 shutout at Plattsburg in week three. Offense is getting going at the right time. This week they travel to play winless North Platte. Gearing up for rivalry showdown with Lathrop in week six.
3. Mid-Buchanan (3-1) LW3 – Dragons bounced back in style with a 53-6 victory over North Platte. This week in the KCI Conference Game of the Week they hit the road to take on a Hamilton team who will be seeking revenge from their playoff loss to the Dragons in 2018.
4. Hamilton (2-2) LW5 – Lost at rival Lathrop last week, so far this season the Hornets have alternated wins and losses. Looking to continue that trend this Friday in a big-time showdown with Mid-Buchanan at home.
5. Plattsburg (3-1) LW4 – Shutout loss at home to Lawson drops the Tigers one spot this week. Offense struggled to get going against the Cardinals. This week they travel to East Buchanan for the Clash of Clinton County. On paper this might be the closest match-up of the week.
6. East Buchanan (2-2) LW6 – Tucker White got the offense going in their win over West Platte. Now that it seems they have found their QB, Bulldogs welcome in a Plattsburg team hungry to bounce back after tasting defeat for the first time in 2019.
7. West Platte (1-3) LW7 – Gave East Buchanan a fight which they always seem to do but came up short. Their reward, a home game against Lathrop.
8. North Platte (0-4) LW8 – Ran into a Buzzsaw in Mid-Buchanan last week, this week they host a Lawson team gearing up for their week six showdown with Lathrop.

Leader Editor Brett Adkison

1. Lathrop (4-0, LW: 1) – Chris Holt won't let his football team look past West Platte this week, but that road trip to Lawson looms just a week away for the Mules.
2. Mid-Buchanan (3-1, LW: 2) – The Dragons are 3-0 and have outscored their opponents 130-6 when they play teams not named Lathrop.
3. Lawson (3-1, LW: 3) – Handed Plattsburg their first loss of the season. Stephens is a force.
4. Plattsburg (3-1, LW: 4) – The Tigers stay at four this week, but crucial contests against East Buchanan and Hamilton will tell Plattsburg's story over the next two weeks. This isn't the kind of team that will shrink away after a loss to Lawson.
5. Hamilton (2-2, LW: 5) – For the third-straight year, Hamilton was unable to upend Lathrop. Their two losses this season have come against teams who are 4-0. Game against Mid-Buchanan this week is huge.
6. East Buchanan (2-2, LW: 6) – Took care of business against West Platte, but a Homecoming win against Plattsburg would be rocket fuel for this squad.
7. North Platte (0-4, LW: 7) – The Panthers can't catch a break. Their four losses are against teams a combined 13-3 this season, and they'll be welcoming 3-1 Lawson to Dearborn on Friday.
8. West Platte (1-3, LW: 8) – Might not have much hope against state-ranked Lathrop this week, but the Tobacco Stick is up for grabs in two weeks when they play North Platte.

The landscape of the Clinton County R-III School District underwent a major change, both figuratively and literally, as the CCR-III Board of Education accepted a stadium construction bid by B. Dean Construction and selected Mark Coulter as the newest board member on Wednesday, September 18. This past April, the voters in the school district passed overwhelmingly a $7 million bond issue to secure the entries on all three school buildings ($1.1 million), upgrades at Ellis Elementary ($2.5 million), a connection corridor between Plattsburg High School and Clinton County Middle School with a new access road ($1 million) and completion of the new track and football field ($2.4 million). The base bid from B. Dean Construction of Lee’s Summit for the football and track stadium was $2.689 million, a slightly higher figure (by an additional $289,000) than when the bond issue was presented to the public. With the alternatives approved by the board, the total cost ​on the second round of stadium construction is $2.95 million. Their base bid was lower that Allison and Alexander, Inc. at $2.8 million and Universal Construction Company, Inc. at $2.75 million. The base bid includes the following: Stadium grandstand; a prefabricated three-section press box; a 2,300 sq. ft. fieldhouse with concessions, restrooms, storage and more; a Vision Board scoreboard; connecting existing parking lots; track and field equipment and other basic needs for the stadium. Additionally, six alternative add-ons were presented for board approval. The board approved chair seating with the ‘P’ logo in the middle of the grandstand, an additional 300 seats in the grandstand (bringing the total seating to 1,500), an additional sidewalk that will circle the entire track, and 300 seats for visitor seating. Representatives from Hollis and Miller answered questions about the bid and Superintendent Dr. Sandy Steggall said the alternates would not be paid for from bond proceeds, but from the district’s capital improvements fund, which currently has a balance of over $500,000. David Dow motioned for approval of the bid and alternates and Corey Wilkinson seconded the motion. It was approved unanimously, 6-0. Completion of the stadium project is expected in March 2020. Dr. Steggall said the remaining projects would be bid in January and construction could be completed before school begins in the fall of 2020. The board considered two applicants to replace Jennifer Turley on the board. Turley resigned recently when the issue of potential dual-residency was raised. Mark Coulter and Craig Graham both applied for the vacancy with both unsuccessfully seeking election to the board this past April. Mark Coulter placed third in the election and Craig Graham – a former board member – was fourth. Before the interview began in open session, the board first had to vote to override their policy, which called for an interview session and then vote at the next board meeting. Both candidates agreed to the change and the board voted 6-0 for a one-time policy change. Mark Coulter said he and his wife moved to Plattsburg eight years ago with plans to serve as the assistant Clinton County Prosecutor. A position in Kansas City with the Port Authority changed those plans, but not his residency in Plattsburg. He and his wife have three daughters, ages three, five and seven. Board president Sam Martin asked a few of questions of the interviewees. One question dealt with how they would react if a board vote did not go as he would have liked. Mr. Coulter said he understood from previous experiences on boards how votes could go. He said he didn’t want to be blindsided by issues, and the idea would be to learn and grow from the situation. He was asked if he would run for re-election to the board in April if he was appointed. He said he would. Craig Graham began his opening statement with the fact he has lived his entire life in Plattsburg. All of his five children have or will graduate from Plattsburg High School and go on to college. During his three years of service on the board, he said people valued his opinion on the board. On the question of votes, he knew how one could be on the outside of issues, mentioning a few times when he was the lone dissenting vote. He said he would run if appointed in the April election. “I do say what I feel because like my dad says, ‘A closed mouth don’t get fed.’” he said. “But sometimes you have to move on when votes don’t go your way.” Steve Garr made the motion to appoint Mark Coulter and his motion was seconded by Corey Wilkinson. Garr mentioned his motion was based on the close vote in April with Coulter finishing third. Garr, Dow, Wilkinson and Martin voted in favor, while O’Connor and Hoskins voted against. Dr. Steggall touched on overall finances with the Fund I balance showing $2.215 million. All three building principals offered their reports, with Dr. Turner’s report from Ellis Elementary covering reading data assessments with consultants on the job. The NWEA testing program is in place with results to come very soon. CCMS Principal Angie Courtney said the testing is a slow process, but is underway. The intervention program on grades is a focal point. The trip to New York City and Washington D.C. has been well received, with 73 signed up. The high school report was presented by Mr. Kellerstrass, with Principal Chris Hodge on supervising duty. Attendance at the high school was 96 percent with the NWEA testing underway in English and math for the ninth and tenth grades. Athletic Dirctor Kellerstrass said he had been working on updating the championship banners in the gym and work on the Plattsburg Athletic Hall of Fame is underway. Special Education director Brittany Delemeter said they would once again be hosting the Special Olympics in basketball on December 13. Dr. Steggall said the overall school enrollment is 630 in grades K-12: 187 high school, 146 middle school, 297 Ellis Elementary. There are 30 students in preschool. A total of 61 students are enrolled in kindergarten. The freshman class is small at 38 and the senior class has 49 students. The October board meeting will be moved to October 23 to accommodate training for Dr. Steggall and Sandy Goad on new bookkeeping software.

Enter today for your chance to win tickets to the Chiefs v. Denver game on December 15th! See details below. 

Questions? Contact us at leader@clintoncountyleader.com!

1969 -  “Gaytones” To Appear At Lathrop

Left to right: Anna Lee Scott, Bass; Jean Shook, Lead; Sharri Mertens, Baritone; Margaret Layer, Tenor.

The Gaytones will appear in Lathrop, October 11 at the Sweet Adeline Show “Moon Shot of the Century,” which will be presented at the Lathrop High School Auditorium at 8:00 p.m.

The Gaytones were organized in June of 1966 and entered Regional competition in St. Louis in April, 1967, where they placed first. By winning this contest they were eligible to enter International competition in the fall of 1967, which was held in Carnegie Hall in New York City. There were 42 quartets competing, and the Gaytones placed sixth. In October on 1968 the Gaytones traveled to Oklahoma City for the International convention and competition and after three days of eliminations they were named “1968-69 International Queens of Harmony”. Since winning the International honor the Gaytones have traveled and entertained extensively in the mid-west and have up-coming engagements in the southern states.

The quartet consists of:
Margaret Layer, who sings tenor, and is a secretary at the Mental Health Institute. She has two children and one grandson. She has been a Sweet Adeline for fifteen years and has served her Chapter in may capacities including Chapter president and publicity chairman.

Jean Shook is the lead of the quartet, and is a busy homemaker and mother of two daughters. She is the director of Mt. Pleasant Sweet Adelines and is a certified judge in the category of Music. She arranges some of the music the quartet sings. Jean and Margaret are sisters and come from a musical family. Their father played the guitar and also sang in a quartet. They cannot remember when their family did not sing together.

Sharri Mertens is the baritone of the group, and manages to keep busy with her two small sons and two children she cares for during the day. She also serves as bookkeeper for her husband who operates a gas station and garage.

Anna Lee Scott sings bass and is a teller at the Henry County Savings Bank in Mt. Pleasant. She lives with her mother, and in addition to Sweet Adelines she keeps busy sewing for the quartet and making the travel arrangements for them. She is assistant director for the Mt. Pleasant Chapter.

1989 - NEW SIGN FOR ELLIS

Pictured, left to right, are Sandy Massock, elementary Principal, Marcia Brewer, art teacher, and Roy Jennings, fifth grade teacher.

A new vision welcomes all to Ellis Elementary School. After 35 years in the community, Ellis has a sign designating its name. Roy Jennings, 5th grade teacher suggested the project last spring. The P.T.A. sprung into response and offered the sign as a gift to the school. Thanks to the artistic talents of Marcia Brewer and the willing labor of Roy Brewer, the vision has become a reality.

Front: Symbols: Silhouettes of boy and girl holding large book on heads (old school method of testing physical posture); the little red schoolhouse; children hold world in their hands. Back: Representation of Jonathon Livingston Sequll; Inspiration for students and teacher to reach higher.

2009 - Area firefighters train for school bus incident

After the Friday night classroom work, Saturday morning the firefighters began working the bus in the upright position. (Above) Then later in the afternoon, Randy’s Tow Service from Gower turned the bus on its side and the simulation instructions changed. The firefighters began cutting through the roof of the bus and examining the situation from each end.
The Plattsburg Fire Protection District hosted a school bus rescue course last weekend. Don Wise with the University of Missouri Extension and Adair County Fire/EMS taught the class.

“We do about 12 of these a year,” said Wise. “We go where the resources are,” said Wise about the difficulty finding a school bus to use in the exercise. According to Wise, they are developing a new curriculum with the hopes of turning the two-day course in to a 4-6 hour course that will allow more volunteer departments to participate. The two-day commitment is tough for firefighters to find time for.

During the course, overall scene management is taught along with extrication skills. “School busses are the safest mode of transportation, and when something happens the injuries are extremely minimal. But when that one critical event happens we want everyone to be prepared,” said Wise.

Fire departments from Plattsburg, Lathrop, Holt, Edgerton/Trimble, Gladstone and Independence were represented, as well as the Hamilton School District, who sent a bus driver. According to Asst. Fire Chief Brad Lawrence all schools in the northwest Missouri area were invited to send a bus driver.

The adage “It isn’t over until it’s over” appears to be true in the case of the Castile Creek bridge replacement on 169 Highway just south of Gower. 

As reported in last week’s edition of The Leader, the opening was originally scheduled to take place Thursday, September 19, but according to an update Monday, September 16, from Austin Hibler, in-house-engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation, the opening has been pushed back at least one day to Friday, September 20. 

This stretch of highway has been closed since Monday, June 10,  when the bridge replacement began. 
When contacted Monday, Hibler confirmed rumors of a delay due to rain last week that slowed the laying and smoothing of asphalt on the approaches from both the north and south ends of the bridge. These approaches, totaling 300 feet on the north and 400 feet on the south, must be laid in numerous sections until the total 12-inch height is laid and smooth.

Hibler said he was trying to contact the construction company to see if a Friday opening was still feasible. As of deadline, it is still unclear if the opening will occur Friday or later. If the bridge opens Friday, there will be a ribbon cutting at the bridge at 4 p.m. to celebrate the movement of traffic again on this stretch of highway.
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As far as residents who use this highway daily, it can’t happen too soon, but will be warmly received when it finally opens.

Local football teams kept their momentum in Week 2, as the Plattsburg Tigers, Lathrop Mules and East Buchanan Bulldogs came away with wins ahead of the KCI Conference season, which starts this week. (Above) East Buchanan linemen James Muller (#50) and Heath Walley (#52) stop a St. Joseph Christian runner on Friday at East Buchanan High School. (Left) Lathrop senior quarterback Blake Gordon rolls out for a pass in the Mules’ 50-6 win over Hogan Prep at Lathrop High School. For more on sports, see page A7 of this issue of the Clinton County Leader, available now!

September 9th - 15th, 2019

The rains have come and the rains have gone, and so has thousands of tons of good Clinton County soil. Some of the soil has eroded to other locations in the county. Other (soil) has left the county for good and is scattered from Clay County to the Gulf of Mexico. Regardless of the location, it usually is left in a most undesirable place. 

Soil erosion is one of the many hazards of farming. We don't question that erosion, as shown in picture 1, is costing the farmer. He pays a high price for this type of erosion in crop loss, soil nutrient loss, depletion of top soil and in machinery costs. 
It is not only the farmer that pays for erosion though. Every tax payer, and we hope that includes about everyone, shares in the cost in some way. One example of this is shown in the second photo. The cost of maintenance from this kind of erosion is staggering whether it is on the County, State, or National level. While driving over Clinton County after the Spring rains, some of you might have wondered: How many tax dollars  would it take to replace the culverts and bridges? How many tons of gravel to replace the gravel that had washed away and how many extra man and machine hours would be needed for putting up with this kind of erosion. 

It has been estimated that on the average, it would cost less than five cents per cubic yard to clean it out of the ditches, navigation channels, etc. Therefore, it seems logical we should be spending more tax money on erosion control rather than trying to learn to live with it. 

This is one of the best times of the year for applying practices to eliminate erosion. The soil and Water District of Clinton County has been working with several farmers the past month who are doing their share to cut down erosion. Those listed on the Honor Roll as conservation farmers this month are: Michael Quigley, Donald Kincaid, Lawrence Gibson, George Morse, Alton Pickett, Jack Clark, Tommy Thomas, Dannie Delaney, Bill Arnold, and Richard Barman. Let's have your name on the honor roll next month.

The Missouri Ruralist sponsored a new feature at the Missouri State Fair this year called "Best of the Best." It recognized the best restored antique tractors in Missouri. Trophies were awarded for the best restored on steel, best restored rubber, and the oldest tractor.
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Warren Porter, a member of the Lathrop Antique Car, Tractor and Engine Club won the trophy for the oldest tractor and the trophy for the best restored on steel with his Model D, 1919 Moline tractor.

Warren is pictured here with his trophies and tractor.

EBHS seniors Jennifer McCoy and Tyler Parks were named the 2009 East Buchanan High School Homecoming Queen and King Friday evening. 

The Plattsburg High School football team didn’t wait long to make a splash in the Ross Rosenbaum era, as a tough defensive performance lifted the Tigers and the first-year head coach to a 7-6 win against Milan on Friday, August 30, at PHS. Catch results for all three local high school football teams on page A6 of this issue, and turn to page A7 for our annual Fall Sports Preview, featuring Plattsburg, East Buchanan and Lathrop athletics. (Above) Plattsburg senior quarterback Isaiah Graham cuts back into the middle of the field as junior Austin Rankin put down a physical block on Friday at PHS. (Right) For the fourth time in as many years, the Tigers started the season with a new head coach, as Ross Rosenbaum made his debut on Friday.

The Clinton County Leader and The Mule Stop in Lathrop gave away a total of seven free Chiefs tickers to the 49ers game, pulling two lucky winners from the contest entries. Congratulations to Melissa Branstetter and Gina Lord, the two winners. Also pictured are Steve Tinnen, publisher of The Leader, Andy McNeely, owner/operator of The Mule Stop, and Edwin Hufford, the special guest ticket drawer for the night.

Gina Lord and her son enjoyed the Chiefs game against the 49ers.

Winner, Melissa Brandstetter (2nd from left). Pictured with Steve Tinnen, Linda Langford, and Andy McNeely. 

Bob Burns and his wife, winners of the first drawing, attended the pre-season game against the Bengals on August 8th.

​Be sure to keep an eye our for more great prizes from the Clinton County Leader and the Mule Stop!