Pirate footballers fall to Comets at Marionville

Lot of points, little class from Marionville team; Lady Pirate volleyball set to start district tournament play this week
 
The Ash Grove High School football team traveled to Marionville on Friday, Oct. 15, and came home with a 48-8 loss to the district-leading Comets.
During first half action, Ash Grove quarterback Brock Mooneyham was laid out by an illegal, blindside hit from Marionville’s Koy Dittmar, who was then ejected for targeting and will subsequently miss the final regular season game for Marionville. Following the hit, the Marionville crowd cheered with delight as the Pirate junior lay on the field while coaches and the team medic left the sideline to check his well-being. Mooneyham returned to action shortly thereafter.
But that wasn’t the first dirty play from Dittmar. Earlier in the half, the Comet senior’s unsportsmanlike antics cost his team a major run when he was flagged for holding, after jumping on the back of a downed Ash Grove player and pretending to ride him.
Absent from action but on the sideline for the game, was Ash Grove offensive spark plug Parker Crow, who was sporting a walking boot. Thanks to the injury, the junior may be done for the season according to head coach Ryan Long.
With the loss, the Pirates fall to 5-3 but maintain fourth place in the Class 1, District 3 standings. The Pirates will end the regular season by hosting Sarcoxie this Friday night.
Marionville still leads the district with 55.5 points; followed by Thayer (49.19 points), Sarcoxie (40.22 points), Ash Grove (36.9 points), Diamond (32.13 points), Cabool (30.4 points), Pierce City (23.06 points) and Miller (18.17 points).
Volleyball
In volleyball last week, the Lady Pirates had four games, winning one of them.
Ash Grove hosted Pleasant Hope on Thursday, Oct. 14, and fell in three sets, 15-25, 24- 26 and 21-25.
A couple days prior, the Lady Pirates hosted Sarcoxie on Tuesday, Oct. 12, but fell in four sets, 17-25, 26-28, 25-19 and 23-25.
Julianna Torbett led Ash Grove with 20 assists; Emma McClelland had 20 digs, Khloe Moad had 14 kills and four block kills and Ashlyn Gerla led with one ace.
Ash Grove opened the week by traveling to Greenfield to take part in a triangular against Greenfield and Verona. The Lady Pirates lost to Greenfield in four sets, 25-20, 22-25, 19-25 and 18-25, but beat Verona in three sets, 25-12, 25-16 and 25-11.
Ash Grove is now 7-16-1 on the season and will now travel to Sparta tomorrow night to open play in the Class 2, District 10 Tournament against Sparta.
Pleasant Hope is the tourney top seed, followed by New Covenant Academy, Spokane, Sparta and Ash Grove. The opening round is tomorrow night, with the semifinals being played on Friday night and the championship game taking place on Monday, Oct. 25.