2024-25 Sports Review – Fredericktown

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username

Password

Login

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.

Email

Submit

← Back

By MATT KING

mking@dailyjournalonline.com

FREDERICKTOWN – Ryan Souden and Braydan Homan provided the Fredericktown baseball team with a reliable 1-2 punch atop its pitching rotation.

The Blackcats received clutch hits and defensive plays from numerous sources throughout a 17-10 spring that culminated in a Class 4, District 1 championship repeat.

Victories over Notre Dame and Kennett sealed a return to the state playoffs before Perryville avenged its 5-0 loss from the regular season in a sectional pitcher’s duel.

Fredericktown punctuated an 8-game win streak by taking first place during its annual wood bat event at newly dedicated Matt Souden Field.

Ryan Souden threw a dazzling 1-hitter with 13 strikeouts against De Soto, one day after the ceremony honoring his late father, and senior catcher Easton Wood notched the go-ahead RBI double to defeat Sullivan in the tournament clincher.

Fredericktown later upended Class 5 opponents Farmington and Hillsboro in back-to-back games, and edged Ste. Genevieve 1-0 in extra innings before placing fourth at the MAAA tournament.

Souden was selected to the Class 4 all-state First Team after going 7-3 with 102 strikeouts and just 41 hits allowed over 62 1/3 innings. He is set to continue at Mineral Area College.

Wood landed Second Team honors after batting .391 with 11 RBI from the leadoff spot. He caught 60 percent of stealing runners, and posted a .992 overall fielding clip.

Homan, who joined the Blackcats in a partnership with neighbor Marquand, made the all-conference team alongside Souden and Wood.

Infielders David Slinkard and Mason Proffer were named all-district, and senior reliever Sam Thomas signed with NJCAA program Minnesota West Community and Technical.

A restored senior nucleus helped FHS piece together a mostly positive girls basketball campaign, marked by a 17-10 record and second MAAA Large-School co-championship in three years.

Point guard P.J. Reutzel returned from a knee injury and nixed junior season to lead the Lady Cats, averaging about 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to collect Class 4 all-state recognition.

Her team placed second in their conference and district tournaments, and weathered a stout early portion of the schedule that included powerful opponents Hillsboro, St. Vincent and Doniphan.

After sustaining additional losses to Potosi and Arcadia Valley, a turnaround ensued. Fredericktown topped Central during an 8-game win streak between setbacks in two other marquee meetings.

Other impressive outcomes came against eventual district champions – Farmington by 14 points and Woodland by 9 – both on the road.

Reutzel surpassed 1,000 points in slightly more than 2 ½ varsity seasons, and drained a game-winning 3-pointer in the closing seconds against North County.

Senior forward Amelia Miller joined her on the MAAA all-conference team, and shooting guard Calie Allgier completed a trio of Lady Cats with all-district awards.

Head coach Micah Reutzel stepped down ahead of his oldest daughter’s pending graduation to fill a vacancy with the Fredericktown boys program.

Joaby Sikes accepted an administrative position after eight seasons leading the Blackcats, who finished 15-11 and featured the emergence of standout freshman Tucker Reutzel.

Ruetzel debuted with 37 points at the Arcadia Valley Thanksgiving Tournament, and never slowed down while obtaining spots on all-conference and all-district lists.

Michael Johnson sank four 3-pointers off the bench to help defeat Lesterville in overtime for third place in the nearly 100-year tradition.

Lee’Andrea Catchings worked the low post while guards Blake Terry-Breakfield and David Slinkard bolstered the perimeter threat. The Blackcats improved over a span of four months between contests with Notre Dame, losing the first by 38 and the second by only 7 in district action.

A 54-51 triumph over West County in the third-place game sealed the best Fredericktown showing in many years at the MAAA Tournament.

Success arguably peaked during three consecutive road wins at North County, Arcadia Valley and Central, plus a home defense against Ste. Genevieve.

School records fell throughout the track and field season, especially with 4×100 and 4×200 girls relay members Lauryn Hinkle, Kinleigh Gresham, Jonsyn Rehkop and Allgier geared for action.

Their best times were posted in preliminary heats of the Class 3 state meet. Breea McDaniel and Jillian Hinkle substituted for Allgier during the finals to garner fifth- and eighth-place medals.

Three-sport athlete Lauren Hale likewise reached the state podium after placing sixth in her first year throwing a javelin. Ella Penwell qualified in the high jump while Maggie Wood appeared in the 100-meter hurdles and triple jump.

Dylan Melvin highlighted the boys’ effort in Jefferson City by setting program records in each hurdles event. He finished sixth at the 110-meter discipline and seventh in the 300-meter final.

Two Cats competed in the shot put as Maddox Knepper took seventh and Cayden Crump scratched out. Garret Wright was 12th during javelin flights.

Hale was the MAAA and sectional javelin champion, and joined Rehkop, Hinkle, Allgier, Gresham and Penwell as girls all-conference performers.

Wright added a conference javelin title, and teammate Shane Snodgrass also reached MAAA standards along with district shot put champion Knepper and Crump.

Melvin was the sectional 110-meter winner, and double all-conference standout in hurdles.

The softball program enjoyed a mid-season surge when a 4-3 victory over Farmington snapped an 8-year, head-to-head drought and ignited an 8-game win streak.

Fredericktown avenged a 4-0 loss to North County by taking the rematch 8-1, then blanked Doniphan 5-0 in a three-hitter by freshman pitcher Michaela Reagan.

The Donettes got even in the district final, leaving the independent Lady Cats at 15-8 overall. Allgier made the all-district First Team along with Reagan and Miley Wengler while Rehkop, Penwell and Laynee King were picked for the Second Team.

Fredericktown football delivered shutouts against Potosi and Herculaneum, and generated increased buzz with exciting battles despite finishing 4-7 last fall.

A muddy deluge ended in a heart-breaking, triple-OT loss against Central, but the Cats later defeated Windsor when quarterback Easton Wood broke the plane on a keeper as time expired.

Catchings netted Third Team all-state distinction in Class 3 after totaling 54 receptions for 991 yards. The senior had two long scoring grabs and 189 yards against Ste. Genevieve in defeat.

Other members of the MAFC White Division First Team included Knepper along the defensive line, Proffer as a linebacker and offensive lineman Alec Bowman.

Fredericktown made positive strides during portions of a 13-15-2 volleyball season, but faded with eight losses over its last nine contests.

Although the Lady Cats went empty through conference play, they managed to win all three extended five-set clashes against South Iron, Scott City and Meadow Heights.

Postseason honors belonged to Maggie Wood and Gresham, and a quality victory over Arcadia Valley carried the bonus of a sweep in mid-September.

Wood led the team in digs, kills and assists as an all-conference sophomore setter and outside hitter. She charted 16 kills against North County and South Iron, and 15 digs versus Ste. Genevieve.

Gresham, a senior all-district outside hitter, signed with Cowley College in Kansas after posting program highs in both service aces and receptions.

Braydon McMinn spent time near the top of leaderboards at numerous events for the Fredericktown golf squad, and rode his success to the final weekend.

The senior placed 28th out of 92 players in the Class 3 state tournament at Twin Hills Country Club in Joplin following rounds of 83 and 78.

McMinn shot a 77 at Crown Pointe in district competition, and finished one shot off the individual pace with 79 on the same course during the MAAA tournament.

He was medalist of a nine-hole triangular with Ste. Genevieve and Arcadia Valley by carding a 39, and helped the Blackcats place second among 18 schools in the St. Pius Invitational.

FHS delivered a solid third-place showing in the conference, and nabbed a second individual medal as Gage Montgomery scored 81 to finish sixth.

Sophomore Breanna Bone was the undisputed performance leader within a somewhat minimal cross country roster, earning her second ticket to the Class 3 state race.

Bone placed 10th with a time of 20:37 in district action, and previously made the all-conference cut while picking up additional medals at Arcadia Valley, Farmington, Jackson and North County.

Teammate Larkin Strong earned awards at meets hosted by Potosi, Jackson, North County, Bismarck and Farmington covering distances of 5000 and 3200 meters.

Fredericktown struggled to a 5-11 mark in girls tennis after a serious knee injury removed all-MAAA senior and top player Clara Basden from the lineup.

Five more seniors were called upon in victories over St. Pius, Windsor, Sikeston and Charleston. The Lady Cats received a district forfeit from Caruthersville.

Becca Bell notched their strongest showing at the conference tournament by finishing runner-up in the No. 3 singles bracket.

Boys soccer remains in a holding pattern at Fredericktown after going 5-14 last season. The girls find themselves in a less favorable position after playing multiple matches short-handed.

Reid Simmons netted a hat trick during a glaring 5-2 victory against Festus. The boys also claimed a 2-1 clash with local rival North County.

Brigg Hale and Carter Jordan each scored twice in a 7-1 rout of Kennett to celebrate Senior Day.

The Lady Cats opened their spring campaign by topping Kelly 3-2, but entered a 13-match skid that persisted until the conclusion.

Oslynn O’Brien was recognized on the Class 2 all-region team while Livee McFadden and Lyndee Hinkle equaled her all-district honors.