15 years

By Will Johnson, Sports Editor
Posted 12/29/21

As the old saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun.

Realizing yours truly has now been sitting behind the sports desk here at the Gasconade County Republican for 15 years made me …

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15 years

Posted

As the old saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun.

Realizing yours truly has now been sitting behind the sports desk here at the Gasconade County Republican for 15 years made me reflect on how fortunate I have been to witness so many success stories here in Owensville.

Months prior to the beginning of my employment here, I was able to witness the 2006 Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3 Show-Me Bowl championship football game between the Owensville Dutchmen and Harrisonville Wildcats at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

Even though the orange and black ended up on the wrong side of a 56-21 final score, one play from that game still stands as a record for a state championship game.

Then Dutchmen junior wide receiver Matt Angell returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown for Owensville’s first score of the game.

Over two years prior, yours truly graduated from Culver-Stockton College alongside Owensville High School Class of 2000 graduates Rebecca (Angell) Hasemeier and Crystal Ficken.

Rebecca is Matt’s older sister who now resides in St. Louis.

It only took a few months to witness my first Four Rivers Conference (FRC) championship team courtesy of Greg Williams’ Owensville Dutchmen basketball team led by seniors Chris Collins, Andrew Jett, Wes Stammers and Ben Hempelmann.

Earlier that season during the Owensville Tournament, Collins was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) while Jett was selected as the tournament’s Sixth Man.

My move to Owensville also exposed me to high school wrestling for the first time with Canton High School only having basketball as a winter sport.

More memories of my 15 years thus far here in Owensville will be in coming installments of ‘Will’ful Thinking.