Three Independence Community College Softball players are named to the KJCCC All-Conference team as Honorable Mentions following the 2026 season.

Sophomores Madyson Paxton and Kylie Dennison, along with freshman Londyn Dempster earned conference attention for their efforts.

Paxton, a second year shortstop from Mangum, Oklahoma, finished the year hitting .364 good for second on the team. Paxton had 52 hits on the year including 10 doubles and drove in 23 runs, on the way to 13 multi-hit games. 

Dennison, a sophomore from Benton, Kansas, finished with 27 hits in 81 at-bats, good for a .333 average. Her three home runs were tied for the team high, while she drove in 17 runs as well while playing both of the corner infield spots throughout the season. 

Dempster, the lone Pirate freshman to be named to the all-conference team, finished the season with a team high .383 batting average and matched the team high in home runs with three. She also slugged 10 doubles, two triples, and drove in 23 runs while stealing five bases. 

The KJCCC All-Conference Teams were announced at the beginning of the KJCCC Conference Softball tournament on Wednesday.

Photo: Independence Community College

A second Nowata golfer commits to continue their golf career at Coffeyville Community College.

Ironmen Senior Jackson Hurd signed to CCC on Wednesday. Hurd is a two-time qualifier for the 2A state tournament and has been one of Nowata's leaders on the golf course this season. Head Coach Homer Johnston says Hurd has been bought into golf since he was a freshman.

Hurd qualified for state last season as a junior individually, finishing 23^rd. This season, he heads back to state with the rest of his team after Nowata finished second at regionals in Seminole on April 27^th. Hurd finished eighth individually. Johnston says Hurd has really stepped up as a leader this year.

Hurd will join teammate Brett Malone who signed to CCC on April 24^th. CCC golf is coached by William Wilson, a Nowata graduate.

Coffeyville Community College nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season yesterday in Overland Park, falling to nationally 15th-ranked Johnson County 9-8 in 10 innings to open the Jayhawk Conference softball playoffs.

Ravens softball coach Ashton Friend said this time of year, anybody can be beaten, and the Lady Ravens proved it against the tournament’s top seed.

CCC jumped on conference pitcher of the year Kyleigh Whitehurst early, scoring three runs in the first inning and adding two more in the second while capitalizing on a pair of Johnson County errors to build a 5-2 lead.

Newly named first-team all-conference selection Raya Eilert later homered to help Coffeyville carry a two-run advantage into the bottom of the seventh inning, just three outs away from a massive upset. But Johnson County rallied to tie the game and force extra innings.

The teams traded home runs in the ninth before Johnson County erased another two-run deficit and finally ended the three-hour marathon in the 10th on a two-out, bases-loaded single.

Whitehurst threw all 10 innings for Johnson County, totaling 183 pitches.

The thriller was a dramatic turnaround from the teams’ regular-season meetings on April 21, when Johnson County swept Coffeyville by a combined 24-1 score.

Despite the strong effort, the Lady Ravens now face elimination. CCC meets Labette this morning at 11 in a knockout game after Labette fell to Allen County 6-3. The matchup is another rematch that didn’t favor Coffeyville during the regular season, when Labette swept a doubleheader April 9 by scores of 5-1 and 8-7.

Neosho County also faces elimination today after being shut out by Cowley 4-0. Neosho takes on Cloud County at 1 p.m.

Photo Courtesy: Coffeyville Community College

The Coffeyville Community College Red Raven baseball team prepares for the opening round of the Region 6 playoffs, where they will battle the Seward County Saints in a best-of-3 series in Liberal.

The Red Ravens enter the matchup with a 26-28 record, 15-17 in conference play, and are the No. 5 seed in the East division. Seward enters with a 23-35 record, 15-17 in league play, and is the No. 4 seed in the West.

Coffeyville closed conference play with sweeps of both Highland and Labette, and a series victory over Neosho County. Head Coach Jake Martin says the team has found their groove late in the season.

CCC and Seward County have not seen each other since April of 2024, with the two programs competing on opposite sides of the Jayhawk conference. Martin says the Saints have some of the league's top talent.

The Ravens have gotten production from a number of guys this season, from the rotation to the batting order. Martin adds that the mentality of the guys in the dugout has given this team a chance to overcome adversity.

Game 1 of the Seward-Coffeyville series is today, at 3 p.m. CT, Game 2 will be tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT, and Saturday's winner-take-all Game 3 (if necessary) would be Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.

The Oklahoma Union Board of Education approved the hiring of Josh Middleton as the new football coach during a special meeting back in late April.

Middleton comes to OKU following a stint as offensive coordinator at Mounds and time as an assistant with Stroud. This is Middleton's first head coaching job in his career. He talks about seeing the campus for the first time.

With spring camps and workouts on the way for OKU, Middleton talks about the small goals in his vision for the program.

A season ago, OKU finished 1-9 in former head coach Bruce Munden's only season at the helm. He was announced as the head coach of Kirksville High School in Missouri in late March.

The Coffeyville Community College softball team is headed to Overland Park for the Region 6 playoffs, the first time the program has made an appearance since 2018.

The Red Ravens entered the final week of the regular season needing three wins to lock up a spot in the Top 8, and were able to split series with Highland, Allen County, and KCK to leapfrog Fort Scott for the No. 8 seed in the region. Head Coach Ashton Friend says the team has come a long way in the 2026 season.

Coffeyville found some momentum in the season's final month, finishing with a 6-6 mark in their last 12 games, including wins over Independence and Fort Scott. Assistant Coach Tyler Fuller says the team is playing their best ball at the right time.

The Red Ravens open with the Johnson County Cavaliers in a double-elimination tournament, with play opening on Wednesday. Friend says at this point of the season, nobody is untouchable.

CCC is one of the youngest teams in the Jayhawk conference, with only three departing sophomores on the roster. Fuller says this week will be a valuable opportunity for both this team and future Raven teams.

Coffeyville and Johnson County kick off the Region 6 playoffs when they battle today at 11 a.m. in Overland Park.

South Coffeyville will be represented at this weekend's 1A state track and field meet.

Junior Karter Koehn set a personal record in the high jump at Saturday's regional in Jay, clearing 5'10".

He will be the lone representative for the program at state, Friday and Saturday in Oklahoma City.

Photo Courtesy: South Coffeyville Public School Facebook

The following are reported scores from May 4:

Kansas HS Baseball

Caney Valley: 7 - Neodesha: 5 / Caney Valley: 5 - Neodesha: 1

Cherryvale: 10 - Bluestem: 0 / Cherryvale: 16 - Bluestem: 3

Burlington: 17 - Labette County: 2 / Burlington: 6 - Labette: 2

Oklahoma HS Baseball

Kansas: 7 - Dewey: 5

Caney Valley: 7 - Pawhuska: 2

Nowata: 9 - Commerce: 1

Ketchum: 7 - Fairland: 1

For the 53rd time in school history, Independence High School Boys Tennis is the SEK League champion. 

Their score of 46 on Thursday edged out Parsons' 43 and Chanute's 33.

Matthew McLenon and Brodie Small of IHS won the doubles bracket. Alan Mah earned second place, and Kevin Mah and Heston Smith earned third place.

Bulldogs Tennis will compete in the 4A regional on Friday in Wellington. They will go up against Augusta, Field Kindley, Labette County, Parsons, Wellington, and Winfield.

Photo Courtesy: Independence Bulldog Tennis

There are just a couple of weeks to go for most Kansas high school baseball teams. Here is what the standings look like coming down the home stretch.

4A (Southeast Conference)

1) Independence (12-5)

2) Fort Scott (8-12)

3) Chanute (7-9)

4) Pittsburg (5-10)

5) Field Kindley (4-7)

6) Labette County (4-11)

7) Parsons (2-13)

3A (Tri-Valley Conference)

1) Caney Valley (11-7)

2) Cherryvale (11-8)

3) Humboldt (11-9)

4) Neodesha (9-5)

5) Bluestem (5-14)

6) Fredonia (3-11)

7) Eureka (3-14)

2A (Three Rivers Conference)

1) Cherokee Southeast (18-3)

2) Marmaton Valley (17-4)

3) Central Heights (15-3)

4) Uniontown (11-7)

5) Crest (10-10)

6) Jayhawk Linn (10-10)

7) Pleasonton (7-12)

8) Northeast (6-12)

9) Yates Center (6-14)

10) Oswego (4-11)

11) St. Paul (2-16)

12) Erie (2-20)

1A (South Central Standings)

1) Cedar Vale/Dexter (16-0)

2) South Sumner (11-6)

3) Flinthills (10-9)

4) Udall (6-11)

5) Oxford (6-11)

6) Sedan (6-11)

7) West Elk (5-12)

8) Central (5-14)

Coffeyville Community College Softball concluded its home schedule yesterday afternoon with a doubleheader split against Allen County.

The Lady Ravens won the first game 5-3. Gabrielle Simmons worked around seven hits to throw a complete game. Allen had the tying runs on second and third in the seventh inning, before a popout ended the game.

Raya Eilert, one of three CCC sophomores honored on the day, supplied the winning hit with a two-run double earlier in the game.

Fellow sophomores Katelynn Siess and Kaylee Henderson were also recognized, given posters and flowers from their families.

Game two was taken by Allen 6-4. Coffeyville plated a run in the bottom of the sixth to tie it, but allowed two Allen runs in the top of the seventh.

That loss, combined with two Fort Scott wins yesterday, temporarily pushes Coffeyville outside the playoff picture.

The Lady Ravens will need to win at least one of their last two games to overtake Fort Scott, which has finished its season.

It will be a tall order, as CCC travels to KC Kansas, on Saturday for a doubleheader. Kansas City has won 34 games this spring, more than any other team in the conference.

Lady Ravens head coach Ashton Friend says staying loose has been the key to the team's success this season.

The following are reported scores from April 30:

Kansas HS Baseball

Field Kindley: 5 - Caney Valley: 4

Cherryvale: 16 - Eureka: 1 / Cherryvale: 12 - Eureka: 0

Neodesha: 14 - Fredonia: 1 / Neodesha: 10 - Fredonia: 0

Baxter Springs: 8 - Labette County: 1

Southeast: 15 - Oswego: 0 / Southeast: 11 - Oswego: 0

St. Paul: 13 - Erie: 3 / St. Paul: 16 - Erie: 0

Oklahoma HS Baseball

Commerce: 7 - Oklahoma Union: 4

Bartlesville: 7 - Claremore: 1

Caney Valley: 5 - Pawhuska: 2

Dewey: 17 - Westville: 0

Dewey: 5 - Beggs: 0

KJCCC Softball

Coffeyville: 5 - Allen: 3

Allen: 6 - Coffeyville: 4

Labette: 12 - Neosho: 6

Neosho: 7 - Labette: 5

KC Kansas: 17 - Independence: 6

KC Kansas: 9 - Independence: 1

Coffeyville Community College Softball will conclude its 2026 home schedule today, as they host Allen County for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.

The Lady Ravens are enjoying their best season in nearly a decade. Their 14 wins this season are the program's most in a single campaign since 2018.

The team split a doubleheader with Highland yesterday, a 12-11 defeat and a 14-7 win. In those two games, CCC logged a whopping 30 total hits.

Sophomore phenom Raya Eilert accounted for seven of those hits. She added three home runs, which doubles her season total to six.

Eilert is competing for a Jayhawk Conference batting title; her .453 average entering yesterday was third-best in the league.

She and fellow sophomore Kaylee Henderson, who hit her tenth home run of the spring yesterday, have made big strides with the help of head coach Ashton Friend.

Coach Friend is not far removed from her own prolific playing career. She was named Jayhawk Conference MVP in 2019 with Cowley. She then became one of the most prolific power hitters in Washburn University history, logging 54 extra-base hits over three seasons.

Friend says being a recent player herself has helped in connecting with her players as a coach.

Ravens softball will honor their three sophomores today during their home finale: Eilert, Henderson, and Katelynn Siess.

Photo Courtesy: Coffeyville Community College

Dewey Bulldogger baseball will host a regional to begin the 3A postseason this year after finishing in the top two in their district.

The Bulldoggers enter postseason week with an overall record of 25-7. They finished district play 12-2, tied with Metro Christian in overall record. Dewey lost the tiebreaker for the district title due to district run differential.

Joining Dewey's regional is Westville, Hugo and Beggs. Westville enters the postseason with a record of 0-22, Hugo is 6-27, Beggs is 16-11. Dewey will open regional action against Westville.

Head coach Riley Allen talks about some keys to Dewey's success on the pitching side, using a dominant doubleheader against Keys two weeks ago as an example.

Dewey is slated to open regional action at 11 a.m. on Thursday at home for Westville. Hugo will play Beggs at 1:30 p.m.

Bartlesville High baseball wrapped up fifth place in 6A-District 4 and has won five of its last six, as the Bruins won their senior night contest over Putnam City North on Tuesday night.

BHS outlasted the Panthers 11-3.

Offense early and often combined with timely pitching from Hudson Baker gave BHS the leg up and eventual District sweep.

After trailing 1-0 early Bartlesville took its first lead early off a big two-RBI base knock from Sam Hill.

Hill continued his hot streak with six hits in the series. He went 3-4 with three runs and a double on Tuesday.

Baker pitched well to earn his third win. The senior went seven innings and gave up 11 hits and three runs.

Later in the game this Kanin Romesburg clutch hit added to the Bruin advantage.

Bartlesville gets to three games above .500 at 18-15.

The win clenches fifth place and will likely send BHS to Edmond Deer Creek for its 6A Regional next week.

The following are reported scores from April 28:

Kansas HS Baseball

Independence: 7 - Labette County: 3 / Independence: 3 - Labette County: 2

Iola: 10 - Parsons: 0

Neodesha: 15 - Erie: 0 / Neodesha: 16 - Erie: 1

Oklahoma HS Baseball

Bartlesville: 11 - Putnam City North: 3

KJCCC Softball

Cowley: 11 - Neosho: 3

Cowley: 11 - Neosho: 3

Coffeyville is becoming a force in Tulsa's annual Smoke & Guns event. Police Sergeant Jarin Watkins and Firefighter Cory Turner each won their fights on Saturday in decisive technical knockouts.

It was Watkins' second victory in as many tries, while Turner reigned supreme in his debut. Coffeyville Fire Department engineer Robert Box trained and served as the cornerman for both of them.

Box previously fought in Smoke & Guns, and he talks about experiencing the bright lights of the BOK Center.

Turner needed just two rounds to defeat Trevor Fleming of the Craig County Sheriff's Office. Box says you wouldn't know that it was his debut fight.

Watkins' fight was even shorter, as he dispatched Wyatt Murphy from the Pryor Fire Department in the first round with a TKO. Box describes how Watkins dominated the heavyweight slugfest.

With a large Coffeyville contingent at the BOK Center, Saturday provided an opportunity for the police and fire departments to unite under a shared cause.

In a great story told by Box, Watkins and Turner's victories have captured the community's attention.

Photo Courtesy: Robert Box

Nowata Ironmen golf has qualified for the 2A state tournament.

The Ironmen finished second at their regional on Monday at Jimmie Austin Golf Course in Seminole. They finished four shots back of Okarche for the regional championship. Nowata qualified as a team for state along with Okarche and Fairland.

Individually, Nowata had all five golfers finish in the top-50 out of 75 total players. Two Ironmen placed in the top 10, four placed in the top 25.

Kason Summers led the way; he finished tied for second. Jackson Hurd finished eighth, Brett Malone finished 20th, Caleb Woolman finished 25th, and Ty Williams finished 46th.

Head coach Homer Johnston talks about his top three golfers.

The 2A state golf tournament takes place at KickingBird Golf Course in Edmond on May 11 and 12.

The following are reported scores from April 27:

Kansas HS Baseball

Independence: 15 - Parsons: 0

Pittsburg: 11 - Chanute: 10

Fort Scott: 11 - Labette County: 2

Oklahoma HS Baseball

Bartlesville: 11 - Putnam City North: 3

Wyandotte: 13 - Nowata: 0

Ketchum: 6 - Copan: 0

Vinitia: 15 - Quapaw: 3

The 2026 NFL Draft took place over the weekend, with 257 players hearing their names called, and many more signed as undrafted free agents afterward.

The Kansas City Chiefs placed an emphasis on defense with their seven selections. They traded up to the sixth overall pick to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.

They used their other first-round pick on Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods. The Chiefs second round pick went to Oklahoma Sooner defensive end R Mason Thomas.

Kansas City also invested in the quarterback position as Patrick Mahomes recovers from a knee injury, selecting LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier in the seventh round.

The Oklahoma Sooners were well represented in the draft, seeing seven players taken. R Mason Thomas was the first to come off the board in round two.

Three more Sooners heard their name called in the fourth round: Febechi Nwaiwu (Texans), Gracen Halton (49ers) and Kendal Daniels (Falcons).

Kansas and Kansas State each had two players chosen. The Jayhawks had Enrique Cruz Jr. selected by the 49ers in the fifth round, before Emmanuel Henderson Jr. was taken by the Seahawks in the sixth.

The Wildcats Sam Hecht was chosen in the fifth round by the Panthers, while VJ Payne was taken by the Jets in round seven.

It was an eventful and successful weekend in Coffeyville Community College Athletics.

Ravens baseball walloped Labette twice on Saturday, 11-2 and 16-3 to complete a four-game sweep of the Cardinals. Coffeyville outscored them by a 62-12 margin in the series.

CCC Softball managed a split with Fort Scott on Saturday, winning 9-0 and dropping 3-2. Kaylee Henderson was a force at the plate in the win, slugging a double and her ninth home run to drive in four runs.

Finally, Ravens Football held its spring game at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Friday night. The defense was dominant, not allowing a score until deep into the scrimmage.

It was also an opportunity for Coffeyville to get a look at their hometown star, Aaron Turnstall. The Field Kindley alum saw action at running back as he prepares for his redshirt freshman season.

Five weeks of high school baseball in Kansas are in the books. Here is where our area teams stand.

4A (Southeast Conference)

1) Independence (8-5)

2) Chanute (7-6)

3) Fort Scott (7-11)

4) Labette County (4-7)

5) Field Kindley (3-7)

6) Pittsburg (3-10)

7) Parsons (2-10)

3A (Tri-Valley Conference)

1) Caney Valley (11-6)

2) Humboldt (10-7)

3) Cherryvale (8-7)

4) Neodesha (7-5)

5) Bluestem (4-12)

6) Fredonia (3-11)

7) Eureka (3-11)

2A (Three Rivers Conference)

1) Cherokee Southeast (16-3)

2) Marmaton Valley (14-3)

3) Central Heights (13-1)

4) Uniontown (11-5)

5) Jayhawk Linn (8-6)

6) Crest (7-9)

7) Northeast (6-10)

8) Pleasonton (6-11)

9) Oswego (4-9)

10) Yates Center (4-12)

11) Erie (2-14)

12) St. Paul (0-16)

1A (South Central Standings)

1) Cedar Vale/Dexter (14-0)

2) South Sumner (11-1)

3) Flinthills (8-8)

4) Oxford (6-7)

5) Sedan (5-10)

6) Central (4-11)

7) Udall (3-10)

8) West Elk (3-12)

Nowata golf standout Brett Malone has signed to Coffeyville Community College to continue his golf career.

Malone has been instrumental in giving the Ironmen a chance to qualify for the state tournament. Malone says he's grown to really enjoy the sport.

The golf program at CCC is led by head coach William Wilson, a graduate of Nowata High School.

Nowata golf coach Homer Johnston says he thinks CCC is a great fit for Malone.

Malone's time with Nowata is not over yet, the Ironmen hit the course for 2A regionals on Monday in Seminole. The Ironmen will compete against other area teams such as Wesleyan Christian School, Caney Valley and Oklahoma Union.

Photo: From Left to Right: Nowata Golf Coach Homer Johnston, Brett Malone, CCC Golf Coach William Wilson

Coffeyville, Kan. - The Coffeyville Community College Red Raven football team takes the field for the first time in 2026, holding the annual Spring Game tonight at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Red Ravens are coming off back-to-back seasons with a Top 10 national ranking and a Top 2 finish in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference standings, including a co-conference title in 2024.

Head Coach Nick Dobler, who enters his third season leading the program, says the team has been able to utilize resources this spring.

Not many starters return for the Ravens, but the team will be led by several redshirts and rotation pieces who will take on larger roles in the fall. Dobler says the entire roster is also adjusting to new schemes during the offseason.

Dobler's tenure in Coffeyville has featured some of the best recruiting classes from both the high school ranks and the transfer portal. He says the team is already showing some impressive talent ahead of the new season.

The 2026 Spring Game kicks off at 7 p.m. tonight at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Admission is free for the community, and Raven fans are encouraged to attend.

The following are reported scores from April 23:

Kansas HS Baseball

Field Kindley: 13 - Parsons: 1

Independence: 9 - Galena: 2

Girard: 10 - Labette County: 5

Baxter Springs: 6 - Cherryvale: 5

Southeast: 19 - Erie: 0 / Southeast: 16 - Erie: 0

Oklahoma HS Baseball

Smithville: 13 - South Coffeyville: 1

Dewey: 14 - Cleveland: 1

Locust Grove: 15 - Nowata: 2

Miami: 8 - Vinita: 3

Oolagah: 13 - Caney Valley: 4

Ketchum: 6 - Adair: 1

KJCCC Baseball

Coffeyville: 7 - Labette: 0

Coffeyville: 29 - Labette: 7

KJCCC Softball

Fort Scott: 7 - Independence: 4

Fort Scott: 9 - Independence: 2

Neosho: 2 - Johnson County: 1

Johnson County: 6 - Neosho: 3