By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
During the early stages of preseason practice, Logan-Rogersville senior Ross Lawrence suffered a foot injury.
He tried to tough it out.
“It was a nagging injury that just kept getting worse and worse,” Lawrence said. “I got an X-ray on it, they didn’t see anything. I tried to play through it at the beginning of the season, and I think that’s when I broke it – trying to play through it more. I got an MRI and it came back broken.”
Unable to do much else, Lawrence hung around the gym and put up shot after shot. He missed December’s games, including the Blue and Gold Tournament.
“I had a boot on, and I was shooting free throws and 3-pointers. Anything I could do,” Lawrence said. “That’s basically all I could do, actually.”
By January, the foot healed, and Lawrence received clearance to play.
He’s returned to the starting lineup for a Wildcats squad that’s primed for another postseason run.
Lawrence tied for the team-high in points (13) Tuesday night as Logan-Rogersville posted an impressive 57-34 home victory over state-ranked Springfield Catholic.
The Missouri State baseball commit displayed an improved perimeter shot, making two of Logan-Rogersville’s seven 3-pointers on the night.
Lawrence entered this season as the top returning scorer (10 ppg) for the Wildcats, who went 26-4 last year and won their fifth district title in six seasons.
“He’s still getting back in shape,” said Wildcats coach John Schaefer. “He’ll blame not being in shape for his lack of defense at times. But, no, it’s nice to have him back. He’s a physical guy who can go get one. He has a lot of big-game experience.”
Freshman Chase Branham scored 13 and senior post Scott Metz added 12 points. Unranked Logan-Rogersville used its size and aggressiveness to dominate their state-ranked counterparts.
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“We’re starting to play more physically now. It’s amazing what time on the bench will do to you,” Schaefer said. “We have some good-size kids who are athletic and have length. It affected us early: We didn’t play physical and got beat by some teams who were more physical than us.”
The biweekly state rankings have become a big talking point among Logan-Rogersville’s players. The Wildcats haven’t cracked the Top 10 in Class 4 all season, although they did receive some votes in the latest poll (Jan. 22).
“We notice it,” Metz said. “It’s been a thorn in our side the whole season, especially with Catholic being ranked over us.
“Screenshots (of the rankings) have been sent to group chats. There’s no doubt in our minds we should be ranked.”
From the coach’s perspective, the Wildcats don’t need to enter the Top 10 any time soon.
“Honestly, I love that we’re not (ranked),” Schaefer said. “It gives us a little motivation. We like where we’re at.”
The Wildcats shook off a slow start Tuesday night and led 28-15 by halftime. After Catholic (No. 10 in Class 4 MBCA rankings) began the second half on an 8-0 run, Logan-Rogersville responded with a better run – 14 straight – to go up 19 entering the fourth.
“(The rankings) kind of lit a fire under us,” Lawrence said. “We came into this game with a chip on our shoulder. We wanted to get a good win.”
The win gives Logan-Rogersville (14-3 overall, 3-0 Big 8) an inside track toward its second straight Big 8 championship. The Wildcats, who beat Marshfield by two at home on Jan. 5, have four league games remaining – starting with Aurora at home this Thursday.
Schaefer said last year’s district title-winning team was the “best baseball team I’ve ever coached,” referencing a roster filled with players whose primary sport was not basketball.
The roster makeup has changed in 2023-24.
“We have more basketball guys now than I’ve probably had since I’ve been here, maybe other than those first few years,” Schaefer said. “That’s helped us get some wins shooting the ball well. It’s also been the other way, too. Sometimes I’m like, ‘We need more football players.’”
Said Metz: “We just have a team full of athletes. We go out there and compete. It’s nice to have a team that can work together and is full of good athletes who just want to win.”
Logan-Rogersville 57, Springfield Catholic 34
Springfield Catholic 11 4 8 11 — 34
Logan-Rogersville 14 14 14 15 — 57
Springfield Catholic (14-5 overall, 3-2 Big 8) – CJ Kendall 9, Ryder Rowden 6, Jacob Schultze 6, Brett Roberson 5, Rian Mulherin 4, Daniel Hesemann 2, Carson Smith 2
Logan-Rogersville (14-3 overall, 3-0 Big 8) – Chase Branham 13, Ross Lawrence 13, Scott Metz 12, Dane Smith 6, Jase Pettifurd 5, Bryce Marshall 3, Sutton Shook 3, Marcus Moore 2
