The Wilmington Bantam 1 Wildcats skated into Sau­gus’ Hockeytown Arena re­cently missing several key players: Matthew Riley, Mason King, Brendan Cyr and Matthew Fogg, but wel­comed call ups Brian Doherty and Brayden Doe to help fill the bench.

Brayden Warford was al­so in attendance but re­mained sidelined due to in­jury.

Despite the short roster, the Wildcats delivered one of their grittiest efforts of the season in a fast, back-and-forth matchup that ended in a hard-earned 2–2 tie.

For more than half the game, the scoreboard stay­ed frozen as both teams traded rushes, blocked shots, and big saves. Wil­mington’s defense, led by strong gap control from Mason Desmond, kept Stoneham’s attackers to the outside and limited high danger chances.

But with 5:12 left in the second period, Stoneham finally broke through on a strange bounce unique to the quirks of the Hockey­town Rink.

A Spartans winger gain­ed the zone, but was steer­ed wide by Desmond, forcing him to dump the puck.

What should have wrap­ped behind the net instead caught an unpredictable deflection off the boards, popping right out to an unchecked Spartan in the slot, who buried it for a 1–0 lead.

The Wildcats answered midway through the third with a beautifully executed three-man rush. Jaydn Onos carried the puck out of the defensive zone and dropped it to Grayson Lynch, who feathered a smooth saucer pass over center ice to a streaking Zach Stroud.

Stroud crossed the blue line with speed and ripped a far side, top corner laser to tie the game with 8:18 remaining.

Momentum seemed to tilt Wilmington’s way, but a tough turnover at the offensive blue line gave Stoneham life. As Johnny Raposo tried to chip the puck out of the zone, the Spartans’ speedy center intercepted it and broke in alone on goaltender Evan Jageler.

The Stoneham forward converted on the breakaway, putting the Spar­tans up 2–1.

With 1:22 left, Wilming­ton pulled Jageler for the extra attacker, sending out an energized six ska­ter unit that included Stel­la Hardiman, Jaydn Onos, Grayson Lynch, Mason Des­mond. John Raposo and Zach Stroud. The move paid off ! Raposo, showing incredible determination, carried the puck nearly coast to coast through all the traffic.

Instead of forcing a contested shot, he unselfishly slid a perfect pass across the slot to Stroud on the back door. Stroud roofed it from just outside the far post, tying the game in dramatic fashion.

Goaltender Evan Jagel­er was outstanding through­out the night, turning away 27 shots and making several crucial saves to keep Wilmington within striking distance.

Despite missing several regulars, Wilmington mat­ched Stoneham stride for stride in a tight, intense game that showcased wild­cat will to fight back. Both teams generated quality chances, but the Wildcats’ late push and never quit attitude earned them a well-deserved point in the Valley League standings.

Loss to North Andover

The Wilmington Wildcat Bantam 1 team battled the Micro IceMen of North An­dover (3–2–2) last Sunday night, returning to action after a 2–2 tie with Stone­ham on November 22.

Missing regulars Johnny Raposo and Brayden War­ford, the Wildcats bolstered their lineup with Brayden Doe and Jack Fennelly for what proved to be a physical, fast paced matchup.

Wilmington rolled three centers: Grayson Lynch, Alternate Captain Mat­thew Riley, and Stella Har­diman, while wingers Mat­thew Fogg skated with Fennelly and Alternate Captain Zach Stroud pair­ed with Doe. On defense, Captain Brendan Cyr team­ed with Jaydn Onos, and the Mason pairing of Des­mond and King rounded out the blue line.

Evan Jageler got the start in net.

The IceMen opened the scoring with 7:58 left in the first period. After a defensive-zone draw won cleanly by Lynch, Onos delivered a heavy check in the corner, but the puck popped loose. IceMen forward Jared Lyons poun­ced, turning and firing a shot that deflected off Onos and slipped past Jageler low on the short side. North Andover carried a 1–0 advantage into the intermission.

Lyons struck again in the second, burying his second of the night. Pressure from Fennelly forced a point shot into traffic, and despite Jageler making the initial save, and a re­bound stop but the third attempt finally found its way in, giving the IceMen a 2–0 cushion heading into the final frame.

North Andover extended the lead to 3–0 with 6:36 remaining in the third af­ter a controversial se­quence. As Mason Des­mond attemp­ted to cut up the corner with puck control, an IceMen stick clip­ped his skates, no call on the play, causing a turn­over.

Teddy Lally quickly fed Cameron Crawford in the face-off circle, and Craw­ford snapped a low shot past Jageler.

Wilmington pulled their goalie with 3:15 left and surged with sustained of­fensive pressure, but Ice­Men goaltender Hunter Rauseo stood tall. North Andover sealed the game with an empty net goal, securing a 4–0 victory.

Macon, Ga (WGXA) – What’s up, sports fans! This week’s spotlight shines on Southwest High School standout Jonathan Hurley — a multi-sport athlete whose leadership extends beyond the field and court.

Hurley, a member of the Class of 2027, serves as a forward for the Patriots basketball team and previously led on the football field as quarterback. Football has been a part of his life since kindergarten, but his love for basketball sparked unexpectedly in second grade.

“We had just won the championship in peewee football,” Hurley recalled. “I saw a post on the wall about basketball tryouts. I told my dad I wanted to play. He said I might not like it, but to give it a shot. I tried it — and it’s been like that ever since.”

Now, as a key contributor for Southwest, Hurley says focus is everything — a message echoed by his coaching staff. “We’ve got a hunter’s mindset,” he explained. “On the court, I don’t say much, but when I do, I mean it. If I say, ‘lock in,’ everyone knows it’s time to go.”

The ultimate goal? Making another run at a state title — and bringing it home. But Hurley’s impact isn’t limited to athletics. He gives back to the community, something he sees as a responsibility for student-athletes.

This summer, Hurley assisted at a youth basketball camp organized by head coach Coach Harnett. “For every missed shot, I grabbed rebounds and taught them fundamentals — how to aim for the backboard and shoot better,” he said.

He credits education for keeping him grounded — especially with a mother who serves as a principal at John R. Lewis in Bibb County. “Education is very important. When we get home, she always asks about homework — but I always get it done,” Hurley said.

As for why giving back matters, Hurley says it’s simple. “When we started, people gave back to us. It’s a cycle.” And when asked if he has a message for his parents, the young athlete shared heartfelt gratitude:

“Mom and Dad, thank you for pushing me every morning. Dad, thank you for pushing me in the weight room every chance we get. I love y’all.”

Marcus Walker told me that he died. “Died, died,” he said, with emphasis.

Only through the grace of God is one of the greatest scorers in Kansas City high school basketball history still alive to recount his all-too-real brush with death.

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On Aug. 15, his heart stopped and he had to be resuscitated.

“I checked out,” Walker said.

I’ve written before about the O’Hara High School graduate who in 2005 was the leading scorer in Kansas City prep history. He’s a basketball trainer with a passion for youth sports and the development of young athletes. He is also a big fan of women’s hoops and has trained some of the best high school players in the country. Many of his clients earned college scholarships.

But none of that mattered in mid-August when Walker said doctors told him he literally died and came back to life.

“I am grateful, blessed and overjoyed to be alive,” Walker wrote in a social media post on Instagram. “God is truly great, a miracle worker, and I am living proof of his power.”

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Walker said the experience was a wake-up call. He said he wants to focus mainly on raising his 7-year-old son, training kids, helping highlight girls basketball and sharing the knowledge and connections he’s developed as a professional basketball player and trainer.

In 2012, an enlarged heart forced Walker to retire from a pro career playing ball in Iceland and Italy, among other stops overseas. Two years later, he started helping players develop their basketball skills here.

“Sometimes people hoard the info and the connections,” he said. “I don’t.”

Walker’s Grindhouse Basketball is one of the sponsors of the first St. Teresa’s Academy Stars Showcase, a girls high school basketball showcase this weekend featuring three teams touting some of the best players in the area and country. He used his vast network and worked with coaches and administrators at each school to make the event possible.

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St. Teresa’s Academy was scheduled to host St. Louis’s Mary Institute-Country Day School on Friday. Saturday’s matchup features MICDS against Olathe North. Four of the best players around will take part, including Olathe North’s Asia Lee and Jordyn Haywood of MICDS.

Lee has committed to play college basketball at Florida State, and Haywood was a member of the 2025 USA Women’s U16 National Team and is considered a Top 5 player in the class of 2028.

Olathe North’s Daliyah Williams, the top-rated player in Kansas for 2028, and Division I recruit Jazlyn Rhoades of St. Teresa’s will be featured as well.

The weekend promises to be the first of many showcases featuring women hoops, Walker said. God willing, he added.

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“Having events like this in Kansas City will give these kids a chance to be seen by college coaches,” Walker said.

Walker’s role in KC BB history

Alonzo Williams is the girls basketball head coach at Olathe North. He’s worked with Walker at the grassroots level and on this event. Thanks to people like Walker and others dedicated to kids, Williams said he’s witnessed the evolution of the girls basketball scene here over the last decade and the growth has been noticeable.

“I believe in the last 8-9 years the girls’ game has risen to a very high level,” Williams wrote in a text message.

Kansas City has been represented on a national level by many outstanding women hoopers over the years, Williams said.

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Local players such as USA Basketball’s Jada Williams of Blue Springs and Park Hill South’s Addison Bjorn are among the players that has helped this city earn its respect on a national level, Williams said. Many of them worked with Walker, he said.

“That top tier talent comes from not only our region but Kansas City,” Williams said. “Usually if a girl makes it from KC, they have gone through the Grindhouse gym.”

Williams described Walker as a great ambassador for women’s hoops. The showcase Walker helped put together at St. Teresa’s is just the latest example that illustrates that passion, Williams said.

“Marcus does such a great job developing these young ladies from an early age teaching them the game he loves so much,” he said.

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St. Teresa’s is coached by Kiera Hardy, a former high school and college standout and one-time WNBA draft pick. Last year, Hardy led the school to the Missouri Class 5 state championship game, a loss to first place Life for Life Academy in St. Louis. The Stars are locked and loaded for another deep run in the state playoffs, but early into a new season, St. Teresa’s is focused on the task at hand this weekend: working with Walker and others to highlight local girls basketball, Hardy said.

“Kansas City has unbelievable talent,” she said. “Talent that at times is not properly recognized or appreciated. I want for Kansas City girls high school basketball to be the talk of the town, the place to be on game days. We have so much talent, generational talent that deserves their appreciation while they are here, not when they are somewhere else.”

She described Walker as a brother-like figure in her life. She gave Walker the proverbial flowers many in the local basketball community have given him since this past summer’s health scare.

“Marcus is a brother to me,” Hardy said. “His importance to Kansas City and women’s basketball is tremendous. The support, recognition and commitment he has to putting women’s basketball on the map is unmatched. The love for the game and every player he comes in contact with is life changing. I am so thankful for him and all that he does for the community and basketball.

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“God has a purpose for his life, and he is living out his mission through Grindhouse basketball.”

Health over hoops

At 39, Walker is relatively young. While he is not yet back training young athletes, he is still involved in community service. Last month, he hosted a Thanksgiving Day food drive for families in need. This weekend, at the showcase at St. Teresa’s, he’ll take a low-key approach to the event and maintain a low profile, he said. He participates in cardiac rehab — “just a series of exercises I was already doing” — but remains committed to developing young athletes.

After dying and coming back to life — his words, not mine — Walker said he is laser-focused more than ever on what’s important.

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“My health,” he said.

He added that he plans to use his experience and influence to raise awareness to the importance of a healthy heart.

“Heart health is not talked about enough,” he said. “I’ve been doing physical exams my whole life but to have heart problems and not understand it. Having the knowledge can help you avoid it. People have to be locked in with their own health.”

For more information on this weekend’s showcase or Grindhouse Basketball, follow Walker on Instagram at grindhousebasketball

Music, candy and cheer spread across State Street, Dec. 6, as the Black Mountain Christmas Parade passed through downtown.

The annual tradition, hosted by the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce, featured approximately 85 participants, representing businesses, community and service groups, nonprofit and youth sports organizations and community first responders.

Led by grand marshal and longtime supporter of the event, John Buckner, the nearly 1-mile procession traveled west, from Flat Creek Road to Cragmont Road, on State Street. Thousands of onlookers lined the sidewalks, in front of downtown businesses, as cars, trucks, small hobby trains, dogs and heavy equipment decorated to match the theme: Christmas in Music and Song.

Coordinated by chamber volunteers, participants arrived hours in advance to prepare. Some floats contained live music, while others passed out candy to excited young onlookers. As per the tradition, Santa and Mrs. Claus made the final pass through town.

The parade came less than 24 hours after Holly Jolly, which marked the beginning of the holiday season in the Swannanoa Valley.

Photos of the 2025 Black Mountain Christmas Parade can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.

BILLINGS — First responders across Billings received an unexpected show of gratitude Friday as members of the MSU Billings baseball team joined a local business to hand-deliver free meals to police, fire and EMS crews.

Watch how a small gesture can make a big difference for first responders:

Local business and MSU Billings baseball players give free meals to first responders

What began four years ago as “Topz for Copz,” a small appreciation effort for police officers, has now expanded into the “Red Bite and Blue Give Back,” offering free meals to any on- or off-duty police, fire, sheriff, EMS, or other first responders in Yellowstone County from Topz Sandwich Company.

The event is organized each year by the sandwich shop and Performance Engineering, owned by Billings City Council member Scott Aspenlieder. He said the gesture is meant to recognize the people who often go unthanked but play a vital role in the community.

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“Our EMS, our fire, sheriff’s office, police officers, those are the people that really make this community what it is today. They keep us all safe,” said Aspenlieder. “When they do get recognized, sometimes it’s not always in the best light, and we just wanted to show our appreciation for those folks as they work in our community and dedicate their time and their lives.”

Related: Billings businesses show appreciation for law enforcement after taxing year 

By early afternoon, the Topz location on King Avenue had already served more than $1,500 worth of free meals. Aspenlieder hoped to top $2,000 by day’s end.

Traditionally, the event has served around 120 first responders. This year, organizers doubled the program’s reach with the help of more than a dozen MSU Billings baseball players who delivered meals directly to stations and worksites.

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

“Coach Waddoups and I coached little guy football together, and we got to talking about how we serve our community,” said Aspenlieder. “I think he’s got a heart to serve our community just like we do, and it was a real natural match for us to really lean in and help our community out.”

The added help came at a busy time for the athletes, who are preparing for finals, but head baseball coach Derek Waddoups said serving the community is core to his program.

“I believe that youth sports should be life lessons, and it should help us build ourselves off the field and in the community, which is what I try to teach my college athletes as well,” said Waddoups. “What I try to get our student athletes to understand is there’s more to a community than baseball or college or anything, and so the way we talk about it is servant leadership, and then be a force for good.”

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

Players packed their cars with meals from Topz Sandwiches and fanned out across the city, making stops at the Yellowstone County Detention Facility, Fire Station 1, City Hall, and the 911 dispatch center.

Seniors Brennen Chappell and Andrew White took their portion to the fire station and were more than willing to assist.

“I enjoy that our coaching staff tries to develop us as people, to be contributing members of society, to just be good people rather than just as baseball players,” said Chappell. “Bringing some food to (first responders) will create some ease and convenience in their life and hopefully bring a little bit of joy to them as well.”

“It’s the least that we can do to be able to go and provide a meal for them,” added White.

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Chappell, who is a summer wildland firefighter, said he understands the value of a ready-to-eat meal.

“I’ve been on the other end of what we’re doing today,” said Chappell. “How quickly you have to respond to things, having a hot and ready meal that is quality is definitely a game changer.”

At Fire Station 1, Captain Levi Bogunovich said the visit was a welcome surprise.

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“I was not expecting it. It’s a good gesture from the community and Topz Sandwich to come support us and bring us some lunch,” said Bogunovich. “It’s a quick little thought from the community that we’re still here, and we appreciate them.”

True to form, firefighters gave back in their own way, sharing their meal with the players and offering them a ride up the fire truck’s aerial ladder and platform.

Isabel Spartz/MTN News

Players said the day left a deeper impression than the thrill of the fire-truck ride.

“Service is something that’s always been a key value in my life, and I enjoy just going and helping others,” said White. “I know how much it means to these firefighters to be able to have a meal delivered to them.”

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For Waddoups, that lesson is the point.

“If we create the right habits, and I think giving back is one of those, and I call it being a force for good, attitude of gratitude,” said Waddoups. “To be able to give back and say, ‘Hey, we see you,’ even when they don’t think that we do, just that gratitude and that support is awesome from the entire Billings community.”