Valley News: November 18, 2021 by grainvalleynews

Vol. 4 No. 47 | November 18, 2021 | www.grainvalleynews.com

Board to consider new district administrative office building The Board of Education previewed conceptual drawings for a new district administrative office building during a workshop session on November 4th. Funds for the new district office site, at an estimated cost of $5.5-6 million, would be paid for using funds designated for capital improvements and remaining bond funds from the recent high school addition approved by voters in June 2020. In an email announcing the plan to parents and district patrons on November 12th, the district made mention of concerns regarding teacher and staff pay, explaining that capital and bond funding cannot be used for payroll, and that the Board and leadership are “committed to improved pay and expect to have a plan in place soon for addressing pay over the next few years.”

The Board room in the current district office building has not been used for board meetings for the past few years due to space limitations. Photo credit: Valley News staff

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Good News:

Curtains, A Musical Comedy Whodunnit, this weekend at GVHS A talented cast of singers and dancers supported by an equally talented crew will present Grain Valley High School’s (GVHS) fall musical, Curtains, to audiences this weekend. The murder mystery musical was selected by GVHS theatre teacher and director John O’Neil for its fun premise and the challenge it presented for students.

“I wanted something that was going to be a little bit of a challenge but was also going to be something fun, and something they (the students) would enjoy, so I figured this murder mystery musical would be a good choice,” O’Neil said. Audience members should prepare for a lively evening. “We have a lot of great dance

see CURTAINS on page 3

The district, anticipating the need for a new space, has set aside capital improvement funds for the past several

see CENTRAL OFFICE on page 5

Curtains”” in dress The cast of the Grain Valley High School musical production of “Curtains Thursday— rehearsal. The show runs Thursday —Saturday. Photo credit: GVHS Theatre

In This Edition:

Last year, Grain Valley resident Kevin Simpson was disappointed to hear a city holiday lights contest would not be held. Kevin took action, organizing a contest and raising several hundred dollars for the Grain Valley Assistance Council (GVAC). We love it when residents see a way to build community and take action. So, we're partnering with Mr. Simpson this year to expand the Grain Valley Holiday Lights contest and help even more of our families in need. To enter the contest, visit https:// www.grainvalleynews.com/lightscontest.html, and pay the $25 entry fee.

Email a photo of your decorated home to news@grainvalleynews.com. Deadline to enter is December 10th. All entry fees will benefit Grain Valley Assistance Council. From December 11th - December 30th, residents may "vote" for their favorite home by making a donation online to benefit Grain Valley Assistance Council. Winners will be announced December 31st. Prizes include a $100 Price Chopper gift card for the first place winner, a $50 Price Chopper gift card for second place, and additional prizes to be announced. Let's light up the town and support our families in need!

Looking Back: Guide to Grain Valley 2005

Business: October Jobs Report

Your Health: Snack pairs to take anywhere

45--yard Cover Image: On a final drive in regulation that started at the Grain Valley 45 line, quarterback Caleb Larson connected on 5 of 7 of his passes, with the biggest one coming on a 1111--yard strike to junior wide receiver Keagan Hart with no time 17--all sending it to overtime. See story on page 7. remaining to tie the game at 17 Photo credit: John Overstreet

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2 Police Blotter

The following information is derived from the Grain Valley Police Department daily calls for service log for the week of November 3-9, 2021.

Grain Valley News is a free community paper, published weekly on Thursdays online at www.grainvalleynews.com and on the 1st and 3rd weeks of the month in print. Cory Unrein | Co-Owner/Publisher John Unrein | Co-Owner/Production Manager Cathy Allie | Staff Writer, Proofreader John Overstreet | Contributing Photographer Michael Smith | Staff Writer, Sports Mail: PO Box 2972 Grain Valley MO 64029 Phone: 816.809.7984 Email: news@grainvalleynews.com

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November 3, 2021 800 Block of Ridgeview DR 100 Block of N Main ST 600 Block of W Walnut 700 Block of Main 700 Block of Joseph CIR

Agency Assist-CJC Dealer Renewal Motor Vehicle Accident Warrant Surrender Disturbance

November 7, 2021 400 Block of Rock Creek Walnut & Main 700 Block of N Main ST

November 4, 2021 1400 Block of NE Mary CT BB & Rust 1100 Block of N BT RD 1100 Block of McQuerry

Alarm Motor Vehicle Accident Agency Assist-CJC Agency Assist-CJC

November 5, 2021 200 Block of NE Katie CT 1100 Buckner Tarsney 20 Block of S Central 900 Block of SW Sandy CT 800 Block of SW Foxtail Main & Eagles 1300 Blk of NW Valley Woods CT 600 Block of Main ST Eagles & Garden 700 Block of SW Lee Ann Circle 1400 Block of S Minter Way 1300 Block of Brentwood DR 1400 Block of NW Red Oak CT

Verbal Disturbance Citizen Contact Agency Assist-BPD Fraud Citizen Contact Motor Vehicle Accident Physical Disturbance Suspicious Activity Motor Vehicle Accident Citizen Contact Alarm Alarm Citizen Contact

November 8, 2021 Main St and US 40 Hwy 1100 Block Buckner Tarsney 700 Block Main Street 300 Block Front St 4500 Block Seymour 1000 Block Clover Ct 200 Block Cypress

November 6, 2021 1100 Block of Buckner Tarsney 300 Block of Front ST Old 40 HWY & Valley Speedway 400 Block of S Outer Belt 800 Block of SW Lee Ann DR AA & Buckner Tarsney 600 Block of Thieme ST 800 Block of San Kar 1100 Block of Buckner Tarsney 200 Block of Cypress Minter & Eagles 200 Block of Yennie 1600 Block of SW Eagles PKWY 1400 Block of Maple DR

Citizen Contact Welfare Check Area Check Disturbance Agency Assist-CJC Area Check Welfare Check Verbal Disturbance Welfare Check Disturbance Agency Assist-CJC Parking Complaint Area Check Verbal Disturbance

November 9, 2021 40 HWY & Main 200 Block of Cross Creek LN 300 Block Front St

40 HWY & Eagles 600 Block of Main ST 200 Block of N Cypress Thieme & Minter 400 Block of Joseph LN Eagles & Sni A Bar 1600 Block of Andeon ST 400 Block of SW Rock Creek LN

100 Block Main St 1100 Block Buckner Tarsney 300 Block Eagles Parkway 1100 Block Buckner Tarsney 100 Block of S Buckner Tarsney

Civil Matter Motor Vehicle Accident Agency Assist-Lawson PD Citizen Contact Suspicious Activity Physical Disturbance Suspicious Person Civil Standby Suspicious Person Disturbance Past Parking Dispute Suspicious Person Check the Welfare Recovered Stolen Auto Citizen Contact Agency Assist (JCSO) Stealing Follow Up Investigation Area Check Check the Welfare Check the Welfare Check the Welfare Stealing

Motor Vehicle Accident Peace Disturbance Agency Assist-JACO Social Services 100 Block of Garden Area Check 1100 Block of N Buckner Tarsney Trespassing 100 Block of S Buckner Tarsney Trespassing Ray County Detention Prisoner Transport 500 Block of Main Found Property 200 Block of Michael Suspicious Auto 200 Block of Eagles Stolen Auto

Looking Back

Looking Back: Guide to Grain Valley, 2005 by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society

This week, again looking through the newspaper files entitled “Guide to Grain Valley,” my eyes were drawn to a special 8-page insert entitled “Bank of Grain Valley – 100 years.” (April 20, 2005 edition of The Pointe. I became interested it an article about what it was like back when the Bank of Grain Valley opened? (1905). Some highlights of the article included the following: Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt had been elected President without a single female vote. Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S.A. had bathtubs and only 8 percent had telephones. There were only 8000 automobiles in the United States. The flag had 45 stars, since Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska had yet to be admitted to the Union.

States such as Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa and Tennessee were more heavily populated than California at the time. Only five percent of all physicians had a college education, but most attended some sort of medical school, many of which were thought to be substandard. The average life expectancy was 47 years. Ninety-five percent of all births took place within the home. The five leading causes of death were pneumonia, tuberculosis, diarrhea, heart disease, and stroke. The average wage in the United States was 23 cents per hour, but that number is misleading; much of the commerce took place with bartering and trading. A three-minute phone call from Denver to New York cost $11.00. (What would that be today?) Sugar was 4 cents a pound, eggs were 14 cents per dozen, and a child

could purchase an entire sack of candy for just a penny! Products like marijuana, heroin and morphine were sold over the counter at drug stores. The population of Grain Valley, Missouri exceeded that of Las Vegas, Nevada, which had 30 residents, but Grain Valley was by no means a “big” city. I can add to these facts that in 1905 Grain Valley had three churches, and the first Grain Valley School had been built on Capelle Street in 1890. Postage stamps cost 2 cents. The population in 1890 was 193 people. However, the recorded population in 1910 was only 133. These were the recorded numbers and I have no account as to why the number decreased.

The Grain Valley Historical Society at 516 Main Street has 2021 Christmas Ornaments for sale with a picture of the

Purchase a 2021 Grain Valley Historical Society ornament featuring the Bank of Grain Valley building at the Historical Society, 516 Main ST, on Wednesdays.

Bank of Grain Valley. Drop by or Wednesdays between now and Christmas; we’d love to sell you one! We also have available 2022 Historical calendars. Both make great gifts!

CURTAINS continued from page 1 numbers. There will be a lot of fun characters, and a very large set.” “The students have been working hard since mid-September. They are excited to share this with an audience.” Junior Maddux Hughes plays Lt. Frank Cioffi, a homicide detective with a passion for musical theatre. “I sing a few numbers. There is one where I get to do a really long dance, which is fun,” Hughes said. Hughes has acted in several GVHS productions, and says it is the friendships that come from working together that is most satisfying. “I like reacting with my fellow actors on stage and the cliché family that forms when you’re working on a production.” “It’s a challenging show, but we’re doing it really successfully.” Looking beyond high school and the theatre, Hughes is planning to attend college to become a history teacher, citing his middle school social studies teacher Mr. Perry and high school teacher Mrs. Carmer as influencing him to pursue a career in education. Senior Jack Temples is also a seasoned actor at GVHS. Temples plays Christopher Belling, who he describes as the “sassy British director of this show within a show”. One of Temple’s favorite numbers is “Show People” where the entire cast is singing and dancing away. “This cast and crew of people are just gelling so well. You can see it in our performance and in the awesome sets,” Temple said. “Shout out to our crew, there is lots of awesome lighting in the show, and lots of great special effects.” Temples is heading to KU after graduation to major in biochemistry,

with the long term goal of becoming a pediatric gastroenterologist. The show runs Thursday— Thursday —Saturday in the Jerry Mueller Performing Arts Center at GVHS. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for students and may be purchased online at www.grainvalleytheatre.org. Tickets will also be sold at the door.

Note: Due to a home football game on Friday evening, guests for the Friday performance are encouraged to arrived by 6:30pm to allow ample time for parking.

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Business

4 October Jobs Report Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from September 2021 to October 2021, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by one-tenth of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 3,500 jobs over the month, with job gains in both goods-producing and service-providing industries. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.7 percent in October 2021, down from 3.8 percent in September 2021. Recovery from COVID19-related layoffs continued with an increase of 72,300 jobs from October 2020 to October 2021. Missouri’s smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by one-tenth of a percentage point in October 2021, dropping to 3.7 percent from the September 2021 rate of 3.8 percent. The October 2021 rate was 1.3 percentage points lower than the October 2020 rate. The national unemployment rate decreased from 4.8 percent in September 2021 to 4.6 percent in

October 2021. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 114,556 in October 2021, down by 3,495 from September’s 118,051. The state’s not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate also decreased in October 2021, dropping by one-tenth of a percentage point to 2.8 percent from the September 2021 notseasonally-adjusted rate of 2.9 percent. The corresponding not-seasonallyadjusted national rate for October 2021 was 4.3 percent. A year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 5.0 percent, and the not-adjusted rate was 4.0 percent. Missouri’s smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate had reached a low of 3.1 percent starting in August 2018, before gradually edging up to 3.5 percent by the end of 2019, and then to 3.7 percent in March 2020. The COVID-19 effect hit in April 2020, spiking the rate to 12.5 percent for that month. The rate decreased monthly for the rest of 2020, reaching 4.4 percent in December, and continued gradually

Partnership launches Local First Grain Valley campaign The Grain Valley Partnership has launched a new campaign—Local First Grain Valley—to promote local businesses to residents. The year-round campaign will kick off during the holiday season with a 12 Days of Christmas event from November 29th—December 10th, including a shopping passport program, raffle tickets for every $10 spent at participating businesses, and a window decorating contest for local businesses. Follow Local First Grain Valley on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @localfirstgv.

downward through the first four months of 2021. The increase of twotenths of a percentage point from April 2021 to June 2021 appeared to be related to a temporary shortage in the supply of semiconductor chips, which caused production slowdowns in some manufacturing industries. Due to benchmark revisions, Missouri’s unemployment rate rose a tenth of a percentage point higher than the national rate in January and February of 2020, but has been below the national rate for every month since February 2020.

CJCFPD certified as pediatric ready by MO EMS for Children Central Jackson County Fire Protection District (CJCFPD) has been recognized by Missouri EMS for Children as being Pediatric Ready. To gain this recognition, the agency was required to confirm with Missouri EMS for Children that they carry all essential pediatric-specific equipment and have an appointed Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator. This care

coordinator acts as a pediatric champion within the agency and ensures all pediatric-specific transport needs remain a top priority within their service. Missouri EMS for Children is a federally funded grant program whose mission is to reduce child and youth mortality and morbidity resulting from severe illness or trauma.

Education

CENTRAL OFFICE continued from page 1 years, and a bond balance of $3 million from the recent high school addition made the project possible at this time. The proposed district office will be located on property the district owns at the intersection of Eagles Parkway and Sni-A-Bar Boulevard, directly south of the district transportation center. The current district office building, located in a former home and family business on Pink Hill Road was acquired by the District along with adjacent land in 2004. The original home on the south end of the unique property was built in 1942. North Middle School, the Early Childhood Center, and a maintenance facility are located on the land acquired in 2004, and the district has purchased adjacent property for future schools. While the current building has served the district well for several years, lack of

space, accessibility issues, and a long list of costly repairs guided district leadership to pursue a new space, according to Dr. Brad Welle, Deputy Superintendent for Student and Community Services. Welle stated the district had sought options to build onto the existing building and address needed repairs, but were advised that an addition could not be tied to the existing structure, and the cost to address needed repairs and ensure ADA compliance would be impractical to pursue. “At that time, their initial look was that it was going to cost at least a million dollars just in renovations to the existing building,” Welle said. While constructing a new building next to the current building is a possibility, architects consulted indicated it would

be too costly and impractical to tie the two buildings together. To adjust as growth has occurred, the district has moved departments to other buildings. The technology department was moved to North Middle School and operations staff office out of the transportation building. “As we grow, we have to boot another department out of the building. Just from the standpoint for planning. we’ve outlived the capacity of what this building can do for us.” The proposed district office will not return those departments to central office due to cost concerns. “It is a strict replacement of the current function of this building,” Welle said. Beyond the space limitations of the current building, there are a number of costly structural issues common to older structures. The basement of the building floods consistently, and items stored in the basement have been raised on pallets to attempt to alleviate any damage when water seeps in. Large sections of drywall have been removed from the bottom of walls along the basement due to water damage. ACROSS 1. Lacking imagination 6. Afflict 9. Bob of boxing world 13. From then on 14. Ornamental pond dweller 15. Not asleep 16. Cuzco valley people 17. Overnight lodging 18. 5th of 7 canonical hours 19. *Brothers Grimm language 21. *Language considered to have most words 23. Man's tasseled hat 24. Cross to bear 25. Retriever's word, for short 28. Person, place or thing 30. Like a bow or a racket 35. Pale ____ beverage, pl. 37. It has multiple limbs 39. Mister in Madrid 40. Spare in a trunk 41. Manuscript changes 43. Romantic occurrence 44. Letter-shaped girder 46. Russian mountain range 47. Curved molding 48. HNO3 acid 50. Egyptian goddess of fertility 52. Rub the wrong way 53. CISC alternative 55. Cry of horror, in comics 57. *First language spoken in outer space 61. *Once considered the language of diplomacy 64. Like old cracker 65. What acrimony and acrobat have in common 67. Get ready to drive, on a golf course 69. It's often rewarded with a medal in military 70. Sturgeon yield 71. Backyards separator? 72. "That was close!" 73. "C'____ la vie!" 74. "Silas Marner" novelist

Significant settling outside and cracks along the foundation in the basement are evident, along with visible cracks along the brick exterior of the building. The project is scheduled to go out for bid in January. The Board will vote once bids are available, and if approved, construction would begin March 2022 with a target completion date of late 2022. The existing building will be razed with the future use of the space to be determined.

Left: Drywall has been cut out of large sections of the basement due to water damage and continued flooding. Right: Water damage is evident along basement walls. Photo credit: Valley News staff

DOWN 1. Pressure unit 2. A year in a trunk 3. It's sometimes enough 4. Cozy accessory 5. Unquestioning ones 6. Similar 7. H+, e.g. 8. Flax-derived fabric 9. Deserter's acronym 10. Indian princess 11. Luau instrument, pl. 12. Mosquito net, e.g. 15. Teenagers' emotions 20. Nitrogen, in the olden days 22. *Greek N, pl. 24. Relating to dreams 25. *"Veni, vidi, vici" language 26. "My wife can vouch for me", e.g. 27. Prince's "Raspberry ____" 29. *Pakistani language 31. Make over 32. Eel in a sushi restaurant 33. Annotator 34. *Hellenic language 36. Popular way to cook tuna 38. *Greek H, pl. 42. More like a fox 45. Quaggier 49. Langley, VA org. 51. Be full of anger 54. Rabbit trap 56. Land on patellas 57. Invitation acronym 58. One of Four Corners states 59. Price reduction 60. Snail-like 61. Guitar part 62. Ghana monetary unit 63. Designer Boss 66. Trigonometry abbr. 68. Favorite one

Your Health

6 Snack pairs to take anywhere by Tara Sallee, MS, RD, LD, Hy-Vee Corporate Dietitian Life is busy. Sometimes we have an unpredictable week full of work, family and personal events that we didn’t plan for. We tend to put our meals on the back burner to get our tasks accomplished first. However, we need to keep ourselves full and focused throughout the day. This is where snacks come into play! Snacks on hand can keep our blood sugar stable, our cravings down, and fill in our nutritional gaps. Snacks can help you in many ways throughout the day. They can stabilize your blood sugar, carve out your cravings, and satisfy your nutrition with

the right snack pairings. When you pair a carbohydrate or fiber filled snack along with a protein-packed snack, then you create a hunger-fighting duo that is sure to keep you stable and satisfied until your next meal. Even with these snacks, portion control is still our main goal. Once we find the right balance and pairing, then our snack game can rise to fame. Now let’s make some snacks! We need our carbohydrate or fiber friend to match with our protein pal. Here are a few duos to start you off: apple and nut butter, banana with nuts and seeds, and berries with Greek yogurt. If you want more snack ideas – visit hy-vee.com for recipes, join our carb-

swap cooking class, or schedule a Discovery Session with your local HyVee dietitian.

For an on-the-go treat, check out this Maple-Cinnamon Trail Mix to satisfy your sweet tooth.

MapleMaple-Cinnamon Trail Mix Serves 12 (1 cup each) All you need: ½ cup Hy-Vee walnuts, toasted ½ cup Hy-Vee roasted pepitas ½ cup shelled pistachios 2 tbsp Gustare Vita olive oil 1/3 cup Hy-Vee yellow popcorn kernels 2 tbsp Hy-Vee Select 100% pure maple syrup ½ tbsp Hy-Vee salted butter 1 tsp Hy-Vee ground cinnamon 1 tsp apple pie spice ½ cup golden raisins ¼ cup chopped Hy-Vee dried apples All you do: Heat a heavy 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat; add walnuts. Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until toasted; transfer to a large bowl. Add pepitas and pistachios; set aside. Heat olive oil in same saucepan. Add popcorn kernels and maple syrup; stir to coat. Cover and shake constantly until popping stops. Immediately transfer to bowl with nuts. Drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and apple pie spice; toss to coat. Add golden raisins and dried apples. Toss to combine.

Birth control and blood clots: what you need to know (StatePoint) The birth control pill is the number one contraceptive choice among millions of women of child- bearing age in the United States. While experts stress that the pill is safe and effective, they also caution that birth control with estrogen, including the pill, patch or ring, can increase a woman’s risk for potentially deadly blood clots. Birth control pills with estrogen increase a woman’s risk for blood clots three-fold, and some newer birth control pills pose a risk two-times greater than older birth control pills. The use of birth control patches and rings containing estrogen poses a risk double that of birth control pills. These risks are significantly increased when women have other blood clot risks factors, such as a genetic clotting disorder like factor V Leiden or a family history of blood clots. The National Blood Clot Alliance and the Alexandra Rowan Foundation urge women who might be exploring their birth control options to understand their blood clot risks and take these steps: • Complete a Risk Assessment, available at www.womenandbloodclots.org, and

discuss their results with their doctor. • Speak with their doctor about their existing risk for blood clots, including any personal or family history of blood clots, and identify contraceptive options to reduce their risk. It’s also important to recognize the signs and symptoms of blood clots in the legs or arms, including: • Swelling • Pain or tenderness not caused by an injury • Skin that is warm to the touch, red, or discolored Left untreated, blood clots in the legs or arms can break apart and travel to a person’s lung and be deadly. Symptoms of a blood clot in your lung may include: • Difficulty breathing • Chest pain that worsens with a deep breath or cough, coughing up blood • Faster than normal or irregular heartbeat Seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of these signs or symptoms. Acting quickly may help save your life, or the life of a friend or family member.

Sports

Larson, Hart come up clutch for Eagles in District win vs. Raytown by Michael Smith The Grain Valley football team’s offense struggled. In a game in which the Eagles wanted to feature the run during the Class 5 District 7 championship against Raytown, they didn’t have much success in that regard. A pair of turnovers and the offense sputtering allowed Raytown to hold a 1710 lead with 52 seconds left in regulation. Up to that point, junior quarterback Caleb Larson had only thrown the ball three times. But in this situation. He had to throw it and he came up clutch. On a final drive in regulation that started at the Grain Valley 45-yard line, Larson connected on 5 of 7 of his passes, with the biggest one coming on a 11-yard strike to junior wide receiver Keagan Hart with no time remaining to tie the game at 17-all sending it to overtime. He connected with Hart again on Grain Valley’s third overtime possession on a 10-yard TD pass, and after Raytown scored on a touchdown, the defense got a crucial stop on a 2-point conversion attempt by the Blue Jays for a thrilling 38-37 overtime win Friday at Moody Murray Memorial Field. For the second year in a row, Grain Valley advances to the Class 5 quarterfinals where it will meet Suburban White Conference foe Fort Osage next Friday. “It’s been a long road,” said Larson, who is in his first year as the starting varsity quarterback. “In my first game, I was nervous and couldn’t focus. But as the season has gone along, I have grown and have been able to handle pressure.” In the overtime period, freshman running back DJ Harris scored on runs of 15 and 9 to help set up the game-winner between Larson and Hart. Raytown senior running back Zahmari Gary scored on runs of 6, 7 and 6. Raytown decided to go for the twopoint conversion and the win. Gary, who had found a lot of success on the outside run, tried one more. Sophomore linebacker Cole Elliott read the play and wrapped Gary up to slow him down. That allowed three other Eagles to come in and finish the

Junior wide receiver Keagan Hart celebrates a last second score. Photo credit: John Overstreet tackle at the 3-yard line. “I looked ahead of me and their guy was looking at me,” Elliott said. “I knew he was going to come and block me. I knew it was coming outside, so I just got my keys, read it and made the play.” The defense was strong all game, only allowing 10 points in regulation. During that time the offense struggled, but Larson and Co. came up clutch when they needed to. The junior was 8 of 13 passing for 137 yards and two scores. He also ran the ball 18 times for 66 yards. “Our game plan was to hammer the run,” Larson said. “We saw some weaknesses in their run defense. We needed to execute in the first half and we just couldn’t do it. We came out in

For more sports coverage, including

a preview of this Friday’ Friday’s game vs. Fort Osage, visit www.grainvalleynews.com.

the second half with a different plan and just really handled the pressure.” So did Hart. He missed the last two games with a broken finger, fought through the pain and had his hand wrapped up. He has mostly been featured as a safety throughout the season and played receiver a few times early in the season. He got more snaps at the position due to an ankle injury that sidelined Grain Valley’s No. 1 receiver Logan Pratt. “I knew what I could do from practice,” Hart said. “If it wasn’t for our people up front, I wouldn’t have been able to do it." “I fought through the pain but it has had time to heal with the bye week and playing against … no offense … a not as good team last week. It helped my hand get better.” Grain Valley head coach David Allie praised Hart for stepping in for Pratt and thriving as a receiver despite not having played the position in many

weeks. “That’s just the kind of athlete he is,” Hart said. “He knows what to do. We even put him in at tight end, too. We got him on the post corner in overtime and Larson got it to him to send it to overtime. He’s a great competitor.” The junior came up huge with 93 yards on four catches for two touchdowns. “He was our weapon,” Larson said. “He was under the radar because I don’t think Raytown knew if he was going to play or not and that worked in our favor there.” A Grain Valley turnover led to Raytown’s first score. Tamarian Cashier recovered an Eagle fumble at the Grain Valley 26. That eventually led to a 31yard field goal from Maziah Hamchsoui to make it 3-0. Grain Valley’s defense held strong in the first quarter, forcing two turnover on

see EAGLES on page 8

EAGLES continued from page 7 downs when Raytown had the ball on the Eagles’ side of the field. The latter stop came on a fourth-and-1 from the Grain Valley 39. After Grain Valley failed to get a first down on its first three possessions, Larson hit Hart on a 5-yard out, and he outran the defense along the left sideline for a 61-yard catch-and-run to put the Eagles ahead 7-3. Late in the first half, Grain Valley still led by four, but a muffed exchange on a handoff between Larson and running back Jaxon Wyatt led to a fumble. It was recovered by Raytown senior linebacker Derrick Buycks and he took it into the

end zone from 24 yards out to give Blue Jays a 9-7 lead with 31 seconds left in the first half after a missed extra point. Later in the third period, Austin Schmitt punted after a three-and-out, but Hart was able to recover a muff from the Raytown returner to set up Grain Valley at the Raytown 25. Grain Valley kicker Austin Schmitt later made a 36-yard field goal to put his team up 109 with 11:21 left. The Eagles lost the lead after Gary’s 77-yard TD run at the 11:01 mark in the fourth before Larson’s, Hart’s and the defense’s heroics unfolded.

Community Calendar November 18, 2021

Board of Education Meeting 6:00pm Jan Reding Community Room Grain Valley High School

November 22, 2021

Board of Aldermen Meeting 7:00pm Grain Valley City Hall

November 2424-26, 2021

No school— school —Grain Valley Schools

November 25, 2021

Turkey Tracks 5K & Kids Run A fundraiser for Grain Valley High School Cross Country team 9:00am Grain Valley High School www.runsignup.com

Add your community event free online at www.grainvalleynews.com.

November 2525-26, 2021 City offices closed 7:00pm Grain Valley City Hall

Grain Valley Community Calendar sponsored by

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