Missouri

Branson Schools awarded Missouri Quality Pre-K grant

Published

5 months ago

August 3, 2024

Branson Schools awarded Missouri Quality Pre-K grant

BRANSON, Mo. — Four-year-olds in Branson will have the opportunity to receive free pre-K education thanks to a grant from the state of Missouri.

The Branson School District announced on Friday that they were one of the recipients of the 2024-25 Missouri Quality PreKindergarten (MOQPK) grant from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The MOQPK grant provides funding for high-quality preschool programs across Missouri and will allow four-year-olds in the Branson School District who meet certain criteria to attend Branson Schools Pre-K for free regardless of income status.

City of Springfield receives $1 million EPA grant for brownfields revolving loan program

To qualify for Pre-K placement, students need to meet these requirements:

Turn four years old on or before July 31, 2024
Reside within the boundaries of the Branson School District
Complete a free developmental screening through the Branson Parents as Teachers program

Parents and guardians who are interested need to complete the 2024-25 Preschool Interest Form on the district’s website. Families will receive an email with an invitation to schedule a screening appointment after completing the interest form.

Students will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis from filling out the Preschool Interest Form due to limited space. Families already enrolled in Branson Schools Pre-K automatically qualify for the free schooling.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR – OzarksFirst.com.

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Missouri

Report: Beau Pribula to Transfer to Missouri

Published

53 minutes ago

December 23, 2024

Press Room

Report: Beau Pribula to Transfer to Missouri

One week after entering the transfer portal, backup quarterback Beau Pribula has found a new home in the Show-Me State, joining the Missouri Tigers:

Pribula entered the portal on December 15 ahead of Penn State’s first round matchup with SMU. The York native played a vital role in Penn State’s rejuvenated offense in 2024, including an impressive second half performance at Wisconsin while Drew Allar was injured. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Current Missouri starting quarterback Brady Cook is out of eligibility after the season, giving Beau a solid chance to earn the starting job in 2025. After an 11-2 season in 2023 that featured a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State, the Tigers went 9-3 this season and finished No. 23 in the final CFP rankings, which earned them a bid in the Music City Bowl against Iowa.

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Missouri

College football QB transfer tracker: QB Beau Pribula headed to Missouri

Published

9 hours ago

December 23, 2024

Press Room

College football QB transfer tracker: QB Beau Pribula headed to Missouri

It’s both transfer season and bowl season in college football.

The poor timing of the sport’s calendar means that players need to enter the transfer portal immediately after the end of the season to enroll at a new school for the second semester. That means players across the country have to leave their current teams before a bowl game to find a new school. And that coaches have to both prepare their current players for a bowl game while also recruiting transfers for the 2025 season.

Here’s our tracker of notable QB transfers across college football ahead of the 2025 season.

Beau Pribula to Missouri

After leaving Penn State ahead of the College Football Playoff, Beau Pribula has found his new home.

Pribula is set to transfer to Missouri, according to multiple reports on Sunday night. Pribula served as Drew Allar’s backup quarterback this season at Penn State, though Pribula announced that he was going to transfer away before the Nittany Lions’ blowout win over SMU in the first round of the playoffs. Allar announced he will return to Penn State next season, too.

Pribula will have two years of eligibility remaining at Missouri, where he’ll likely replace Brady Cook. Pribula, a former four-star recruit, went 26-of-35 for 275 yards with five touchdowns and an interception this season. He had 242 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 38 carries, too. Missouri also has Drew Pyne, who backed up Cook this past season, on its roster.

The Tigers went 9-3 this season, the fifth under coach Eli Drinkwitz. They will wrap up their season against Iowa in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Dec. 30.

Maalik Murphy transferring to Oregon State

Former Texas and Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy is heading west.

Murphy committed to Oregon State on Thursday according to multiple reports. He joins the Beavers after one season in Durham following his transfer from Texas.

Murphy was 254-of-421 passing for 2,933 yards and 26 TDs with 12 interceptions in 2024. He spent the 2023 season as Texas’ No. 2 quarterback and started in Quinn Ewers’ absence when Ewers suffered a shoulder injury. However, due to the timing of the transfer portal, he left the Longhorns before the College Football Playoff.

Murphy will have two seasons of eligibility with the Beavers. Oregon State went 5-7 in 2024 as three different quarterbacks played in at least five games.

After Murphy entered the transfer portal at the end of the season, Duke moved quickly to secure a commitment from Tulane’s Darian Mensah.

Liberty’s Kaidon Salter heads to Colorado

One of the most productive QBs in college football during the 2023 season is heading to Colorado.

Liberty’s Kaidon Salter committed to Colorado on Wednesday for his final season of eligibility. Salter had 44 total touchdowns in 2023 as Liberty went undefeated and won Conference USA before losing to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. Salter returned to Liberty for the 2024 season after he briefly entered the portal following the Fiesta Bowl loss.

Billy Edwards commits to Wisconsin

Former Maryland QB Billy Edwards said Monday that he was heading to Wisconsin. Edwards was 273-of-420 passing for 2,881 yards and 15 TDs with nine interceptions over 11 games in 2024. He also rushed for 148 yards and five touchdowns. Edwards appeared in 15 games over his first two seasons at Maryland before becoming the team’s primary QB in 2024.

Wisconsin is undergoing an overhaul at the QB position as the team made a coordinator change at the end of the season. QBs Braedyn Locke and Tyler Van Dyke have entered the transfer portal already. Locke was the team’s starter for most of the season after Van Dyke suffered a torn ACL against Alabama.

Wazzu QB John Mateer enters portal

Washington State QB John Mateer was one of the most dynamic players in college football in 2024. He’ll be playing at a new school in 2025.

Mateer is entering the portal after leading college football with 44 total TDs. He threw for 29 scores and rushed for 15 others as he had at least one passing TD and one rushing TD in 10 of Washington State’s 12 games.

Penn State QB Beau Pribula leaves team before playoff

The Nittany Lions will have a new backup behind Drew Allar for the College Football Playoff.

No. 2 QB Beau Pribula announced Sunday that he was entering the transfer portal ahead of the postseason. Pribula lamented the timing of his announcement because of college football’s calendar, and his sentiments were backed up by coach James Franklin, who said he supported his QB’s decision to find a new school.

Pribula’s decision to transfer came a day before Allar announced he will return to Penn State for the 2025 season.

Pribula saw significant playing time in 2024 behind Allar. He was 26-of-35 passing for 275 yards and five TDs and rushed 38 times for 242 yards and four scores while appearing in all 13 of PSU’s games.

Miller Moss will spend final season at Louisville

The Louisville Cardinals will likely have a one-year transfer starting at quarterback for a second straight season.

Former USC QB Miller Moss committed to the Cardinals on Saturday. Moss was USC’s starter for much of the season in 2024 before he was replaced by Jayden Maiava. Moss was 233-of-362 passing for 2,555 yards with 18 TDs and nine interceptions across nine games.

The Cardinals and coach Jeff Brohm got an up-close look at what Moss can do in the Holiday Bowl at the end of the 2023 season. With Caleb Williams opting out for the NFL Draft, Moss started the game and was 23-of-33 for 372 yards and six TDs.

Tyler Shough spent the 2024 season as Louisville’s starter after stints at Oregon and Texas Tech. In his seventh season of college football, Shough has completed 63% of his passes and thrown for 23 TDs and just six interceptions.

Ex-Stanford QB Ashton Daniels joins Jackson Arnold at Auburn

Auburn added a second starting QB in less than a week on Monday when Stanford’s Ashton Daniels committed to the Tigers. In 11 games in 2024, Daniels was 170-of-271 passing for 1,700 yards and 10 TDs with 12 interceptions. He also was the Cardinal’s leading rusher with 148 carries for 669 yards and three TDs.

Daniels has appeared in 33 games over his Stanford career and is 366-of-602 passing for 3,986 yards. His commitment came days after former Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold committed to Auburn. The Tigers will have a new starter in 2025 after Payton Thorne is out of eligibility and Hank Brown transferred to Iowa.

Utah adds New Mexico QB Devon Dampier and OC

Dual-threat QB Devon Dampier is heading to Utah.

The Utes got a commitment from Dampier on Dec. 11 after the Utes hired former New Mexico offensive coordinator Jason Beck to call plays.

Dampier thrived under Beck in 2024 as one of the most underrated players in college football. Dampier was 226-of-390 passing for 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed 155 times for 1,166 yards and 19 scores. He was the only player to rush for over 1,000 yards while throwing for over 2,500 yards this season.

Dampier is set to be the presumptive starter for the Utes as they attempt to rebound from a poor 2024. QB Isaac Wilson was the team’s primary starter after Cam Rising’s multiple injuries. Wilson was briefly in the transfer portal before recommitting to Utah.

Thomas Castellanos goes to Florida State

After an ignominious end to his Boston College career, Thomas Castellanos is heading to Florida State.

The former BC QB entered the transfer portal at the end of the season after he lost his starting job in November. Through eight games in 2024, Castellanos threw for 1,366 yards and 18 TDs.

But Castellanos’ season was effectively over after Grayson James replaced him in a win over Syracuse. Castellanos stepped away from the team after BC coach Bill O’Brien announced that James would remain the team’s primary QB and announced he was heading into the portal a short time later.

Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman heads to Houston

Conner Weigman decided to stay in Texas after transferring from Texas A&M.

The former Aggies starter committed to Houston after putting his name in the portal. Weigman was the team’s starting quarterback but lost his job to Marcel Reed during the Aggies’ comeback win over LSU.

A former four-star recruit, Weigman has dealt with injuries during each of the past two seasons. He missed time in 2024 because of a shoulder injury and played in just four games in 2023 before a foot injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Maalik Murphy transfers from Duke, Darian Mensah commits

Duke effectively made an early transfer portal QB trade once the 2024 season ended.

Starter Maalik Murphy entered the portal after one season with the Blue Devils. Just days after Murphy said he was transferring, Duke added former Tulane QB Darian Mensah.

Mensah was one of the top-rated QBs in the portal since he announced he was leaving Tulane two days after the AAC title game. He threw for over 2,723 yards and 22 TDs as a redshirt freshman in 2024.

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Missouri

Mizzou ends inches away from Braggin' Rights win

Published

17 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Mizzou ends inches away from Braggin’ Rights win

ST. LOUIS – Down to the wire, the Missouri Tigers kept fighting.

Missouri fell behind 10 late, but came back to take the lead and eventually tied the game again with a minute to play, but two final 3-pointers fell off the mark as the Illinois Fighting Illini won a new Braggin’ Rights classic in St. Louis on Sunday.

“It was a great atmosphere, both staffs, both coaches, I have tremendous respect for the program, but I wish we could have come away with a win,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates said. “It was a great NCAA Tournament atmosphere, that’s what it looked like to me.”

Neither team had a double-digit lead at any point until Kylan Boswell hit a couple of free throws with 6:33 left to create a 67-57 advantage.

Then the Tigers played with some chaos.

“Nobody does that better than Missouri,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said.

Tamar Bates drove to hit a fading midrange jumper, then Tony Perkins grabbed a defensive rebound and was fouled, which sent him to the line where he hit both shots.

Trent Pierce then grabbed a defensive board and flipped it ahead to Mark Mitchell who found Jacob Crews in the left corner for the Tigers’ second 3 of the game to cut the lead to 67-64 with 5:27 left.

Bates hit two more free throws, then forced a steal that led to a Pierce layup, giving the Tigers a 68-67 advantage with 4:13 left, their first lead since late in the first half.

“The thing we didn’t do is hang out head, and we kept fighting,” Gates said. “We kept our foot on the shovel and we kept digging. And that’s the sign of a good team.”

But the lead lasted about 18 seconds as Tre White hit a jumper to retake a 69-68 lead for the Illini.

The Tigers would not lead again.

“We cut the lead two or three times … and each time, Illinois made a tough shot, made a tough shot, so they had timely execution,” Gates said. “… Sometimes players just make big plays and you can’t, can’t do nothing about it.”

But they would tie it again, first at 72 with 2:29 left, then at 75 with 1:14 to go and again at 77 with 45 seconds left.

But each time, the Illini hit the shot they needed, going up 75-72 on a Kasparas Jakucionis 3, then 77-75 on two Boswell free throws and taking the lead for good on a Jakucionis jumper with 28 seconds to play.

With Illinois leading 79-77, the Tigers turned to Mitchell, who hit a late 3 in the Border War to hold off kansas’ charge and maintain Mizzou’s advantage, but this time, the shot was off and Boswell came down with the rebound.

A foul sent him to the line, where he made just one, leaving the lead at 3 with 8 seconds left.

The Tigers charged down the floor and gave an open look to Crews from the right wing, but it clanged off the back iron as time expired to give Illinois its second consecutive Braggin’ Rights win.

“I thought we had a great look, could have called timeout, but I wasn’t going to get an open shot, more open than what we got with two-versus-one against a set defense,” Gates said. “I trust our players and trust what they do, and ultimately, it was in and out.”

After consecutive blowouts in the St. Louis matchup the past three seasons and the most recent close game played in Columbia, the 2024 edition gave fans all the excitement they could hope for from the rivalry.

“Missouri’s got unbelievable history, they’ve got unbelievable tradition,” Underwood said. “I, again, I have so much respect for programs that have that. Not everybody has that. … When you get those two teams together and you get them in the unique circumstances, you get a crowd like today.”

The Tigers jumped out to the game’s initial lead, going up 5-0 as Mitchell and Bates each hit a layup and Mitchell added a game-opening free throw, but the Illini fought back to tie at 7 and took Illinois’ first lead at 10-7 with 14:50 left in the first half.

The Illini held the lead through much of the first half, but the tigers chipped away with this season’s bread and butter, the free-throw line.

Two Perkins free throws cut the lead to 24-22, then Marques Warrick grabbed a defensive rebound and dished it ahead to Perkins for a transition dunk to tie the game at 24.

A Mitchell free throw gave the Tigers the lead again at 25-24, then a Mitchell and-1 layup put the Tigers ahead 28-24 with 4:48 left before halftime as the Tigers attacked the paint again and again, scoring 34 points in the paint.

But as it did every time Missouri gained momentum, Illinois got the shots it needed. A jumper from Tre White and a second-chance jumper from Morez Johnson tied the game at 28, then Johnson added a layup before White hit two free throws to extend the lead to 32-28.

Mizzou came back to tie on a Mitchell layup and two free throws, but a five-point Illinois run ended the half with the Illini up 37-32.

“They ended the half with an unbelievable run in a minute and 30 seconds,” Gates said.

Illinois maintained a lead throughout most of the second half, building to the 10-point advantage late, but the physicality of the game got out of hand at points, helping lead to a combined 60 free throws and a rare Gates technical foul with 16:53 left.

After a very physical sequence with bodies clanging together under the basket and Ant Robinson falling to the floor after trying to pass following a steal, Gates sprang onto the floor in the middle of the play and got in the face of the official, earning a technical that allowed Illinois to go up 42-34 after the two free throws.

“I didn’t mean to get a tech, but I had to,” Gates said. “I had to, I had to get a tech and our guys responded from that technical foul. Because if, if I did not get a technical foul on that, Lord knows what would have taken place the entire game. What I do know was right in front of me, Ant Robinson fell, I don’t think he fell on his own, but that was after a couple other situations that took place.”

Missouri (10-2) ends its winning streak at 10 games and will look to get back in the win column as it plays its final non-conference game following a break for Christmas. The Tigers will host Alabama State at 6:30 p.m., Dec. 30.