Monroe City School District

The Monroe City Panthers’ boys basketball team enjoyed an incredible run from 2017 to 2022, solidifying their place as one of the most dominant high school programs in northeast Missouri. The team's success was marked by a string of district titles, tournament championships, and unforgettable postseason moments that captured the hearts of Panther fans. Here's a closer look at the key highlights and achievements of this remarkable era: 2017: The Beginning of Dominance District Title: The Panthers captured their first district championship, defeating the Hallsville Indians, a victory powered by the leadership of seniors Logan Minter, Michael Speaks, and Jordan Bichsel. This win would set the stage for years of success to follow. 2018: Rising Stars and an Epic Tournament Run Leadership of C.E. Talton: Junior C.E. Talton emerged as the team’s standout player, averaging an impressive 24.5 points per game. Along with Blake Hays and Zach Osborn, he helped guide the Panthers to the district championship. District Tournament Run: As the 4th seed in the district, Monroe City pulled off thrilling victories over Palmyra, Hallsville, and Clark County (in overtime) to claim the title. 2019: A Tournament Legacy Begins Regular Season Tournament Dominance: Monroe City began a streak of winning every regular season tournament they participated in, including the Monroe City, Clopton, and Tony Lenzini tournaments. Over the next four years, they would win 12 straight tournaments—a feat rarely seen in high school basketball. Heartbreak in Sectionals: The 2019 team was poised for a deep postseason run, but an injury to C.E. Talton in the sectional game against St. Paul Lutheran derailed their hopes. St. Paul Lutheran would go on to make a Final Four appearance. 2020: A Near-Miss and Unforgettable Moments State Quarterfinals Drama: The Panthers were determined to take the next step after three straight sectional losses. In the state quarterfinals against Kansas City Central, Monroe City had one of the most memorable moments in school history. Joshua Talton tipped away the ball on the final possession, securing the Panthers’ victory. Covid Interrupts State Tournament: Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic altered the state tournament, and Monroe City only played one game at state, falling to Charleston 51-49. Bryce Stark’s All-State Honor: Despite the pandemic's challenges, senior Bryce Stark earned all-state honors, adding another layer of greatness to Monroe City's basketball legacy. 2021: State Runner-Up and a Historic Victory Core Players Return: The Panthers returned key players, including Joshua and Josiah Talton, Logan Buhlig, Kyle Hays, Deion White, Ethan Lehenbauer, Jaedyn Robertson, and Cade Chapman. The team was ready to make another run at the state title. Epic Quarterfinal Victory: Monroe City hosted St. Louis Christian Academy in a thrilling quarterfinal game, winning 51-49 in one of the most exciting contests ever played at Monroe City High School. State Final Four and Runner-Up Finish: The Panthers defeated Summit Christian Academy in the state semifinals but fell short in the championship game against Hartville, finishing as state runner-up in Class 3. 2022: A Final Run of Dominance Continued Tournament Success: Monroe City maintained its tournament dominance, winning all of their regular season tournaments and claiming another district title. Heartbreaking Sectional Loss: The Panthers were poised to make a third consecutive state appearance, but a buzzer-beating tip-in by Duchesne in the sectionals prevented them from advancing to the Final Four. Joshua Talton’s Continued Excellence: Joshua Talton was named to the all-state team for the second year in a row and shared the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Co-Player of the Year honors in Class 3. Key Achievements (2017-2022): Record: 149-25 overall record, a winning percentage of .856. District Titles: 6 District Championships. Tournament Championships: 5 Monroe City Tournament titles, 5 Tony Lenzini Tournament titles, 5 Clopton Tournament titles. Conference Championships: 4 Clarence Cannon Conference titles. State Success: 3rd Place finish in 2020, 2nd Place finish in 2021. Individual Honors: Several players, including C.E. Talton, Bryce Stark, and Joshua Talton, earned all-state recognition, with Joshua earning Co-Player of the Year honors in 2022. A Historic Era for Monroe City Basketball From 2017 to 2022, the Panthers became a force to be reckoned with in Missouri high school basketball. The combination of skilled players, tight-knit team chemistry, and a commitment to excellence on and off the court made this one of the most exciting and successful eras in the history of Monroe City High School basketball. Their dominance in regular-season tournaments, consistency in district championships, and thrilling postseason performances will be remembered for generations.

MS Game Day! @ Paris Order of Events: B Girls (2 Qtrs.) , A girls, B Boys (2 Qtrs.), A Boys Start Time: 5:30pm #MCPRIDE

Game Day! Washington School Celebration 6:30pm #MCPRIDE

Last Saturday nine of our MC Choir students practiced in the CCC Choir rehearsal to prepare for the CCC tour tomorrow. The CCC Choir will be performing in the High School Gym at 1:45 PM tomorrow, Wednesday Dec. 11th. Open to the public to support our choir students!

Tonight's the night that the Monroe City Lady Panthers take on the Louisiana Lady Bulldogs at 7 p.m. in the 100th Monroe City R-1 Invitational Basketball Tournament. Come watch Coach Adam Rung mark up another victory for his team.

The 1981 teams were among the elite five that won the boys’ and girls’ championship game at the Monroe City High School Invitational Tournament. Both teams beat Palmyra, always a sweet victory for the Black and Gold. The other years were 1962, 1967, 2016 and 2020. Both teams also won district competition, again beating Palmyra. Girls got knocked out in the next round and the boys got second in State. The boys were coached by Jerry Cochran and the girls were coached by Randy Spratt.

The 1948 and 1949 Monroe City High School boys' and girls' basketball teams left behind some of the best tournament records. 1948 also marked the return of the Panther Tracks school yearbook. In the forward to the 1948 yearbook, School Board president Scott Conway notes the return of the book after several years' absence. He also notes the inauguration of the Quint City Activities Association and that the school hosted the Vocal Music Festival and the band participated in the Palmyra tournament. The first junior-senior prom was held in May 1949, Conway noted. As a side, you'll see several relatives of our present-day teams and scorekeepers.

At 93, Marilyn Frankenbach Tucker of Hannibal is Monroe City High School Tournament’s oldest living female player. She and Marge Smith O’Donel, the second oldest Lady Panther, graduated in 1950. They are followed in age by Billie Romig McClintic, Janann Roland Hedberg, Margaret Tipton Raetz and Norma Stone Rubison. Marilyn grew up on a farm at West Ely. She was a first string guard during her senior year and the 1949-50 team won every game except one. They had 20 straight tournament wins. Marilyn thought she had appendicitis and unfortunately sat out that game. She rode the school bus from West Ely and “begged a way” when needed. She stayed with a sister and brother-in-law, Marge and Bob Holliday, who lived at 523 E. Cleveland at the time. They became long-time Hannibal residents. She and her husband, the late Bill Tucker, had three sons, Dr. Mark Tucker, Brad Tucker and Breck Tucker. She and Bill, a biology teacher at Hannibal High School and Hannibal-LaGrange College, met while she was playing baseball. She retired from the Social Security Administration. Marilyn, we look forward to seeing you Saturday!

Final Score! #MCPRIDE

The years of Monroe City Lady Panther basketball with Dewella Holliday Shuck were some of the best in school’s history. A crowd pleaser, Dewella brought the hardware home for the Lady Panthers for three consecutive seasons. Dewella starred on the state championship teams in 1998 and 2000 and the third-place team in 1999. She earned First Team All Conference, First Team All District and First Team All-State all three years as well as earning Player of the Year in 1999 and 2000 and USA Today Player of the Year 2000. She averaged 19 points per game and was the top player of the tournament in 2000 state games. In 1998-1999, she was one of the seven senior players who ended their senior year with a remarkable 30-2 record. Dewella still holds the Monroe City R-1 school record set in 2000 (10) for the most steals in any game in the game against St. Piux X, Kansas City, according to MSHSAA. (As a side note, Teresa Jackson still holds the school state record for the most total points in a quarter-15. Jackson’s records were set in 1998 and 1999. See https://www.mshsaa.org/MySchool/SchoolStateRecords.aspx?s=134.) Dewella played at Moberly Area Community College from 2000-2002 where she averaged 20.7 points per game in 2000-2001 and 22.8 ppg in 2001-2002. She had a single season scoring record of 781 points. In the 2001-2002 season, she broke a 30-year scoring record which she still holds. Her total points for two years were a phenomenal 1408 points. The Lady Greyhounds advanced to the national tournament and placed sixth. She was named to the NJCAA Div-1 All-Tournament Team, was on the first team all regional and honorable mention all-American team. In 2017, she was inducted into the Lady Greyhounds Hall of Fame. The 5-foot-9 forward transferred to University of Texas at San Antonio. At UTSA, she was named Newcomer of the Year 2002-2003 with an average 15.8 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game. She was named the Southland Conference Player of the Week on several occasions. Shuck lives in Moberly with her husband and two daughters. She is employed by the State of Missouri and holds a degree in social work. You can look back at Holliday in playing action for the Lady Panthers in this WGEM YouTube clip at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHK71T4_uBM.

Game Day! 100 Annual Monroe City Basketball Tournament #MCPRIDE

Congratulations to the MCMS Boys on their 28-19 victory over Knox Co. to take the Consolation trophy at the SS Tourney!

MS Final Score! MS Boys win Consolation! #MCPRIDE

MS Game Day! #MCPRIDE

MS Final Score 12/6/24 #MCPRIDE

Did you know that the first basketball banquet was held in 1957? The banquet would have celebrated arguably one of the best boys' basketball teams to ever play in Monroe City. Some of the members of that 1956-57 Panther team are still alive. They include Jerry Burditt , Gary Wayne Mayes, John Henderson and Jim Gottman. Other members coached by Bill Key were Alvin Feldkamp, Richard Warren, Gene Mudd, Gene Ely, Mark Swearengen, Kermit Reynolds, Kenny Sullivan and Robbie Harris.

Final Score! Varsity wins in Overtime! #MCPRIDE

Who will sign your tournament book this year? The "Welcome" banner here is held by 1955 athletes Jerry Burditt, Ann Gillespie, Ruth Eaton Tadlock and Gene Mudd. Notice, that Coach Goldie Burdhardt, Phyllis Ketsenburg Olson, Carroll Gosney Hood and Elaine Ely Spalding are among the signers in 1955. The 1956 tournament book signatures include Jimm Gottman, Edna Ryan Cook, Sally Hawker Galbraith, Doris Murray Farrell, Wilma Sullivan Kastner and others.

Former MHS cheerleader Sally Galbraith Hawker decorated the trophy case at the entrance of the high school gymnasium in preparation for the 100th Monroe City High School Tournament which begins Monday, Dec. 9, and runs through Saturday, Dec. 14. Sally's daughter, Shelley Buhling, also was a cheerleader.

Game Day! #MCPRIDE