Dennis Snethen understands the nature of big aspirations. He helped nurture and coach two St. Joseph youths into Olympic athletes.

Saturday’s boxing card at Civic Arena is built around youth — 25-year-old St. Joseph boxer Andre Wilson’s attempt to clinch local, maybe national, prominence.
But the old guard will get its share of the spotlight, too.

Andre Wilson and Alex Baba stand on the opposite ends of their boxing careers.
Baba’s held a world title, competed as a captain on Ghana’s Olympic team and weathered 40 professional fights.
Wilson’s just 25 with a total of 12 fights — a 10-1-1 record — and Baba represents the latest hurdle blocking the St. Joseph man’s title ambitions.

Take last year’s standings. Copy them onto a blank sheet of paper.
That’s generally the way the MIAA preseason coaches poll works — other than moving Missouri Western to fifth no matter how high the Griffons finished the previous season.

Before Friday, Tim Woodruff never saw anyone make a hole-in-one. He’d never made one himself.
But he’s $10,000 wealthier after his first experience with the landmark golfing moment.
Woodruff aced hole No. 11 at Moila Country Club’s Patio Fundraiser. The hole was designated with the cash prize — plus an extra $1,000 each for the golfer’s three playing partners.

College football officials get booed, yelled at, cursed. Delivering flowers to people in the hospital generally earns a better greeting.
Bill Lowe, who on Tuesday announced his retirement as MIAA director of football officials, thinks it’s a decent trade.
“You really make people happy when you deliver flowers,” Lowe said. “That’s right up my alley.”

Northwest Missouri Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry makes a big impact on the local effort to feed the hungry. But the organization is in danger of folding due to the health of its founder and driving force, area coordinator Steve Goben.

Football’s taken Chris Greisen all over the world ever since he left Maryville, Mo., after leading Northwest Missouri State to a national championship in 1998. And the game turns a national spotlight on the former Bearcat again next week as he and his Georgia Force teammates fight on in the AFL playoffs.

For much of his early career, lefthanders were to Rob Calloway what a plastic jug of vodka is to an alcoholic. Troublesome at best, dangerous at times.
Southpaws handed the St. Joseph boxer the majority of his seven losses — in 78 professional fights.
“It’s just different, man, adjusting to southpaws,” Calloway said. “We just don’t see many lefthanders. Everything is pretty much backwards.”

Missouri Western State University football player Roger Allen is a big man. But even at 6 foot, 4 inches and 315 pounds, Mr. Allen still found himself wondering if he measured up against some of the more massive examples of humanity collected by the Kansas City Chiefs.