Notebook: Orchard Farm's Teams Preparing For Bigger Stage

As Orchard Farm begins to wind down what has been an extremely successful school year for its athletics program, the Eagles can begin to set its sights on the larger Gateway Athletic Conference. The GAC and its superintendents concluded their vote on Thursday, approving adding Orchard Farm to its conference beginning with the 2012-13 school year.

The Eagles are currently part of the much smaller 10-team Eastern Missouri Conference. Winfield, also part of the Eastern Missouri Conference, will also join the GAC. But Pattonville’s application was denied (5-2 vote) for a second time and will remain in the Suburban North Conference. Because of the increase in teams, the GAC said a three-division alignment is likely in 2012-2013

Orchard Farm‘s boys basketball team made the Class 3 sectionals this season, and currently the Eagles’ baseball team is 10-3 while the girls soccer team is 9-3.

For the Eagles baseball team, the big story has been the superb play from senior shortstop Zack Jones, who is hitting a blistering .489 with 22 hits, three doubles, three triples, three home runs and 21 runs batted in. On the mound, senior Daniel Kuehler is 5-0 while junior Spencer Pugh is 3-2 with a 2.12 earned-run average and 40 strikeouts. Both pitchers have tossed 33 innings for coach Phil Kendall, who has a team balanced enough to make a deep postseason run in Class 3.

Last season, Orchard Farm lost, 11-0, to Winfield in the Class 3 District 7 championship game to finish 15-7. Winfield advanced to the Class 3 state title game, losing to Bishop Dubourg, 8-5.

The Duchesne girls soccer team is 5-5 after losing a nonconference game to 10-3 St. Dominic, 4-0, on Wednesday. The Pioneers play next on Monday against 9-2 Oakville in a tournament at the A-B Center at 6:15 p.m. Coach Dave Thurmer has gotten five goals from senior forward Kristin Montgomery this season and solid goalkeeping from sophomore Alli Wilcox, who sports a 1.30 goals-against average.

Francis Howell North baseball lost at home to Troy on Thursday, 7-5, following its win the previous night at home over McCluer North, 7-1. The Knights are 14-6 thanks to an offense scoring over eight runs per game. Senior catcher Mike Wilson is batting .607 on an area-leading 37 hits while teammate junior Braxton Martinez is hitting .533 with six home runs and 37 runs batted in, which is second in the metro area.

(Have some local sports news, or story ideas? Please email Patch sports editor Brian Doolittle at briandoolittle@hotmail.com)