Sports Locker • January/February 2025 • a note from the editor

A decade is an allotment of
time that represents a period
of ten years. People often find
meaning in marking the end of
a decade as it prompts self-reflection
about their progress.

celebrates a decade of bringing the stories of mid-Missouri student-athletes to our readership. What a blessing it has been to meet with these young men and women who grace the halls of our local schools

Year after year, events take place, and circumstances shape the stories of these students navigating their way through high school and searching to find their own way to future destinations. Sometimes, there are circumstances that are out of their control impacting their best laid plans.

Where were you on May 22nd, 2019? Remember the EF-3 tornado that hit Eldon and Jefferson City and transformed our communities into natural disaster sites? In the days, weeks and months to come, everyone unified - pitching in and doing whatever was needed to get things put back together. Many of our mid-Missouri student-athletes, their teams and coaches went to

One year later, Governor Mike Parson issued a statewide “Stay Home Missouri” Order beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, April 6, 2020, until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2020, to contain and

combat the spread of COVID-19. Schools and many agencies and businesses were shut down to protect against this unknown threat to health. Many of the Class of 2020 missed out on competing

for state championships, prom, and the opportunity to have a normal graduation ceremony. The effects of this virus continued into the following year, but schools and administrations tried to normalize things with caution.

Perhaps the most difficult circumstances we have had to witness over the past decade has been the deaths of three student-athletes featured in Sports Locker Magazine. Russellville High School’s Anthony Bertucci, Helias Catholic’s Jackson Careaga and Lighthouse Preparatory Academy’s Riley Pipes - each had a story that was told through the pages of this publication. We grieved the loss of these young men, and they continue to be missed by their loved ones and schools they represented. Reflection allows us to look back and find those events that help tell the story moving forward. We are thankful for our sponsors, schools and support and are looking forward to partnering with you as we tell new stories in the next decade.