Metro East Sports Podcast

Season 7; Episode 24: Volleyball Individual Greatness, The Valmeyer Victors, and the Dynamic Doubles Duo!

Season 7 is presented by Little Caesars Pizza! 7.24 has three incredible segments. In Segment I, hosts KP and Dave are joined by our volleyball expert, Jack Grimm. Grimm cites his top male and female players! KP mentions our upcoming fall sports previews, and Dave talks about the upcoming Edwardsville Futures tennis tournament. In Segment II, we are joined by our Integrity Spine and Joint Center Team of the Month, The Belleville Rockies. The team is represented in the studio by the team's Manager, Jim Thomspson, and his son, AJ, who is the team's "Jack of All Trades." The Thompson boys describe the idyllic field of dreams that is the Mon-Clair League and the Valmeyer Tournament in particular. In Segment III, we are joined by the MESPY winners for Tennis Doubles Team of the Year, Schaefer Bates and Isaac Chleboun of Edwardsville HS. Bates and Chleboun reflect on a career that included 4 trips to the state tournament. KP asks the boys what it was like playing for Lipe, and Dave shares a few of his best memories with these two.

Season 7; Episode 23: Featuring the Top 10 Baseball Teams and Tennis Players, the Hall of Fame Sports Photographer, and the Queen of the Hurdles!

This season is presented by Little Caesars Pizza! 7.23 features the High School Report with Dave Lipe, Kevin Pawlow, and Matt Kamp; sports photographer Paul Baillargeon; and state champion hurdler Sophie Shapiro of Edwardsville High School. In Segment I, the High School Report, KP reveals his top 10 baseball teams regardless of size: Triad, Edwardsville, O'Fallon, Mascoutah, Freeburg, Waterloo, Belleville West, Breese Central, Nashville, and Columbia are all recognized. Next, the guys talk about the 6 athletes who were offered scholarships after their showing at the recent Edwardsville Live Basketball Showcase. Finally, Dave lists the top 10 tennis singles and doubles teams. Edwardsville, O'Fallon, Triad, Highland, Marquette, Mascoutah, Collinsville, Belleville East, and Belleville West are all listed. In Segment II, we welcome back Paul Baillargeon, who will soon be inducted into the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame for his long and successful career as a sports photojournalist. This will be his 5th such recognition. Baillargeon describes how he got his start in the business; he talks about the art of getting the right shot; and he mentions the role that luck plays in getting the perfect shot. Finally, we are joined by the MESPY winner for Large School Female Track Athlete of the Year, Sophie Shapiro, who brought back 4 medals from the recent state track meet along with a team championship. Shapiro describes the detail-oriented coaching that helped her win and her lofty goals for her final year of high school and beyond.

Season 7; Episode 22: Baseball Team Rankings, The Barone Basketball Boys, Soccer Queens, and Rosey Talks Drunken Goats

Season 7 is presented by Little Caesars Pizza! 7.22 Features four very unique segments. In Segment I, hosts Dave Lipe, Matt Kamp, and Kevin Pawlow discuss our end-of-season Top-10 baseball rankings for large and small schools. Triad, Edwardsville, O'Fallon, Mascoutah, Waterloo, Belleville West, Jerseyville, Alton, Civic Memorial, Collinsville, Freeburg, Breese Central, Nashville, Father McGiveny, Columbia, Roxana, Greenville, Gibault, Mater Dei, and Gillespie are all included! Then, the guys discuss the Edwardsville Live Basketball Showcase. The play was outstanding, but the guys have a message for coaches and fans who at times "behaved poorly." Next up, we are joined by SIUE Men's Basketball Coach Brian Barone and his son Carson, who is set to begin his senior hoop season at Edwardsville HS. Barone talks about life after the Cougars earned their first-ever "Big Dance" appearance in 2025, and he describes the emotions he feels watching his son play. Carson shares his goals for next season and beyond, and he talks about his style on the court. Dave asks if he's thought about being a third-generation basketball coach; his articulate response reveals the same poise he carries in the classroom and on the court. In Segment III, we recognize the MESPY winners for Small School Soccer Team of the Year. Coach Jason Turkington of McGiveny brings with him star players Harper Dettmers and Emerson Isringhausen. Coach and the girls talk about their incredible state championship season, they describe their best memories, and they discuss what it will take for them to repeat as champs. In Segment IV, we welcome back MESP co-founder Bill Roseberry to talk about his latest ventures into writing. Roseberry has created a "comic book style" magazine called the Reedy Chronicles based on the memories of his recently deceased friend, "Reedy." Roseberry talks about the inspiration for the project, which includes Substack publications and a YouTube channel. Getting a goat named Nana drunk is really something they did, and you won't want to miss his telling of that tale.

Season 7; Episode 21: Top 10 Diamond "Dogs," River Dragons Rap, and Softball in the Bud!

This season is presented by Little Caesars Pizza! 7.21 has 3 scintillating segments! Segment I is the High School Report. KP reveals his "Top 10 Baseball Players," including Honorable Mention. Guys from Triad, Edwardsville HS, Freeburg, Father McGivney, Mascoutah HS, Central, and Greenville HS all made the list. In Segment II, we welcome Scott Montesano, VP of Marketing and Broadcasting for the Alton River Dragons. He is joined by starting pitcher and Alton native Austin Rathgeb. Montesano describes his lifelong love affair with baseball, and he talks about the warm reception the club has received from the Riverbend community. Rathgeb talks about his "long list" of comped tickets for each game and his long-term baseball goals. In Segment III, we welcome Coach Brian Boeving from Red Bud Softball, winners of the MESPY for Small School Softball Team of the Year. Boeving is joined by star player Julia Ohlau, who is also the Charitable Champion for June. Ohlau, who led the STL area in strikeouts, talks about her love for the game and her motivation for donating her $500 prize to the Red Bud Athletic Booster Club. Coach Boeving decribes that of which he is most proud of regarding this season, and he relays what it's like coaching Ohlau, an honor student and exceptional leader whose "stoic" helped her team make history this spring.

Season 7; Episode 20: Volleyball Winners, The High School Report, Mascoutah Hoop Dreams, Helping Baseball Families Find the Perfect Fit, and The New Cougar Grappling King!

Little Caesars Pizza, the World Champions of Value, present this season! 7.20 has 5 HUGE Segments! In Segment I, we recognize the MESPY Winners for the Boys Volleyball Team and Players of the Year. Jack Grimm, our VB expert, joins host Dave Lipe as the two meet with the Sheehans, Amy and Kenny, of O'Fallon THS. Amy, the Head Coach, and Kenny, her assistant and husband, share their thoughts on making the marriage and the coaching work together. Coach Amy talks about her team's dominant year, and she is joined by two of her top players, Sutton Massey and Elijah Zambrencia, who are our MESPY winners for co-Volleyball Players of the Year. The boys talk about their history in the sport, and they share their top memories of the season.Segment II is the High School Report. Dave and Kevin Pawlow are joined by Matt Kamp and Jack Grimm. KP goes over the 2A and 3A baseball playoffs, as he talks about the dramatic season finales for Triad and Freeburg. Next up, Matt Kamp unveils his end-of-season top 5 rankings (all sizes) for softball and soccer. Waterloo, Edwardsville, Triad, O'Fallon, Father McGivney, Belleville East, and Red Bud are among the teams discussed. Finally, Jack Grimm rounds out the segment with a look back at the volleyball state playoffs and OTHS's epic run in detail. In Segment III, Cole Shoemaker, Mascoutah Boys Basketball Head Coach, returns. This time he brings with him leading scorer Micah Griffo, who led the area in three-point shooting. Shoemaker discusses the highlights of his team's season; Griffo reveals when he knew he "loved to shoot," and he describes his big basketball dreams. Segment IV features former SLU Baseball Head CoachDarin Hendrickson, who talks about his latest role helping families "find the right fit for college." Hendrickson, who helped coach CBC to the state finals, describes some of the challenges inherent in college coaching today, and he talks about his latest efforts to help families navigate the tumultuous process of finding the perfect school for their high school athlete or transfer portal entry. We wrap up this gigantic show with Segment V, in which we welcome back to the studio Daryl Thomas, SIUE wrestling Head Coach. Thomas talks about his new position as Head Coach, and he describes leading the Cougars in his hometown. Coach Thomas articulates what he loves about the sport, and he describes his coaching style.