DDD Sports

Today will mark the first of 30 official practices over the next 42 days for the Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball program, and with 10 new players on the 2022-23 roster, questions surrounding the student-athletes aren’t lacking. “The summer is a huge thing for us,” third-year Redhawk coach Brad Korn said. “Every guy is here, so you don’t have to be doing quite as much (in the preseason) as you used to in the past.

The sign of a really good football team is being able to win when it doesn’t play its best, which is precisely what Southeast Missouri State did on Saturday at Houck Field against Central Arkansas in beating the Bears 35-27.

BENTON, Mo. — Reece Eftink ran for 203 yards with three touchdowns and the Kelly defense forced four first-half turnovers in a 41-0 win over Principia at Kelly High School on Friday, Sep. 23. “We executed well on both sides of the ball,” said Kelly coach Lance Powers. “We played Hawks defense tonight. They flew around and there were a lot of hats getting to the football. That’s always a good thing.”...

HAYTI — The Chaffee Red Devils had a difficult time with Hayti's athleticism in a 30-6 loss Friday at Hayti High School. Red Devils coach Jack Altermatt's concern with the Indians' speed came to fruition in his team's losing effort. "They're really fast," Altermatt said. "We just had a hard time containing them. They have a lot of speed and we just couldn't get to it fast enough. and contain them once Their passing game didn't really hurt is, it was just their run game. Just run to the edge."...

The Kennett girls tennis team won the SEMO Conference Tournament championship on Friday at Notre Dame Regional High School behind strong doubles play. Kennett scored 19.5 points to take first place, while Notre Dame finished second with 16.5 and Cape Central third with 14...

The Kennett Indians are still undefeated after a crushing victory over East Prairie Friday night. The Indians relied on the same game plan, using a balanced pass/rush approach to defeat the Eagles 54-6. Kennett starting quarterback Tanner Pierce utilized every weapon available before the second team had a chance to gain some playing experience in the second half. The second team offense also put points on the board before the end of the night...

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. — The big play ability of New Madrid County Central was on display once again Friday, overwhelming Caruthersville 68-6 in a SEMO Central game. NMCC used nine plays of over 20 yards to score early and often, setting up a showdown with SEMO Central foe Kennett next week...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Jamarion Smith is the definition of a workhorse running back. The junior was the driving force behind Portageville’s 34-28 win over Charleston at John Harris Marshall Stadium on Thursday, Sep. 22, carrying the ball 46 times for 330 yards and five touchdowns...

When the name Zach Hall is mentioned within the confines of the Rosengarten Athletic Complex at Southeast Missouri State, there is a pause that follows, because what that name constitutes is a reverence that is almost a defensive Jesus.

Kennett (13-0) went on the road Thursday to take down Saxony Lutheran (7-7) 9-0 to stay undefeated. For the Indians, Claire Bean, Handley McAtee, Christi Tejada, Macy Bazzell, Carley Winston and Giselle Garcia-Gallegos all took singles wins, while the pairings of Bean/McAtee, Tejada/Bazzell and Winston/Garcia-Gallegos all won on the doubles courts...

Oran (10-2) jumped on Woodland (9-2) early at home with eight runs in the first two innings to cruise to an 11-0 five-inning win. The Eagles finished with just five hits as a team. Sophomore Parker Bryant’s three RBIs on one hit led Oran, while the tandem of junior Gabriel Dirnberger and senior Nick Massey combined for five innings pitched, allowing just one hit, one walk and nine strikeouts...

BENTON, Mo. — The Kelly softball team stayed white hot with a 7-2 victory over Twin Rivers on Tuesday, Sep. 20. It took a few innings for the offense to heat up, but Lady Hawks (15-4) roasted the Lady Royals’ (3-7) hopes of an upset with a five-run third inning...

DEXTER, Mo. — The Dexter volleyball used excellent court awareness, vision, and accurate striking to defeat Sikeston in straight sets at the Bearcat Event Center on Wednesday, Sep. 21. If there was an opening on the floor or a hole in the Lady Bulldogs (5-9-1), the Lady Bearcats (8-4-1) were quick to find it and exploit it, winning 25-16, 26-24, and 25-19...

It may only seem that the 2022 Southeast Missouri State football season has been all lollipops and unicorns because the Redhawks have often looked magnificent in their performances and execution. However, the reality is that adversity will hit a program in the chest as soon as it gets too comfortable, and SEMO is having to figure out how to navigate some adversity now.

VAN BUREN — Kastin Cleaver led a pack of Bulldogs across the finish line as the host placed all five scoring runners in the top 10 Wednesday to win the Van Buren Scenic River Run at Big Spring. Cleaver, a sophomore, won the Small Schools Division race in 21 minutes, 42.8 seconds. Van Buren’s Kinsley Murphy placed fourth, Madison Mabry finished sixth followed by Adria Marvin while Ziah Been was 10th...

Check back for updates. Football starts early this week with a pair of Thursday night games as Sikeston hosts Poplar Bluff in a SEMO North game and Portageville travels to Charleston in a SEMO South game. {https://www.semoball.com/story/2960604.html As reported earlier, a shortage of football officials in the region made it necessary for games to be moved to Thursday or Saturday this fall.)...

Coming off of a five-game losing streak with fierce SEMO Conference matches on the horizon, the Lady Indians volleyball team secured a much-needed straight set win over Senath-Hornersville on Tuesday. “It was a good day to be a Lady Kennett Indian,” Kennett head coach Gentry Vancil said. “We needed that. We have had some really close games and we needed to be able to put somebody away in three, and I’m glad we did.”...

Saxony Lutheran (6-6) took down Cape Central (3-12) by a 6-3 margin at Southeast Missouri State University on Tuesday. The Crusaders got singles wins from Evie Caruso, Addie Thomason, Crosby Millstead and Ashlyn Mueller, while the pairings of Caruso/Thomason and Millstead/Mueller finished with doubles wins for Saxony Lutheran...

Jackson (10-9) took an 8-1 decision at home against Poplar Bluff (5-13) on Tuesday on a great pitching performance from freshman Ashlyn Dawes. Dawes’ 72.0% strike percentage on four hits allowed led the way for Jackson. She struck out four Mules batters in the process while also recording a hit and an RBI at the plate...

Statistical leaders from the Sikeston Standard-Democrat coverage area PASSING RUSHING RECEIVING TACKLES Player, Team SACKS Player, Team INTERCEPTIONS Player, Team...

BLOOMFIELD, MO. — The Sikeston volleyball team won in straight sets at Bloomfield on Monday, Sep. 19, extending the Lady Bulldogs’ (5-7-1) current win streak to three games. Sikeston won with set scores of 25-15, 25-16, and 25-20 and was led by another standout performance from Shania Hodges. The senior middle hitter finished with 10 kills, three aces, an assist, and a block...

SIKESTON — The Sikeston softball team’s struggles continued with a 12-0 loss in five innings to Notre Dame at the Sports Complex on Monday, Sep. 19. Sikeston (4-11) has now lost four straight since a 10-0 win over Cape Central (4-12) on Sep, 13. Notre Dame (11-4) snapped a two-game slide with the win and wasted no time in jumping out to an early lead against Sikeston, taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning. ...

If genetics play any factor in the athletic future of Park Hill High School senior Marqueas Bell, his best performances are ahead of him.

The Malden Country Club hosted the second-annual Carl Townsend Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament on Monday. In honor of the late Carl Townsend, former principal and superintendent of Malden schools, the tournament raises money to present two graduating seniors of Malden with a $2,000 scholarship...

A defensive battle on Monday afternoon saw Jackson softball (9-9) take down Northwest (2-1) in a 2-1 contest dictated by a fifth-inning score from junior Ella Mangels. The Indians thrived on defense as junior Zoe Flath finished with a complete-game win with seven hits allowed to zero walks while striking out four hitters...

Bell City baseball (5-4) completed a come-from-behind victory over the Leopold Wildcats (2-5) at home on Monday, bringing home three runs in the sixth inning to ice the ‘Cats. The Cubs scored nine runs through the first three innings, but Leopold’s six-run fourth inning tied the game at 9-9...

First-place votes in parenthesis. Dropped out: No. 10 Rockhurst Dropped out: No. 7 Fort Osage Also receiving votes: Oak Park (4-0), 4; Glendale (3-1), 2 Dropped out: No. 5 Vashon Also receiving votes: Rockwood Summit (3-1), 8; Vashon (1-2), 5...

The Lady Indians tennis team hosted Dexter, Sikeston, North County and Windsor for the annual Kennett Invitational Tournament on Saturday. Kennett tested six players during the tournament: Claire Bean, Handley McAtee, Christi Tejeda and Macy Bazzell in doubles matches as well as Giselle Garcia-Gallegos and Carley Winston in singles play...

Southeast Missouri State improved to 2-1 on Saturday with a 42-16 beating of Southland Conference opponent Nicholls at Houck Field, and yes, as has been the custom this season, Redhawk quarterback Paxton DeLaurent was great. However, as special as DeLaurent is, and he is very special, if the Redhawks have serious postseason aspirations, then they need to click in all three facets of play, and SEMO did that on Saturday.

After a halftime light show during Kennett’s road trip to Caruthersville Friday night, the stadium lights went off throughout the third quarter during very inopportune moments of play. Following suit, the Indians played lights out on both sides of the ball throughout the game to defeat the Tigers...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — There’s now just one team that sits atop the SEMO-South Conference, and it's the Charleston Bluejays (4-0). The thunder-and-lightning rushing combo of Kymarion Chappell and Rommie Turner led the team to a 20-14 win over the Kelly Hawks (3-1) at John Harris Marshall Field on Friday, Sep. 16...

CHAFFEE — For the first time this season, the Chaffee Red Devils walked off the football field with smiles on their faces. The Red Devils put together a complete performance on the field, led by junior quarterback Carson Spies' four-touchdown performance, to beat SEMO South foe Malden 28-7 on Friday night at Mark Whitaker Memorial Field...

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz wants desperately to win today’s game against Southland Conference foe Nicholls (2 p.m., ESPN+) at Houck Field, well, because he chose competition for a career for a reason. However, Matukewicz has also been in the business of intercollegiate athletics long enough to know that, well, at the end of the day, it is a business.

This story will be updated. JACKSON — Tony Williams scored four times on short runs as the senior helped Jackson pound out a homecoming win Friday night. Three straight scoring drives in the second half helped Jackson add to its 14-point halftime lead in a 35-7 win over Poplar Bluff at The Pit...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Sikeston volleyball picked up a monumental win in a highly contested match at Poplar Bluff on Thursday, Sep. 15 The Lady Bulldogs (4-7-1) battled to five-set over the Lady Mules (2-10-0), winning 22-25, 25-23, 25-20, 28-30 and 15-12...

SIKESTON — The Sikeston boys soccer team earned a dramatic 1-0 win over Carbondale (Ill.) at the Sports Complex on Thursday, Sep. 15. The game was a defensive battle from the outset and remained scoreless until Brice Gordon gathered a loose ball and scored the game-deciding goal with just 41.6 seconds remaining in regulation...

Oak Ridge volleyball traveled to Oran and took three sets in strong fashion to dominate the Eagles and improve to 9-5 for the season. The Blue Jays took the first set by a near-perfect 25-3 margin, followed by 25-12 and 25-19 wins in the next two sets...

High School tennis roundup, Sept. 15: Jackson edges Saxony Lutheran, 6-3, at home Jackson girls tennis hosted Saxony Lutheran on Thursday and took a 6-3 win to improve to 12-3-1 for the season, while the Crusaders dropped to 5-6. The Indians got singles wins from Caroline Selzer, Elda Giampaolo, Bailey Rees and Raelyn Ropp while also getting doubles wins from the pairings of Eva Carrasquilo/Rees and Giampaolo/Ropp...

Statistical leaders from the Sikeston Standard-Democrat coverage area PASSING RUSHING RECEIVING DEFENSE Tackles Sacks Interceptions...

There is no way to sugarcoat the fact that the fan experience for those attending a Southeast Missouri State football game isn’t as ideal as it will be in 2023 when Houck Field has undergone extensive renovations. However, the SEMO Athletic officials have spent a year-plus studying, contemplating, listening, and implementing all the facets that they can conceive to make attending the Redhawk games this fall as nice of an experience for fans – of both teams – as humanly possible.

ORAN, Mo. — The New Madrid County Central volleyball team escaped Oran with a five-set victory on Wednesday, Sep. 14. NMCC (4-3) won the first two sets before Oran (0-6) stormed back to force a fifth set, the first time either team played in the tie-breaking set this season. The set scores were 25-14, 25-19, 20-25, 20-25 and 15-12...

SIKESTON — A day after suffering heartache from its second walk-off loss in less than a week, the Sikeston softball bounced back to defeat Cape Central at the Sports Complex on Tuesday, Sep. 13. The Lady Bulldogs (4-7) won 10-0 in five innings against the rival Lady Tigers (3-10)...

A look at Week 4 of the area high school football season.

Notre Dame girls tennis showed slight signs of improvement on Tuesday, turning a 9-0 loss to Kennett two weeks ago into an 8-1 loss at home to the Indians, inching one match closer to the undefeated, 9-0 Kennett Indians paired with Holcomb. The Bulldogs, now 4-4-1 for the season, won their single match of the day on the doubles court as freshman Eloisa West and senior Karoline Harold notched an important 8-6 win for Notre Dame to avoid a Kennett sweep...

SIKESTON — George Woods, a Sikeston native and three-time Olympian but often a forgotten local legend, passed away Aug. 30 in Edwardsville, Illinois. Woods was known for his competitive nature and ability to come through with his best performances on the biggest stages. He won the silver medal in shot put in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and again in the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Wood also finished seventh at the 1976 Olympics in Toronto...

“If you want to be the man, you have to beat the man” is a moniker the Portageville football team has embraced this season. The Bulldogs (3-0) are off to the best start in recent memory after squashing East Prairie 72-20 this past weekend. Following the game, Portageville coach Ian Penrod gave an exhilarating impersonation of pro-wrestling legend Ric Flair...

The Clarkton volleyball squad not only had a hugely successful night of confidence and explosive offense against Twin Rivers on Monday. The victory also propelled Clarkton head coach Amy Cowart to hit a milestone in her coaching career – 300 varsity wins...

CARBONDALE, Ill. – It’s difficult to say when the last time that Bryce Norman had to stand on the sidelines and watch a football game be played.

Southeast Missouri State senior libero Tara Beilsmith has been awarded Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors for the third-straight week. Beilsmith was named to the Northern Iowa All-Tournament Team after she paced the Redhawks with 89 digs and 14 assists over the recent tournament.

Scott City defeated Kennett in dramatic fashion, going five full sets on Monday before the Rams won the final set 16-14 at Kennett High School. Both teams went back and forth, with scores of 25-18, 21-25, 25-22 and 18-25 through the first four sets before the Rams rallied to win the final set...

First-place votes in parenthesis. Dropped out: No. 7 North Kansas City Also receiving votes: Glendale (2-1), 3 Also receiving votes: Savannah (3-0), 9 Dropped out: No. 9 Hallsville Also receiving votes: Lift for Life (2-1), 8; Ava (2-1), 5; Hallsville (1-2), 2; Mt. Vernon (3-0), 2; Trenton (3-0), 2...

BERNIE – In the nearly four months since the Bernie High School baseball program scared the bejesus out of MSHSAA Class 2 state runner-up, Portageville, in the District 1 semifinal, before falling 3-2 to the Bulldogs, there has been some change within the Mules.

Saxony Lutheran beat Farmington on Saturday to win the Red Division Gold Bracket championship in the 2022 Saint Francis Healthcare Dig For Life Challenge. The Crusaders swept both Northwestern (26-24, 25-17) and Farmington (25-19, 25-18) to claim the title...

Three Jackson boys cross country runners finished in the top five to help the Indians win the team title at Saturday's Arcadia Valley Invitational. Junior Bryce Gentry and seniors Cade McAdams and Hunter Wendel took second, third and fourth, respectively, out of 142 to lead Jackson in scoring...

CARBONDALE, Ill. – There, in a nutshell, is the how and why Southeast Missouri State football earned a dramatic 34-31 victory over rival, and No. 17-ranked, Southern Illinois in Carbondale on Saturday.

Friday night’s match up between Kennett and Sikeston was not a game defined or limited by the first few plays. Sikeston crossed the goal line first, just before Kennett began to rely on an unstoppable running force to score an unanswered 52 points...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Portageville sent a message that it is an emerging juggernaut in southeast Missouri with a 72-20 win at East Prairie on Friday.  It was the Bulldogs’ (3-0) third straight lopsided victory to start the 2022 season and dropped the Eagles to 0-3 on the year...

SCOTT CITY — The Scott City Rams snapped an 18-year losing streak to Hayti on Friday with an emphatic 55-0 win at Scott City High School. Juniors Mark Panagos and Tyson Underwood contributed multiple scores offensively while the Rams' defense picked off four Indian passes en route to their first victory over Hayti since 2004...

Over the past two football seasons, ninth-year Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz has had to endure former Redhawk kicker Kenny Doak being the lowest-ranked kicker in the Ohio Valley Conference (he made just five of 9 field goals in the 2020-21 season), as well as the most productive kicker in the league (Doak made a league-best nine field goals in 2021).

The Cape Central Doubles Tennis Tournament took place today with Cape Central, Dexter, Jackson, Kennett and Saxony Lutheran all competing. Kennett took first place with 12 wins, while Jackson had seven wins, Saxony had six wins, Cape had three wins and Dexter rounded out the day with two wins...

The East Prairie volleyball has already surpassed its win total from last season with a 3-1 win at Cooter (1-3) on Thursday, Sep. 8. The Lady Eagles won the match with set scores of 25-23, 22-25, 25-23 and 25-16, and have started the season 5-0. It’s an exceptional accomplishment when considering the team only won four games a season ago and had a combined 2-34 record in its first two seasons after the volleyball program was revived in 2018...

VANDUSER, Mo. — The Sikeston softball team got back on track with a big 18-6 win over Scott County Central on Thursday, Sep. 8, at Gravietts Memorial Ball Field in Vanduser, Mo. It was the first time the county rivals had met on the softball diamond...

The painstakingly tedious practice days that the Kennett Indians volleyball squad spent focusing on the fundamentals of the game this summer paid off on Thursday. In their match up against Malden, the Indians’ ability to “do the little things right” made all of the difference...

Reflecting on the 2021-22 Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball season, do the followers of the program remember the Redhawks battling No. 19-ranked Murray State to the buzzer before falling 70-68 late in February at the Show Me Center? Or are those fans still anguishing over the 84-68 loss at Cal Baptist in December?

Cooter traveled to Advance on Thursday looking to extend its undefeated streak to eight wins. The Wildcats did so in blowout fashion, winning 16-3 in five innings against the Hornets. Senior Rhoads Lynn led Cooter’s offense with three hits in four at-bats on Thursday, scoring three times in the process while driving in one run. Seniors Hayden Nazarenus and Pearce Watkins both had three RBIs for a team-leading tie for Cooter...

Cape Central softball improved to 3-6 on Thursday with a 7-5 road win over Naylor, which dropped the Eagles to 0-7. Senior Ki Bogan and classmate Keri Williams were the only players to record multiple hits with two apiece. The Eagles walked multiple batters and numerous errors in a losing effort...

SIKESTON — The Graves County (Ky.) soccer team escaped with a 3-2 extra-time win over Sikeston at the Sports Complex on Tuesday, Sep. 6. The Bulldogs (3-2) showed a lot of heart, battling back from a deficit twice to force the sudden death period against the Eagles (3-4)...

A look at high school football games from around the area. Check back for updates.

SIKESTON — The Sikeston softball team lost a heartbreaker in extra innings on Wednesday, Sep. 7, at Saxony Lutheran (4-1). Things looked promising when the Lady Bulldogs (2-7) took an 8-7 lead in the top of the eighth inning and got down to the final out, but the Crusaders responded with some timely hitting to earn the win...

BENTON, Mo. — The Kelly softball team defeated Neelyville 5-4 on Wednesday, Sep. 7, increasing its current win streak to four games. The win improved the Lady Hawks to 8-4 and presented an interesting challenge. It was originally scheduled to be played on Aug. 29 but was called to inclement weather after three innings with the Lady Tigers leading 4-2...

The Notre Dame volleyball team is settling back into its winning ways following its second sweep in as many nights with Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Scott City. The Bulldogs took sets at 25-14, 25-17 and 25-15 en route to victory. Freshman Claudia Jones’ 15 assists led Notre Dame for the night, while freshman Kate Rubel and senior Grace Young both contributed seven kills to lead the Bulldogs. ...

Mark Littell, former Cardinals and Royals right-handed pitcher, passed away at the age of 69 on Monday following complications from heart surgery. A native of Gideon, Mo., Littell made his major league debut in June of 1973 for the Kansas City Royals. He played professionally until 1982, during which time he split his career between the Royals and St. Louis Cardinals...

Malden superintendent Jeff Bullock has stepped down as head coach of the Green Wave football team. He will remain the school's superintendent, but will be taking a leave of absence from the football program due to personal reasons, according to Malden athletic director Tim Harmon...

Year after year, Gideon and Clarkton meet up for at least one intense rivalry match in the fall. Their feud could be due to their close proximity, or perhaps it's because both teams' coaches have been with their respective schools for over a decade – and their close relationship to one another as cousins...

The Notre Dame Bulldogs softball team (7-0) turned a 2-0 deficit to a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth and powered through for a 5-3 win on Tuesday afternoon at previously undefeated Neelyville. Senior Ainsley Burnett led the Bulldogs with three hits on Tuesday, with senior Halle Ressel, sophomore Colleen Jimerson and senior Emma Steimle all collecting two hits in the game. Jimerson led the Bulldogs in RBIs with three, with Ainsley Burnett collecting two herself...

The Dexter Bearcats volleyball team hosted previously undefeated Cape Central on Tuesday night, downing the Tigers in four sets to improve to 2-1 on the season. Central, now 4-1, took the first set at 25-22 over the host Bearcats, but Dexter got a critical 25-12 win in the second set and won the following sets 25-19 and 26-24 to nab its first SEMO Conference win of the year...

The Cape Central Tigers girls tennis team grabbed a big 8-1 victory at home against Sikeston on Tuesday afternoon on the backs of five singles wins and a doubles sweep for their first team win of the season. Despite falling to Sikeston 1-3 in the Cape Central Team Tennis Tournament in late August, the Tigers bounced back with a tremendous performance across the board...

First-place votes in parenthesis. Rank, team, Rec., Pts., LW 1. Liberty North (8), 2-0, 107, 2 2. CBC (3), 1-1, 96, 1 3. Lee’s Summit North, 1-1, 85, 3 4. Nixa, 2-0, 79, T4 5. Raymore-Peculiar, 2-0, 62, 6 6. DeSmet, 0-2, 58, T4 7. Marquette, 2-0, 36, 8...

HAYTI, Mo. — Portageville halfback Jamarion Smith had 347 total yards and five touchdowns in a 48-12 mauling of Hayti on Friday, Sep. 2. Smith did a little bit of everything for the Bulldogs (2-0), earning the team’s first win in the series since 2014...

There is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the position group of inside linebackers, and some degree of the unknown, as it relates to the kicker, for the Southeast Missouri State football squad following the opening week of the 2022 season, which in turn, means a great deal of responsibility placed on first-year Redhawk assistant coach Connor Benado, who just happens to oversee both the inside linebackers AND the kickers.

Veteran Southeast Missouri State football coach knew his defense would have its hands full on Saturday in its 2022 season-opening game at Iowa State – and it did.

The Southeast Missouri State football team lost its game at Iowa State on Saturday 42-10, and I don’t want to diminish the importance of winning in athletics, but when you consider what the Redhawks WON on Saturday, who cares about one road game against a Big 12 opponent?

DEXTER - The Sikeston at Dexter football game on Friday at Charles Bland Stadium in Dexter should be Exhibit A as to why no one should ever gamble on sports. As the Bulldogs lumbered into the locker room at halftime, having given up 18 unanswered points and trailing the host Bearcats 25-7, nobody at the stadium envisioned what would transpire over the next 24 minutes of football...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — New Madrid County Central bounced back from a tough season-opener with a 64-6 flattening of East Prairie at NMCC High School on Friday, Sep. 2. The NMCC (1-1) outgained East Prairie (0-2) 499 to 104 in total yards, forced three turnovers and recorded a safety in the lopsided victory...

In its 2021 season-opening football game, Iowa State barely survived an upset bid against FCS-program Northern Iowa, before winning 16-10.

MALDEN — The Kelly Hawks dominated both sides of the field Friday night, unleashing an offense tsunami that swamped the Malden Green Wave in a 36-0 loss. Kelly scored touchdowns on all five of its first-half possessions, highlighted by the running of junior Reece Eftink, who gained 194 yards and scored three touchdowns...

KENNETT – Doniphan had a big test with Kennett for the first road game of the year and the hosts lived up to the hype as they took care of the Dons 45-6 on Friday night. Doniphan had a lot of self-inflicted wounds with penalties and turnovers, which Kennett took advantage of...

SIKESTON — The Sikeston soccer team continued its strong start to the season with a 2-0 shutout win over Marion (Ill.) at the Sikeston Sports Complex on Thursday, Sep. 1. It was the first time the Bulldogs (3-1) had defeated the Wildcats (1-3) since 2016. Marion had won three straight in the series, including a 4-0 win last year...

Southeast Missouri State redshirt sophomore defensive back Dony’e Taylor is listed on the 2022 initial Redhawk depth chart as a reserve strong safety, who will serve as a back-up to starter Lawrence Johnson.

New Madrid County Central is seeking its fifth consecutive winning season this year, but the team will have to reload with new players at nearly every position. The Eagles (0-1) opened the season with a 61-27 loss to the fourth-ranked team in Class 2, Richmond, but the team got a better idea of its identity and played better as the game progressed...

What a difference a week makes for the Kennett Indians football team. Despite bringing home a win, last week’s matchup against Hayti saw an onslaught of penalties that cost the Indians two touchdowns and a lot of momentum. Yesterday, it looked like a different team entirely...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Sikeston gained an early lead but sustain the momentum throughout the rest of the game, eventually losing 15-5 in four innings at Poplar Bluff on Thursday, Sep. 1. A bright spot for the Lady Bulldogs (2-4) was senior Hailey Cantrell, who continued to be impressive at the plate with two doubles and three RBIs and a 2-for-3 performance.,...

The Sikeston softball team is off to a 2-3 start after competing in the Rockwood Summit Tournament in St. Louis this past weekend and a dominant road victory earlier in the week. “We’ve had a lot of positives this year but we’re still making small mistakes that are allowing teams extra outs in innings that we must minimize,” said Sikeston coach Jacob May. ...

The Oran baseball team is off to a 5-1 start to the fall season. The Eagles traveled to Bloomfield (1-3) and defeated the Wildcats 7-1 and 5-2 in a doubleheader on Thursday, Sep 1. Nick Massey led the team with four hits, including a home run and three RBIs in the 7-1 victory...

Cape Central swept Perryville on Thursday night 25-20, 25-22, 25-22, starting off strong with an 11-point run in the first set. Madison Phelps and Piper Underwood led the way with eight kills each while Avery Criblez added 20 assists to put Perryville away...

The Sikeston volleyball team had a tough start to the 2022 season with a straight sets loss at big-hitting Bernie on Tuesday, Aug. 30. The Lady Mules (2-1) played lights out, winning the first two sets with a 25-12 score, but the Lady Bulldogs (0-1) were more competitive in the third set before ultimately falling 25-22...

HAYTI – If you look at the initial three weeks of the 2022 football season, it is clear from the scheduling that the Hayti High School football program isn’t afraid of competition.

There are always high expectations for the Kelly softball team and 2022 is no different. After all, The Lady Hawks have one of the most storied programs in the state of Missouri with two MSHSAA state championships, 17 Final Four appearances and 27 consecutive winning seasons...

The Sikeston boys soccer team had a strong opening weekend, finishing third at the Greg Kline Invitation in Carbondale, Illinois. The Bulldogs finished with a 2-1 record and seniors Heath Poindexter II and Joshua McClendon received all-tournament honors...

The athletic story of Mark Robinson added another chapter on Tuesday when the former Southeast Missouri State running back made the final cut of the Pittsburgh Steelers – as a linebacker.

The reigning state tennis champs were back in action on Tuesday at the first SEMO Conference dual meet of the season, and with some help from a new partnership with Holcomb, the Indians took a straight set victory over Notre Dame. Making no mistakes in doubles play with duos Claire Bean/Handley McAtee, Chriti Tejeda/Macy Bazzel and Carley Winston/Giselle Gallegos, the Indians maintained their momentum through their singles matches for a clean sweep over the Bulldogs...

The Notre Dame Bulldogs girls tennis team made the trip down to Kennett in the first SEMO Conference dual meet of the season. Reigning state champions Kennett swept the visitors, 9-0. Partnering with Holcomb for the 2022 campaign, Kennett made no mistakes as it swept singles play and carried the momentum into doubles play with a clean sweep over Notre Dame, whose season record now stands at 2-1-1 through four matches...

SIKESTON — Chelsie Holifield is entering her second season as the head coach of the Sikeston volleyball team. The Lady Bulldogs made their final preparations before the start of the 2022 season when they hosted a jamboree at the Field House on Wednesday, Aug. 24...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- New Madrid County Central fell 61-27 in its season-opener to Richmond at. Ste. Genevieve High School on Saturday, Aug. 27. Spartans entered the 2022 season as the fourth-ranked in Class 2 after finishing last season 11-2 and advancing to the state tournament semifinals last season...

Scott County Central will play fall softball for the first time season. The Bravettes will play home games at Gravietts Memorial Ball Field in Vanduser, Mo. “Our program has been building over the past five years,” said Scott County Central coach Tim Carlisle. “Every year our roster seems to get bigger.”...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — East Prairie resuscitated its volleyball program in 2018 after not having a team since the early 1990s. The Lady Eagles have improved each year since re-establishing the team and will look to take another step forward this season...

First-year Oran volleyball coach Lindsey Morgan has more than 16 years of coaching experience. She takes over the Lady Eagles’ program that’s searching for its first winning season since 2017. “The volleyball program at Oran is evolving,” Morgan said. “We have a lot of plans that are starting to come together that will hopefully build the program as a whole in years to come. I am excited to see the elementary and community become more active with the volleyball program at Oran...

SIKESTON — It’s safe to say expectations are high for the Portageville volleyball team this season. After all, the Lady Bulldogs return all but one player from a team that finished 18-11-3 and won the Bootheel Conference Tournament and a Class 2 District 1 Championship last season...

HAYTI – The amount of defensive football talent that walked out of Kennett High School last May was enough to make Indian coach Andrew Webster a bit nauseous. “I don't know what public school in Class 3 graduates that many D1 athletes,” Webster told Semoball.com as training camp opened earlier this month. “There were so many kids that had D1 athletic potential that came out of that class a year ago. It takes a lot to replace those guys, and that's what we're still doing.”

One of the big areas of concern for ninth-year Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz in Saturday’s 2022 regular season-opening game at Iowa State (1 p.m., ESPN+) is how his team handles the “unknowns.”

The Woodland Invitational Volleyball Tournament is underway with the host and third-seeded Cardinals defeating the sixth-seeded Greenville in straight sets. Now 2-0, Woodland took momentum early with a 25-10 first set. The team followed with 25-23 and 25-18 wins in the next two sets to cruise to the second round of the invite. The loss knocked Greenville down to an even 1-1 on the season following a season-opening sweep over Zalma on Friday...

Advance alumna Alandry Below took home the Semoball Award for the Volleyball Athlete of the Year at the 2022 Semoball Awards presented by SoutheastHEALTH on July 8 at LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau. Below said winning the award means a lot because of the time she’s put into volleyball...

Jackson's senior boys, junior boys and sophomore girls took home team titles at the Indians' cross country invitational on Saturday at Jackson City Park. Jackson's senior boys were led by Hunter Wendel who took first place with a time of 12:29.69. The Indians scored 33 points total to take home the title...

The --- A look at rankings from a 10-member panel of media members from around the state with current record, points based on votes with first place votes in parentheses and previous ranking at the end of last season. CLASS 6 Also receiving votes: Rockhurst (0-1) 10; Kickapoo (1-0) 1; Park Hill (1-0) 1...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — A year after losing a heartbreaker at East Prairie, the Charleston Bluejays reigned supreme in the battle of Mississippi County with a 34-6 season-opening win over the Eagles at John Harris Marshall Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 27. Both teams dealt with nerves at the start on a humid evening but Charleston’s strong offensive line, swarming defense and playmakers proved to be too much to handle as the game progressed, giving the Bluejays a 3-2 edge in the past five meetings...

Just as both teams’ coaches predicted this summer, the week-one battle between two Indians teams, Kennett and Hayti, was a shootout contest of endurance to the end. Following a back-and-forth race to the end zone on foot and an onslaught of yellow flags, Kennett bested Hayti 36-22 at the end of the night...

The stadium lights at Malden High School shut off at Saturday night with more than five minutes left in the season opener between the Green Wave and the Caruthersville. The lights had been set on a 10 p.m. timer to save electricity, but the game took 3 1/2 hours to complete due to penalties, injuries, and time outs on a warm, humid evening. Caruthersville had already played lights out by that time in a 49-14 win.

SIKESTON — The Sikeston Bulldogs lacked execution in their 49-14 loss season-opening loss to Hillsboro on Friday, Aug. 26, at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium. The Hawks (1-0) used a dominant rushing attack to put the game out of reach in the first half and outrushed Sikeston 356-38 in the game...

Clarkton's volleyball team has set the stage for success this season after competing in numerous scrimmages and tournaments throughout the summer, adopting a new weightlifting program and bringing everyone together under one rallying cry: becoming “all in.”...

Affton Bayless Fredericktown North County Perryville Saxony Lutheran St. Pius X Cape Central DeSoto Farmington Festus Hillsboro Notre Dame Poplar Bluff Sikeston Fox Jackson Lindbergh Mehlville Northwest (Cedar Hill) Oakville Seckman Vianney Cape Central...

The 2022 Southeast Missouri State volleyball squad will be without the best player in the Ohio Valley Conference this fall, as 2021 OVC Player of the Year, Laney Malloy, graduated.

The Missouri high school football season kicks off Friday with the release of class and district assignments before games start at 7 p.m. with action spilling over into Saturday for area teams. MSHSAA is expected to announce class and district assignments Friday morning...

It didn’t take long for former Jackson star football player Bryce Norman to make his presence felt at Southeast Missouri State in 2021. The true freshman inside linebacker made just two tackles in his collegiate debut against Southern Illinois, as a backup. However, one week later, he led the Redhawks with eight tackles against the defending FCS National Champions at Sam Houston, and Norman was off and running...

Every autumn marks a new chapter for every football team, but for Southeast Missouri State there is a lot of movement going on in the periphery of the 2022 season. Not only will the Redhawks be playing their home games at a half-demolished Houck Field as the facility undergoes a massive renovation, but SEMO’s league, the Ohio Valley Conference, is also in the midst of an overhaul as members depart (Austin Peay this year, Murray State in 2023) and a new team comes in (Lindenwood)...

Portageville is loaded with experience, returning 10 starters on each side of the football. The Bulldogs have the potential to be a serious contender and will look to build off the momentum from finishing 6-4 last year, the school’s first winning season since 2013...

It’s been a tough and tumultuous couple of seasons for Charleston football, but there is an assurance around the program that’s about to change. “We have very high expectations and our plan includes hosting playoff games and competing for conference and district titles,” said Charleston head coach Justin Hutchings. ...

Visuals can sometimes be misleading. At the close of the 2019 Southeast Missouri State football season, there was a scuffle along the sidelines at Tennessee State. Then-sophomore defensive back Lawrence Johnson was ejected from the field, but not before getting a tongue-lashing from the SEMO coaching staff...

Volleyball is a sport deeply ingrained in, and synonymous with Gideon schools. As the girls stepped onto the court this week in anticipation of their first match tomorrow, last year’s historic run at state was in the back of each player’s mind. The dream remains unequivocally the same, but that was a different team...

A new era of East Prairie football is set to begin with first-year head coach David Stalker leading the way and there is a belief around the program that something special is growing. “Football means so much to this school and community and we want to provide a product that everyone is proud of,” Stalker said. ...

FESTUS, Mo. — The Sikeston Bulldogs and the Jackson Indians football teams made their final tuneups before the regular season at the Festus Jamboree on Friday, Aug. 19. Sikeston and Jackson were joined by Farmington, Seckman, and host Festus. The controlled scrimmage saw each team compete against two opponents, running 18 plays on offense and 18 plays on defense versus both teams...

Either Southeast Missouri State sophomore Paxton DeLaurent or senior C.J. Ogbonna will be named as the starting quarterback for the Redhawks’ 2022 season-opening game at Iowa State (Sept. 3, 1 p.m., ESPN+) following today’s practice at Rosengarten Athletic Center.

SCOTT CITY — The Scott City Rams broke in their brand new turf field on Friday with an eight-team jamboree. Joining the Rams at Scott City High School were Cape Central, East Prairie, Kelly, Kennett, New Madrid County Central, Portageville and St. Vincent...

DEXTER — The answer to Poplar Bluff’s quarterback question wasn’t clearly answered Friday at a preseason jamboree at Charles Bland Stadium. “We’re no closer than when we were before we came over,” Mules coach David Sievers said. “They all three did some good things. They all three did some things that we got to get better at, but that’s okay...

SIKESTON — Treston Pulley is entering his second season as the head coach at Sikeston. Pulley, a 2011 Sikeston graduate, has worked tirelessly to get the Bulldogs back to the winning ways he experienced as a player. “These kids are pushing to make the vision I have for this program into a reality,” Pulley said. ...

The early indications as to which quarterback will take the first snap for Southeast Missouri State in its season-opening game at Iowa State (Sept. 3, 1 p.m., ESPN+) are leaning in favor of sophomore Paxton DeLarent, though the final decision has not been made as of yet.

At the cost of just one bottle of Gatorade, the community of Kennett filled the stands of Metz Cherry Stadium on Friday night to catch a glimpse of the student-athletes participating in fall sports this year. Players on the football, tennis, volleyball and cross country teams were introduced by their respective coaches. Routines were also performed by members of the KMS and KHS cheerleading, twirling and color guard squads before the start of a junior varsity and varsity football scrimmage...

The Senath-Hornersville baseball team have been together all summer, and now they’re gearing up for the fall season with just over a week to go. The Lions have found themselves stuck in a losing streak the past three seasons, concluding the 2021 fall season with a record of 1-12. Despite the rut, head coach Chris McClain said that they’ve been improving each year, and his team are holding themselves to a higher standard this school year...

With a roster full of new faces, Holcomb baseball coach Michael Snider is on the search for the players who are willing to step up and prove themselves on the field this year. A historically successful program, Holcomb will have to overcome some growing pains this year as they look to maintain their momentum...

Connor Wheeler hasn’t even reached the ripe, old age of 30 years yet, however, he has compiled a resume of working for knowledgeable college basketball coaches that few coaches can boast of, regardless of their age.

The Malden football team showed off the work they've put in this summer on Saturday. There wasn't a grand fanfare, and instead of filling bleachers, Green Wave fans lined up lawn chairs along the practice field to see the players face off in team competitions and position drills...

The Southeast Missouri State football team is going to gain a lot of attention this fall for its prolific potential on the offensive side of the ball. And with good reason.

EPHRATA, Wash. — The Southeast Tropics 18u team's hopes of winning the 2022 Babe Ruth World Series championship were dashed on Saturday at Johnson O'Brien Stadium. Southeast fell to the Alabama Rawdogs — the only team to beat the Tropics during their week in Washington — 6-0 in the championship game...

EPHRATA, Wash. — The Southeast Tropics 18u squad has a chance at redemption on Saturday afternoon. This time, it's for all the marbles. The Tropics brought down the National Division's No. 1 seed in the Northwest Bakersfield Waves 2-1 on Friday night to punch their ticket to the Babe Ruth World Series championship game on Saturday against the Alabama Rawdogs — which gave Southeast its lone defeat in the tournament...

Friday night football has become difficult to staff when it comes to officiating crews. Greg Laurentius, director of the SEMO Football Officials Association Central District, said the organization used to have 16 officiating crews and now they are down to 12...

EPHRATA, Wash. — The Southeast Tropics 18u team is just one step away from playing for a world championship. The Tropics (32-7) advanced to the semifinals of the Babe Ruth World Series with a 3-1 win over the hometown Columbia Basin RiverDogs at Johnson O'Brien Stadium...

Former Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Rick Ray came out on top in his civil lawsuit against the university's Board of Regents on Thursday at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson. All 12 members of the jury ruled in favor of the former Redhawks coach on Count I of his first amended petition, awarding him $94,128.76 pursuant to his contract, according to court documents. Counts II-IX will be decided at a later date...

There are so many meandering paths to the story of how Jerone Williams became Jerone Steckel earlier this year, that it’s difficult to argue that there wasn’t some degree of divine intervention.

Following his team’s regular-season final loss to O’Fallon on Saturday at Capaha Field, Cape Catfish General Manager Mark Hogan made it clear that there were 2022 players that he wanted to have back in the green-and-gold in 2023. “I will say this,” Hogan said, “out of respect for this ball club, there are several guys that I will be glad to talk to this fall about coming back because of the growth and maturity that they have.”

The reigning state tennis champions are back this week after a month-long break while their courts were resurfaced. The Kennett tennis squad has a lot to live up to this year, and with just three practice days under their belts so far, they're putting in the work to return to the top...

Former Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Rick Ray is seeking restitution for an alleged breach of contract from the university's Board of Regents in an ongoing jury trial. The trial began Tuesday and is scheduled to end Friday at Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson...

SIKESTON — The Sikeston softball team has been working hard this offseason and is eager to return to the diamond. The team won’t have to wait much longer with the season set to begin in just a couple of weeks. “The summer has been going well,” said Sikeston coach Jacob May. “The girls have been working their tails off for us. We have been going two days a week, weights on Tuesdays and drill work on Thursdays.”...

Dexter graduate Gabby Brown added a couple of All-American finishes to an impressive high school career at the AAU Junior Olympics in Greensboro, N.C. last week. Brown earned a sixth-place finish in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 11 minutes and 34.37 seconds on Saturday, July 6...

In the first two seasons of its existence, the Cape Catfish immediately evolved into the most successful franchise in the Prospect League. General manager Mark Hogan followed a simple formula for success: Sign talented AND older players.

Southland graduates Jenna Gibson and Jordan Zolman gathered girls from around the area at Ultimate Fitness in Kennett on Saturday for a junior softball clinic. Both are future teachers, and with experience playing softball at the collegiate level they offered a wealth of knowledge about what it takes to be successful on the diamond...

The Kennett football team is back together after the conclusion of dead week to finish out the final three weeks of the pre-season. With a roster slightly shorter than anticipated, the Indians took full advantage of the first official practice of the season on Monday, getting right into the details with a core group well-acquainted from events this summer...

The Southeast Missouri State women’s soccer squad notched a 1-1 tie in its 2022 debut on Sunday in an exhibition match at Western Illinois in Macomb, Ill., but looking at the bigger picture, the Redhawks have proven to be emphatic winners. The Redhawks were recently named as one of the 501 collegiate women’s programs to be honored with the United Soccer Coaches College Team Academic Award, and veteran SEMO coach Heather Nelson said the emphasis in the classroom begins during the recruiting process.

On July 15, the Cape Catfish fell 8-4 to the Danville Dans in Danville, Ill., which was the team’s sixth consecutive loss, and for this franchise, which has been the most successful club in the Prospect League in each of the past two seasons, it was an unfathomable moment.

There was a noticeable absence at the initial training camp practice for Southeast Missouri State on Thursday at Houck Field.

It isn’t a surprise that when you open the website for www.capecatfish.com, the first thing you see is Catfish pitcher Noah Burkey cheering on his team from the Capaha Field dugout.

Over the past few days, there has been no shortage of familiar faces to take the mound at Capaha Field, as the Cape Catfish close their regular season with five consecutive games against the O’Fallon Hoots.

SIKESTON — The second annual Fred Thatch Jr. Basketball Camp took place at the Sikeston YMCA on Friday, July 29 and Saturday, July 30. About 50 area youths attended the two-day skill development camp that was hosted by the former Sikeston standout and current junior guard for the St. Louis Billikens...

Jackson graduate Kaydi Rhodes’ illustrious career with the Indians girls golf team concluded with a final personal goal: placing top five at the state tournament. Sneaking in at fifth in the state, she closed the book on a highly successful career at Jackson...

November of 2019, when veteran Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz stood at mid-field of Houck Field surrounded by his joyous players, in wake of beating Murray State and clinching a share of the Ohio Valley Conference championship, seems a long time ago – because it was.

Once again, it’s nearly time to grab your popcorn as stadium lights are turned on around the Bootheel for the 2022 football season, and with just 22 days left until kickoff in the fourth weekend of August, it’s clear that players and coaches are anxious to get started...

Jackson graduate Liam Bryant’s two-sport stardom helped push the Indians to new levels in both football and wrestling. On the gridiron, Bryant’s work on the offensive line helped push the Indians to two trips to the state title game and Jackson’s first football state championship in 2020. On the mats, he wrestled a 35-5 season and finished the state tournament in fourth place in the Class 4’s 285-pound weight class...

SIKESTON — The 10U all-star team from the Sikeston Youth Baseball League will compete in the 2022 Cal Ripken World Series beginning Friday, Aug. 5, in Vincennes, Ind. The team automatically qualified for the 10u World Series this season after winning a state and midwest regional championship last year at the 9U because there is not a World Series at that level...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — The McDonald’s Fighting Squirrels 14U baseball team earned a second-place finish at the 2022 Babe Ruth Midwest Regional after they fell to North Dakota in the championship game at Benny Hillhouse Memorial Park in Charleston, Mo. North Dakota won 15-0 on Saturday, July 30, to earn a trip to the 14U World Series and end the Squirrels’ season...

SIKESTON — The Sikeston boys soccer team is hungry to build off of the progress and development the team has made during summer workouts. The team recently completed its 20 contact days. The first 17 were morning training that took place three times a week, leading up to the St. Louis Varsity Soccer Showcase that took place July 14 through July 16. The Bulldogs competed in three matches against high-quality competition at the showcase that was attended by 40 high school programs...

The 2022 Cape Catfish season has been a laborious journey, and nothing captured that more so than Catfish infielder Zane Wallace taking a pitch off his foot on Saturday against Quincy at Capaha Field.

As players have dropped off the Cape Catfish this summer with injuries (and there have been several), the club has had to piecemeal a roster together to some degree, as it chases one of the coveted Prospect League playoff positions in August.

It often gets lost in the box scores and league standings that the role of a college basketball coach is to guide the development of a young student-athlete as a person and a student, as much as, if not more so, than just an athlete. That is precisely how eighth-year Southeast Missouri State women’s basketball coach Rekha Patterson views her role, and that was evident this summer in how she handled Redhawk sophomore center, Dionna Reed.

In the wake of helping the Southeast Missouri State men's track and field squad win a pair of Ohio Valley Conference championships this past year, Redhawk assistant coach Ryan Lane has been promoted to the position of associate head coach for the cross country and track and field programs.

The Cape Catfish are in the midst of a struggling summer right now, but over the two previous seasons, it has been the most successful franchise in the Prospect League. Playing a role in that success has been Kennett High School graduates Marshall Brown and Zane Wallace.

On Saturday night, Steve Larkin was back in his comfort zone guiding his baseball team, the Cape Catfish, to a come-from-behind 7-5 win over the Quincy Gems at Capaha Field. It was Larkin’s first game back in Cape Girardeau since the passing of his father, Robert Larkin, 86, on July 8 in Cincinnati, and Larkin’s “first hero” wasn’t far from his mind.

At Saturday’s “Cement Your Legacy” community block party hosted by the Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball program at Arena Park, there was no shortage of Redhawk coaches, players, athletic and university officials, all mingling with the public and wearing Redhawk gear in full force. However, there was one position not filled, which is the third assistant coaching spot on third-year head coach Brad Korn’s staff, in wake of Dustin Yoder departing for a position at UC Riverside earlier this month.

The 2022-23 Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball squad will feature 10 new players, all of whom, are going to try and make an impact on the court, and on Saturday, off of it.

SIKESTON — Charleston rising sophomore PJ Farmer has made quite a name for himself on the national recruiting trail this summer while playing on the AAU circuit. The 6-foot-1-inch, Class of 2025 guard earned four Division I scholarship offers after leading the Michael Porter Elite 17U to a 3-1 overall record while averaging about 19 points per game this past weekend at the Hardwood Classic in Kansas City, Mo...

CARUTHERSVILLE – A quick glance at the 2022 edition of the Caruthersville High School football squad and people will think that the Tigers are going to throw the football all over the place.

“Stronger than yesterday” was the rallying cry at Clarkton's inaugural Night of Champions weightlifting showcase on Thursday night, where student-athletes had the chance to show off the results of their hard work in the weight room in preparation for the upcoming school year...

To remain atop the Ohio Valley Conference, veteran Southeast Missouri State women’s tennis coach Mary Beth Gunn continues to scour the entire globe in search of talent.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — The Scott City softball team received the Sportsmanship Award at the 2022 Semoball Awards on Friday, July 8, at LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The team earned the award after they raised and donated $500 to East Prairie’s Kennedy Cogdill, after she was injured in a car accident...

The 2021 Jackson High School boy’s soccer team had an immense amount of pressure placed upon it even before the season got underway last August.

It would be hard to pinpoint a specific area to explain how the Southeast Missouri State women’s basketball program fell from being one of the top programs in the Ohio Valley Conference to finishing the 2021-22 season in ninth place in the 10-team league. However, being a team that brought physicality to the post is among the many areas in which the Redhawks (6-23, 2-16 OVC) struggled.

The countdown to football in the Bootheel is underway and tensions are running high. With less than a month until teams are once again under the stadium lights, Portageville hosted Kennett for a scrimmage game on Wednesday for their final practice of the summer...

Life happens fast and in no profession is that truer than that of a college coach.

The Cape Catfish split a pair of weekend games, as they topped Alton 4-3 on Friday at Capaha Field and fell at REX Baseball in Terre Haute, Ind. on Saturday 11-8. In Friday's win, despite being outhit 10-6, the Catfish added a run in the eighth inning to prevail over the River Dragons...

James Naile returned to the mound for the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday in a 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark. Naile entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with one out, a baserunner on first and the Cardinals already trailing 6-3...

Call it freshman nerves, first-year jitters, or whatever you want, but Cape Central swimmer Emilie Dickson didn’t enjoy as strong as a second day in the 2021 MSHSAA Class 1 State Swim Finals as she did in the preliminary round. “Her freshman year,” veteran Tiger swim coach Dayna Powell said, “she had a little bit of pressure on her going into state. She had really come on in her freshman year, toward the end. But I don’t think that she was happy with her freshman year, state meet, results.”

“I'm about to work you hard, so go get some water now." That was one of many forthright statements that high school athletes heard on Sunday at a football prospect camp hosted by Southeast Missouri State University. Walking onto the field at Houck Stadium with a heat index well over 100 degrees, the camp was an awakening for many players that D1 athletics is a different world entirely.

The Southeast Missouri State women’s gymnastics program won’t compete in a meet again until 2023, but that doesn’t mean that these days of summer in 2022 aren’t critical.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Dexter’s Josh Alday was presented with the Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year during the 2022 Semoball Awards on Friday, July 8, at LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The honor comes on the heels of Alday winning a MSHSAA Class 3 State Championship in the javelin this past season...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — For the third consecutive year, Portageville claimed the Best Fans Awards at the 2022 Semoball Awards on Friday, July 8, at LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Nearly 40,000 total votes were cast from May 2 to May 31, with all schools in the Semoball coverage area eligible. Each week, the list was narrowed down based on votes until the final five schools remained. The five finalists were Bernie, East Prairie, Poplar Bluff, Portageville, and Sikeston...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — New Madrid County Central rising junior Jadis Jones was named the Crader Distributing and your local STIHL dealers Boys Basketball Athlete of the Year at the 2022 Semoball Awards on Friday, July 8, at LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau, Mo...

The above slogan isn’t just an appealing marketing slogan put out there by the Prospect League, there is a whole lot of validity behind it.

SIKESTON — Former Charleston standout Sam Bledsoe recently announced plans to transfer and continue his academic and basketball career at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). Bledsoe, a 2020 Charleston graduate, spent the past two seasons at Southwestern Illinois Community College (SWIC), where he averaged 6.1 points and 2.3 rebounds over 50 total games...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. — The Charleston Bleu Racers wrapped up a successful 2022 season at the Southeast Missouri Swim Conference (SMSC) Championship at Central Municipal Pool in Cape Girardeau on Saturday, July 16. The team had several athletes set personal records, while Hannah Bledsoe, Mary Stella Bryant and James Bryant all earned high point trophies in their respective age divisions...

The Kennett Killer Whales swim team took the Southeast Missouri Swim Conference by storm this year, securing an undefeated season and beating out six other Southeast Missouri schools to win the conference championship meet for the second year last weekend in Cape Girardeau...

Two teams just 20 minutes apart down I-55, Caruthersville and Portageville are in very different positions as they gear up to take the football field this year. The two teams went head to head on Friday during a full-contact scrimmage at Portageville, showing off the individual skills they've worked to hone all summer...

Following a career that saw Lexi Rubel fill up the record book at Notre Dame Regional High School, Rubel added one more award to her name. Rubel was named the Girls Basketball Athlete of the Year — her second straight season earning the award — at the 2022 Semoball Awards presented by SoutheastHEALTH on July 8 at LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau...

The Cape Catfish finally broke out of its malaise on Tuesday with an 8-7 win over Alton at Capaha Field, and the club packed its positive mojo for its road trip Wednesday to Quincy, as the Catfish (16-25, 4-6 second half) won 15-3. A BIG reason for this 48 hours of success has been solid starting pitching, which truth be told, even during the recent six-game losing streak, hadn’t been bad.

There is nothing better to feed a “hungry” athletic team than doubting its ability to achieve, and with that in mind, the Southeast Missouri State football squad is in a great position heading into the 2022 season.

Kennett's comeback kid has made it official – 12-season athlete Tanner Duncan battled to overcome a life-altering injury during the football season only to return to the diamond in the spring, helping propel the Indians to a third place finish in the Class 4 State Championship. Now, Duncan has been named the Comeback Athlete of the Year at the ninth annual Semoball Awards...

Back after a five-year hiatus, first-year twirling sponsor and coach Dallas Campbell is hosting a band auxiliary clinic this week for children in second to sixth grades. The clinic is teaching children baton twirling and flags routines, with a little bit of duck-duck-goose mixed in throughout the day...

Van Buren’s Katie Griffin added one more honor before moving onto the next chapter in her athletic and academic career as she was named Girls Cross Country Athlete of the Year at the 2022 Semoball Awards. Griffin had a stellar cross country season along with winning a state title in track and playing basketball for the Lady Dawgs...

SEMO commit Latrevion Thompson was the first to cross the stage at the ninth annual Semoball Awards, taking home the Cook, Barkett, Ponder & Wolz Football Defense Athlete of the Year award. The Kennett outside linebacker's journey to make it onto the stage was undeniably earned – not given – as he relied on grit and adaptability to give his all to a team marked by adversity...

Holcomb softball pitcher Alyssa Brown finished her career on the mound for the Hornets being named the Crader Distributing and your local Stihl Dealers Softball Athlete of the Year at the ninth annual Semoball Awards. The award was the latest of a slew of accomplishments amassed by the Holcomb valedictorian as she prepares to play softball in college...

There was an early indication that Andrew Keck may evolve into a nice baseball player at Southeast Missouri State. After all, he did go 1-for-4 with a run scored and a couple of RBI in his collegiate debut back in 2019. However, his journey to today wasn’t paved entirely.

Over the past few years, the Ohio Valley Conference football opposition for Southeast Missouri State has undergone a seismic transformation, as it has lost strong programs in Austin Peay, Jacksonville State, and Eastern Kentucky. Closer to home, The Redhawks are going to play the 2022 season, much like they did in 2021, in a strange environment, as half of Houck Field has been demolished.

Poplar Bluff’s Zoe Freeman was named Girls Wrestling Athlete of the Year at the 2022 Semoball Awards recently after a stellar season for the Mules. As a freshman, Freeman finished with a 42-3 record and was fifth in the state tournament while winning the SEMO Conference and district championships...

The Southeast Missouri men's and women's track and field teams, highlighted by Redhawk athletes Logan Blomquist and Nicole Humphreys, recently earned United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic recognition.

The Cape Catfish (14-25 overall, 2-6 second half) can't seem to find much luck this season.

Woodland sophomore Reed Layton and his father Ryan have an interesting dynamic. Ryan is Reed’s cross country coach. Reed was named the Boys Cross Country Athlete of the Year at the 2022 Semoball Awards presented by SoutheastHEALTH on July 8 at LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau...

You can’t accuse the Cape Catfish of going down without a fight.

Ashley and Dave Lawson haven’t endured many tribulations and trials in either of their coaching careers in recent years.

There was one last award for Kannon Carr to add to his trophy case before closing out his high school athletic career as he won the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year at the 2022 Semoball Awards recently. Carr was a three sport athlete at Poplar Bluff and will be playing baseball at Jefferson College...

SIKESTON — About 40 athletes competed during Sikeston’s annual Lift-a-Thon at the Fieldhouse on Thursday, July 14, lifting more than 10 tons of total weight. “We’re all excited about what we were able to accomplish here tonight,” said Sikeston head coach Treston Pulley. “Anytime you can get the kids competing you can’t go wrong. We were able to showcase our strengths and what we’ve been working for this summer. All and all I’m happy with how it went.”...

SIKESTON — Fans may notice some new faces roaming the sidelines this season for the Sikeston Bulldogs football team. Head coach Treston Pulley added a trio of new coaches to his varsity staff this offseason that includes Josh Freeman, Traveon Dennis and Austin Haley...

Kennett Tennis Coach Janet Hilburn has two titles to defend as she prepares for her 29th year coaching for the Lady Indians: State Champion, and now, Coach of the Year. The first title she received last fall, when she led the Indians to a comeback win over Westminster Christian – the second, she received last weekend at the ninth annual Semoball Awards...

University of Arkansas baseball signee Reese Robinett has secured his place in the Kennett baseball history books more than once throughout his career, and to close the cover on his time with the Indians he took home the Baseball Athlete of the Year award for the second year in a row at the ninth annual Semoball Awards last Friday in Cape Girardeau...

Each day, Cape Catfish assistant coach Dave Lawson follows the same routine, only he is hoping for a different result.

Perryville senior Anna Gremaud played a big role in helping the Pirates reach the Class 2 state semifinals for the first time in school history. The senior defender was recognized for her efforts on the field by the Missouri Soccer Coaches Association, receiving All-State honors and being named the Class 2 Defensive Player of the Year...

The renovation of Houck Field at Southeast Missouri State isn’t going to be complete for the 2022 football season, as some had hoped when this project got underway almost a year ago.

CHARLESTON, Mo. — The Southeast Tropics 19U baseball team won its second consecutive Babe Ruth State Championship with a 4-2 victory over the McDonald’s Fighting Squirrels at Benny Hillhouse Memorial Park in Charleston, Mo., on Tuesday, July 12. The Tropics (22-6) climbed out of the loser’s bracket and won the tournament after defeating the Squirrels (25-13) two straight times...

Anelle Harris is no stranger to receiving awards for her academics and athleticism – the Kennett valedictorian took home the Girls Tennis Athlete of the Year award for the third consecutive year, and to cap off her high school career she was named Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the ninth annual Semoball Awards last weekend...

Notre Dame sophomore Charlie West was named the Boys Tennis Athlete of the Year at the 2022 Semoball Awards presented by Southeast HEALTH on July 7 in Cape Girardeau. West said winning the award was a shock to him. “I wasn’t expecting much coming in,” West said. “It’s nice to get something and it’s just fun to be here.”...

In Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to Alton at Capaha Field, Cape Catfish player Dante Zamudio found himself in a rare position: On the bench.

The Kennett Killer Whales won their final home meet of the year Saturday against Charleston, securing an undefeated season as they look to defend their championship title going into this Saturday's Southeast Missouri Swim Conference championship meet in Cape Girardeau...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — The Southeast Tropics 19U defeated the McDonald’s Fighting Squirrels 19U with an anticlimactic walk-off to force a winner-take-all game for the 2022 Babe Ruth State Championship on Tuesday, July 12. The Tropics won 6-5 on a bases-loaded walk to overcome a 5-1 deficit at the Benny Hillhouse Memorial Park in Charleston, Mo., on Monday, July 11.

The summer of discontent continued for the Cape Catfish on Sunday, as they fell 4-1 to Springfield at Capaha Field.

The Kennett Country Club hosted the sixth annual Holcomb Education Foundation golf tournament on Friday to raise money for Holcomb classrooms. In spite of the heat over 50 participants took to the course in the interest of funding education. Sarah Jo Morgan, treasurer of the Holcomb Education Foundation, said that the foundation's goal every year is for every Holcomb classroom, K-12, to be able to benefit from the money raised during the tournament...

Hayti quarterback and point guard Trayvon Thomas took home two of the most sought-after Semoball Awards Friday night, wrapping up his high school career on a high mark while preparing for a successful college future. He won both the Cook, Barkett, Ponder and Wolz Football Offense Athlete of the Year and the SoutheastHEALTH Male Athlete of the Year...

Delta graduate Kendall Holweg set two goals at the end of her junior season. She wanted to help lead the Bobcats basketball team to the 2022 Show-Me Showdown and wanted to win a state championship in track and field. Not only did she achieve both of her goals, she exceeded her expectations. Holweg won three state titles in track, and Delta played for a Class 1 state basketball championship...

CARUTHERSVILLE – On the first play of its recent 7-on-7 football scrimmage against Halls (Tenn.) High School, first-year Tiger coach Dom Guglielmio sent a message to the opposing defense.

After plans were altered the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ninth annual Semoball Awards presented by SoutheastHEALTH returned to its original gala-style format on Friday night at LaCroix Church. High school athletes from all over Southeast Missouri — along with their coaches and parents — took in the red-carpet experience...

BERNIE – In the summer months, you can find Bernie High School head baseball and assistant basketball coach Marcus Massey overseeing the Mules’ summer programs in both sports.

NEW MADRID, Mo. — After a standout high school career and helping lead the New Madrid County Central Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2022 MSHSAA Class 4 Show-Me Showdown, Marcelous Phillips signed a national letter of intent to continue playing basketball and further his education at Kaskaskia College during a ceremony at NMCC High School on Tuesday, July 5...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — The season is winding down for the Charleston Blue Racers and two of the biggest meets of the year are just around the corner. The swim team has competed at meets in nearby towns like Kennett, Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff, Ste. Genevieve, Perryville and Farmington on Saturdays for the past month. The next meet all be July 9 at Kennett, followed by the Southeast Missouri Swim Conference (SMSC) Championship Meet at Cape Girardeau on July 16...

Former Jackson High School standout pitcher Colten Weber has endured his amount of struggles this summer, however, he was sharp on Thursday at Capaha Field in a 6-2 win over Alton.

CHARLESTON, Mo. — The Charleston Squirrels will host the Senior Babe Ruth State Championship this weekend at Hillhouse Park. The winner and runner-up of the tournament will advance to the Midwest Plains Regional Tournament in Albia, Iowa which takes place July 22 through 25...

Veteran Southeast Missouri State women’s basketball coach Rekha Patterson emphasizes with her players to play with pace and creativity, and no Redhawk player embraces those tenets to the degree that former SEMO guard Olivia “Liv” Hackmann has in her 28 years of life.

For Mark Rademaker the idea of opening his own indoor pole vault was a dream back in the 1980s. Now, nearly 40 years later Rademaker is set to open River City Vault Club in Cape Girardeau. Rademaker graduated from Cape Central High School in 1989 and went on to pole vault at the collegiate level at Arkansas State...

BERNIE – Best friends since their first days as kindergarten students at Bernie Elementary School, one would believe that the fact that Tyler Trover and Marcus Massey ended up as roommates at Williams Baptist University in Walnut Ridge, Ark. had to have been part of some master plan.

The Cape Catfish got a grand slam from first baseman Cam Careswell and scored nine runs late in a 12-2 win over Alton on Wednesday at Capaha Field.

BERNIE – As he strode across the baseball diamond at Meatte Park in Portageville following his team’s dramatic 3-2 win over Bernie in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 semifinal in May, Bulldog coach Tyler Trover thought of what he could possibly say to his counterpart, Mules’ coach Marcus Massey, who also happens to be his best friend since kindergarten.

For the past 47 years, Chaffee-native Charlie Vickery could be found pacing the sidelines on Friday nights in the fall, coaching young men on the gridiron. And he's still not finished. Vickery, who is likely best known for his time as the head coach of Sikeston's football team from 1978-2003, is currently an assistant for Jim May at Scott City...

This is the first in a series of stories on the lifelong friendship of two of the more successful baseball coaches in Southeast Missouri. BERNIE – When Portageville hitter Carson Bradley drove a pitch off Bernie pitcher John Nimmo in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 baseball semifinal in May, Bulldog coach Tyler Trover could hardly contain his emotions – both good and bad...

What does it take to rebuild a team? There's no simple answer, but it's something that Kennett basketball Coach Noll Billings has undoubtedly asked himself countless times over the past few months. One thing's for certain, though: it's going to take a culture change...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Ben Bledsoe signed a national letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic career at St. Charles Community College during a ceremony at Hillhouse Park in Charleston, Mo. on Tuesday, June 28. Bledsoe was an All-Scott-Mississippi Conference and All-Class 3 District 1 selection this past season for the Bluejays while batting .300 with 12 RBIs and 20 runs scored. On the mound, Bledsoe had a 3-3 overall record with 45 innings pitched, 84 strikeouts and a 3.11 ERA...

SIKESTON — The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs are in the process of hosting an All-American Volleyball Camp that began on Thursday, June 30 and will conclude on Saturday, July 2. It’s the first year the program has hosted the three-day All-America Camp for the high school team at the Sikeston Field House...

Comedian and former America's Got Talent contestant Mike Goodwin will headline the Semoball awards Friday night, bringing his brand of clean and highly entertaining comedy to the premier high school sports awards show in Southeast Missouri. The Camden, South Carolina native appearedon the 16th season of America's Got Talent where he was eliminated in the deliberations before being invited back to the wild card show...

Kennett 12-season athlete Tanner Duncan is a finalist in the 2022 Semoball Awards in both the Baseball and Comeback Athlete categories. He’s overcome incredible odds to get to this point, but his hard work isn’t over just yet.  Duncan played baseball, basketball and football for the Indians, and he’s made his mark on Kennett sports time and time again. ...

Former Park Hills assistant coach Jake Barton will take the field for the Kennett Indians this year. Barton will serve as an assistant coach for wide receivers, defensive backs and he will serve as the junior varsity offensive coordinator. During varsity games he'll take his place in the press box, helping to analyze plays...

Free Agent forward Otto Porter Jr. has reached an contract agreement to join the Toronto Raptors on a two-year deal with the second year being a player option. Porter Jr. leaves the Golden State Warriors after helping the team capture the 2022 Larry O’Brien Trophy by defeating the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals...

DEXTER, Mo. — A Rib City Classic Volleyball Tournament was held at the Bearcats Event Center at Dexter High School on Monday, June 27 and Tuesday, June 28. Tournament games were the best of three sets. Games started with a 4-4 score and concluded when one of the teams reaches 25 and led by two points. There was no scoring cap on any of the games...

Cape Catfish pitcher Hunter Ralls has been looking for a “break,” as in his breaking ball being more effective against Prospect League hitters, and he just may have found it.

As if the Cape Central High School boy’s basketball program needed a boost after winning its second MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 championship in four seasons this past spring, the Tigers were unexpectedly blessed to receive another talented student-athlete to the program earlier this month.

It was ironic that the Cape Catfish utilized a base on balls to win their Prospect League game on Wednesday at Capaha Field, 5-3, over Clinton. That is because Catfish manager Steve Larkin actually wants his players “being aggressive” at the plate, rather than sit back and hope for a walk.

CARUTHERSVILLE – For over a decade, recently-hired Caruthersville High School football coach Dom Guglielmo was surrounded by some of the brightest minds in collegiate athletics.

Veteran coach Janet Hilburn is gearing up to take on her 29th year as head coach for the Kennett tennis team. She led the Indians to win the State Championship in 2021 – with the exception of 2020, she's brought home at least a District Championship every year since 2010. Now, she's on the brink of being named Coach of the Year at the 2022 Semoball Awards...

Semoball Scholar Athlete finalist Ben McMullan has been a mainstay on the Kennett boy's basketball team for the past four years, and now he'll be taking the court for Webster University in the fall. “I'm looking forward to a change of scenery, starting somewhere new back at the bottom of the totem pole and working my way up,” McMullan said. ...

DEXTER, Mo. — More than 60 teams from five different states competed at a Rib City Shootout at Dexter High School on Thursday, June 23 and Friday, June 24. The event is designed to provide athletes and coaches with an inexpensive, organized and competitive setting for a beneficial, offseason development opportunity. Teams competed in two 15 minutes halves and sudden death overtime if necessary...