DDD Sports

The 2019-20 SEMO Conference all-conference girls basketball awards have been released. Poplar Bluff senior Kiley Bess is the SEMO Conference Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Bess, who has signed to play basketball at St. Louis University, led the conference in scoring with 166 points in regular-season conference action. She averaged a team-high 24 points per conference game...

The 2019-2020 SEMO Conference all-conference boys basketball awards have been released. Sikeston senior Payton Howard is the SEMO Conference Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Howard, who has signed to play baseball at St. Louis University, led the conference in scoring with 175 points in regular-season conference action. He averaged 22 points per conference game...

Carroll Williams is wistful about his long tenure as head coach of the Southeast men’s golf program, ended by the university’s board of regents 15 years ago this spring. “All told, I coached golf at SEMO for 30 years,” Williams said. Williams, 82, is principal of Cape Christian Community School these days, which will be absorbed July 1 by Lynwood Christian Academy...

Longtime baseball coach Chris McLain never had the luxury of working with his baseball players during the fall before arriving at Senath-Hornersville for the 2019-20 school year. “I never had a fall season before I came to Senath-Hornersville,” McClain said. “Having a fall season is something that is invaluable for a coach that is coming into a program. It gives you an opportunity to learn more about not only their athletic ability but also their character.”...

The Southland Rebels baseball squad is blessed with experience entering its spring campaign. Southland has four seniors, four juniors, and five sophomores out for baseball this spring. “We’ve got eight upperclassmen on our 13-man roster,” Southland coach Matt Bailey said. “Most of the upperclassmen have been in our program since I’ve been here for the last two years so they should know what to expect.”...

The Missouri State High School Activities Association issued an update regarding the status of spring sports amidst the COVID-19 pandemic Tuesday. “While schools across the state are determining the best course of action during this unprecedented time, the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) office staff continues to prepare for Spring Championships,” MSHSAA said in a press release. ...

Area players were honored Wednesday with the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association's All-State team. In Class 1, David Layton of Oak Ridge and Delta's Eric Berry were honored. In Class 2, Oran's Tyson Goodale, Jack Below of Advance, Campbell's Blake Fowler and Neelyville's Curtis Fowler were honored along with Oran's Kaylee Payne and Katie Webb, and Neelyville's Lexi Liau...

The Senath-Hornersville Lions softball squad hopes to have the opportunity to display its skills on the diamond under new head coach Melani Rooney this spring. Rooney, who has served as an assistant coach under previous head coach Leigha Woody for the past four seasons, is a 2008 graduate of nearby Kennett High School...

The Malden Green Wave softball program enters the spring hoping for an opportunity to continue its recent string of success. The Green Wave return six players off of last season’s squad that finished 20-6 and won its sixth straight district title. The returners are senior Krista Hilfiker, junior Katie Shuffler, junior Hailey Rojas, junior Madison Saulsbery, junior Hope Hartman, and sophomore Olivia Slaughter...

For the first time in my life, I’m going to quote someone associated with the New York Yankees. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. When words resonate, you pass them along. “The universe is in a holding pattern,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, in speaking to the media Monday from the team’s spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida...

SIKESTON — Multiple Standard-Democrat area basketball players earned spots on their respective All-District teams recently. Sikeston seniors Payton Howard and Clark Steward both made the team for Class 4, District 1. Senior Taydrianna Barnett and sophomore Karris Allen both made it on the girls’ side as well...

The pieces appear to be in place for another big year for the Kennett Indians baseball squad if it has an opportunity to compete on a diamond this spring. Kennett has seven returning upperclassmen who started on last season’s squad that put together the Indians’ seventh winning season in the last decade with a record of 17-7...

DENVER, Indiana – Growing up one of five children born to a small-level farmer and his stay-at-home wife, my wife never had the financial resources or the time available to take family vacations.

A slew of basketball players from the Missouri Bootheel have been named to all-district teams. Listed below are the boys and girls all-district basketball teams for Class 1, District 1; Class 2, District 1; and Class 3, District 1. Class 1, District 1 All-District Team...

POPLAR BLUFF — A day after MSHSAA essentially put the spring sports season on hold, Poplar Bluff athletes were practicing in hopes that the season is not lost amid concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. “I don’t even know what’s going to happen,” Poplar Bluff senior Emily Spencer said Tuesday during soccer practice at Mules Stadium...

Malden volleyball coach Brittany Crane has watched senior Haven Wills develop as a volleyball player since her freshman season. “I’ve coached Haven since she was a freshman,” Crane said. “She absolutely loves volleyball. She’s always focused on volleyball in her spare time. I think it’s great she’s going to have the opportunity to play at the collegiate level after all the hard work she has put in.”...

After canceling the remaining basketball playoffs Monday, MSHSAA sent an email to schools outlining the status of spring activities amid the growing COVID-19 pandemic. "As of today we are not canceling spring sport championships," the email said. However, if a school has "determined that they are closing for a period of time" then "no practices or games should occur during that time." Schools that are in session make the decision on if and when practices and games should take place...

The Southland Rebels softball squad enters the 2020 season looking to make continued noise in the Tri-County Conference after finishing runner-up to Holcomb in its conference tournament last season. “Obviously, Holcomb will be really good again,” Southland coach Macy Shearer said. “We also had some competitive matches with Cooter last year and look have some tough battles with them again this season. It should be a competitive conference.”...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Long-time Charleston head coach Danny Farmer announced after Saturday's state championship game that he was going to retire. Farmer said that he told his team at the beginning of the season. He finished his career with the Bluejays with a 485-178 record — good for a 69 percent winning percentage...

The third annual Special Olympics Basketball Exhibition was held in the Kennett Middle School gymnasium on Saturday. Athletes were able to showcase their skills in front of the largest crowd ever to attend the exhibition. Kathy Rogers, a coach for the Kennett Special Olympics team, appreciated the community support and sponsors for the exhibition...

The 2020 Bootheel Conference Boys Basketball Awards have been released. Campbell junior Blake Fowler has been selected all-conference and Bootheel Conference Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Fowler averaged 27 points, three rebounds, four assists, and three steals per game. He shot 82 percent from the free-throw line, made 64 percent of his 2-point shots, and knocked down 39 percent of his 3-pointers...

The Holcomb Hornets baseball program enters its spring campaign looking to build upon a 13-5 fall campaign. “We had a pretty decent fall,” said longtime baseball coach Darrin Shipman, who took over the Holcomb program at the start of the 2019-20 school year. ...

The pieces appear to be in place for another big year for the Kennett Indians softball program in 2020. Kennett graduated only two starters off of last season’s squad that won its sixth straight district title and placed second at the spring state tournament...

Poplar Bluff and Notre Dame high school officials were working Thursday night to plan for the MSHSAA Class 5 quarterfinal on Saturday featuring the girls basketball team with spectator limits. MSHSAA announced it was making adjustments to the basketball playoffs in a conference call with schools as state and local health officials announced a second case of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in Missouri...

Andy Sawyers is used to the satisfying sound of a bat making solid contact. The sight of a perfectly executed double play pleases him. An outfielder leaving his feet and successfully snaring a line drive brings a smile. Sawyers, in his fourth year as Southeast Missouri State baseball coach, will have to content himself with memories...

The Kennett Indians golf program enters the 2020 season hoping for continued success with a slew of returning standouts. The Indians return its Top 5 golfers off of last season’s squad that won its second straight district title and placed sixth at the Class 2 state tournament...

The Campbell Camels baseball program enters the 2020 season with the luxury of having a surplus of upperclassmen on its roster. Campbell has eight juniors, one senior, two sophomores, and two freshmen out for high school baseball. “We’ve got everyone back from last year with the exception of Ben Barnett who graduated,” Campbell coach Joe Campbell said. “We’ve got the same players but hopefully they’ve gotten a little bit bigger and a little bit stronger since last year.”...

The Malden Green Wave baseball program enters the 2020 season in search of its third straight district title. “We’ve had a pretty good run since I’ve been here,” Malden coach Tim Harmon said. “We’ve either competed for the district title or been right there in the semifinals so we are looking forward to another run this year.”...

The 2020 Bootheel Conference Girls Basketball Awards have been released. Hayti sophomore Amiya Johnson has been selected all-conference and Bootheel Conference Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Johnson averaged 34 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and six steals per game as a sophomore...

The Holcomb Hornets softball program enters its 2020 campaign hoping for repeat success coming off its best season in school history in 2019. “We most definitely want to try to repeat our season last season,” Holcomb shortstop Bailey Cupples said. “We want to repeat as conference champs and put ourselves in a position to try to win the district.”...

VAN BUREN, Mo. - The Delta Bobcats' most successful varsity boys basketball season in over two decades reached its final chapter Saturday afternoon. The Dora Falcons built a 57-39 lead by halftime and also won the second half by 18 points as it handed Delta a season-ending 106-70 loss in a Class 1 state quarterfinal at Van Buren High School...

The run-and-gun style of Delta will be on display Saturday as the Bobcats (25-5) take on Dora (28-2) in the quarterfinal round of the Class 1 boys basketball tournament in Van Buren, Missouri. Delta, the Class 1 District 2 champion, advanced to the quarters courtesy of its 120-82 sectional win Tuesday over Cooter...

The 2020 Tri-County Conference Boys Basketball Awards have been released. Cooter senior Jacob Watkins has been selected first-team all-conference and Tri-County Conference Basketball Player of the Year. Watkins, who scored 643 points his senior season, averaged 30 points per game in conference play and 25 points per game overall. He hit 122 3-pointers, brought down four rebounds per game, collected two steals per game, and averaged two assists per game...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - The Delta Bobcats boys basketball squad has experienced little difficulty scoring the basketball this season. Delta, which averages 95 points per game, had scored at least 90 points 18 times entering Tuesday night’s Class 1 sectional against the Cooter Wildcats at Bloomfield High School...

BLOOMFIELD - With under a minute left and Naylor up by double digits, the roughly three dozen strong in the Naylor student section started chanting "Senior Season" as the team's only senior Faith Sullivan stepped to the foul line. With one senior and longtime basketball and softball coach Gene Deckard entering retirement after this school year, "Senior Season" has been a theme since September...

The Cooter Wildcats and Delta Bobcats boys basketball programs are both in uncharacteristic territory in the state playoffs after winning their respective district basketball tournaments last week. Cooter and Delta are set to square off in a Class 1 sectional Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. at Bloomfield High School after both squads won their first district title in over two decades Thursday...

Lexi Liau's protective mask was fogging up but it was a good sign for the Neelyville senior and her teammates. A packed gym at Campbell High School turned into a crucible and the Tigers were able to turn up the pressure over the final half quarter Friday night...

KENNETT, Mo. - A couple of minutes into the third quarter Doniphan Donettes coach Adam Epps elected to change defenses after the New Madrid County Central Eagles scored the first six points of the second half to pad its lead to 42-20. “We knew we had to do something different,” Epps said. ...

CARDWELL, Mo. - Knocking down clutch free throws hasn’t been a forte for the Cooter Wildcats varsity boys basketball team the entire season. “Normally we are not a good free throw shooting team but the last few weeks we’ve found a way to make free throws,” Mathis said. “You have to get rebounds and make free throws to win close games. Fortunately, we’ve been able to do that down the stretch.”...

Good Sports is a weekly feature appearing in the Southeast Missourian and online at Semoball.com. It profiles the life of a person connected to sports and allows readers the opportunity to know the people who are impacting athletics throughout Southeast Missouri in a deeper way. Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity...

KENNETT, Mo. - Charleston varsity boys basketball coach Danny Farmer doesn’t count the wins and losses. But he loves winning. “I just go play and try to win,” Farmer said. “I don’t keep up with the numbers. I just love to coach and love to win.” Farmer won again Tuesday night. ...

The Notre Dame Bulldogs (21-3) are now a perfect 11-0 on their home court after defeating the MICDS Rams (13-10) 59-43 on Tuesday evening.

KENNETT, Mo. - It came down to the final shot but the New Madrid County Central Eagles found a way to beat the No. 3 seeded Kennett Indians 47-45 in a Class 3, District 1 boys basketball semifinal Tuesday night. Six-foot-seven junior Donnie Brown hit a 3-pointer with four seconds remaining to give the Eagles a 47-45 lead and Kennett had a desperation 3-point shot rim out a few seconds later as the final buzzer sounded...

The Tigers earned a victory playing the Trojans on Monday, outscoring them in every quarter. Taylor Horton led Cape Central with 20 points, including four 3-pointers. Olivia Coleman scored 20 points for Potosi. The Tigers will play Perryville at 11 a.m. at a tournament...

KENNETT, Mo. - Favorites are set to collide in the championship of the Class 3, District 1 girls basketball tournament after the top two seeds won their respective semifinals by double digits Monday night. The No. 1 seeded New Madrid County Central Eagles (20-6) will take on the No. 2 seeded Doniphan Donettes (21-7) Friday at 6 p.m. in the title game at Kennett High School...

BELL CITY — Oak Ridge senior David Layton fought through the pain but made significant contributions anyway. The all-state guard led the second-seeded Blue Jays to a 64-46 win over third-seeded Gideon in the semifinals of the MSHSAA Class 1 District 2 boys basketball tournament Monday night at Bell City High School...

BELL CITY - You can forgive the Risco boy’s basketball players if they sleep in this morning. After all, the Tigers have had to endure a number of physical challenges over the past eight days and their biggest test yet looms in the next 36 hours.

KENNETT, Mo. - Heading into the fourth quarter, the No. 4 seeded Twin Rivers Royals were leading the No. 5 seeded Malden Green Wave girls basketball team 49-37 in their Class 3, District 1 girls basketball quarterfinal Twin Rivers had commanded a decent margin throughout the entire game but things changed quickly...

KENNETT, Mo. - The No. 3 seeded Kennett Indians varsity girls basketball team played well from the tipoff and scored 31 points in the first half in its matchup against the No. 6 seeded Caruthersville Tigers on Saturday. Host Kennett rode its lead past Caruthersville to a 49-30 victory in a Class 3, District 1 quarterfinal...

KENNETT, Mo. - The No. 4 seeded Caruthersville Tigers varsity boys basketball team saved one of its best shooting nights of the season for the start of the playoffs Saturday night. Caruthersville hit 30 fields and had four players finish with at least 11 points as it shot its way past the No. 5 seeded Malden Green Wave 77-49 in a Class 3, District 1 quarterfinal at Kennett...

KENNETT, Mo. - The No. 3 seeded Kennett Indians varsity boys basketball team dug itself an early hole but recovered quickly in its Class 3, District 1 quarterfinal Saturday afternoon. The Indians managed to cut an early seven-point deficit to 18-16 by the end of the first quarter...

St. Vincent (19-6) will advance to semi-final action in Class 2, District 3 at Bloomfield after a forty-point blowout over Puxico (8-16).

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Kennett sophomore Hayden Higgins remains in contention at the Class 2 state wrestling tournament at Mizzou Arena in Columbia after going 1-1 Thursday. Deacon Haag (25-21), of Mexico, beat Higgins (25-15) by fall in 3:42 in Round 1 of the 182-pound weight class Thursday. Higgins rebounded by beating Jesse Glise (27-14), of Savannah, by fall in 2:24 in the first round of wrestlebacks. Higgins continues action Friday...

Five boys basketball teams and two girls basketball teams from the Semoball.com coverage area are ranked in the final regular-season state poll released by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. Delta (21-5), which is the No. 1 seed in Class 1, District 2, drops two spots to No. 9 in the Class 1 boys poll...

CAMPBELL, Mo. - The Campbell Camels varsity boys basketball team closed out its regular season on a high note Thursday night. Campbell became only the third squad this season to hold the visiting Gideon Bulldogs to less than 40 points. The defensive success helped Campbell snap Gideon’s 16-game winning streak as it collected a 53-39 home victory...

Van Buren (9-15) earned a victory playing Summersville (1-20) on Thursday, outscoring the Tigers as they tailed the Dawgs each quarter. Catie O’dell let Van Buren with 11 points, including a 3-pointer. Addisyn Shockley scored 14 points for Summersville...

SIKESTON —Even though Tuesday’s win against New Madrid County Central was officially “Senior Night,” the Sikeston Bulldogs still had to strap it up for one final game at the Sikeston Field House on Thursday. Senior Night was a celebration of the seniors, but the real emotions came in Thursday night’s home finale as Sikeston defeated Caruthersville 90-66 at the Field House...

Poplar Bluff picked up its fifth win in a row. The Mules beat Kennett 61-49 Thursday at Kennett, setting up a SEMO Conference Showdown next Thursday against Notre Dame at Poplar Bluff. Both schools are 6-0 in conference play this season. Kiley Bess had 24 points to lead the Mules (15-8) after going 14 for 17 on free throws. Abby Turner added 10 points...

HAYTI, Mo. - It is no secret the Hayti Indians varsity girls basketball program is currently amidst one of its most successful runs. Hayti, which won its first district title in girls basketball since 2013 last season, repeated as champions of the Bootheel Conference Tournament for the first time in school history earlier this month...

Gateway (6-4) walked away with a victory playing Jackson (12-10) on Wednesday., ending the first quarter tied, the Jaguars rallied and outscored the Indians. Madison Lambert scored four 3-pointers for Jackson, gaining 22 points total. The Indians will play Rock Bridge on Saturday at 2:30 p.m...

The Kelly Hawks trailed at halftime, but outscored Delta 22-5 in the third quarter to edge out the Bobcats 76-66 to pick up the home win in both teams regular season finale.

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Nothing was stopping Coy Wade. Not on this night. Wade dropped 37 points, as the Malden Green Wave spoiled the East Prairie Eagle’s senior night, 68-64, at East Prairie High School, on Tuesday evening. Wade showcased his athleticism and explosiveness, as he continually was around the ball, created turnovers, and turned the Eagles’ miscues into points...

KENNETT, Mo. - The Kennett Indians varsity boys basketball team finally found a way to pull away from the visiting Caruthersville Tigers Tuesday night. Kennett outscored Caruthersville 26-10 in the final eight minutes of regulation on its way to a 77-55 victory on Senior Night at Kennett High School...

Expectations remain high for Kentucky State University pitcher Brady Bibbs his senior season. Bibbs, who is a 2016 graduate of Senath-Hornersville High School, has been selected to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II South Region preseason second-team. Bibbs is one of eight baseball players in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to earn a spot on the first or second-team...

Oran (19-4) gained a home victory playing St. Vincent (10-13) on Monday. Gaining the most points in each quarter, the Eagles didn’t rest until they had defeated the Indians. Katie Webb scored 20 points for Oran, and her teammate Taylor Lowes scored three 3-pointers...

ST. CLAIR, Mo. - Three Kennett wrestlers are state bound after garnering Top 4 finishes in their respective weight at the Class 2, District 1 Tournament Saturday at St. Clair High School. Kennett sophomore Hayden Higgins pinned Dexter’s Parker VanSlyke in a quarterfinal and pinned Ste. Genevieve’s Dale Propst in a semifinal before falling to Sullivan’s Evan Shetley by fall in the championship. Higgins (24-14) placed second in the 182-pound weight class...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. - Southland standout Will Tomblin achieved another milestone in his high school basketball career Saturday. The senior post player scored the 1,000th point of his varsity basketball career as Southland beat Marquand-Zion 74-40 in a contest at Libla Family Sports Complex in Poplar Bluff...

The Gideon Bulldogs coaching staff told their squad they could celebrate like a WWE champion if they took home the top prize at their conference tournament. “The kids gave our assistant coach Jeremy Walker a WWE championship belt last year on Senior Night,” Gideon head coach Jordan McGowan said. “We told them at the beginning of the season if they won the conference they would get to participate in a celebration with the championship belt.”...

After a tight first quarter in which Notre Dame lead 13-12 after the buzzer the Bulldogs would outscore Carbondale (Ill.) 40-24 over the next three quarters pulling out 53-36 victory on the road. Notre Dame would hold the Terriers to just two points in the final period.

In late season SEMO Conference boys basketball at Notre Dame, it was the Bulldogs gaining control from tip-off outscoring Poplar Bluff 18 to 3 in the first quarter to dominate the Mules. The Mules were absolutely no match for Notre Dame (No. 6 ranked in Class 4) who outscored Poplar Bluff 59-29 through the first three periods.

CLARKTON, Mo. - The Clarkton Reindeer varsity boys basketball team kept things close for three quarters but was unable to put together the finish it needed to become the first team beat the Gideon Bulldogs in the 2020 calendar year Thursday night. No. 1 seeded Gideon outscored No. 4 seeded Clarkton 19-7 in the fourth quarter on its way to a 66-49 victory in the second semifinal of the Tri-County Conference varsity boys basketball tournament at Clarkton High School...

Oran (20-4) gained a victory from St. Vincent (15-5) on Wednesday. The Indians ended the first quarter in the lead, but the Eagles stepped up and nearly evened the score by halftime (23-24). Oran ended only six points ahead (57-51) Langdon Scheeter scored 15 points for Oran, including a 3-pointer...

The postseason for MSHSAA basketball is nearing and the seedings and schedule for District play throughout Southeast Missouri were recently set.

CLARKTON, Mo. - The Risco Tigers varsity boys basketball team remains in contention to win its fourth straight Tri-County Conference Tournament title following semifinal action at the tournament Thursday. No. 2 seeded Risco outscored the No. 3 seeded Cooter Wildcats by single digits in every quarter on its way to a 76-55 victory in the first semifinal at Clarkton High School...

Six boys basketball teams and three girls basketball teams from the Semoball.com coverage area are ranked in the latest state poll released by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Thursday. Delta (19-4), which has won nine of its last 10, drops a spot to No. 7 in the Class 1 boys poll...

Oran (19-4) gained a victory by outscoring Bloomfield 73-35 on Tuesday. Tyson Goodale scored 30 points for the Eagles, including three 3-pointers. Gage McNeil, Sam Whitaker, and Conner Scott each shot a 3-pointer for the Wildcats (4-17). Bloomfield will play at Richland at 6 p.m. today...

PUXICO, Mo. - Campbell senior Gabrielle Nielson reached a scoring milestone in Monday’s night’s varsity girls basketball game against Puxico. Nielson, who scored a game-high 33 points, tallied the 1,000th point of her varsity girls basketball career. She received a ball for achieving the feat at the game...

CAMPBELL, Mo. - The points keep piling up for Campbell Camels junior Blake Fowler. The standout guard scored the 1,500th point of his varsity boys basketball career in a home game against East Prairie Thursday night. Campbell improved to 15-5 as it beat East Prairie 68-35...

SENATH, Mo. - Senath-Hornersville basketball coach Corbin Clark knew finding a way to defend the Kennett Indians’ perimeter shooters was going to be a tall task Tuesday night. “We talked before the game about how well Kennett moves the basketball,” Clark said. “They are are a good shooting team that’s also good on the glass. We were worried about their shooting and rebounding ability coming into the game and their shooters came out hot tonight.”...

Gabby Nielson scored a game-high 33 points for the Campbell Camels (6-13) and outscored the Puxico Indians (0-16) by herself as the Camels picked up a 61-25 road victory on Monday.

The SEMO Umpires Association will host its annual preseason meeting, along with MSHSAA rules review meetings for both baseball and softball February 26 at River Eagle Distributing in Cape Girardeau.

CLARKTON, Mo. - The semifinals are set at the Tri-County Conference varsity boys basketball tournament after the top four seeds collected quarterfinal wins. No. 3 seeded Cooter (11-7) will take on No. 2 seeded Risco (12-9) Tuesday at 6 p.m. and No. 1 seeded Gideon (18-4) will take on No. 4 seeded Clarkton (10-11) Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Both semifinals are slated to take place at Clarkton High School...

KENNETT, Mo. - Doing a better job defending the Kennett Indians' ball screens was a primary focus for the Cape Central Tigers varsity girls basketball team entering halftime Monday night. “We struggled a little bit with their ball screens in the first half,” Cape Central coach Brandon Winters said. ...

There is rarely a shortage of excellent athletic performances throughout Southeast Missouri by high school athletes each year and the fall season in 2019 was no exception.

The brackets are set for the Class 3, District 1 basketball tournament at Kennett High School. Defending champion Charleston (19-3), which is ranked No. 3 in the latest Class 3 state poll, is seeded No. 1 in the boys bracket. ...

Puxico outscored Bloomfield in a home victory on Saturday, scoring higher than the Wildcats in every quarter. Ethan Helm scored six 3-pointers, scoring four within the first quarter. Helm contributed 20 points total to the Indians. Jamison Dodd gained 21 points for Bloomfield...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Not even 24 hours removed from a dominating win over Poplar Bluff on Friday night, the Sikeston boys basketball team returned to action against Lift for Life on Saturday at Charleston High School. The first half was one to forget for the Bulldogs, as they trailed by 10, 36-26, heading into the break, en route to a 70-66 loss...

The Kennett High School Key Club recently hosted a Hooping for Hunger fundraiser for the local backpack program. “We decided to sponsor a four on four basketball tournament benefitting the Kennett Backpack Program,” said Key Club President, Jonathan Jain. “The backpack program works in conjunction with the SEMO Food Network to provide backpacks of food for students full of non-perishable food.”...

The stage is set for the highly anticipated Tri-County Conference varsity boys basketball tournament. The eight-team tournament takes placed Feb. 10-14 at Clarkton High School. Tri-County Conference regular-season champion Gideon (17-4), which has won its last 12 games and went 7-0 in conference play, has received the No. 1 seed...

STEELE, Mo. - Hayti varsity boys basketball coach Travis Day encouraged his squad to be prepared for an initial surge from the upset-minded Senath-Hornersville Lions before the start of Friday night’s Bootheel Conference Tournament title game. “Senath-Hornersville got here for a reason and we knew they were going to give us everything they had tonight,” Day said. ...

STEELE, Mo. - Hayti Indians varsity girls basketball coach Craig Rodgers wanted his squad to reach its full potential by February. "Coming into the season our thing was better by February,” Rodgers said. “I’m not saying November and December don’t matter but they are teaching months. Better by February. That’s when we want to play our best.”...

As part of the Charleston 6th Man Shootout it was the Notre Dame Bulldogs, whom trailed early in the contest, finally gaining the upper hand in the 4th quarter scoring 26 points edging out the Titans of Confluence Prep(St. Louis)...

Prep Roundup BOY’S BASKETBALL East Carter 72, Puxico 37 East Carter (14-7) parlayed a big second half into an easy win against Puxico (7-12). Ahead by eight at the break, the home team picked it up to the tune of 38-11 thereafter. Four Redbirds netted double-digits, led by Dalton Rudd with nineteen. ...

KENNETT, Mo. - The Kennett Indian varsity girls basketball team scored the first 10 points in its game against the East Prairie Eagles on Thursday night. Kennett had three players score in double figures as the Indians beat East Prairie in a 55-26 rout...

Advance (12-8) outscored Puxico (0-15) on Thursday, ending the first half 24-7 and finishing the game 42-21. Alandry Below led the Hornets to a victory by scoring 23 points. Advance will play Holcomb at home on Monday at 6 p.m. Puxico will play Campbell at home on Monday...

Notre Dame finished first in half of the 12 events in their water to capture the tri-meet held on Thursday. Jackson earned five firsts and Saxony picked up one. The Bulldogs won the meet with 256, while Jackson had 166 and Saxony Lutheran had 63. It was a total team effort for the Bulldogs as sixteen different swimmers gathered points...

SIKESTON — Sikeston earned three pinfall victories in its 47-21 win over Kennett on Wednesday evening at the Sikeston Field House. At 106 pounds, Jacob Leavitt pinned Gavin Patterson in 33 seconds, while Blayne McDermott pinned Ethan Davis, in 1:08, in a 113-pound bout...

The Hawks (12-9) outscored the Bluejays 62-26 on Wednesday, leading them to a victory at Oak Ridge (2-12). Alaney Moore led Kelly by scoring 32 points, over half of her team’s final score. Masterson scored the only 3-pointer for the Bluejays, contributing five points total...

STEELE, Mo. - Senath-Hornersville Lions coach Corbin Clark had a good feeling heading into Tuesday’s conference semifinal against the South Pemiscot Bulldogs after a stellar practice Monday. “I think the win on Saturday against Campbell propelled us,” Clark said. ...

Jaylin Dutton does not look like the typical high school athlete on the basketball court or the softball diamond. Dutton, a senior at Doniphan High School, wears a skirt instead of the shorts or pants that most athletes wear when competing. “Everyone believes different things — and I didn’t always play in a skirt,” Dutton said. “But my eighth grade year, my pastor came up to me and we talked about it — and I decided that I wanted to start playing basketball in a skirt.”...

Meadow Heights led from the tip outscoring Zalma 41-26 at halftime and never looked back, winning 77-52.

STEELE, Mo. - Hayti varsity girls basketball coach Craig Rodgers knows today’s players like to take the perimeter shot. “Everybody wants to be a 3-point shooter,” Rodgers said. “I don’t say anything about my kids shooting shots as long as they play defense. If they give me everything they’ve got on defense and want to come down and take good, quality perimeter shots I’m OK with that.”...

STEELE, Mo. - The top-seeded Hayti Indians varsity boys basketball team moved one step closer to its second straight Bootheel Conference Tournament title Tuesday night. Hayti outscored Malden by 10 points in the third quarter to build a 43-32 lead by the start of the fourth quarter on its way to a 61-50 win in a semifinal of the Bootheel Conference Tournament at South Pemiscot High School...

STEELE, Mo. - The Holcomb Hornets varsity girls basketball team dug itself an early hole for the second time in eight days against the Caruthersville Tigers Tuesday afternoon, Caruthersville, which jumped out to a 15-5 lead against Holcomb on Jan. 28, enjoyed an eight-point lead in the first half four times in the second meeting between the two squads...

KENNETT, Mo. - The Kennett Indian varsity girls basketball team seemed evenly matched with the Sikeston Bulldogs at their game Monday night. After being tied following the first quarter, Sikeston went on a run and outscored Kennett 27-6 as the Bulldogs rolled to a 50-36 road victory...

The Notre Dame defense was the story in this one as they held Cape Central to 29 points on the way to a 58-29 road win.

As is customary for the Delta boy’s basketball squad, the Bobcats raced out to an early lead on its latest opponent (Chaffee) and never looked back Saturday in the opening round of the Scott-Mississippi Valley Conference Tournament at Delta.

STEELE, Mo. - The South Pemiscot varsity boys basketball team fell behind double digits in the second quarter but found a way to knock off the Caruthersville Tigers for a second time this season Saturday afternoon. No. 6 seeded South Pemiscot outscored No. 3 seeded Caruthersville by single digits in each of the final three quarters as it rallied for a 70-62 home victory in a quarterfinal of the Bootheel Conference Tournament...

STEELE, Mo. - Time after time the Senath-Hornersville Lions varsity boys basketball squad has displayed the ability to hold its own against Bootheel Conference opponents. “We lost to Campbell by four, South Pemiscot by four, and Hayti by five,” Senath-Hornersville coach Corbin Clark said. “We’ve been right there with what we feel are some of the best teams in the conference in recent weeks. We came up just short against several teams on our regular-season conference schedule.”...

KENNETT, Mo. - Charleston Bluejays varsity boys basketball coach Danny Farmer believes his squad has learned how to handle falling behind early against tough opponents. “We’ve been in so many pressure situations the whole year,” Farmer said. “I think we are accustomed to and know how to play catchup after playing so many tough, close games.”...

STEELE, Mo. - The Malden Green Wave varsity boys basketball squad continues to find ways to get the job done in the 2020 portion of its schedule. Such was the case again Saturday afternoon when No. 4 seeded Malden beat the No. 5 seeded Portageville Bulldogs 60-55 in a quarterfinal of the Bootheel Conference for its sixth win in its last eight games...

KENNETT, Mo. — Everything in life depends on your perspective.

David Layton led Oak Ridge (11-6) to a 70-61 victory with 37 points (including four three-pointers) against Kelly (11-8) Friday.

Addie Cates led St. Vincent (9-8) to dominating 52-8 victory scoring 13 points (including two 3-pointers) against Crystal City (3-12) on Wednesday.

KENNETT, Mo. - The Kennett Indians varsity girls basketball team built a 21-9 lead by halftime and led by double digits throughout the second half as it beat the visiting Portageville Bulldogs 44-27 Thursday night. The Indians' defense limited the Bulldogs to just 11 2-point field goals...

Oak Ridge had to overcome a lot in its 61-60 boy’s basketball home victory over Oran Tuesday, not the least of which was a very strong Eagle team.

The Holcomb Hornets varsity girls basketball team established high exceptions for itself before the start of the 2019-20 season. “We sat down and wrote down a bunch of goals we wanted to achieve before the season started,” Holcomb coach Alexa Stockton said. “We’ve achieved some of our goals and not achieved others. But one of our goals was to win the regular-season Bootheel Conference championship.”...

Seven boys basketball teams and two girls basketball teams from the Semoball coverage area are ranked in the latest state poll released Wednesday by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. Delta (16-3), which is unbeaten in the month of January, has moved up two spots to No. 6 in the Class 1 boys poll...

The Hayti Indians and Campbell Camels varsity boys basketball teams will share the Bootheel Conference regular-season title after both squads won their conference finale Tuesday night. Hayti beat Portageville 74-56 and Campbell edged Senath-Hornersville 43-39 Tuesday. ...

The Bobcats put up a whopping 92 points in the first half, which tied a MSHSAA record, on the way to a 132-61 home win over the Tigers.

CHARLESTON, Mo – Ever since their loss to rival Sikeston earlier this month, the Charleston Bluejays have been on a roll. Responding to the setback, the Bluejays have reeled off six-straight wins, claiming the Superman Classic championship in the process and averaging a 30-point margin-of-victory...

CAMPBELL, Mo. - The Malden Green Wave varsity girls basketball team locked up the No. 2 seed in next week’s Bootheel Conference Tournament with its sixth straight conference victory Monday night. Malden made 22 of 32 free-throw attempts as it beat the Campbell Camels 47-42...

KENNETT, Mo. — The Kennett Indians varsity boys basketball team proved it can play with the big boys yet again Tuesday night. Kennett, a Class 3 program, outlasted the visiting Poplar Bluff Mules 66-59 for its fifth victory against a Class 4 or Class 5 team this season. Kennett had previously beaten Class 4 Farmington, Class 4 Notre Dame, Class 5 Jackson, and Class 4 Sikeston...

STEELE, Mo. - The Holcomb Hornets varsity girls basketball team secured the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Bootheel Conference Tournament with a 62-33 road victory against South Pemiscot Monday night. Holcomb built an 18-4 lead by the end of the first quarter and led the rest of the way...

The Advance Hornets outscored the Meadow Heights Panthers 33-13 in the second half en route to a 49-37 come-from-behind home victory.

The Kennett wrestling team is preparing for its stretch run after facing stiff competition at the SEMO Conference Wrestling Tournament Friday and Saturday at Jackson High School Kennett (175) placed 14th out of 16 teams at the SEMO Conference Tournament that concluded Saturday night. Jackson (692) finished first for a fourth straight season. Farmington (564.5) and Poplar Bluff (550.5) took second and third respectively...

The tragedy of the death of NBA icon Kobe Bryant Sunday in a helicopter crash north of Los Angeles is a layered one. There is the personal side of his story, in that; he left a wife and three children behind. There is the intellectual side of the story, in that, he was a bi-lingual, global entrepreneur who achieved as much success in a corporate boardroom as he ever did on a basketball court...

The pre-meet seeding led everyone to believe that Jackson would prevail in the SEMO Conference Wrestling Tournament and history indicated that, as well.

HOLCOMB, Mo. - It came down to the wire but the Holcomb Hornets varsity boys basketball team found a way to secure its third conference win of the week Friday night. Holcomb’s Nate Rhew penetrated to the basket and hit a 2-point jumper to put Holcomb on top 68-67 with seven seconds left in overtime. Risco pushed the ball to the other end after Rhew’s clutch shot but was unable to score before time expired, allowing Holcomb to escape with a 68-67 overtime victory...

SIKESTON – The Class 3 state-ranked Kennett Indians have posted some notable wins this season, but perhaps none were more gratifying thus far than Friday night’s victory against Sikeston. Sikeston had defeated Kennett 18 straight times dating back to 2004 and was celebrating homecoming night at the Field House, but the Indians marched into town and left with an 82-79 victory to snap the long losing streak and stunning the large Sikeston crowd...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — Down three points and time winding down, the Portageville boys basketball team had a pair of chances to tie the game up, against Malden, on Friday. Sophomore Alex Winsor drove into the lane, drew the defense in, and kicked it out to junior Kelan Bills for a three-pointer in the right corner. ...

Scott County (11-2) got a victory at Scott City (7-7) on Thursday.

The Webster Groves Statesman did not have a double-digit scorer, but eked out a 41-34 home victory over the Jackson Indians.

HOLCOMB, Mo. - Holcomb varsity boys basketball coach Michael Snider issued a strong message to his starting five after the visiting Southland Rebels cut a 32-18 second-quarter deficit to 39-33 by halftime Thursday night. “We weren’t playing hard the first half,” Snider said. ...

Six Semoball boys basketball teams and two Semoball girls basketball teams are ranked in the latest state rankings provided by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. Delta (14-3), which is unbeaten in the month of January, is ranked No. 8 in the Class 1 boys poll...

Wearing a Cape Central wrestling sweatshirt, Davion Steele stands out during practice with his Poplar Bluff teammates. “He wears it sometimes,” senior Quinten Bell said. “We’ve got to remind him he’s at PB now.” Steele said he doesn’t mind the attention his Tigers attire might attract...

SEMO CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT Seeds for the upcoming SEMO Conference wrestling tournament at Jackson High School with a wrestlers record, grade and school. Not all wrestlers are seeded and total number of wrestlers varies for each weight class. Pool matches start Friday with a double-elimination tournament continuing Saturday:...

Mistavia Murry almost handled Meridian by herself Wednesday in girl’s basketball action. The Charleston player scored 30 points in helping the Bluejays (9-5) win 68-32. Murray got help from Ashanti Jones, who added 26 in the win. The Bluejays are competing in the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament this week...

The Bobcats held the Hornets to one point in the first quarter and never looked back as they picked up a 63-33 home victory.

HOLCOMB, Mo. - Winning close games is becoming the Modus Operandi of the Kennett Indians varsity girls basketball team this season. “We keep finding ways to win close games,” Kennett coach Aaron New said. “It’s kind of our M.O. Our girls don’t always play their best but continue to find a way to win the close ones.”...

The Blue Jays used a 20-9 third quarter to pull away from the Hornets and pick up the home victory.

KENNETT, Mo. - The Kennett Indians varsity boys basketball team cut a 12-point halftime deficit as close as four points in the final minute but was unable to erase all of the first-half success the visiting Notre Dame Bulldogs enjoyed. Notre Dame opened the first quarter on a 13-3 run and closed out the second quarter on a 9-2 run to build a 35-23 lead by halftime and hung on to beat Kennett 59-55 Friday night...

Hayti 61, Campbell 56 HAYTI, Mo. - The Hayti Indians varsity boys basketball team snapped the Campbell Camels’ eight-game winning streak with a 61-56 home win Friday night. Campbell led 18-10 after one quarter, Hayti led 25-24 at halftime, and things were tied at 43-all at the end of the third quarter before Hayti won the fourth quarter 18-13...

MALDEN, Mo. - The success continued for the Malden Green Wave varsity girls basketball team in Bootheel Conference play Thursday night. Malden improved to 4-1 in regular-season conference play as it beat the visiting South Pemiscot Bulldogs 58-26. “Every game our defense should set the tone for our offense,” Malden coach Josh Herring said. ...

CAMPBELL, Mo. - The Holcomb Hornets varsity girls basketball team improved to 4-0 in Bootheel Conference play as it beat the Campbell Camels 45-35 Thursday. Holcomb built a 24-11 lead by halftime and led throughout the second half. Bailey Cupples paced Holcomb with 15 points...

BENTON, Mo. — Kelly outscored Chaffee by 20 points, 26-6, in the third quarter to push its lead even further on Friday night at Thomas W. Kelly High School. Joel McClain led the charge, scoring nine of his 17 points in the frame. He tied Gavin Jansen for most points on the team as well...

KENNETT, Mo. - The Kennett Indians varsity girls basketball team played from behind until the final second of the third quarter but managed to put together the finish it needed to beat the Charleston Bluejays Thursday afternoon. Caroline Patton, who finished with a team-high 17 points, hit a 2-point basket at the end of the third quarter to give Kennett its first lead at 25-24. The Indians also won the fourth quarter by a bucket as it edged visiting Charleston 36-33...

KENNETT, Mo. - Finding a way to get to perimeter shooters was a focal point for the Kennett Indians’ defense entering Tuesday night’s road contest against the Bernie Mules. “Bernie is a very talented offensive team that utilizes a lot of screening action in their offense to create opportunities for their shooters to score,” Kennett coach Andrew Halford said. ...

Risco 63, Clarkton 52 CLARKTON, Mo. - The Risco Tigers varsity boys basketball team built a 29-14 lead by halftime on its way to a 63-52 road win against the Clarkton Reindeer Tuesday night. Evan Pipkin hit four of the Tigers’ five treys on his way to a team-high 20 points. Andrew Rodgers added 18 points. Kamron Meese and Hayden Ludwig both scored nine points for Risco...

-Hornersville 65, Clarkton 63 SENATH, Mo. - The Senath-Hornersville varsity boys basketball team rallied from 10 down at the start of the fourth quarter to beat the visiting Clarkton Reindeer 65-63 Monday. Parker Rhew, who finished with 18 points, hit a 2-point shot at the buzzer to secure the victory...

DEXTER — The quick-striking Dexter Bearcats opened SEMO Conference play with a big first half. However, the Kennett girls basketball team made things interesting in the end before the Bearcats held on for a 43-37 victory Monday night at the Bearcat Event Center...

HOLCOMB, Mo. - Like most squads, the Holcomb Hornets varsity girls basketball team doesn’t thrive when it has to play from behind. “We’ve put an emphasis on not coming out slow in games because having to play the catchup game is always a struggle for us,” Holcomb coach Alexa Stockton said...

PARK HILLS, Mo. - Nine Kennett wrestlers placed at the 20th annual Rebel Invitational at Park Hills High School Saturday. Kennett’s Gavin Patterson placed third in the 106-pound weight class. Kennett’s Hayden Higgins placed fourth in the 182-pound weight class...

DUSTIN WARD dward@dddnews.com CARDWELL, Mo. - The Southland Rebels varsity boys basketball team found a way to close out a busy week on a high note Friday night. After suffering a 78-50 loss to Naylor Tuesday and 96-63 loss to Cooter Thursday, Southland rallied from 17 points down in the second half to knock off the visiting Delta C-7 Chargers 69-67 Friday night...

Malden 46, South Pemiscot 44 MALDEN, Mo. - The Malden Green Wave varsity boys basketball team rallied from three down in the fourth quarter to edge the visiting South Pemiscot Bulldogs 46-44 Friday night. South Pemiscot lead 12-11 after one quarter before Malden tied things up at 21-all by halftime. South Pemiscot moved back ahead 38-33 by the end of the third quarter before Malden rallied for a win...

One thing we knew with certainty right from tipoff of the Jackson-Kennett boys basketball game Friday. The Tribe was going to win. The Kennett Indians (11-4) defeated the Jackson Indians (5-6) in the Cape Girardeau County seat in SEMO Conference action, 50-47...

NEW MADRID, Mo – So far, New Madrid County Central has made the most of the new year. In their three games since the start of 2020, the Eagles are undefeated, winning each by an average of 21 points. The latest came Friday when NMCC took a 14-point lead into the half against visiting Hayti before pulling away to a 70-50 win...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — What looked like a blowout between Portageville and Caruthersville was the exact opposite on Friday night at Portageville High School. After a first half where the Bulldogs only made two field goals, the second half proved to be a much different story, albeit in a 54-47 loss...

BENTON, Mo. — Kelly’s Alaney Moore scored her 1,000th career point Friday night in a 55-30 win over Advance. Moore finished with a game-high 29 points, including 17 fourth-quarter points as Kelly (7-6) pulled away in the final frame. Allison Owens added 16 for the Lady Hawks while Alandry Below led Advance (7-5) with 12 points...

RISCO, Mo. - The Risco Tigers varsity boys basketball team built a 24-11 by the end of the first quarter on its way past the visiting Bell City Cubs 92-55 Thursday night. Four Risco players recorded at least 18 points. Andrew Rodgers tallied a team-high 26 points, Evan Pipkin added 22 points, Hayden Ludwig put up 19 points, and Kamron Meese scored 18 points for the Tigers...

MALDEN, Mo. - Hot-shooting by junior Caroline Patton set the tone for the Kennett Indians varsity girls basketball team from the get-go Thursday night. Patton opened the game with three consecutive 3-pointers as Kennett surged ahead of the host Malden Green Wave 9-5 by the 4:31 mark the first quarter...

Risco 57, South Pemiscot 51 STEELE, Mo. - The Risco Tigers varsity boys basketball team won the final eight minutes of regulation by nine points as it rallied past South Pemiscot 57-51 Tuesday. South Pemiscot led 15-12 after one quarter, Risco led 29-25 at halftime, and South Pemiscot led 43-30 at the end of the third quarter of the see-saw battle...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — For the entire first half Tuesday night, New Madrid County Central and Kennett were neck-and-neck. NMCC (7-5) won the first quarter 15-10, while Kennett (10-4) upended the Eagles in the second quarter, outscoring them 17-12 to end the first half in a stalemate...

HAYTI, Mo. - Hayti Indians coach Travis Day wanted his squad to limit the number of times it had to face the Senath-Hornersville Lions' zone defense Tuesday night. “We wanted to secure defensive rebounds and then try to get layups before we had to go against a set defense,” Day said. “We knew we would face a zone tonight. If you can beat a zone team down the floor you can get some easy shots.”...

KENNETT, Mo. - Jackson girls basketball coach Tyler Abernathy doesn’t mind the 16-day layoff his squad enjoys before it begins conference play. “The layoff makes things hard,” Abernathy said. “But I love our schedule. It makes the first game in January more challenging but I wouldn’t change our schedule for anything because I love being able to let the girls have time off during Christmas and enjoy the break.”...

Kennett senior Marshall Brown found exactly what he was looking for when he attended a tryout camp at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas, last fall. “I went on a visit there and liked the atmosphere,” Brown said. “They also have a good baseball program. I just liked everything about it.”...

Campbell 86, Naylor 17 NAYLOR, Mo. - The Campbell Camels varsity boys basketball team cruised past the Naylor Eagles 86-17 Friday night. Campbell led 28-11 after one quarter, increased its lead to 47-13 by halftime, and led 67-13 by the start of the fourth period...

FARMINGTON – Jackson Henfing sank the second of two clutch free throws, then turned and let the Farmington student section know about it while pumping his arms in excitement. His perfect trip to the line put visiting Kennett ahead with 4.7 seconds to play on Friday. An equally crucial defensive stand ultimately preserved that lead...