DDD Sports

The Bernie Mules made seven of 10 free throws in overtime and beat Oran 50-48 on Monday night at Oran High School. The score was tied at 41 at the end of regulation. John Nimmo paced Bernie with 11 points, Johnny Vaughn had nine and Laterrence Robinson and Landon Zoll had eight apiece...

Adelynn Nelson has signed to play softball at Missouri Baptist University. The Kennett senior says she couldn't be more thrilled. “I'm really excited to further my softball career at MoBap,” she said. “The coaches are great. They saw me at a Cape tournament and we've been in touch ever since.”...

Former Sikeston Bulldog Parker Long made his long awaited Redhawk debut in Southeast Missouri State’s 65-50 defeat against Morehead State on Saturday at the Show Me Center. He played only six minutes and recorded no stats in the Redhawks’ first game in over a week after being on pause since Jan. 8 due to COVID-19 protocols...

CAMPBELL - Under the new playoff format that allows the higher seed to host head-to-head district games obtaining a high seed in a district tournament has added value this season. The state-ranked Campbell Camels boys basketball squad is among the squads in contention for a top seed with the state playoff rapidly approaching...

GIDEON — The Clarkton Reindeer varsity boys basketball team maintained a substantial, but increasingly narrow lead in all four quarters as it took down rival Gideon 52-44 Friday night Gideon and Clarkton went into the expectedly fierce rivalry game with closely aligned seasonal averages. Clarkton’s record was 5-7 to Gideon’s 5-6. Both teams had also scored an average of 55 points per game prior to the matchup...

The Kelly Hawks picked up a road win Friday by beating an upstart Chaffee team 60-54, improving their season record to 7-7. Kelly, who had previously only won one of their last 4 games, got a game-high 24 points from junior Gavin Jansen, who recently picked up his 1,000th career point this past week...

Drum roll, please. After seeing a lot of chatter on who the top-10 boys and girls basketball teams are in the region, I have put together a list of who I think deserves to be mentioned. Here is the absolutely accurate (see the sarcasm) boys’ list: New Madrid County Central (9-0)...

The Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball team returns to the court after pausing activities for a week to take on Morehead State on Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Show Me Center. The game was originally slated for Feb. 19 but was moved to Saturday to fill a slot vacated by Austin Peay, which was supposed to come to town.

HOLCOMB - The Holcomb Hornets varsity girls basketball squad entered its season hoping to put together a perfect performance in the Bootheel Conference. “One of our girls’ biggest goals is to win every single conference game and then perform well in our conference tournament,” Holcomb coach Alexa Stockton said. “We know it’s a tough task but we are trying to mark them off one by one. But it’s tough."...

The Dexter Bearcats stretched their win streak in dual matches to four with a pair of victories Thursday night at Kennett. The Bearcats beat Kennett 42-36 and Jonesboro, Arkansas, 56-30. Kasen Forkum and Kolin Simpson each went 2-0 with two wins by pinfall. Eric Harmon won his only match, pinning Ashton Adams, of Kennett, in 14 seconds...

The Kennett Indians girls basketball team picked up their seventh win of the season on the road Thursday as they held Charleston to their lowest point total of the campaign, winning easily 48-15. Kennett led after one-quarter of action 17-0 and 30-4 at halftime...

As a freshman a year ago, Cape Central center Cameron Williams showed glimpses of ability but those outings were interspersed with games in which he didn’t produce much. Fast-forward to this season and the 6-foot-7 athlete has been much more consistent in his production.

Four boys basketball teams and four girls basketball teams from the Semoball coverage area remain state-ranked in the latest basketball poll released by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Tuesday night. The Campbell boys, which have won 11 straight to improve to 11-1 overall, have moved up a spot to No. 4 in Class 2. The Oran boys (9-3) remain at No. 6 in Class 2...

When former Southeast Missouri State all-everything wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson graduated a year ago and took his 219 career receptions with him, it left a hole the size of Houck Stadium in the Redhawks’ offensive statistics.

The Advance girls basketball team outscored Oak Ridge 24-14 over the middle two quarters en route to a 40-36 victory Tuesday night at Advance. Oak Ridge led 13-9 after one quarter and 22-21 at halftime. The Hornets pulled ahead in the third quarter, taking a 33-27 lead into the fourth...

If you like watching basketball games where both teams set a frantic pace, up and down style more like a track meet, then you were in luck if you watched Scott City visit Delta Tuesday night. Delta head coach Chris Hahn prefers the "up and down" style of play but visiting head coach Mark Dannenmueller of Scott City found that liking just fine as his Rams "ran" away with the game, 100-81...

After heading to Tennessee last weekend and Arkansas this weekend, the Poplar Bluff wrestling team got to roll out the mat at the Senior High Gym for a change Tuesday. “Hearing that crowd, it’s a different feeling,” Poplar Bluff senior Johnathan Martin said. “It gives you a little bit of adrenaline on the mat, just a nice feeling.”...

KENNETT - The Bernie Mules varsity boys basketball squad saved the best for last in its road contest against the Kennett Indians. Bernie fell behind 30-18 a couple minutes into the second half but outscored Kennett 35-13 the rest of the way as rallied for a 53-43 victory...

There was no shortage of excellent performances on the basketball courts throughout Southeast Missouri last week and Campbell player Blake Fowler and Notre Dame’s Leah Jansen were at the top of those.

In an incredible act of irony, as the FBS college football season came to a close on Monday with Alabama and Ohio State competing for a national championship, programs at the FCS level were opening their training camps.

Chase Conrad scored a game-high 19 points, and the Meadow Heights boys basketball team beat the Wildcats 61-48 Monday night at Bloomfield High School. Tristen Mayfield added 14 points and Kade Lindgren had 10. Lane Bader paced Bloomfield (1-9) with 11 points, and Jeffrey Jarrell had 10...

KENNETT - The Dexter Bearcats varsity girls basketball squad played from behind most of the way but hit enough shots late to rally past the Kennett Indians. Dexter overcame a 41-37 deficit in the final two minutes to win at Kennett 46-43 Monday. “I don’t think we turned it over as much the second half,” Dexter coach Eric Sitze said of the come-from-behind win. ...

Alandry Below scored 13 of game-high 35 points in the first quarter, and the Advance girls basketball team beat Eagle Ridge Christian 64-46. The Hornets jumped ahead 24-7 after one quarter of a game played Monday night at Advance High School. Advance led 38-26 at halftime and 54-35 after three quarters...

CARUTHERSVILLE - On Friday the Caruthersville Tigers varsity boys basketball team was looking for a big win as they hosted the Portageville Bulldogs in their homecoming contest. The Tigers (4-3) came roaring onto the floor in the first quarter, leading by five at the end of the first period. Caruthersville kept the momentum going in the second frame as they extended their lead to double digits. By halftime, the Tigers had a 14 point cushion, 37-23...

HAYTI - Hayti varsity boys basketball coach Travis Day said after the one-point overtime victory over Senath Hornersville Tuesday his squad would have to play close to perfect to have a chance in beating the Class 4, No. 2 ranked New Madrid County Central Eagles Friday...

Home Sweet Home That’s exactly what a college visit to Greenville University felt like for Kennett senior Anna Beth Vancil in November. “I loved the atmosphere,” she said. “It was so welcoming. I went on a couple other college visits but I didn’t feel at home like I did there. Plus they have a great volleyball coaching staff and I love their campus.”...

Kennett senior Caroline Byers became interested in playing softball at Central Baptist College after attending a summer camp several months ago. “I went to a couple camps in Little Rock and met their head coach,” Byers said. “I fell in love with it the first day I met her because of her work ethic. I could just tell she was a coach I wanted to play for because she is like the coaches I’ve played for in the past.”...

The Whippets edged Gateway Legacy 60-57 Saturday at the “Brownie” Smith Legends of the Hardwood Classic in Van Buren. Kaylee King scored 35 points, including all but two of Ellington’s fourth-quarter points Saturday in Van Buren. Dylan Price added 13 points and Ella Morton had 10 for Ellington, which trailed by a point entering the fourth quarter...

It took a little extra time but the Kennett Indians varsity boys basketball team found a way to secure its first SEMO Conference victory Friday night. Ben McMullan hit a clutch 3-pointer in the final minute of the fourth quarter to force overtime and Kennett won the extra session 18-5 as it outlasted visiting Jackson 66-53...

HOLCOMB - The Campbell varsity boys basketball squad extended its winning streak Friday night in Holcomb, surging past the Holcomb Hornets 78-42 on their homecoming. Consistent scoring and tactful ball-handling gave the Camels the advantage as Holcomb struggled with foul trouble and ultimately failed to gain the momentum needed to match or stop Campbell’s offense...

The Dexter Bearcats finished third in the six-team Ste. Genevieve Duals wrestling meet Saturday in Ste. Genevieve. Ste. Genevieve won the team championship, going 5-0 in dual matches. Owensville was second with a 4-1 record. Dexter went 3-2. The Bearcats beat Mehlville 46-5, Windsor (Imperial) 48-24 and Valle Catholic 48-24. They lost 60-15 to Ste. Genevieve and 48-30 to Owensville...

Sophomore Cade Sutton scored a game-high 30 points, leading Bunker to a 61-38 victory over Puxico on Saturday at Van Buren. Bunker, who received votes in the latest Class 1 state coaches poll, has lost only twice this season, both times to top-ranked South Iron...

Three Oran Eagles scored in double figures, led by Cooper Priggel's 13 points, Ty Johnson's 12, and Sam Shoemaker's 11, leading Oran to a victory on the road, defeating Meadow Heights 54-46.

Southeast Missouri State Athletics announced Friday that the Redhawks men's basketball team is pausing activities due to COVID-19 protocols.

The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks went into Thursday’s game against the best team in the Ohio Valley Conference without their leading scorer and it wasn’t until the final few minutes that the game finally got away from them and lost by 11 points...

The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks fell to the Ohio Valley Conference leading Belmont Bruins 77-66 on Thursday at Nashville. The Redhawks were without their leading scorer, junior guard Chris Harris. “He dinged his thumb up at practice on his shooting hand,” head coach Brad Korn said. “He wasn’t comfortable enough giving it a go so it was a gametime decision. We just decided to not let him go, didn’t want it to get any worse than it is. I think he’ll be fine.”...

Kamron Meese scored five of his game-high 41 points in overtime, and the Risco Tigers denied Bell City its first win of the season. Bell City (0-10) outscored the Tigers 18-14 in the fourth quarter to force overtime but lost 71-69 Thursday night at Bell City High School...

SENATH - The Hayti Indians varsity boys basketball squad entered Tuesday with a 22-team game winning streak against the Senath-Hornersville Lions. The Indians most recent win against the Lions was an 80-55 victory in last season’s Bootheel Conference tournament championship...

SENATH - Overcoming a three-game losing streak, the Neelyville Tigers boys basketball squad beat the odds to take down Senath-Hornersville Lions by a single point in a nail biter Thursday night The Tigers’ 44-43 win marked the second time this week Senath-Hornersville has lost by one, the first being to Hayti in overtime on Tuesday...

KENNETT - The success continued for the Kennett Indians varsity girls basketball squad in non-conference action Thursday night. Kennett improved to 6-2 in non-conference play as it jumped out to a 13-0 lead on its way to a 56-20 home victory against the Malden Green Wave...

Two state ranked titans took the court against each other Thursday as undefeated Notre Dame, the #5 ranked girls high school basketball team in Class 5, traveled to Park Hills Central, the #1 Class 4 team in the state. What fans were allowed in the stands were not disappointed as both teams fought, clawed, and tried to impose their will on each other.

Four boys basketball teams and five girls basketball teams from the Semoball coverage area are state-ranked in the first basketball poll released by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association.

The St. Vincent Indians outscored Bismarck 46-20 in the first half and did not have much resistance in the second half of action as well, blowing out the home team Indians 74-35 Tuesday evening. St. Vincent led 26-11 at the end of the opening quarter and led by 26 as mentioned above at the break...

Katie Griffin sank 22 shots from the field and only missed one free throw Tuesday night as the Van Buren junior scored 48 points. Griffin led the Lady Dawgs in an 89-42 home win over Couch. Ella Wilbanks added 15 points and Kinsley Murphy had nine for Van Buren (6-3)...

If there is one thing the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks men’s basketball team has learned in their previous game is if the shots aren’t falling in, simply torpedoing towards the basket and forcing the opponent to foul can be a viable scoring option...

It should not be too much to ask for college football’s top sub-division to expand the playoffs for a more fair playing field. The FCS has a 24-team playoff field and had to shrink it to 16 teams for the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nobody largely cares about the FCS so the argument of too many games or games during finals has never been applied to those athletes...

Southeast Missouri State’s sophomore guard Sophie Bussard has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday. The honor marks the first career OVC weekly award for Bussard. She led the Redhawks with 37 points (18.5ppg) in 75 minutes this past week, helping SEMO earn victories against Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State...

When Jeff Bullock stepped down as varsity football coach at Portageville in January 2019 to accept the position of Superintendent at Malden he did not expect to return to the gridiron. “When I got out at Portageville a couple years ago I genuinely thought I was finished coaching,” Bullock said. “But there are just some things that are in your blood. I’m really looking forward to getting back into it again.”...

KENNETT - The Kennett Indians varsity boys basketball squad positioned itself well to become the first team to knock off the New Madrid County Central Eagles Tuesday night. Kennett closed out the first half on a 9-3 run to move ahead of New Madrid County Central 30-29 at the halftime break...

A 30-12 score going into halftime was all the Jackson Lady Indians needed to secure the victory Monday as they would cruise the rest of the way to defeat Kennett, 46-32. A hot start by Jordyn McClellan in the first quarter(scoring six points) was followed up by a hot second period by Madison Lambert(scoring six points) and the visiting Indians from Kennett were just unable to respond...

HOLCOMB - The Holcomb girls basketball squad utilized a variety of defenses in an effort to cool off the Rector Cougars perimeter shooting Monday. “We pulled out every defense we had and they just didn’t miss a shot,” Holcomb coach Alexa Stockton said. “We finally pulled out our press which we never do against anyone. I thought we did decently well with that and got them off-balance a little bit. But it’s hard to defend a team that never misses a 3-pointer.”...

Any team can garner a victory when things go well. However, a sign of growth for a squad is when it can find ways to win when things don’t work in its favor.

As the calendar changed, some things remained the same. Things like that uneasy feeling everyone at the Show Me Center got on Saturday when Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball game team went into overtime (again) against Tennessee State. That scenario has already happened three times with the Redhawks this season. It is like playing a game of “War” when both players draw the same card and have to then draw four more with the final one being the equalizer...

The Kennett high school boys basketball team will have to wait a few more days to begin the second half of its season. Saturday night's varsity and junior varsity boys basketball games at Kennett against Farmington have been postponed due to inclement weather. A makeup date has yet to be determined...

Anyone casually looking at the score of Saturday’s Southeast Missouri State women’s basketball contest, a 34-point victory over still-winless Tennessee State, might think Redhawk coach Rekha Patterson would be elated at the result.

Dom. Twin Rivers honored a friend these past two weeks in a simple but meaningful way by wearing his name on their warmup tops. “It was a big thing for the kids and helped with the grieving process. I hope it shows the impact that young man had,” Twin Rivers girls basketball coach David Crockett said...

Dylan Branson was a late addition to the Southeast Missouri State recruiting class of 2020 after signing in late May. However, the Mehlville High School graduate is making an early impression on his new coach so far this season.

BLOOMFIELD — The Dexter Bearcats delivered a knockout blow in the third quarter of Wednesday night’s championship game of the 64th Bloomfield Christmas Tournament. The Bearcats forced nine third-quarter turnovers and rallied from a seven-point, second-quarter deficit to beat Kennett 61-40 for their second straight BCT championship and 13th overall.

BLOOMFIELD — In four games, Bernie allowed eight field goals and 22 total points in the first quarter. The fourth-seeded Mules started strong once again in the fifth-place final. They scored the first 10 points and beat sixth-seeded Hayti 53-41 Wednesday in the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament...

BLOOMFIELD - The success continued for the South Pemiscot Bulldogs in consolation play at the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament Wednesday afternoon. No. 9 seeded South Pemiscot improved to 7-2 as it beat the No. 11 seeded Malden Green Wave 60-38 in the consolation title game of the 16-team tournament. ...

BLOOMFIELD — Coy Wade led a balanced Green Wave offense with 18 points and Sientez Lerma had 14 to beat Van Buren 55-51 in the 64th Bloomfield Christmas Tournament consolation semifinals Tuesday. Lerma had nine of Malden’s 30 points in the second half and Wade had four points as five Malden players finished with at least three points in the second half...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Fans had the opportunity to watch free basketball Tuesday night in the second semifinal of the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament. Third-seed Portageville and second-seed Kennett needed more than 32 minutes to decide a winner in what wasn't the prettiest contest. The Indians ultimately prevailed to advance to the tournament championship game, with a 44-43 overtime win...

BLOOMFIELD - After one half of play it looked like the fifth-place semifinal between the Hayti Indians and East Prairie Eagles was going to come down to the wire. Hayti led by just three points at halftime after East Prairie won the second quarter 9-8...

Southeast Missouri State’s Redhawks started the season 2-1 but now find themselves spiraling down a four-game losing streak. If there was ever a team to face during an ever-growing losing streak, it’s Tennessee Tech. At 0-9, the Golden Eagles look more like an aged and neglected copper that has turned moldy green — and that look only works for the Statue of Liberty.

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — It’s not how you start, but how you finish, and that was the case for Portageville on Monday night in the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament Quarterfinals. Not getting out to the best start, Portageville (6-1) trailed Hayti (4-2) 10-9 after the first quarter and 23-20 at halftime, but the Bulldogs always seemed to hang around in their 47-39 win over the Indians...

BLOOMFIELD - A strong start proved to be the difference for the Kennett Indians in its championship quarterfinal against the East Prairie Eagles Monday night. The Indians built a 17-7 lead by the end of the first quarter and increased its lead to 33-19 by halftime...

The SCAA didn’t fare well Monday in the consolation quarterfinals of the 64th Bloomfield Christmas Tournament. Thirteenth-seeded Richland, 15th-seeded Puxico and 16th-seeded Bloomfield were eliminated from the boys basketball tournament. Seventh-seeded Van Buren beat Puxico 45-41. Holcomb, the No. 12 seed, beat Richland 76-65. Ninth-seeded South Pemiscot beat Bloomfield 64-58. Eleventh-seeded Malden beat 14th-seeded Gideon 73-53 in the other quarterfinal...

BLOOMFIELD — As Hayti watched from the stands, waiting for its game to start, it watched 14th-seeded Gideon take third-seeded Portageville to overtime before losing by two. "We talked about it during the Gideon game," Hayti coach Travis Day said. "When you give the other team opportunities, Murphy's Law is going to get you. It happened in the Gideon/Portageville game, and also happened in our game."...

MISSOURI MEDIA ALL-STATE TEAM As selected by a 10-member panel of media members from around the state. Players listed with year, height, weight and school: First Team Offense QB: Javan Noyes, sr., 5-7, 190, Mid-Buchanan ATH: Jayce Haven, sr., 6-1, 190, Thayer...

BLOOMFIELD — Portageville's Drew Irby came through with three huge plays in the final 20 seconds of overtime to prevent a dramatic upset. After recently winning the Clarkton Christmas Tournament, third-seeded Portageville needed three crucial turnovers and the baskets that followed to beat 14th-seeded Gideon 57-55 in overtime in the first round of the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament...

BLOOMFIELD - East Prairie coach Casey Knight has been preaching to his squad to crash the boards late in games in recent weeks. “One of the things we’ve been preaching to our guys is to help each other out,” Knight said. “There are times late in games when you are tired and your teammates shoot and nobody crashes the boards. We’ve been talking about getting more offensive putbacks."...

BLOOMFIELD — A cold start and second-half foul trouble spelled doom for ninth-seeded South Pemiscot in the first round of the 64th Bloomfield Christmas Tournament. The eighth-seeded Twin Rivers Royals built a double-digit first-half lead and held off the Bulldogs 60-57 to survive and advance Saturday at Bloomfield High School...

BLOOMFIELD - With only one returning starter off of last season’s squad Kennett basketball coach Corbin Clark knew it was going to take time for his team to establish its offensive identity. As the season continues to progress it is becoming more evident Kennett has several underclassmen capable of scoring the basketball...

BLOOMFIELD — After falling behind by double digits early Saturday, 12th-seeded Holcomb got within a basket midway through the second quarter after chipping away at Doniphan’s lead. But in less than a minute, the Dons padded their lead as the No. 5 seed rolled to a 62-44 win in the opening round of the 64th Bloomfield Christmas Tournament...

BLOOMFIELD — There was a television sitcom in the late 1970s called “Eight is Enough” about a family with eight kids. This week at the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, the Bernie basketball team is a bit smaller family. “We have seven upperclassmen. Seven is enough,” Mules coach Jason Long said. “That’s kind of our motto – seven is enough.”...

Two players from tournament champion New Madrid County Central were selected to the Lady Royals Christmas Classic all-tournament team. Alivia Hartman and Shakyra Wright represented NMCC on the 12-person team selected by the tournament’s coaches and other LRCC representatives...

BROSELEY — Once they were able to take care of the ball, the Dexter Bearcats were able to take care of business and East Carter in the fifth place game at the Lady Royals Classic. The teams combined for 27 turnovers in the first half alone, but Dexter didn’t have any over the final five minutes of the third quarter during a 12-1 run...

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Gene Bess was included in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2021. The list, which was announced Tuesday, features 44 coaches from the high school, college and professional ranks, including Bess, who retired in May after winning 1,300 games over a 50-year career at Three Rivers College...

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – For the fans of the Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball team who are curious as to how good the Redhawks are this season, the answer is fairly good. However, what SEMO isn’t is good enough to play while making mistakes and still win. The margin for error for this group is razor-thin and that was on display (again) in a 72-66 loss at Indiana State on Tuesday at the Hulman Center...

BROSELEY - The Kennett Indians varsity girls basketball team is heading into the Christmas break on a high note after collecting its third victory in as many days at the Lady Royals Classic at Twin Rivers High School Wednesday.

BROSELEY — New Madrid County Central stole Doniphan’s momentum and a shot at the Lady Royals Classic title. Jimmya Caldwell-Newson’s two steals with just under three minutes remaining gave the Eagles the lead for good after Doniphan once again overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half...

BROSELEY — Early foul trouble was no trouble for the defending champs. With two starters saddled with three fouls each by halftime and junior Lexus Hagood quickly picking up her fourth, Neelyville seniors Makenzi Davis and Payton Reinbott picked up their teammates Tuesday night...

KENNETT - It took a little while for the Kennett Indians varsity boys basketball squad to get things going following a 15-day layoff Tuesday night But they finally found their rhythm early in the second half. After outscoring the Perryville Pirates by just three points in the first half Kennett won the third quarter 23-4 on its way to a 66-44 home victory...

BROSELEY — The defending champs are lurking, ready to pounce. Neelyville advanced to the semifinals for an 11th straight year using the same formula that has worked for the Tigers in the past at the Lady Royals Classic. Makenzie Davis and Payton Reinbott each had double-doubles, leading Neelyville in a 71-48 win over East Carter in Monday’s quarterfinal...

BROSELEY — Twin Rivers scored 14 of the first 16 points and never looked back Monday night in the quarterfinals of the Lady Royals Classic. Well, maybe for a few minutes in the fourth quarter when Holcomb got within single digits. But the Royals gave up just two field goals over the final seven minutes to thwart any comeback attempt, beating the Hornets 50-39...

BROSELEY - East Carter Redbirds girls basketball coach Angela Rodgers elected to make a defensive change at the end of the first quarter even with her team enjoying a 12-11 lead against the Kennett Indians. “We started the game playing man to man defense,” Rodgers said. “I didn’t think we did bad in man in the first quarter. But I decided to switch to a 1-3-1 after the first quarter to try to slow Patton down along with Kennett’s other players who were penetrating past us to the basket.”...

BROSELEY - Finding a way to get to the charity stripe proved to be golden for the Holcomb Hornets in its first round contest against the Malden Green Wave at the Lady Royals Christmas Classic Saturday. No. 7 seeded Holcomb knocked down 23 free throws, including 12 of 16 in the the fourth quarter, as it overcame a 24-15 halftime deficit to edge No. 10 seeded Malden 46-42...

SIKESTON — After six days of games, Sikeston athletic director Andy McGill felt relief after crowning a champion in the 2020 SEMO Conference Tournament. During a pandemic, anyone would feel stress, but it was more uncharted ground for athletic directors and workers in this circumstance...

SENATH - Early in the second half it looked like the championship game of the Senath-Hornersville Christmas Tournament was going to come down to the wire. The Senath-Hornersville Lions cut a 40-30 Campbell halftime lead as close as 42-35 a couple minutes into the second half...

It looked as if the Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball squad was headed to its fourth overtime game in six outings on Friday, however, UT Martin guard Eden Holt had other plans. The sophomore put up a buzzer-beating shot just before falling out of bounds to push the Skyhawks past the Redhawks 69-67 at the Show Me Center...

When seventh-year Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz addressed his team at a gathering this fall, he made clear what the purpose of the Redhawk program was. “It goes back to what is the purpose of SEMO football,” Matukewicz told his student-athletes, “It is to use the sport to make better men.”

SENATH - When clutch time presented itself Cody Jones was ready to deliver for the Naylor Eagles. Jones knocked down three consecutive free throws with no time left on the clock to help the No. 6 seeded Naylor Eagles rally past the No. 5 seeded Delta C-7 Chargers 67-66 in the consolation championship at the Senath-Hornersville Christmas Tournament Friday afternoon...

The Advance Hornets brought home their first tournament championship trophy Thursday night. The third-seeded Hornets upset top-seeded Campbell 38-30 to win the Bloomfield Invitational girls basketball tournament. The fourth-year program held quarter leads of 11-6, 23-17 and 32-21...

Veteran Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz had already coached college football for six seasons when the latest Redhawk recruits were born, so he has enough experience in building a roster to know not to complicate the matter too much.

Southeast Missouri State opened Ohio Valley Conference play Friday with a tough three-point loss at home to Ohio Valley Conference preseason favorite UT-Martin, 61-58, at the Show Me Center.

The NCAA Division I Council voted on Wednesday to grant a blanket waiver, which will allow all Division I transfers to play immediately this season.

Junior center Ella Vogel scored 14 of her game high 22 points in the second quarter, leading the Tigers to a blow out win on the road over Soldan International Studies Friday 66-15. Cape Central's defense only allowed 15 points the entire game, a season best...

Senath-Hornersville varsity boys basketball coach Kurt Penn wanted to avoid another overtime affair with the Cooter Wildcats after narrowly escaping with a 76-73 overtime victory last week.

POPLAR BLUFF - Jackson teammates stood on the stage as finalists for the coveted Carr Trophy and Derland Moore Award during the 75th Gridiron Banquet at the Black River Coliseum on Wednesday.

DEXTER — Senior Sydney Asberry provided the spark, and the Dexter girls basketball team overcame a sluggish second quarter to beat the Holcomb Hornets 64-39. Asberry made six 3-pointers in the middle two quarters after watching an 11-point lead shrink to six in a matter of minutes in the second quarter...

The Advance Hornets secured a spot in the championship game of the Bloomfield Invitational girls basketball tournament Wednesday with a 72-50 victory over Caruthersville. The Indians (5-3) will meet Campbell in the championship game at 7:30 p.m. Thursday...

Moments after leading the Jackson High School football team to the 2020 MSHSAA Class 5 state championship earlier this month, senior linebacker Bryce Norman was subdued in his celebration.

Three Rivers College softball coach Jeff Null noticed Holcomb senior Bailey Cupples had not committed to a college when he was searching for his final recruits for next season on a recruiting website. "After we filled our initial needs I was looking for an athlete with some upside,” Null said. ...

KENNETT - The Kennett varsity wrestling team settled for a split at its home opener Tuesday night. Kennett won its final match against Valley View (Ark.) 42-29 Tuesday after dropping its first match to Jonesboro (Ark.) 36-27. “I was proud of our boys,” Kennett first-year wrestling coach Andrew Webster said. ...

The success of an athlete or coach achieves in competition always is founded on their ability to adapt.

SENATH - The No. 2 seeded Senath-Hornersville Lions outscored the No. 7 seeded Southland Rebels by double digits in every quarter on its way to an 84-29 win Tuesday in a quarterfinal of the Senath-Hornersville Christmas Tournament. Jaxon Layne scored a dozen points in each half to pace Senath-Hornersville with 24 points. Parker Rhew added 21 points, Knolan Hunter tallied 15 points, and Blaze Mears contributed 11 points...

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks fall to Evansville, 66-63, in overtime on Tuesday at the Ford Center. SEMO is 0-2 against the Missouri Valley Conference. All three of the Redhawks’ losses have ended in overtime. “I’ve never been a part of anything like that,” SEMO head coach Brad Korn said. “It’s insane to me. I don’t understand it.”...

BROSELEY — As the Twin Rivers seniors were being introduced Tuesday for Senior Night, each had their future plans and favorite memories announced to the crowd. Winning the Lady Dawg Classic for the first time was a highlight for a majority of the senior Royals...

BROSELEY — No double-digit lead was safe Tuesday night. Hayti erased a 10-point deficit in the second quarter and Twin Rivers dug out of a 17-point hole in the second half. With the game tied in the final minute, Blaine Pruitt got a steal for Twin Rivers but Hayti’s Trayvon Thomas got it back and had another steal leading to a pair of fastbreak points to beat the Royals 56-50...

If you think the global pandemic wreaked havoc on your job, try being a recruiting coordinator for a college football program. “Well,” Southeast Missouri State recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach Justin Drudik sighed on Monday, “I mean,” he then took another breath, “it went good but it’s been very different.”

There are several noticeable aspects of play when it comes to assessing the early returns of the Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball program this season.

Four Delta players were in double figures Monday night as the Lady Bobcats used a huge first half point margin to dominate Charleston, easily winning 83-28. The Holweg sisters(Kendall and Presley) led the charge with 24 and 19 points respectively. Delta led the game at the by a 47 point margin and coasted after that...

There are positive and negative aspects to trying to conduct a 16-team high school basketball tournament amid a global pandemic, which is resulting in over 2,200 deaths daily within the United States. However, the overwhelming encouraging factor is that the 76th annual Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament will indeed take place.

SENATH - The No. 4 seeded Greenville Bears enjoyed a strong start and an electric finish as it outlasted the No. 5 seeded Delta C-7 Chargers 73-54 in the first quarterfinal at the Senath-Hornersville Christmas Tournament Monday. Greenville built a 18-10 lead by the end of the first quarter before Delta C-7 won the second and third quarters by a couple points to get as close a 42-39 by the start of the fourth quarter. ...

Numerous times throughout the 2020 football season, veteran Jackson High School football coach Brent Eckley lauded Indian senior linebacker, Bryce Norman, as “the best linebacker in the state.”

It must've felt like the middle of summer in Delta's gymnasium Friday night because that's how hot the Bobcat's offense was as they scorched the Scott County Central defense beating the Braves 107-74. Delta scored 35 points in the opening quarter, outscoring Scott Central by 27 and didn't cool off in the 2nd quarter, scoring 34 more. The Braves made a game of it in the second period, putting up 33 points of their own...

It’s the 25th year for the First State Community Bank Holiday Classic and top seeded Notre Dame will defend its 2019 title during the December 20-22 girls tournament at the Show Me Center. Mark Ruark, principal of Saxony Lutheran High School, has been tournament director for 23 years and said the uniqueness of competing during a pandemic has necessitated changes...

BLOOMFIELD — Dexter was voted the top seed for the 64th Bloomfield Christmas Tournament on Sunday at Bloomfield High School. Equally important, guidelines for fans wanting to attend the tournament, which runs from Dec. 26-30, were announced. No. 2 Kennett, No. 3 Portageville, No. 4 Bernie, No. 5 Doniphan, No. 6 Hayti, No. 7 Van Buren and No. 8 Twin Rivers round out the top eight. Seeding was decided by a poll of the tournament’s 16 coaches...

Alandry Below scored 34 points, and third-seeded Advance beat No. 4 Senath-Hornersville 60-43 in the first round of the Bloomfield Invitational girls basketball tournament. In Saturday’s other first-round games at Bloomfield High School, No. 1 Campbell beat No. 6 Bloomfield 63-6 and No. 2 Caruthersville beat No. 5 Puxico 48-34...

New Madrid Central has earned the top seed in the Lady Royal Classic with a trio of Ozark Foothills Conference teams behind it. The Eagles, one of three teams in the tournament along with Kelly and Greenville to have played more than five games, earned the top spot after picking up wins against Jackson, Sikeston, Dexter and Kennett with losses against Notre Dame and Cape Central...

The schedule is set for the 2020 Senath-Hornersville Christmas Tournament. The eight-team varsity boys basketball tournament begins Monday at Senath-Hornersville High School. Defending champion Campbell (5-1) is the No. 1 seeded. Campbell plays North Pemiscot in the first quarterfinal Monday at 6 p.m. The second quarterfinal between No. 4 seeded Greenville and No. 5 seeded Delta C-7 follows Monday at 7:30 p.m...

In the moments following his team completing a season that was dominating of all opposition faced, Jackson High School football coach Brent Eckley could have accepted the praise that was coming his way – and with good reason – he deserved all of it and then some. However, in a brutally honest comment, Eckley, who had just guided the Indians to a 42-7 beating of Platte County in the MSHSAA Class 5 State Final, turned the acclaim towards his players.

District assignments are out for boys' and girls' basketball teams. Sikeston moved from Class 4 to Class 5. They play in Class 5, District 1, with Notre Dame, Cape Central, and Perryville in the boys' alignment, while Saxony Lutheran moves up two classes on the girls' side...

KENNETT - The Kennett Indians varsity girls basketball team did not allow a field goal in the fourth quarter but the late defensive stand wasn’t enough to allow it to mount a comeback against the visiting NMCC Eagles. NMCC built a 42-22 lead by the end of the third quarter and hung on to beat Kennett 43-30 Thursday...

The postseason for winter sports in Missouri will look different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MSHSAA announced Friday. MSHSAA released district assignments for winter sports and also announced that it will modify some postseason activities due to concerns with the virus...

PORTAGEVILLE - Thursday night turned out to be a golden night for the Kennett middle school boys basketball program. Kennett took home the top prize in the seventh and eighth grade Bootheel Conference tournaments at Portageville Middle School. Kennett edged Malden 34-29 in the seventh grade title game Thursday...

The Puxico girls basketball team won for the first time this season, beating Bloomfield 46-20 Wednesday night at the Lady Red Devil Classic in Chaffee. Puxico (1-4) will face Chaffee for the consolation championship at 3:30 p.m. Thursday. Bloomfield (0-4) was eliminated from the tournament...

It’s obvious that the Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball squad is learning what it takes to win games.

The difference between the Jackson football teams through the early seasons under Indian coach Brent Eckley and the 2020 version, which just finished making a mockery of its high school opposition throughout this state, isn’t so much seen on the offensive side of the ball as it was the defensive side.

The only certainty throughout the sporting world in 2020 has been complete uncertainty, and the 2020 Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament isn’t immune to that chaos.

The finalists for the Carr Trophy given to the top player in the SEMO Conference were announced Wednesday, a week before the award will be presented at the 75th annual Gridiron Banquet. Jordan Jarrett of Kennett, Jackson’s Connor Tollison and Cael Welker are up for the award given annually since 1979...

Delta got 32 points from senior Dale Lincoln and 22 from Evan Bartels as Delta won at home Tuesday beating Oak Ridge 95-80. Carmen Volts led the Blue Jays with 30 points and 10 rebounds while Kyran Newell added 17 for 0-3 Oak Ridge. The win for the Bobcats improves their record to 2-2 on the season...

The seeding and schedule for the Bloomfield Invitational girls basketball tournament has been announced with Campbell receiving the top seed seed. Caruthersville was seeded No. 2, Advance No. 3, Senath-Hornersville No. 4, Puxico No. 5 and Bloomfield No. 6...

The Dexter Bearcats opened the 2020 wrestling season with a 54-30 victory over New Madrid County Central at Dexter High School. The match was Dexter’s only home bout on its schedule. The Bearcats will join Kennett for a double dual match at 5 p.m. Thursday at Jackson...

MALDEN — The McBroom brothers were on opposite ends of the sideline again Tuesday night, their teams meeting for the third time. “Our mother doesn’t like it,” said Twin Rivers coach Seth McBroom. “I don’t even know if she came tonight. Very hard on them...

SIKESTON - The Kennett boys basketball squad managed to win the first quarter by a point but struggled for offense the rest of the way against Jackson in a play-out game at the SEMO Conference Tournament Monday at Sikeston Field House. No. 2 seeded Jackson moved ahead by halftime and allowed just 15 points in the second half as it beat No. 9 seeded Kennett 52-38...

Knocking down buzzer beaters proved to be valuable for the Senath-Hornersville Lions varsity boys basketball team Tuesday night. Twice as the clock approached zero Senath-Hornersville drained a long-distance 3-pointer against the visiting Holcomb Hornets. ...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team played its best game of the young season in an 82-77 win over Lipscomb on Monday at the Show Me Center. SEMO will take on the Bison at their place for round two tonight at 7 p.m.

In what has been their best game of the young basketball season, the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks defeated the Lipscomb Bison 82-77 on Monday at the Show Me Center. In the victory, the Redhawks are beginning to find their identity. A brand new team with a first year head coach in Brad Korn and many senior transfers, it’s quite impressive that the Redhawks have figured out an offensive formula with their limited time together prior to the season...

KENNETT — In a game of free throws and rebounds, the Kennett Indians varsity girls basketball team took down the visiting Senath-Hornersville Lions 54-33 Monday. A few standout players made for a high scoring game, but the Lions’ young offense couldn’t gain the traction it needed to catch up. ,The Indians held on to a substantial lead from the first quarter with the Senath-Hornersville offense struggling to take off...

MISSOURI MEDIA RANKINGS 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 last week’s ranking. Only teams that have played games this season are eligible...

ALL-SEMO CONFERENCE Members of the All-SEMO Conference football team as selected by the conference coaches with a player's school, year, height and weight listed: NORTH OFFENSE QB — Cael Welker, Jackson, sr., 5-11, 185; RB — Daniel Dickerson, Jackson, sr., 5-11, 200;...

JEFFERSON CITY – When Brent Eckley took over as the coach of the Jackson football program in 2012, his hiring made an immediate impact on the Indians’ offense, which made a quick impression on the victories achieved.

HOLCOMB - A few minutes after the final buzzer sounded Holcomb girls basketball coach Alexa Stockton wasn’t complaining about her squad’s second double digit victory in less than 24 hours. But Stockton did feel there are a few things her squad needs to fine-tune before it begins conference play Monday...

DEXTER — Dexter boys basketball coach Chad Allen couldn’t have dreamed of a better start to the season for his Bearcats. The Bearcats forced eight first-quarter turnovers and made seven 3-pointers in the opening period en route to an 84-38 season-opening victory over Malden on Friday night at Dexter High School...

GIDEON - Kennett boys basketball coach Corbin Clark wanted his squad to make its presence known from the get-go in the title game of the Gideon Invitational Friday night. “I thought the last two games we got off to a slow start in this tournament,” Clark said. I told the guys it was time for us to come out and throw the first punch.”...

SIKESTON — Basketball can be a game of runs, which was evident during the Poplar Bluff and Kennett contest on Saturday morning. The Mules went on a 25-1 run after trailing 3-0 to start the game. A run that stretched from the first quarter into the second, and one which saw Poplar Bluff (1-0) lead by 17 points, 25-8, in its 63-29 victory in the play-in game of the SEMO Conference Tournament at the Sikeston Field House...

CAMPBELL — Over the final 2 1/2 minutes, the Campbell Camels scored as many points as they did the previous 11 Friday night. A flurry of late steals helped the Camels scored the final 12 points to pad a slim lead and beat Bernie 43-28 in the Campbell Invitational championship...

GIDEON - The Caruthersville Tigers varsity boys basketball team rebounded nicely about 24 hours after suffering a heart-breaking one-point overtime loss to the Kennett Indians late Thursday night. No. 3 seeded Caruthersville built a 34-19 lead by halftime and hung on to beat the No. 6 seeded Clarkton Reindeer 63-55 in the third-place game at the Gideon Invitational Friday...

GIDEON — No. 2 seeded Kennett pulled out a narrow overtime victory against Caruthersville in a championship semifinal of the Gideon Bulldog Classic Thursday night. The semifinal went back and forth with no clear winner until the end. Both teams played inexperienced offensively, shedding light on issues that will need to be corrected going forward...

HAYTI - The Hayti Indians varsity girls basketball team dug itself an early hole but still found a way to mount a comeback against the Campbell Camels without putting on a shooting clinic Thursday night. No. 1 seeded Hayti forced multiple turnovers with its full-court press in the closing minutes of regulation as it overtook No. 2 seeded Campbell 45-42 in the championship of the Al Jackson Classic at Hayti High School...

CAMPBELL — Bernie and Campbell will go at it again in the finals of a season-opening tournament. The two top seeds advanced to the final a year after host Bernie won by five points. This time it’s Campbell looking to win on its home floor Friday night...

The Kennett Indians wrestling program enters its 2020-21 campaign looking to develop a youthful squad under the leadership of a new head coach. Andrew Webster, who assisted with the program last season, was named head wrestling coach let week. “I was the assistant coach last season,” Webster said. ...

The seedings have been released for the Clarkton Christmas Tournament. The eight-team varsity boys basketball tournament takes place Dec. 14-18 at Clarkton High School. Defending champion East Carter County, which is off to a 1-1 start after beating Willow Springs 70-49 and suffering a 73-62 loss to Park Hills Central, has received the No. ...

Brad Korn’s first home game as coach of the Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball team lived up to its hype.

The South Pemiscot varsity girls basketball squad finished the 2019-2020 season with a record of 3-17. Head coach Robert Farmer is pushing his small but experienced squad of nine players to the best of their abilities as they look for a much improved 2020-2021 season...

GIDEON - Four players scored in double digits to help carry the No. 6 seeded Senath-Hornersville Lions past the No. 7 seeded Gideon Bulldogs 68-48 in a consolation semifinal at the Gideon Invitational Thursday. Senath-Hornersville led 20-12 after one quarter, 30-23 at halftime, and 43-36 at the end of the third quarter before pushing its final margin of victory to double digits...

Editor's Note: Unfortunately, due to COVID, the team was unable to get a team picture but one will be printed in Pemiscot Press at a later date. The Cooter Wildcats are coming off a very successful 2019-2020 season, where they finished with a record of 17-9, a Class 1 District 1 Championship and a berth in the Class 1 Sweet Sixteen...

DEXTER — Seventh-seeded Saxony Lutheran spotted the Kennett Indians an early lead then came roaring back for a 47-33 victory Tuesday night at the Bearcat Event Center. The ninth-seeded Indians took an 11-3 after one quarter before Saxony Lutheran rallied for a victory in a consolation quarterfinal of the SEMO Conference Girls Basketball Tournament...

GIDEON - Kennett Indians boys basketball coach Corbin Clark wasn’t sure how several of his players would respond when they got their first opportunity to play at the varsity level at the Gideon Invitational. “It has kind of been a nerve-racking time as a coach because we knew we had very little varsity experience coming back,” Clark said. "We didn’t know exactly what to expect at the start of the season.”...

GIDEON - Caruthersville Tigers boys basketball coach Lamont Bell didn’t have the opportunity to install all of his offensive sets before his squad’s season-opener against the Senath-Hornersville Lions at the Gideon Tournament Tuesday night. “We’ve kind of been behind due to some other circumstances,” Bell said. "We’ve missed a lot practices just like other teams. We didn’t get a lot of our sets in before the season.”...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Dontrez Williams scored a game-high 26 points for the Sikeston boys’ basketball freshman team on Tuesday against Notre Dame. He had help as well. David Mills, the Bulldogs leading scorer through the first two games, pitched in with 19 in Sikeston's 62-58 victory...

The South Pemiscot Bulldogs rebounded nicely about 24 hours after suffering a 72-60 quarterfinal loss to the Clarkton Reindeer at the Gideon Invitational. No. 5 seeded South Pemiscot beat No. 8 seeded Delta C-7 56-20 in a consolation semifinal Tuesday at Gideon...

CAMPBELL — The first two baskets given up on the season by Bernie came after offensive rebounds. It wasn’t a trend that lasted long. The Mules clamped down under the boards and took advantage of their own offensive rebounds in a 73-32 win over Puxico to open the Campbell Invitational on Tuesday night...

The South Pemiscot Bulldogs varsity boys basketball squad is coming off a 13-12 season in 2019-2020. The Bulldogs are under new leadership this season as head coach Jordan McGowan takes over the coaching duties after a recent stint at Gideon High School...

Trenton Johnson, 17, of South Pemiscot High School recently lost a hard-fought battle with COVID.He was greatly loved by his family, teammates, classmates and teachers and he loved them all just as much. He was a vital part of many families and will be missed by all...

The eighth-seeded Dexter Bearcats made a pair of big plays late to win their opener in the 2020 SEMO Conference Girls Basketball Tournament. After the Bearcats watched a 13-point third-quarter lead evaporate to two points, Dulcie Pullen finished on a fast break, taking a feed by Sydney Asberry...

GIDEON - TheClarkton Reindeer trailed the South Pemiscot Bulldogs by single digits throughout the first half but still found a way to rally for a win Monday night. No. 4 seeded Clarkton won the second half by 20 points as it overcame a 36-28 halftime deficit to beat No. 5 seeded South Pemiscot 72-60 in a quarterfinal of the Gideon Invitational varsity boys basketball tournament...

SIKESTON — There are guidelines that fans will need to know ahead of the SEMO Conference Boys Basketball Tournament starting Saturday. For each game, schools are given 250 total tickets, with the tickets available for families and fans alike. After the conclusion of each tournament game, fans will receive a passcode to give to each athlete and their families to watch the following contest. ...

CARDWELL - The Southland Rebels outlasted North Pemiscot 76-58 for its first varsity boys basketball win. Host Southland trailed 20-19 after one quarter of play but won each of the final three quarters by single digits to secure an 18-point victory...

The Hayti Indians return boys basketball squad returns three starters off a 19-9 team that saw some success in winning the Bootheel Conference Tournament, capturing fourth place in the talent-heavy Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, and defeating Neelyville at the buzzer in the Class 2, District 1 semi-finals last season...

Hayti Indians girls basketball coach Craig Rodgers has completely turned the girls basketball program around. Rodgers has won more games in his four years at the helm (54-42), than the previous nine years combined (36-115). He brings his “no nonsense, in your face” approach to the girls, and expects nothing less than the ultimate prize in the end...

CAMPBELL — Neelyville weathered the storm in the middle quarters Monday night, then held Twin Rivers at bay for much of the fourth, not giving up a point for six full minutes. The Tigers scored eight straight points to pull ahead for good in a 51-41 win over Twin Rivers to open the Campbell Invitational...

The Advance girls basketball team held Bloomfield scoreless into the second quarter and rolled to a 56-14 victory Monday night at Bloomfield. The Hornets took a 26-0 lead into the second quarter extended that advantage to 40-3 at halftime to win for the first time in three games this season...

In the 2019-2020 basketball season, the Caruthersville Lady Tigers finished with a 7-12 record. The Tigers have experienced leaders returning under head coach Bradley Sneed as this year’s group of ten players consists of three seniors, six juniors and one sophomore...

The Caruthersville Tigers are coming off a 9-13 season in 2019-2020 under returning head coach Lamonte Bell. T he Tigers saw their last two seasons come to an end in the Class 3 District 1 playoffs against the reigning district champion Charleston Bluejays...

The North Pemiscot boys basketball program enters its 2020-21 season under the direction of a new head coach. “This is my first year as basketball coach at North Pemiscot," North Pemiscot coach Matt Bell said. "Our focus this year is to get better every day and be competitive in all our games. Covid-19 has affected our team, but I know it has affected everyone...

The Delta girls basketball started their 2020-2021 campaign off with a bang Monday night blowing out Puxico 99-15. Delta got 5 players in double figures, being paced by Allie Hampton and Sierra Berry each scoring 16 points. Puxico didnt have one player in double figures...

KANSAS CITY — New Southeast Missouri State men’s basketball coach Brad Korn didn’t have time to be nervous for himself prior to his head-coaching debut against Kansas City on Saturday. Given the chaotic nature of his first eight months on the job, he was just happy to be in a gym and able to compete.

The Kennett Indians boys basketball program enters the 2020-21 season looking to continue its recent success with several new faces. Kennett returns just one starter off of last season’s varsity squad that finished 20-8 and went 4-4 in SEMO Conference regular-season play...

CAMPEBELL, Mo. — For the second-straight night, the Charleston boys’ basketball team had a battle on its hands and had to dig deep to earn a victory. And, for the second-straight night, they would do just that, defeating Campbell (0-1) 56-52 at Campbell High School on Saturday...

VAN BUREN — Preston Golden was money in the third quarter for East Carter while Senath-Hornersville overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter Saturday at the Current River Challenge. Golden scored 20 of his game-high 33 points in the third quarter, helping East Carter pull away for a win...

By BRIAN ROSENER Sports Editor VAN BUREN — The opening day of the Current River Challenge started and ended well for the host Bulldogs. Van Buren’s junior varsity team picked up a win over Marquand-Zion to start the five-game event and the Bulldogs made it 2 for 2 in the nightcap with a 66-47 win over Risco...

Editor’s Note: A team photo was not available to run with the story because the team was conducting virtual preseason practices. The Clarkton Reindeer boys basketball program is blessed with depth and experience entering its 2020-21 campaign...

The schedule is set for the first annual Al Jackson Classic. The five-team varsity girls basketball tournament takes place Nov. 30 - Dec. 3 at Hayti High School. Host Hayti has received a first-round bye and will not play until Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Hayti awaits the winner of a quarterfinal between No. 4 seeded Senath-Hornersville and No. 5 seeded Caruthersville that will be played on Nov. 30 at 6 p.m...

KENNETT - The Kennett Indians varsity girls basketball team needed every bit of its depth Monday to pull out a victory in its season-opener against the visiting Kelly Hawks.

ST. LOUIS - Midway into Saturday’s Class 3 state quarterfinal the Kennett Indians football squad looked poised to overtake the Cardinal Ritter Lions. Kennett put together a 68-yard touchdown drive late in the first half to cut a 13-0 Cardinal Ritter lead to 13-7 with 4:19 left in the second quarter and continued to trail by one possession after its defense followed up its first score with a defensive stop near the end of the first half...

Two weeks ago when Kennett Indians football coach Joel Wyatt began preparing for a state playoff game against St. Mary’s the defensive strategy was to try contain a couple of offensive standouts. “With St. Mary’s we were really focussed on containing Coleman and Hendrix,” Wyatt said...

The seedings have been released for the Campbell Invitational varsity boys basketball tournament. The eight-team tournament begins Nov. 30 at Campell High School. Host Campbell has received the No. 1 seed. Campbell will take on No. 8 seeded Bloomfield in a quarterfinal Nov. 30 at 6 p.m...

The seedings are set for the 2020 SEMO Conference boys basketball tournament. The nine-team tournament begins Saturday, Dec. 5, at Sikeston Field House. The title game is Friday, Dec. 11, at Sikeston Field House. Defending champion Cape Central has received the No. 1 seed and awaits the winner of a play-in game between No. 8 seeded Poplar Bluff and No. 9 seeded Kennett. Kennett and Poplar Bluff play each other in the first game of the tournament on Dec. 5 at 10 a.m...

Thursday night was a golden night for the Kennett middle school girls basketball program. The Kennett seventh and eighth grade girls basketball teams both took home the top prize at the Bootheel Conference Tournament at Kennett middle school...

The Delta C-7 Chargers boys basketball program enters its 2020-21 campaign with a balanced group of guards and forwards with previous varsity experience. “We are looking to have a three-guard lineup with two big guys inside,” Delta C-7 coach Ty’re Washington said. “We will probably go about seven deep depending on how hard the guys are willing to work.”...

For the first time in recent years Malden Green Wave girls basketball coach Josh Herring feels like his squad is blessed with experience at the start of a season. “This is one of the first years I feel like we are not rebuilding since I’ve been here,” Herring said. “Coach Chance from Hayti has come in and will serve as my assistant coach this season. We’ve been talking about it and feel like we are strong fundamentally. We’ve just got to get in game mode and get ready to compete.”...

The 2020 SEMO Conference South Division Volleyball Awards have been announced. Kennett senior Anna Beth Vancil is the South Division Player of the Year and Hitter of the Year. Anna Beth Vancil finished with 36 ace serves, 219 kills, 28 blocks, 112 digs, and 180 assists...

Holcomb Hornets senior Macy Houart met Mineral Area softball coach Dave Guemmer for the first time at a tryout this past summer. “We are always looking for athletes,” Guemmer said. “Coach Casper contacted me and Macy came up for a visit. We gave her a quick tryout and it was a pretty easy thing to say she was good enough to play.”...

The seeding have been released for the Gideon Invitational varsity boys basketball tournament. The event is currently scheduled to take place Nov. 30 - Dec 4 at Gideon High School. Hayti has received the No. 1 seed in the eight-team tournament. Hayti is slated to play No. 8 seeded Delta C-7 in a quarterfinal Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. No. 4 seeded Clarkton will take on No. 5 seeded South Pemiscot in the other quarterfinal on Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m...

The Holcomb Hornets girls basketball program is blessed with experience entering its 2020-21 campaign.

The Senath-Hornersville Lions boys basketball program plans to keep its foot on the gas as it drives its way through the 2020-21 season. “We are going to be a run-and-gun, fast team,” Senath-Hornersville first-year coach Kurt Penn said. “We like to play fast, and with so many guards, we are going to be pushing the tempo all night.”...

The Gideon Bulldogs boys basketball program is blessed with experience entering its 2020-21 campaign. Gideon has seven seniors, three juniors, two sophomores, and three freshmen on its high school roster. “I love these kids we have coming back,” Gideon first-year head coach Jeremey Walker, who served as the assistant coach last season, said. ...

The Southland Rebels boys basketball program enters its 2020-21 campaign in search of new leaders. Southland graduated all of its varsity starters off of last season’s squad that finished 6-18. “We lost all of our varsity starters to graduation,” Southland coach Charles Stormes said. “But we do have a couple of guys returning who got some varsity minutes last season.”...

The Malden Green Wave varsity boys basketball program enters its 2020-21 campaign looking to increase its win total for a third straight season under third-year head coach Cole McBroom. Malden has five seniors, four juniors, two sophomores, and one freshman on its varsity squad that compiled a record of 11-14 last season...

The Risco Tigers boys basketball program enters its 2020-21 campaign looking to build upon the experience its newcomers gained last season. Risco returns four starters off of last season’s relatively young varsity squad that finished 14-12 and graduated just two seniors...

Expectations are high for the Campbell Camels boys basketball program entering its 2020-21 campaign. Campbell returns most of its contributors off of last season’s varsity squad that finished 18-6. “We are pretty excited,” Campbell coach Steve Fowler said. ...

Numbers are on the rise for the Kennett Indians girls basketball program entering its 2020-21 campaign. “We’ve got 21 girls out for basketball this year,” Kennett coach Aaron New said. “Last year we finished the season with about 13 girls. Our numbers this time around are much better. We are also bringing back quite a few girls off a team that played their best game of the year in our last game of the year against Doniphan in the district tournament. So we are excited about the upcoming season.”...

The Campbell Camels girls basketball program enters its 2020-21 campaign in search of new offensive contributors after graduating multiple offensive threats. “This is a whole new team,” Campbell coach Laura Foster said. “Since I’ve been here we’ve had a player that takes control the last three years. ...

The Senath-Hornersville Lions girls basketball program enters its 2020-21 campaign looking to rely on its quickness. “We may be short but our speed really helps us,” Senath-Hornersville point guard Abby Vilchis said. “We definitely have to rely on our speed this season.”...

The Kennett Indians football team will secure its third straight district championship without ever stepping onto the gridiron Friday night. No. 3 seeded St. Mary’s (St. Louis), who was scheduled to play at No. 1 seeded Kennett in the Class 3, District 1 championship Friday night, informed Kennett they were forfeiting the contest Friday afternoon...

The stakes were as high as they could be for area athletes throughout Southeast Missouri last week, as they competed in various MSHSAA postseason competitions.

The first time Southland softball coach Maci Shearer met Southland senior Jenna Gibson she wasn’t on a softball diamond. She was working on an FFA assignment. “I met Jenna knee-deep in mud in a pig pin because I was also her AG teacher and she had this 300-pound pig we were trying to get into this trailer,” Shearer said. ...

SIKESTON — Brackets for the 2020 SEMO Conference Girls Basketball Tournament and the 65th Oran Invitational Tournament are out. Sikeston earned the No. 5 seed in the SEMO Conference Tournament, while New Madrid County Central earned the No. 4 seed. Both face-off in a first-round matchup on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. All games are at the Bearcat Event Center in Dexter...

Kennett Indians football coach Joel Wyatt believes slowing down the St. Mary’s Dragons playmakers will be key if his squad can find a way to secure its third straight district title Friday. “The thing that really jumps out about St. Mary's is their speed,” Wyatt said. “They are easily the fastest team we’ve played, not only this year but in the last two seasons. They are very similar to the Cardinal Ritter team we played in the state quarterfinals in 2018.”...

The Hayti Indians will face a familiar foe when it travels to take on the Thayer Bobcats in the Class 1, District 1 championship Friday. Hayti (10-0) is the only squad to beat Thayer (9-1) in 2020. Hayti beat Thayer 30-28 in Week 1, beat Portageville 58-0 in Week 2, beat Scott City 62-43 in Week 3, did not play in Week 4, beat New Madrid County Central 64-38 in Week 5, beat Charleston 70-6 in Week 6, beat Kelly 32-13 in Week 7, beat Malden 58-6 in Week 8, beat Caruthersville 58-6 in Week 9, beat Malden 82-0 in its district quarterfinal, and beat St. ...

The 2020 Bootheel Conference Volleyball Awards have been announced. Campbell’s Macy Hendrix and Caruthersville’s Mallory Faulkner have been selected Bootheel Conference Co-Players of the Year. Hendrix collected 206 digs, 296 assists, 221 kills, and 64 ace serves while serving at a 96 percent rate her senior season...

The Jackson football team will compete for its third consecutive MSHSAA District championship Friday and the play of junior wide receiver Kannen Turley is a big reason why. The Indian pass-catcher made six catches in the first half for 124 yards in a 55-0 win over Poplar Bluff last Friday and for his efforts, he was named this week's Semoball.com Football Player of the Week...

The 2020 Tri-County Conference volleyball awards have been announced. Holcomb senior Bailey Cupples is the 2020 Tri-County Conference Volleyball Player of the Year. Cupples compiled 221 kills, 45 blocks, and 44 aces while serving at 97 percent rate her senior season...

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Katie Griffin and Kinsley Murphy earned all-state medals to lead the Van Buren cross country team to a second straight fourth place finish at the MSHSAA Class 1 championship meet Saturday at Gans Creek Cross Country Course. Griffin finished ninth, Murphy was 13th and Addison Lewis placed 28th as Van Buren finished with 118 points, two behind Harrisburg and nine ahead of St. Vincent. College Heights Christian won the team title with 91 points followed by Valle Catholic at 109...

KENNETT - The Kennett Indians football squad fell behind two possessions for the first time in 2020 but still found a way to book a spot in the Class 3, District 1 championship for a third straight season Friday night. No. 1 seeded Kennett built a 27-15 lead by halftime after falling behind 15-0 in the first quarter and hung on to beat the visiting Ste. Genevieve Dragons 47-29 in a Class 3, District 1 semifinal at Metz Cherry Stadium...

The Farmington girls cross country team finished fifth at the state championships Friday with a total team time of 1:41:21.90 and 166 total points accumulated. Individual girls and boys results include: Girls 5K Results include: 13. Breanna Mathes - Farmington - 19:28.7...

There was no shortage of intense moments on the athletic fields and courts throughout Southeast Missouri last week, as area athletes were immersed in their postseason competition.

The Ste.Genevieve boys cross country team finished tenth in the team results at the Class 3 State Championships Thursday. They finished with 256 team points with a total time of 1:33:42.10. Area individual results include: Boys 5K CC: 17. Lyndon Gruenke - Fredericktown - 17:05.1...

The Caruthersville football team will attempt to extend its season Friday when it travels to take on state-ranked Thayer in a Class 1, District 1 football semifinal. No. 4 seeded Caruthersville snapped a three-game losing streak last week when it picked up a forfeit victory against No. 5 seeded Portageville in its district quarterfinal. No. 1 seeded Thayer beat No. 8 seeded Crystal City 46-6 in its district quarterfinal...

The Kennett Indians senior class has enjoyed its fair share of success playing on its home gridiron in recent years. Kennett has won 26 of its 29 home varsity games at Metz Cherry Stadium since its senior class started high school. The Indians will have the luxury of extending that string of success in coming weeks. Kennett will have the luxury of playing at home throughout its district tournament after securing the No. 1 seed in Class 3, District 1...

The 2020 football season has been memorable for many high school football programs throughout Missouri for all of the wrong reasons. However, for Kelly, the 2020 season will be recalled fondly, as the Hawks have won 8 of 10 games, including last Friday's C2D1 game over Charleston.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Seventh-year Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz wasn’t glad that his team dropped its 2020-21 season-opening game Friday 20-17 to rival Southern Illinois. However, he was happy that the Redhawks ended up playing the game at all, which wasn’t a certainty earlier this autumn.

ADVANCE - Advance Hornets volleyball coach Erin Hoffman felt her squad needed to display its energetic characteristics if it was going to find a way to outlast the Gideon Bulldogs in a Class 1 state quarterfinal Saturday evening at Advance High School...

By BRIAN ROSENER Daily American Republic IRONTON, Mo. — Dylan Price wasn’t too sure where to turn during points on the 5,000-meter course at Arcadia Valley Sports Complex. Having not run there before Saturday’s MSHSAA Class 1 District 1 meet, the Ellington freshman came to a near stop with less than 400 meters left looking for the second-to-last turn...

IRONTON, Mo. — Kennett Rampley scared himself on Halloween. The Zalma sophomore surged into the lead at the two-mile mark of the 3.1-mile race Saturday in the MSHSAA Class 1 District 1 meet at Arcadia Valley Sports Complex. In passing Ellington’s Carson McNail, an all-state medalist the previous year, Rampley said, “scared the crap out of me.”...

The Saxony Lutheran volleyball team’s magical season continued to reach new heights on Saturday. The Crusaders defeated the Malden Green Wave in a three-set sweep to claim their first sectional win in school history. “We made history at Saxony,” Saxony Lutheran head coach Emily Wahlers said. “We won districts for the first time. We won sectionals for the first time. So it’s nothing but up from here.”...

ADVANCE - A veteran Advance volleyball squad isn’t looking past anyone as it continues its quest for a rare third straight state championship. “Our girls have a goal and they are ready for every game,” Advance coach Erin Hoffman said. Advance moved one step closer to another state title as it beat the North Pemiscot Mustangs 25-11, 25-5, 25-5 in the first Class 1 sectional played Saturday at Advance High School...

ADVANCE - Gideon volleyball coach Kristen Ashabranner encouraged her players to let loose during timeouts of a closely contested first set against the Meadow Heights Panthers Saturday afternoon. “I told them they were making me look like a psycho in front of all these people,” Gideon coach Kristen Ashabranner said. ...

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Seventh-year Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz entered Friday’s game at Southern Illinois not knowing much about his team after not playing a game for 334 days.

HAYTI - The state-ranked Hayti Indians got down to business quickly in its Class 1, District 1football quarterfinal against the visiting Malden Green Wave Friday night. The Hayti defense intercepted two passes, recovered a fumble, and recorded five sacks in the first quarter alone...

There are a lot of unknowns regarding how the Southeast Missouri State football team will perform in its only game of this calendar year. But what should not be questioned is the amount of experience that the Redhawk defensive secondary brings to the field.

WARDELL - Several weeks ago North Pemiscot Mustangs volleyball coach Brook Hutchison made the decision to combine her varsity and junior varsity teams and play a varsity-only schedule the rest of the way. “We started the season strong,” Hutchison said. ...

Records: Sikeston 2-7; North County 4-3 Series History: Sikeston leads 3-2 Last Meeting: 2018, Sikeston won 32-30 in the Class 4, District 1 Tournament Last Week: Sikeston lost to Kennett 53-14; North County defeated Windsor (Imperial) 56-20, on Oct. 9...

The handful of fans that can attend the Southeast Missouri State football game at Southern Illinois more than likely won’t be focused on the play of Redhawk inside linebacker Mike Matthews. However, the SEMO coaches certainly will be due to the sophomore’s playing a critical role in how successful the Redhawk defense executes.

There was no shortage of intense moments on the athletic fields and courts throughout Southeast Missouri last week, as area athletes prepare for the looming postseason competition.

HAYTI - This year’s rivalry game took place in Indian territory as the Caruthersville Tigers made the trek to Hayti, to face them on homecoming night last Friday. The Tigers came into this game with nothing to lose really, as a defeat would still solidify them as a No. 4 seed and they would still get to host a first-round playoff game in Class 1, District 1...

It’s game week for the Southeast Missouri State football program, but according to seventh-year coach Tom Matukewicz, he doesn’t feel like he has just wrapped up a typical fall training camp.

GIDEON - The first two sets came down to the wire but the Gideon Bulldogs volleyball squad found a way to secure a straight-set victory and its first district title since 2017 Tuesday night. No. 2 seeded Gideon closed out all three sets strong as it edged the No. 1 seeded Bernie Mules 26-24, 25-23, 25-19 in the Class 1, District 2 volleyball championship at Gideon High School...

The 15th annual Kennett Cup turned out to be a big hit Sunday at Kennett Country Club. A total of 68 golfers participated in the event with a total of 180 hole sponsors. Tournament manager Deloris Johnson said the strong support led to over $25,000 being raised at the event...

Throughout the three past football seasons, Dexter had lost 13 of 14 games. However, that negative trend has been reversed in the past month, as the Bearcats have won three of their last four games and a potent run game has been the impetus why.

MALDEN — After overcoming a 21-12 deficit that included four straight game points in the second set, the Malden volleyball team couldn’t complete the comeback Monday in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 semifinal. But the Green Wave didn’t let the momentum they built fade, instead leading the entire next set before closing the match with a long run to beat Caruthersville 25-16, 27-29, 25-11, 25-17...

GIDEON, Mo. - The top-seeded Bernie Mules and No. 2 seeded Gideon Bulldogs are set to collide in the Class 1, District 2 volleyball championship after both squads won their respective semifinals in straight sets Monday. Bernie was the first to punch its ticket in the title game. The Mules led most of the way in each set as it eliminated No. 4 seeded Clarkton 25-12, 25-16, 25-15 in the first semifinal...

Like every other aspect of this global society, the 2020 college football season has followed a predictable path of unpredictability.

Kennett moved up a spot in the final regular season rankings released Monday by a statewide panel of media members. The Indians finished the regular season 9-0, one of five unbeaten teams to earn votes in the Class 3 poll, and one of three ranked teams in the District 1 playoffs that start Friday...

MALDEN — The Dexter Bearcats made a statement in the second half Friday night at Malden High School. The Bearcats defense dominated over the final two quarters, holding Malden scoreless after trailing 12-7 at halftime. They recorded six tackles for a loss after halftime en route to a 34-12 victory...

The Bloomfield volleyball team is confident a seventh straight district championship is within its grasp. The Wildcats (11-13-1) begin play in the Class 2 District 2 tournament against Clearwater (8-9-2) at 6 p.m. Monday at Marble Hill. They closed the regular season with a 25-18, 25-11, 25-22 victory over Malden on Thursday night...

KENNETT - The Kennett Indians football team wrapped up a second consecutive undefeated regular season in convincing style Friday night at Metz Cherry Stadium. Kennett scored eight touchdowns in the first half as it built a 53-0 lead by halftime on its way to a 53-14 victory against the visiting Sikeston Bulldogs...

A veteran Jackson volleyball squad is no stranger to putting together big comebacks. “Last year in the conference tournament we were down 11-0 to Notre Dame in a semifinal and we were able to come back from that deficit to get to the championship,” Jackson middle hitter Hannah Shinn said. “We as a group can get down early but we stay calm, cool, and collected, and bounce right back.”

MALDEN — The Bloomfield volleyball team executed its block to the satisfaction of coach Hannah Dement and held off a late charge by the Green Wave to earn a sweep Thursday night at Malden High School. The Wildcats held the Malden attack in check for most of the match en route to a 25-18, 25-11, 25-22 victory to end the regular season with an 11-13-1 record. Malden fell to 11-14-1...

It took a big rally for Jackson to earn a shot to defend their title in the championship game of the SEMO Conference Volleyball Tournament Thursday at the Cape Girardeau SportsPlex.

CAPE GIRARDEAU — Consecutive kills helped Kennett close out the first game before Melena Green served up a big lead in the Silver championship match at the SEMO Conference Tournament. Green collected five aces during a 14-point run to start the second game and the Indians held off a late charge for a 25-22, 25-18 win over Scott City at the Cape SportsPlex on Thursday night...

High school football season in Southeast Missouri is nearing the end in the Standard-Democrat area. All six of our schools have at least two more games remaining on the schedule. How will Friday’s games turn out? Let’s take a look at that. Sitting at No. 6 in Class 3 in the recent football polls, the Kennett Indians are once again one of the better teams in the entire SEMO Conference...

Records: Sikeston 2-6; Kennett 8-0 Series History: Sikeston leads 59-10-1 Last Meeting: 2019, Kennett won 36-0 Last Week: Sikeston lost to New Madrid County Central 64-34; Kennett defeated Poplar Bluff 41-19. Notes: Sikeston hasn’t tasted victory since Week 2 against Dexter, and the test doesn’t get any easier in their finale when they face state-ranked Kennett on the road. ...

LAST MEETING: Kennett won 36-0 in 2019 LAST WEEK: Kennett beat Poplar Bluff 41-19; NMCC beat Sikeston 64-34 HEAD TO HEAD STREAK: Sikeston leads series 59-10-1 ABOUT SIKESTON: Sikeston beat Caruthersville 17-6 in Week 1, Sikeston beat Dexter 28-21 in Week 2, Farmington beat Sikeston 25-7 in Week 3, Poplar Bluff beat Sikeston 30-9 in Week 4, Jackson beat Sikeston 71-0 in Week 5, Cape Central beat Sikeston 28-19 in Week 6, Potosi beat Sikeston 39-25 in Week 7, and NMCC beat Sikeston 64-34 in Week 8. ...

There was no shortage of intense moments on the athletic fields and courts throughout Southeast Missouri last week, as area athletes prepare for the looming postseason competition. Sikeston boy’s soccer player, Brice Gordon, and Kelly softball player, Ava LeGrand, each excelled in their endeavors and were voted by fans as the Semoball.com Athletes of the Week...

A Kennett High School individual and a Notre Dame doubles team recently competed in the MSHSAA Class 1 Girl's Tennis State finals.