Sports

Two Southeast Missouri area lady wrestlers took home the gold medal in the Tiger Classic girls wrestling tournament on Friday, Dec. 20, at the Tiger Field House in Cape Girardeau. Reining Semoball Awards Girls Wrestler of the Year Ellie Douglass of Sikeston won first place in the 100-pound weight class by defeating Northwestern's Abigail Sehnert in a second-period pin...

DEXTER, Mo. — It was an uncharacteristic night for Sikeston and a redemptive one for Dexter.  Just two weeks removed from an 18-point loss in the third-place game of the SEMO Conference Tournament, the Lady Bearcats (3-3) turned the tables with a 52-42 victory over the Lady Bulldogs (4-5) at The Bearcat Event Center on Thursday, Dec. 19. ...

ORAN, Mo. — East Prairie needed a minute to heat up Tuesday night at Oran, but once it did, there was no stopping the visitors in a 68-41 dismantling of the home team.  “We came out a little sluggish after being off for a week,” said East Prairie coach Gary Scott. “It took us a while to get going, and we played much better in the second half.  It was good to get a big conference win on the road.”...

BELL CITY –Bernie took advantage of a beleaguered Bell City squad on Thursday and came away with an impressive 64-51 road win in varsity boy’s basketball action at Bell City High School.

Every year, the Jackson wrestling team spends the first month of the season compressed with major home duel meets and tournaments that span 30 teams. As the cream of the Southeast Missouri wrestling crop, the upperclassmen are always well-positioned to stand out and make a run at the state championships. An Indian has won the Semoball Award for Wrestler of the Year in each of the previous three years...

Life comes fast to everyone, and the Bell City varsity boy’s basketball program is no exception to that.

DEXTER — The 2024 Charles Bland Award winner is Caden Lee. Since 1994, the Charles Bland Award has been awarded to the most rounded senior Bearcat football player who excels on and off the field. The award is designated for an individual who contributes significantly to their school, community and classmates...

ESSEX – Midway through the third quarter of its varsity boys basketball game against Dexter on Monday, the Richland squad was in some degree of trouble.

SIKESTON — Sikeston didn’t just win the SEMO Conference Championship on Friday — it left no doubt about which program owns the tournament. With a 90-52 win over Cape Central, the Bulldogs (6-0) set records for the most points scored and the largest margin of victory in a title game. The win marked a second consecutive championship and 10th overall, more than the combined total of the rest of the teams in the conference. ...

When third-year Dexter High School football coach Chad Jamerson would watch Bearcat sophomore defensive back Jaxon Miller soar through opposing offenses in pursuit of making one of the 66 defensive stops that he made this fall, it surely brought a smile to his face. However, if Jamerson watched Miller “soar” away from the gridiron, though he would surely be proud, it might make him slightly nervous.

On Sunday, the SEMO men’s basketball team defeated NAIA opponent the Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College Pomeroys (SMWC) 93-56 at the Show Me Center. Led by Brendan Terry’s 17 points the Redhawks' offense rolled with five players scoring in double figures. Despite being an NAIA school the Pomeroys put up a good fight for the first ten minutes of the game before the Redhawks extended the lead...

When a football team outscores its opposition throughout a 12-game season by nearly 30 points per game, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that it earns a lot of victories (11 in the case of the Dexter High School squad this fall) and accolades.

The Puxico Indians are the top seed at this year’s Bloomfield Christmas Tournament. The Indians are 5-0 this season and are winning their games by an average of 26.8 points. Three of Puxico's five wins are by 35 points or more. The East Prairie Eagles, who finished second at last year's Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, are the No. 2 seed, with Dexter, Bernie, Kennett, Risco, Van Buren and Richland rounding out the top eight seeds...

SIKESTON — Sikeston didn’t just win the SEMO Conference Championship on Friday — it left no doubt about which program owns the tournament. With a 90-52 win over Cape Central, the Bulldogs (6-0) set records for the most points scored and the largest margin of victory in a title game. The win marked a second consecutive championship and 10th overall, more than the combined total of the rest of the teams in the conference. ...

CHAFFEE, Mo. —  Sikeston turned a physical battle into opportunities at the free-throw line, clinching a 63-58 victory over Woodland in the third-place game of the Chaffee Lady Red Lady Invitational on Thursday.  Landri Hammontree was the driving force behind the win, pouring in 35 points, as the Lady Bulldogs (4-4) capitalized on their ability to attack the basketball and draw contact throughout the contest...

SIKESTON — By the time Notre Dame realized what hit it, the damage was done, as Sikeston applied a defensive stranglehold in the first half of the SEMO Conference Tournament Semifinal on Thursday at the Field House, laying the groundwork for a convincing 70-45 victory. ...

Doniphan, Neelyville, Portageville and East Carter are the top four seeds at the Lady Royals Christmas Classic, which tips off next Saturday (Dec. 21) at Twin Rivers High School in Broseley. Top-seeded Doniphan and No. 2 Neelyville have first-round byes...

SIKESTON – The Poplar Bluff High School boys basketball squad starts just two seniors and its key reserves are a junior and a sophomore, but the Mules played more like a seasoned group on Wednesday, as the Mules held off a rallying Dexter team 43-38 in the consolation semifinal round of the SEMO Conference Boys Basketball Tournament at the Sikeston Field House.

SIKESTON — Patience may not be a trademark, but Sikeston showed plenty of it before speeding up the game and outclassing Dexter in the opening of the SEMO Conference on Tuesday, Dec. 10.  Led by cousins PJ Farmer and Marquel Murray, the top-seeded Bulldogs (4-0) transformed a grind into a 79-37 statement win over the eighth-seeded Bearcats (3-1).  ...

SIKESTON — In a game that could have easily swung the other way, Cape Central narrowly escaped an upset by Charleston, clinching a victory in the opening round of the SEMO Conference Tournament on Monday, Dec. 9.  The seventh-seeded Blue Jays (1-3) were a constant threat, but ultimately it was the second-seeded Tigers’ (3-1) transition offense and ability to capitalize on clutch runs that secured the 62-56 win. ...

SIKESTON — Charleston had Kennett on the ropes, but the second half told a different story.  Fueled by an unrelenting will to win, the ninth-seeded Indians (2-3) roared back to claim a dramatic 77-74 win over the seventh-seeded Blue Jays (1-4) in the consolation bracket of the SEMO Conference Tournament at the Field House on Tuesday, Dec. 10. ...

SIKESTON — Jackson fended off an upset bid from New Madrid County Central, weathering a late surge to survive and advance, 43-39, in the opening round of the SEMO Conference at the Field House on Monday, Dec. 9.  Deck leads Jackson past NMCC in hard-fought battle...

Third-year Bell City High School varsity boy’s basketball coach Luke Bixler implored his Cub players during the recent Oran Invitational Tournament to remain focused throughout the 32 minutes of each game.

SIKESTON – The Dexter High School boys basketball squad showed the ability on Monday that it could easily separate itself from Kennett in the opening round of the SEMO Conference Boy’s Basketball Tournament at the Sikeston Field House.

The Poplar Bluff girls basketball team held its home opener on Monday — and there wasn’t much to complain about for Lady Mules fans as the team took care of Bloomfield/Richland 66-20. “We played really good defense,” Poplar Bluff coach Soley Dugas said. “We came together and communicated really well. There are just a few little things that we’ve been trying to emphasize and it goes to show that once those little things come together good things happen as it did tonight.”...