Brian Rosener is the keeper of the Semoball Cup which is presented to the school with the most successful season. It is based on a formula that takes into account the combined winning percentage of all sports teams plus bonus points for advancement in postseason play for both teams and individuals. The bonus points are divided by the number of teams a school fields. Rosener has been the sports editor for the Daily American Republic in Poplar Bluff, Mo. since December 2001. He was born and raised in St. Louis, where he attended Lindbergh High School and Webster University. He is married to Jennifer, a Poplar Bluff native, has a son Jack and a dog named Satchel who stands in for his @semoballBrian photo.

Mules fall at Charleston

Posted Friday, February 20, 2009, at 11:26 PM

Donald Dixon scored 26 points and Antonio Riggens added 16 while shutting down Poplar Bluff's leading scorer to lead Charleston to a 72-56 victory Friday night.

The win gives the Bluejays (12-9) a share of the SEMO Conference title with Sikeston as both teams finished 6-1.

The Mules closed the regular season by losing two of their last three games.

Jay Raulston led Poplar Bluff with 15 points and nine rebounds while older brother Riley was held to two first-half points and finished with 12.

Charleston led 40-28 at halftime thanks to a 12-3 run late in the first quarter. Poplar Bluff trailed 20-12 at the start of the second and got to within six, but Charleston put together a 10-4 run and the Mules never got closer than eight the rest of the way.

The Bluejays committed just five turnovers in the first three quarters and shot 54 percent from the field in all, forcing 18 Poplar Bluff turnovers and turning them into 20 points.

The Mules hit 5-of-16 shots in the first quarter and finished with a 41-percent shooting percentage. Poplar Bluff hit just 3-of-16 shots from 3-point range and 3-of-10 free throws.

Dixon scored 10 first-quarter points and added 12 more in the third while Riggens scored 12 of his 16 points in the first half even though the senior picked up his second foul late in the first quarter.

At the MSHSAA Class 3 state wrestling championships in Columbia, Poplar Bluff senior Kelton Thompson will wrestle for a medal Saturday after winning two matches following his first loss Friday.

Thompson lost his quarterfinal match against Ryan Brooks of Warensburg, 7-5, but bounced back with a 5-3 win over Chaminade's Harry Kirchoff and a 3-1 overtime win. Thompson will face Kearney's Dillion Brink with the winner advancing to the third-place match later Saturday. The loser will wrestle for fifth place.

Poplar Bluff's Dylan Janes lost his consolation match by fall earlier Friday.

More in Sunday's DAR

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Sikeston,we couldnt let you have the SEMO Conference Championship out right.We have made a minor change in the line up,which has more chemistry and we have gelled together!!!It took about the whole season,but now weve come full circle.There is no "I" in TEAM,which was the problem i would say at the early part of the season.I know Scott Co.Central is not 40+ points better than us,but they were on those nights and i know we can beat them just like Sikeston,we can also beat Sikeston.Last night we took care of Poplar Bluff and i give all the praise to our defensive prowess!!!But,we want more,WE WANT A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!We still have a mountain to climb with districts and sectionals and then the quarterfinals which could hook us up more than likely with another FRAIZER(COREY) LED TEAM.We have to git there first because our district is second to none.We all agreed not to look past game 1 when the playoffs start and to rely on our "D" regardless of how our offense is going.WE ARE HUNGRY AND OUR GOAL WAS TO GIT THAT SHARE OF THAT SEMO CONFERENCE, TO WIN DISTRICTS,SECTIONAL,AND QUARTERFINAL,THEN TO ADVANCE TO MIZZOU NOT TO SAY WE MADE IT,BUT TO WIN IT!!!!OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO BE RANKED NUMBER 1 IN THE FINAL SEMO POLL WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS!!!GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE TEAMS FROM OUR AREA!!EVERYONE(NOT INCLUDING OUR FANS)SAID THE JAYS ARE BUMS,NOW WE ARE SEMO CONFERENCE CHAMPS!!!!!!!HEY KINGJAMES,WUUZZZZZZUUUUUPP!

SINCERELY,

A PLAYAZ POV

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Sat, Feb 21, 2009, at 1:21 PM
Oh,Sportsfanatic you said on a comment Feb.14 about why do me and 5 other people continue to cry about the no call in the Sikeston-Scott Central game.No doubt it should have been called!!Point is,it only could of helped Sikeston in the long run on how NOT to play "D" in the last seconds.Bets believe in sectionals,quarterfinals,and state,THE WHISTLE WILL BE BLOWN!Especially when its obvious.Car dealerships are not he only ones who need bailing out,Good job REF.

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Sat, Feb 21, 2009, at 1:44 PM
LOL..you kill me!! You are so arrogant it's funny. Yes you TIED as Semo Conf. Champs. WOW!! Now let's see what happens when you get to districts and IF you get past districts! Enjoy sharing the podium with a team like Sikeston, and your 9 losses on the season! Suck it up on the SCC game idiot, you were wrong and now you want an excuse to bail yourself out of a crappy prediction. Keep looking in the mirror and telling yourself how great you are, because no one else will!

-- Posted by sportsfanatic on Sat, Feb 21, 2009, at 2:50 PM
JayJayBlue....please give it a rest. You are giving Charleston a black eye. In fact, you have become so wreckless with your comments that people think that you are the me because of years past. I learned to behave myself on here, so can you.

Yes the Bluejays are SEMO Conference Champs. Who'd a thunk it? (sic) I agree with Jay Jay Blue in that we looked as good as I've seen us look this season except for maybe the New Madrid game. Whatever chemistry Coach Farmer has concocted, it is working. Antonio Riggens looked as good last night as I have seen him look all season.

As far as the SCC/Sikeston game goes, yes Hatchett was hammered and a foul should have been called, but regardless of which way the game would have turned out, someone would have griped and complained about the officiating. It was a classic (just like the Kelly Charleston girls game Wednesday night when McWhirter pulled a Cookson (as documented in Mitchell's book) and sent Hall to line after a different Hawk was fouled. Still, it did nothing to detract from the classic "ness" of the game.

Charleston will have to continue playing well to make it out of their district. At this point, I am convinced that they have "gelled" and will do so. Sikeston, on the other hand, have had a couple of hiccups of late. I DO think Sikeston will win their district, but IF Poplar Bluff beat them, then Notre Dame is perfectly capable of beating them with so much on the line.

This might be the first time ever that I will have to root for Notre Dame---I am growing a bit tired of Sikeston crowning itself "King of Southeast Missouri Basketball" by virtue of its win over SCC. Like the other teams in the area, they haven't won squat yet. Everyone begins the post season 0-0.

-- Posted by bluejay_fan_natic20 on Sat, Feb 21, 2009, at 5:59 PM
While there are still a few Sikeston "school kids" claiming that Sikeston is the best in SEMO on a few message boards, I think that most of the Sikeston fans know that none of the regular season matters once you hit districts. Anything can happen on any given night. So, if the high school kids still get under your skin, they probably do that because they know you still continue to argue back and forth with them on a message board. Especially after comments like the last paragraph. So, I guess if you continue to bring yourself down to their level you will continue to see their posts.

-- Posted by mandm96 on Sat, Feb 21, 2009, at 6:18 PM
What people need to realize is that not all Sikeston fans think that the basketball team is "King of Southeast Missouri Basketball". Trust me I sit by some of those fans at games and I don't like them either. But the Sikeston fans everyone talks about are also at ND, SCC, Charleston, NMCC, Poplar Bluff and every other school in the area. I work with some people who are SCC fans and they still cry and whine about the last play of the Sikeston/SCC game almost as much as JAYJAYBLUE.

-- Posted by Fatboy1972 on Sat, Feb 21, 2009, at 8:57 PM
I almost forgot congrats to the Charleston Bluejays for turning their season around and being conference co-champs. I didn't think that the team that got beat by Cape would be the team at the end of the season.

-- Posted by Fatboy1972 on Sat, Feb 21, 2009, at 9:00 PM
Who has said Sikeston is the King of Southeast Missouri Basketball? That's the first I've heard of that. I've seen some of our younger bloggers say some ridiculous things but what do you expect from 16 and 17 year olds? Is it as bad as JayJayBlue's comments?

-- Posted by semohoops on Sun, Feb 22, 2009, at 11:43 AM
A couple hiccups for Sikeston? Lets see. They've won 15 of 16 with only 4 home games. All but two of those 15 were turbo clock, which was against SCC and NMCC. They had a stretch where they won 5 games in 7 days. Their only loss in the last 16 games was to a fired up PB team on their homecoming when they played the game of their life and Sikeston couldn't stay out of foul trouble. Everybody talks about how hot Notre Dame is. They have a 3 game winning streak and sure they've played well the last three games but I wouldn't say they are playing better or are "hotter" than Sikeston at the moment. Is ND capable of beating Sikeston? Of course, but at this point I wouldn't say they are favored if they happen to meet.

-- Posted by semohoops on Sun, Feb 22, 2009, at 7:08 PM
Very well said, semohoops. My sentiments exactly! Sikeston has to be the favorite going into a Sikeston-ND matchup, but with 16-18 year old kids, anything is possible.

-- Posted by Rocket689 on Sun, Feb 22, 2009, at 7:52 PM
Don't believe Sikeston's win over Charleston was of the "turbo clock" variety.

-- Posted by birdfan on Sun, Feb 22, 2009, at 8:17 PM
Man, I'd hate to be a member of Sikeston's team. They're ALWAYS at a disadvantage. According to several fans, every team they have played this year played "their best game of the year" against Sikeston. Just doesn't seem fair.

I agree with the above posters who said Sikeston is the favorite. Without a doubt, they are.

-- Posted by FarmBoy06 on Sun, Feb 22, 2009, at 9:20 PM
You do have to agree though that most teams are fired up when they play Sikeston because of the huge target on their backs. Not that the teams played the best game of the year, but just the fact that everyone wants to beat one of the best teams in the area. (Notice I didn't say "the best" team in the area. lol)

-- Posted by sportsfanatic on Sun, Feb 22, 2009, at 10:16 PM
That's just not true Farmboy06. Many teams Sikeston has played this year have no played well at all, but I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Sikeston causes them to play poorly. PB played an amazing game, the best I've seen them this year. NMCC played great the other night....also the best I've seen them, and I thought Charleston played a fired up game that night at their place. But when I think of most of Sikeston's other games, many teams did not play that great. I think SCC played pretty well that night. Both teams played great actually. But thinking back to most of the other games, both ND games, the previous two NMCC games, Jackson, Portageville, I thought those teams were not at their best at all when Sikeston played them. So don't jump to conclusions Farmboy unless you've seen all of Sikeston's games and have your own opinion.

But I do agree sportsfanatic that when you have a team like Sikeston that has been one of the elite teams in the area the past several years, most nights they are going to get everybody's best effort.

-- Posted by semohoops on Sun, Feb 22, 2009, at 11:16 PM
This is my Sr. year and ive become a man and if i want to show confidence in a team im apart of,then i will bird_fan-natic20.No its not cockyness,its strictly believing that we could come from the bottom to the top and we have.Let me live in moment please!!!And if we do loose again,it want be because of lack of effort!!Im a man,but im young and i just want to have fun,especially with this site.Most bloggers at the begginng propbably thought i was a 40 year old blogger with a busted dream,but im a teen and im apart of the rich tradition of BLUEJAY BASKETBALL.Some still may believe im bluffing and if i told how many points i had,you would figure me out.I'll just say i had a decent game and my hats off to the bench for coming around too,great job!!!Because without you,we cant git better!!!

And to you sportsfanatic,you may be a Sikeston player or student too,so i understand where your feelings emerge from.But sharing the podium with the Sikeston Bulldogs doesnt even sound right.WE,THE CHARLESTON BLUEJAYS,ARE THE KINGS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI BASKETBALL and we are on the PANEL,of the KINGS OF MISSOURI BASKETBALL(US AND VASHAUN)and until you win a STATE TITLE,shhhhhhhhh!

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Mon, Feb 23, 2009, at 12:26 PM
Bluejay_fan_nactic20,I will see you at Kennet tonight,come out and cheer us on!!!!!I gotta git back to my lesson,holla!!

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Mon, Feb 23, 2009, at 12:36 PM
Vashon cheated. Were their titles stripped?

-- Posted by semohoops on Mon, Feb 23, 2009, at 1:07 PM
Yall just been on here talking. How bout we just wait till district N see

-- Posted by Bluejayatheart on Tue, Feb 24, 2009, at 11:54 AM
Wow, JAYJAYBLUE. I'll agree with half of what you said. You're most definitely young, but you're definitely not a man. A man doesn't get on here and bash people when they said nothing that had to do with them. Also, why should we let you have your moment when you never let Sikeston have theirs after beating SCC? When you can answer these questions with a thought-out, civilized response without CAPS-LOCK or incomprehensible slang, then we may start treating you like a man.

-- Posted by s-town4292 on Tue, Feb 24, 2009, at 9:10 PM
S-TOWN4292'

Who is SCC?

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Wed, Feb 25, 2009, at 2:21 PM
SCC is Scott County Central genius

-- Posted by s-town4292 on Wed, Feb 25, 2009, at 2:49 PM
Yeah,but who is SCC?Im a Bluejay!!

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Wed, Feb 25, 2009, at 4:51 PM
You asked us to "let you live in your moment". I asked "Why should we let you live in the moment if you didn't let us Sikeston fans live in the moment when we beat SCC?" considering that you were on this site within minutes crying about the referees. I can't explain the question much simpler than that. If you still don't understand, then I sure hope you get an athletic scholarship to college because I know you won't get an academic one.

-- Posted by s-town4292 on Wed, Feb 25, 2009, at 5:21 PM
Sikeston beat SCC?The game played for the first time in 38 years will be remembered for the "NO CALL"in the last few seconds.Sorry,thats just from a fan of sports.Or when the New England Patriots went to the Super Bowl undefeated,but actually got beat by the Baltimore Ravens in the regular season.Thanks to the REFFS,The game went to the Patriots!!Look it up on the internet!

-- Posted by DonaldTrump on Thu, Feb 26, 2009, at 9:04 AM
No the game will be known for chase mcclendon almost getting his butt kicked after the game what a dumb kid!

-- Posted by Bums71 on Sun, Mar 1, 2009, at 7:33 PM

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