High School Football

Truly blessed: Childress named Daily Dunklin Democrat Male Athlete of the Year (06/29/08)
It's hard to believe, but Demetrius Childress's bread-and-butter event track was one he did not like. "It's quite funny because throughout my entire track career I've absolutely hated my main event, the 300 (meter) hurdles," Childress said. "But it's the one that I was the best in."...

Mizzou focused on gridiron for 2008 season (06/19/08)
With the vast majority of their starters coming back from a 12-2 team that ended last season ranked fourth in the nation, it would be understandable if the Missouri Tigers were feeling the pressure of national title expectations. But that is not the case, not if Tuesday means anything...

Southeast Missouri has first full-contact football camp (06/15/08)
Excitement high at first day of contact camp; Coaches feel the event was past due in area

First-ever full contact SEMO Football Camp was way over due according to area coaches (06/15/08)
SIKESTON -- There was a general consensus out on the practice field between most of the head coaches at rainy Sikeston High School on Friday afternoon, that the first-ever Southeast Missouri Area Football Coaches Association full contact football camp was way, way overdue...

Contact football camp is set (06/09/08)
By Josh Mills ~ sd_sports@yahoo.com SIKESTON -- As the temperature rises, sports enthusiasts begin to think -- of what lies ahead in the fall cooler weather. Sikeston head football coach Kent Gibbs is such an enthusiast, as he is taking all measures to have his squad well-prepared for the 2008 season...

Kearbey gets promotion to lead Mules football program (03/20/08)
Poplar Bluff grad and longtime assistant hired to replace Robbins.

Jackson promotes Hitt to head football coach (02/28/08)
Van Hitt, an assistant football coach at Jackson High School since 1979, was named the Indians head coach Wednesday. Hitt replaces Carl Gross, who retired Jan. 24 after leading the Indians to eight district titles over 19 seasons. Hitt, a 1965 graduate of Jackson and a former football player at Southeast Missouri State University, has been the Indians' defensive coordinator for 19 seasons...

Jackson promotes Hitt to head football coach (02/28/08)
Van Hitt, an assistant football coach at Jackson High School since 1979, was named the Indians head coach Wednesday. Hitt replaces Carl Gross, who retired Jan. 24 after leading the Indians to eight district titles over 19 seasons. Hitt, a 1965 graduate of Jackson and a former football player at Southeast Missouri State University, has been the Indians' defensive coordinator for 19 seasons...

Jackson promotes Hitt to head football coach (02/28/08)
Van Hitt, an assistant football coach at Jackson High School since 1979, was named the Indians head coach Wednesday. Hitt replaces Carl Gross, who retired Jan. 24 after leading the Indians to eight district titles over 19 seasons. Hitt, a 1965 graduate of Jackson and a former football player at Southeast Missouri State University, has been the Indians' defensive coordinator for 19 seasons...

Robbins resigns from Poplar Bluff football post (02/22/08)
By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Poplar Bluff became the latest SEMO North school looking for a new football coach Wednesday when Brian Robbins submitted his resignation after two seasons. Robbins was hired Tuesday night by Hillsboro. "It was a tough decision," Robbins said. "I went up and interviewed and didn't have any expectations that I would leave but they gave me a good deal. It was a family decision."...

Get caught drinking, and prepare to sit (02/17/08)
Scott City High School student-athletes caught possessing or consuming alcohol for the first time are punished with a two-week suspension, preventing them from participating in games. Still, two Rams athletes, who play both football and basketball and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor alcohol charges in between the fall and winter sports seasons, were able to continue participating without having to miss a single contest...

Two local athletes pick Lindenwood (02/08/08)
East Prairie's Tony Jones will play football; Oran's Jodi Urhahn will play softball

Former Pirates assistant returns to lead Perryville's program (02/08/08)
Perryville hired a familiar face as its new head football coach. Chaffee assistant coach James H. May III, a former assistant at Perryville, replaces Rick Chastain, who stepped down in December. "I was looking for an opportunity to be a head coach, and that opportunity came open," May said. "I didn't think there would be a better opportunity out there for me than that one."...

Charleston, New Madrid standouts sign letters of intent (02/07/08)
Allen Hemphill and Corey Rowe will play college football for Lindenwood University.

Bootheel standouts do well on Wednesday (02/07/08)
William Cooper gave himself an early birthday present Wednesday. The all-state offensive lineman, who turns 18 today, signed a national letter of intent to play college football at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan. this fall. Kansas State competes in the Big 12 Conference and has built itself into one of the nation's better Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-A)...

Poplar Bluff's Klaproth signs with Southeast (02/07/08)
By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer Poplar Bluff's Philip Klaproth took full advantage of the first day for athletes to sign Letters of Intent to particular programs on Wednesday. Klaproth will be attending Southeast Missouri State University in the fall after he signed his letter in the lobby of Peters Gym...

University unveils plan for $22 million facility (01/30/08)
The Southeast Missouri State University football team finally will have game-day lockers at Houck Stadium. In a presentation to the Southeast booster club before Tuesday's men's basketball game, university president Dr. Kenneth Dobbins announced that the new 300-bed dormitory on campus will house an athletic facility with 85 lockers, training rooms and rooms for coaches on the ground floor...

Sikeston sees change in district (01/28/08)
Farmington replaces Cape Central in Class 4 District 1

Mules' football schedule falls into place (01/28/08)
By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor Bill Caputo compares the day MSHSAA releases the football district pairings to working the New York Stock Exchange. Poplar Bluff's athletic director had just two games set before the announcement Friday that the Mules will stay in Class 4 District 1 with Farmington, Sikeston and West Plains. By that afternoon, Caputo and Mules coach Brian Robbins were driving home with a full 10-game schedule for the next two years...

Gross says he knew it was time to retire (01/27/08)
With the news already reported that Jackson football coach Carl Gross submitted his retirement letter to the school board, the coach confirmed his decision Saturday. Gross said he retired Thursday -- effectively immediately -- from his positions as football coach, track and field assistant coach and science teacher...

SEMOBALL SUPER 25 FOOTBALL TEAM (01/26/08)
The all-Semoball football team for all classifications, as selected by the staff of Semoball.com with input from regional newspapers and football coaches:

Tigers will join Indians in Class 5 District 1 for football (01/26/08)
The annual Central vs. Jackson football game could have more at stake in the coming years. Central learned Friday that the school's increased enrollment has forced its football program to move from Class 4 to Class 5. The Tigers have been placed in District 1 of that class, along with rival Jackson, which advanced to the Class 5 state semifinals last season...

Gross to step aside as Jackson football coach (01/26/08)
Jackson football coach Carl Gross submitted a letter of resignation from his positions as football coach, assistant track and field coach and junior high school science teacher. The letter from Gross, who has led the Indians football team for 19 years, was given to the school board, but has not yet been accepted, Jackson assistant superintendent James Welker confirmed Friday...

Poplar Bluff stays in Class 4 for football (01/25/08)
New SEMO North member Farmington replaces Cape Central in Class 4 District 1.