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Mercy is the presenting sponsor of the Semoball Awards, the area’s premier awards show recognizing student-athletes and coaches in Southeast Missouri.
Breaking: Semoball Awards fall sports finalists announced
Monday, February 26, 2024
The Jackson Indians won the 2023 Semoball Cup Award on Friday, July 14 in La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau. This year's event will be held Friday, 12.
Tony Capobianco ~ Southeast Missourian
The Semoball Awards finalists for fall sports were announced Monday morning on a selection show broadcast live on SEMO ESPN Radio and streamed on the Semoball.com Facebook page.
The finalists were selected by a sports panel made up of representatives from the Southeast Missourian, Standard Democrat, Dexter Statesman, Daily American Republic and Delta Dunklin Democrat.
The Semoball Awards, presented by Mercy Hospital Southeast, returns to LaCroix Church on July 12 for an in-person, first-class, unforgettable red-carpet awards show featuring the presentation of 28 awards and recognition of the Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
The event features a celebrity keynote speaker with some of the biggest names in sports having made appearances. Previous speakers include: two-time ESPY winner Kyle Maynard, softball great Jennie Finch, NFL player and TV analyst Mark Schlereth, World Series MVP David Eckstein, WNBA player Lisa Leslie, former pitcher and current broadcaster Rick Horton, former MLB relief pitcher Andrew Miller, comedian Mike Goodwin and Kansas City Chiefs mascot Dan Meers.
The Semoball Awards are presented by Mercy Hospital Southeast and brought to you by official bank sponsor The Bank of Missouri and title sponsors SEMO ESPN Radio, the St. Louis Cardinals, rustmedia and your local newspaper.
"We're excited to kick off this year's selection of Semoball Awards finalists," said Lucas Presson, assistant publisher and general manager of the Southeast Missourian. "Southeast Missouri has some tremendous student-athletes doing tremendous things on the field and in the classroom. The Semoball Awards is a unique experience to celebrate those achievements with an unforgettable experience."
Presson also noted a word of thanks to this year's sponsors.
"We're thankful for our tremendous group of sponsors who make the Semoball Awards possible," Presson said. "These organizations represent the region well and are invested in the success of the region."
Guests take photos with the Semoball Awards signage at the 2023 event held at La Croix Church. This year's show will be held Friday, July 12.
Tony Capobianco ~ Southeast Missourian
Fall highlights
The 2023 football season saw two teams finish in the state semifinals. St. Vincent won their first district championship in 14 years. The Indians were led by finalists Christian Schaaf, John Schwartz, and Drake Robinson, who led the area with 173 tackles. Cape Central returned to the state semifinals behind the running back duo of finalists Zai’Aire Thomas and Keyshawn Boyd who set school records for rushing touchdowns (34) and yards (2,238) in a season.
Woodland boys' cross country won the Class 2 state championships, led by the brotherly duo of Calvin and Reed Layton, who also won the individual race. The Cardinals also finished second in the girls' state meet.
The volleyball season saw plenty of schools win district titles, but only one team finished on top of the mountain. Advance, led by Lexi Hoffman, won its second straight state championship. It was also the Hornets' fifth in the last six years.
Chaffee, led by an assortment of underclassmen, went all the way to the fall softball Class 2 championship game. The Red Devils came up short but their second-place finish is their highest in school history. The finalists for that sport will not be announced until the conclusion of the spring softball season.
Football-Offense
Jamarion Smith, Portageville
Keyshawn Boyd, Cape Central
Zai’Aire Thomas, Cape Central
Mark Panagos, Scott City
Tyson Underwood, Scott City
Jadis Jones, New Madrid County Central
Adrian Fox, Jackson
Connor Marcum, East Prairie
Christian Schaaf, St. Vincent
Kai Crowe, Jackson
Football-Defense
Drake Robinson, St. Vincent
Logan Hite, Poplar Bluff
Mason Adams, Portageville
Rhyder Williams, Dexter
John Schwartz, St. Vincent
Levi McKinnie, Chaffee
Kaleb Huber, Perryville
Reid Landers, Jackson
Detravion Gorman, Sikeston
Jason Jones, New Madrid County Central
Girls Golf
Olivia Thetford, Poplar Bluff
Grayson Maurer, Notre Dame
Alana Gilbert, Jackson
Elizabeth Barnette, Notre Dame
Julia Schlitt, Jackson
Girls Tennis
Bean & McAtee, Kennett/Holcomb
Hillin & Haley, Saxony Lutheran
Galati & Mungee, Notre Dame
Christi Tejada, Kennett/Holcomb
Kaitlyn Booker, Poplar Bluff
Boy’s Swimming
Phineas Theall, Cape Central
Wade LaValle, Jackson
Kaiden Cracraft, Notre Dame
Carson Todd, Poplar Bluff
Thomas Hasz, Saxony Lutheran
Boys Cross Country
Bryce Gentry, Jackson
Reed Layton, Woodland
Calvin Layton, Woodland
Cameron Bell, Dexter
Carter Hennemann, St. Vincent
Jaxson Houf, Van Buren
Brock Hobeck, Oak Ridge
Jackson Unterreiner, St. Vincent
Ty Wilson, Oak Ridge
Ben Dowdy, Dexter
Girls Cross Country
Lauren Eftink, Notre Dame
Faith Rouggly, Woodland
Katelyn Nichols, East Carter
Aliyah Miller, East Carter
Annika Barks, Jackson
Presley Ridings, Woodland
Myra Roth, Saxony Lutheran
Ziah Been, Van Buren
Lilly Coy, Notre Dame
Logan Schiwitz, Scott City
Soccer
Bryce Sides, Notre Dame
Diego Chahin, Notre Dame
Luke Eggemeyer, Saxony Lutheran
Aden Garris, Perryville
Aiden McMinn, Jackson
Braden Thompson, Jackson
Preston Schlichting, Cape Central
Tristan Wiggins, Sikeston
Colten Palma, Poplar Bluff
PJ Farmer, Sikeston
Volleyball
Lexi Hoffman, Advance
Reagan Howe, Oak Ridge
Holland Guilliams, Jackson
Emersyn Pitts, St. Vincent
Bree Winchester, Clarkton
Chloe Hendrix, Holcomb
Jayla Weddington, Portageville
Angela Dobbins, Malden
Ramsey Spinks, Scott City
Madison Jines, Bell City