Redbirds sweep Post 369, take over first place in district race (07/03/08)
The Dunklin County Redbirds swept a doubleheader from Scott County Post 369 on Wednesday night at Indian Park to put them in first place in the District XIV standings by a half-game. In game one, Dunklin County (37-7, 6-2 District XIV) scored five of their six runs with two outs en route to a 6-5 victory. Head coach Aaron New was excited about the two-out runs...

Lifting is not just for the boys (07/03/08)
Jerry Jarrell photo A large number of Dexter High School's female athletes are also taking advantage of the off-season weight training program as shown by Katelyn Heil (standing) and Kayle Joyner (lifting) early Wednesday morning in the weight room.

College bound (07/03/08)
Glen Johnson (standing) and Andrew Cato (lifting) can be found most mornings at Dexter High School taking advantage of the open weight room program. Both Johnson and Cato played football at Dexter and they will be continuing their gridiron careers at the college level this year. ...

Big second inning fuels Dodgers in split (07/02/08)
BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. -- The Dunklin County Post 303 Dodgers have made a habit of scoring a lot of runs in a short amount of time this season against the Blytheville Casons. Post 303 put up nine runs in the second inning of the first game of a doubleheader to roll to a 15-4 win before losing 6-5 in the nightcap to settle for a split here Tuesday...

Basketball: It's not just a winter sport anymore (07/02/08)
Teams use summer to polish up their skills

Jackson American Legion statistics (through June 24) (07/01/08)
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Sikeston Race Park results (07/01/08)
From June 28 card:

Scott County American Legion baseball stats (through June 26) (07/01/08)
{http://semoball.com/story/1441472.html Pitching statistics} {http://semoball.com/story/1441473.html Batting statistics}

Catching up with: Fred Johnson (07/01/08)
'Once a Raider, always a Raider'

New Madrid can't fight off Squirrels (07/01/08)
Fifth inning plays key factor in Charleston's 7-3 home win

Sarah Ruff will play softball at TRCC (07/01/08)
Kelly standout will play softball, may play basketball

Catching up with: Heath Willis (07/01/08)
Before he was helping athletes, Willis was one himself -- playing four sports as a senior

Trick or treat? Raiders tip off on Halloween (07/01/08)
By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer After the Three Rivers men's basketball team finished last season with a fourth-place finish after they battled through a tough season, the Raiders are hitting the ground running this upcoming season. The Raiders play fellow National Tournament opponent from last season Chipola (Fla.) in the opening weekend tournament...

Piranhas finish second at six-team meet (07/01/08)
By DAR STAFF SIKESTON -- The Poplar Bluff Piranhas swim team finished second Saturday at a six-team meet. Kennett won the team title while Poplar Bluff beat Farmington by 134 points followed by Jackson, Sikeston and Charleston. Sean Cisne won three events in the 13-14 age division, the 50-meter freestyle in 26.10 seconds, the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:15.28 and the 200-individual medley in 2:29...

The pitch, it's a hit... he scores (07/01/08)
The youth league season is winding down in Dexter, but there was still plenty of action as the last week plays out. Nick McCollough (right) delivers a pitch for Allen Christian Buick Pontiac GMC, while Chance Jarrell (left) of Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home takes a cut at the plate during 11-13 Little League play Monday at the Sports Complex fields. Allen Christian's Nathan Sadler (below) slides home safe as Rainey-Mathis pitcher Tristan Mitchell covers home and attempts to make the tag...

Three dimensional: Jones named Athlete of the Year (06/30/08)
East Prairie senior Tony Jones led Eagles in football, basketball and track to earn Sikeston Standard Democrat honor.

Sikeston Skatepark gets closer to reality (06/30/08)
Equipment vendors will be contacted soon

Apple Creek to be closed until Aug. 22 (06/29/08)
CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Missouri Department of Conservation will be temporarily closing the Apple Creek Shooting Rifle and Pistol range beginning July 7. If the repairs are not delayed by inclement weather, the range will reopen Aug. 22. The Apple Creek Shooting Range is the most highly used range in Southeast Missouri and with more use, comes more wear and tear. ...

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."...

Dodgers rally in seventh, advance at Paducah Invitatational (06/29/08)
PADUCAH, Ky. -- The Dunklin County Dodgers Senior Legion baseball team scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally from a three-run deficit and take a 7-6 win over Ballwin, Mo. in the final game of pool play at the Paducah Invitational here Friday...

New back-nine greens project on schedule (06/28/08)
By JERRY JARRELL Daily Statesman Sports Editor Time flies and it's a good thing for the membership at Hidden Trails County Club in Dexter. The new greens project that has closed the back nine is on track and nearly two weeks into the 6-8 week time frame set before the holes will be opened back up to regular play...

Squirrels unable to get going against Calvert City (06/27/08)
Calvert City takes advantage of Charleston errors

Club soccer program building in Sikeston (06/27/08)
By Andrew Powell ~ sd_sports@yahoo.com SIKESTON -- The FC Sikeston club soccer program will be having open tryouts this weekend at the Sikeston Sports Complex for all kids interested in participating in their fall season. Originating with two teams this past Spring, FC Sikeston played against some of the best competition around as they took on squads all the way from St. Louis to Memphis...

Jackson ends Redbirds' winning streak in split (06/27/08)
One night after scoring 34 runs in a doubleheader against Dexter, the Dunklin County Redbirds were stymied in a 7-3 loss to District XIV foe Jackson before posting 18 runs in the nightcap of the twin bill. Jackson starting pitcher Brett Thomas was crafty in six innings of work in game one, scattering seven hits and give walks while striking out three and allowing just one run to a Dunklin County lineup that has routinely battered teams via the 10-run rule...

Ste. Genevieve roughs up Sikeston Post 114 (06/26/08)
Baker, Hessling and Williams each collect two hits for Sikeston

Squirrels drop close game to Fulton, Ky. (06/26/08)
Charleston strands 11 runners on base Wednesday

Redbirds light up scoreboard in sweep (06/26/08)
The Dunklin County Redbirds sizzled offensively from the outset of their doubleheader with Dexter, sweeping the Bearcats at Indian Park, 19-9 and 15-0, to avenge a June 19 loss. Dunklin County (32-6) started their offensive onslaught in the first inning of game one, plating four runs on three hits, capped by Logan Dollins' two-run double that scored Gage Blue and Adam Grantham to make the score 4-0...

Dunklin County rolls by short-handed Sikeston (06/25/08)
Dunklin County used 10-run second inning to cruise to win

Scott County Legion loses district game to Cape (06/25/08)
Post 63's top two batters go 6-for-6 in victory

Dodgers stay perfect in district play, sweep Sikeston (06/25/08)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- It was a rather lopsided victory for Dunklin County at VFW Memorial Stadium during Senior Legion action on Tuesday night, as Sikeston Post 114 fell 14-3 in a shortened five-inning rout in the opening game of a doubleheader. Dunklin County took the nightcap 13-4 to complete the twinbill sweep...

Clutch play lifts Redbirds in sweep (06/25/08)
The Dunklin County Redbirds used a mixture of clutch pitching and timely hitting to sweep a District XIV doubleheader from Cape Girardeau, 11-10 and 2-0, Tuesday night at Indian Park. In game one, Dunklin County (30-6, 5-1) had to use some late-game heroics to pull off the win after squandering an 8-1 lead...

Catching up with: Joe Blackwell (06/25/08)
Life as a Yankee farmhand: 'It definitely grew me up, but it just happened too quick'

ALL-STATE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL (06/25/08)
The all-state baseball list, as selected by the Missouri Sports Writers and Sportscasters:

Squirrels bats sound off early against New Madrid County (06/24/08)
Miller heads up offense, going 2-for-3 with 4 RBIs

Magruder leads Poplar Bluff past Dexter (06/24/08)
By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer In one inning, Poplar Bluff turned a pitcher's duel into a comfortable 5-0 win over Dexter and completed a sweep with a 13-2 junior varsity win Monday. The Mules (7-4) scored four runs in the fifth on four hits and an error to take command of the game while Donnie Magruder scattered five hits to pick up the win...

Late rally lifts Dodgers to sweep of Casons (06/24/08)
Post 303 picks up 19th win of season

At stake? 'It is like the Olympics, just for kids' (06/22/08)
By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer Sean Cisne used to just watch swimming from the stands, but now he is part of the action. The 14-year old used to watch his older brother at swim meets and said that it looked fun so he decided to try. Seven years later, he is developing into a solid swimmer for the Poplar Bluff Piranhas swim team...

Piranhas make a splash in AAU swimming (06/22/08)
By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer Home turf was kind to the Poplar Bluff Piranhas on Saturday at the Huntington Pool. The summer swim team got first place with a total of 755 points. The Piranhas also had 22 swimmers qualify individually for the 2008 AAU Junior Olympics which are to be held July 23-Aug. 2 in Detroit while eight relays also qualified...

Sikeston's Ferrell named all-state (06/22/08)
Abbi Keefer named to all-region first team along with Jordi Ferrell

Dowdy takes charge at Advance (06/22/08)
The summer off season has brought about a high school coaching change in Stoddard County, but it won't require a major revamping of sideline apparel. Josh Dowdy has traded in his Puxico orange and black for the same colors at his new positions at Advance High School. Only the Puxico Indian logo will need to be replaced with Advance's Hornet...

Brumitt edged in opener at Missouri Amateur golf tourney (06/20/08)
By DAR STAFF O'FALLON -- Ben Brumitt and Tom Barry traded shots for 14 holes Thursday in the first round of match play at the Missouri Amateur Championship. Barry's birdie on the 153-yard, par-3 15th hole changed that as the St. Louis golfer edged Brumitt 1 up to advance at WingHaven Country Club...

Dyersburg State signs Neelyville's Patty (06/20/08)
By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer Neelyville's Jeremy Patty would often go to practices with his father and coach James even when he was too young to play on the team. All that dedication is paying off for Jeremy as he recently committed to play basketball at Dyersburg State in Dyersburg, Tenn...

Three Rivers adds post players (06/20/08)
By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer The Three Rivers Raiders have signed point guards, shooting guards and small forwards, but were still looking for some new post men to anchor the middle. The search is over. The Raiders recently signed 6-foot-10 Jeremy Marrs, who played a year for Southwest Tennessee Community College back in 2004-05; and Aloysius Henry, a 6-9 post player that went to high school in the Caribbean and attended one year of prep school in Maine...

Sechrest, PB native and former MAC coach, dies (06/20/08)
By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer Former Poplar Bluff graduate and Mineral Area head basketball coach Robert "Bob" Sechrest died Thursday. He was 80. He is survived by his wife Eileen, daughter Sharon and five grandchildren. Sechrest graduated from Poplar Bluff in 1946, where he was a member of the Mules football and basketball teams. In 1987, he was inducted into the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame...

Leadership: Hunter, Branum are our Players of the Year (06/20/08)
It seems like Dustin Hunter and Shane Branum have been fixtures in area high school baseball for years. Both have been making major contributions to their respective teams since their sophomore years, so it is no surprise that both of them emerged this year to not only lead their respective teams, but to also be named as the Daily Dunklin Democrat Players of the Year...

Dexter splits games with Dunklin Co. (06/20/08)
Dexter's Josh Overall (left photo) throws to first for an out from his shortstop position while Bearcats' third baseman, Zach Watson (right), applies the tag for an out of Dunklin County's Chris Smith as he goes into his slide during action Thursday at the East Park ballfield. ...

Post 114 unable to come up with timely hits in loss (06/19/08)
Cape Ford and Sons pull out 4-1 victory on the road

All-everything: Watson named Daily Dunklin Democrat Female Athlete of the Year (06/19/08)
Laura Watson has had a storied high school career, to say the least. In her four-year high school career, she has been a key player on two Tri-County Conference title softball teams at Holcomb, helped the volleyball team win a district title as a junior, and has been named the area's top volleyball player by this newspaper the last two years...

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...