ROUNDUP: Sikeston soccer beats Marion, Ill. (04/25/08) Staff Reports ~ sd_sports@yahoo.com MARION, Ill. -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs improved to 7-10 Thursday evening when they beat the Marion Lady Wildcats on the road, 3-1. After a scoreless first half, the Lady Bulldogs wasted little time in the second, scoring two goals in three minutes. Jordi Ferrell was first to connect at the 44-minute mark on an assist from Abbi Keefer. Ferrell would then return the favor to Keefer at the 47-minute mark to give the visiting squad a 2-0 lead...

Oran defeats Dexter on the road (04/16/08) Staff Reports ~ sd_sports@yahoo.com DEXTER -- The Oran Eagles improved to 7-1 on the season as they defeated the Dexter Bearcats 7-5. Steven Dooley got the win for the Eagles allowing three earned runs on five hits and two walks. He also struck out nine batters in five innings of work. Kody Campbell picked up the save...

ROUNDUP: NMCC softball wins two from Oak Ridge (03/28/08) Chaffee and Cooter claim wins in baseball while SHS soccer team rolls on the road.

Rozier's shot secures title as St. Vincent wins 40-38 (02/29/08) CHAFFEE -- Meadow Heights' defense collapsed on Lacey Siegmund, causing a moment of panic. She dealt with the pressure by delivering a perfect bounce pass to teammate Elizabeth Rozier. "I looked up and saw a girl in front of me, and I saw Elizabeth," Siegmund said. "I was like, 'I don't want to take the last shot.' So I gave it over to her. She was wide open."...

Puxico earns shot at district title (02/27/08) Bloomfield falls short of upset

ROUNDUP: Bell City rolls into district title game (02/27/08) Nick Niemczyk poured in 29 points as top-seeded Bell City routed Leopold 81-43 Tuesday night in the semifinals of the Class 1 District 2 boys basketball tournament at Zalma. Phillip Gross added 13 points for the Cubs and Marty Dames contributed 10. Dustin Thiele led Leopold with 18 points. Darren VanGennip added 15...

Saxony Lutheran rallies to end Bloomfield's season (02/27/08) CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Saxony Lutheran boys basketball coach John Daniel credited a halftime suggestion from one of his players for helping the Crusaders reach the program's first district championship game. The top-seeded Crusaders trailed fifth-seeded Bloomfield by seven points at the break of Tuesday night's Class 2 District 3 tournament semifinal at Chaffee High School...

Saxony boys to play for first district championship (02/27/08) CHAFFEE -- Saxony Lutheran boys basketball coach John Daniel credited a halftime suggestion from one of his players for helping the Crusaders reach the program's first district championship game. The top-seeded Crusaders trailed fifth-seeded Bloomfield by seven points at the break of Tuesday night's Class 2 District 3 tournament semifinal at Chaffee High School...

Bell City marches into district final (02/27/08) Nick Niemczyk poured in 29 points as top-seeded Bell City routed Leopold 81-43 Tuesday night in the semifinals of the Class 1 District 2 boys basketball tournament at Zalma. Phillip Gross added 13 points for the Cubs and Marty Dames contributed 10. Dustin Thiele led Leopold with 18 points. Darren VanGennip added 15...

Stoddard County teams have mixed success Saturday in districts (02/26/08) It was a mixed day for Stoddard County teams as Class 2 district tournaments kicked off across the state of Missouri Saturday. At the District 3 Tournament in Chaffee, second-seeded Puxico defeated Richland 48-36 to advance to tonight's semifinal against Meadow Heights, who upset No. 3 Advance 54-50...

Saxony Lutheran, Meadow Heights win Class 2 district openers (02/24/08) The top-seeded Saxony Lutheran boys basketball team withstood a strong challenge from St. Vincent during Saturday's opening round of the Class 2 District 3 tournament at Chaffee. Saxony Lutheran held off the eighth-seeded Indians 56-47 to advance to the district semifinals...

Saxony Lutheran improves to 18-5 with win (02/21/08) Zach Bohnert scored 16 points while Garrett Ruppel added 14 to lead the Saxony Lutheran boys basketball team to an 83-50 victory over Zalma on Wednesday. Colton Bailey struck for 23 points for the Bulldogs (9-13). Saxony Lutheran (18-5) used a 31-point second quarter to pull away...

Perryville girls advance to district semifinal (02/20/08) The Perryville girls basketball team played tenacious defense to advance in the Class 4 District 1 tournament Tuesday. Alicia Kueker scored 16 points and Alyssa Bauwens added 15 as the Pirates downed Ste. Genevieve 45-30. The Pirates advance to face top-seeded Dexter on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Perry Park Center...

Chaffee boys hit 10-win plateau (02/19/08) There's two reasons to celebrate in Chaffee today. The Red Devils boys basketball team earned win No. 10 in a season for the first time since the 1979-80 season with its 54-37 victory over Delta on Monday. Plus senior Andy Hendrix scored 25 points, putting him over 1,000 points in his career...

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...

HS Rdp (02/09/08) Jackson 66, NMCC 55 The host Indians improved to 17-7 behind Spencer Goodman's 22 points. Jackson finally put away the Eagles in the fourth quarter. Marcus Harris scored 16 points and Hunter Grantham added 12 in the win. New Madrid (55) -- Dontre Jenkins 13, Bryan Waters 10, Justin Beasley 4, Kony Ealy 14, Josh Minner 6, Eddie Macklin 4, Lennies McFerren 4. FG 23, FT 7-17, F 17 (3-pointers: Jenkins 1, Ealy 1. Fouled out: None)...

Bell City holds off Clarkton in battle of ranked teams (02/08/08) Nick Niemczyk hit five 3-pointers and tallied 35 points before fouling out late in the game as Bell City fended off a furious Clarkton comeback for an 81-78 victory in boys basketball Thursday. The Cubs (20-2) led by 16 points at the half, but Clarkton outscored Bell City 52-39 in the second half to close the gap...

ND boys make quick work of Kennett (02/06/08) The Notre Dame boys basketball team only needed two quarters to notch its 16th win of the season. Notre Dame led host Kennett 50-19 at halftime when the game was called because of a tornado warning. Ryan Willen led the Bulldogs (16-6) with 19 points. Nick Koeppel and Mark Himmelberg each had eight...

Meadow Heights wins MVC tournament title (02/05/08) OAK RIDGE -- Meadow Heights sophomore Dustin Hubler is well aware that conference rival Zalma is a strong second-half team. Earlier this season when Hubler's Panthers played the Bulldogs, Zalma came back from 30 down at halftime to lose by just six points...

Meadow Heights, Zalma advance to championship game (02/03/08) Zalma, the No. 5 seed, upset No. 1 Leopold, 62-61, in the semifinals of the Mississippi Valley Conference boys basketball tournament at Oak Ridge High School on Saturday. Justin Lemons led the Bulldogs with 17 points, while Colton Bailey scored 12. Leopold entered halftime with a 33-28 lead, but Zalma (8-8) controlled the second half, especially the third quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 24-15...

Kelly girls roll past Charleston (01/29/08) Staff Reports ~ sd_sports@yahoo.com BENTON -- The Charleston girls fell to the Kelly Lady Hawks Monday night by the final score of 60-31. "It was a good game for both teams, but it was a big win for us because of districts," said Kelly head coach Rod McQuerter. "I'm just proud of the girls. They came out and played hard with a positive attitude."...

Perryville girls rout Crystal City (01/29/08) Perryville outscored Crystal City 24-6 in the second quarter to help secure the 62-34 road win in girls basketball action Monday. Ava Johnson scored 16 for the Pirates (15-4) to lead the way. Kendra Schilli chipped in 12, and Alicia Kueker netted 11 in the win...

East Prairie shocks state-ranked Hayti (01/27/08) Staff Reports ~ sd_sports@yahoo.com HAYTI -- The East Prairie Eagles stunned state-ranked Hayti " on the road Friday 66-49. "We are extremely pleased with the way our kids played tonight against a very good Hayti team," said East Prairie coach Matt Schonoff. "I think this is the best game we've played all year."...

Central falls behind early, suffers 56-49 loss to Bluff (01/26/08) Poplar Bluff scored the first 12 points of the game against Central, but the Tigers boys basketball team refused to quit Friday night. The Tigers rallied behind a trio of 3-pointers by Anthony Watts in the third quarter, pulling within 41-36 heading into the final quarter, but the Mules held on for the 56-49 victory...

Bell City, Puxico advance to Stoddard County finals (01/25/08) Top two seeds will meet in Friday night's 8:30 p.m. championship game.

Perryville girls pummel Woodland (01/25/08) The Perryville girls basketball team continued to roll as it earned a 74-27 victory against Woodland on Thursday. The Pirates held the Cardinals under 10 points in three of the four quarters. Perryville (13-4) led 42-10 at halftime. Alyssa Bauwens scored 18 points, while Alicia Kueker had 14 to lead Perryville...

Scott City wins OT thriller over NMCC, 66-64 (01/23/08) The 12th win of the season for the Scott City boys basketball team came in thrilling fashion. Jay Simmons hit about a 30-foot shot with one second left in regulation to force overtime, and the host Rams went on to beat New Madrid County Central 66-64 Tuesday night...

St. Vincent girls pound Kelly 53-20 (01/22/08) The St. Vincent girls basketball team jumped to an 18-point lead after the first half and cruised to a 53-20 victory against visiting Kelly on Monday night. Courtney Besand paced a balanced scoring attack for the Indians (12-3) with 12 points. Jessica Welker added 11, while Lacey Siegmund, Brooke Brown and Elizabeth Rozier each had eight...

East Prairie holds off Kelly for third in Scott-Miss. tourney (01/19/08) East Prairie limited Kelly to three points in the second quarter, then held on for the 73-63 victory in the third-place boys basketball game at the Scott-Mississippi Conference tournament Friday in Delta. Tony Jones scored 33 points to lead the Eagles...

Braves, Rams reach final (01/18/08) It will be a battle of Scotts in the Scott-Mississippi Conference boys basketball tournament title game. No. 2 seed Scott City defeated Kelly 56-52, while top-seeded Scott County Central beat East Prairie 86-59 in semifinal action Thursday in Delta...

Leet stays hot as Jackson boys top Bluff 69-64 (01/16/08) Jake Leet was the hero for the second straight game as the Jackson boys basketball team picked up another victory. Leet poured in 32 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, as the Indians slipped past host Poplar Bluff 69-64 Tuesday night. Jackson improved to 13-5 overall and 4-0 in SEMO Conference play. Poplar Bluff is 5-10 and 1-1...

Sikeston breezes past Scott City 63-36 (01/12/08) Sikeston opened a 20-point lead at halftime and never let up Friday. The Bulldogs ran away with a 63-36 victory against Scott City in a boys basketball showdown. Sherwin Jones hit five 3-pointers for Sikeston. Shae Simmons, who hit three 3-pointers, led the Rams with 11...

Bollinger, Howard lead Jackson girls' romp past NMCC (01/08/08) Cassandra Bollinger scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Jackson girls basketball team to a 69-27 victory against New Madrid County Central on Monday. Ashten Howard tied for the team lead with seven rebounds, and added 11 points for Jackson (8-3)...

Meadow Heights rallies for third (01/06/08) Sparked by freshman Jillian Mills' 3-pointer in the second quarter Saturday, Meadow Heights rallied from a 20-6 deficit in the second period to avenge a loss to Woodland earlier this season. Meadow Heights knocked off Woodland 57-39 in the third-place game Saturday at the Delta New Year's Tournament...

Scott City needs two OTs to knock off the Red Devils (01/05/08) Jay Simmons drained four 3-pointers and had a game-high 36 points as he led the visiting Scott City Rams to a double-overtime 66-61 victory over Chaffee on Friday. "Jay Simmons is an unbelievable player," Chaffee coach Tyson Moyers said. "We guarded him every way we knew how to guard him."...

ROUNDUP: Jackson girls surge past Doniphan for 45-39 win (01/04/08) By DAR STAFF Jackson overcame a one-point halftime deficit and outscored the Doniphan Donettes 8-2 over the final 2 minutes to break a tie and come away with a 45-39 win. "We had our chances," Doniphan coach Jimbo Blackwell said. The Donettes (6-3, 1-2 SEMO) got the game off to a good start and held a five-point lead after the first quarter before the Jackson defense turned up the pressure...

Steffens leads Saxony to 10-point win (01/04/08) Bret Steffens went to work early, scoring eight points in the first quarter, to help lead the Saxony Lutheran boys basketball team to a 57-47 victory at Oran on Thursday. Steffens finished with a team-high 17 points and 12 rebounds. Max Wieser added 12 points and Ben Courtois 11. Austin Kwikkel chipped in 13 rebounds for the Crusaders (9-2)...

Delta among winners in New Year's tourney (01/03/08) The host Delta Bobcats were among the first-day winners in the Delta New Year's girls basketball tournament. St. Vincent, Meadow Heights and Woodland also won their openers. St. Vincent beat Risco 71-22 in the first game behind 19 points from Courtney Besand. Lacey Siegmund and Jessica Welker both added 14 points...

Hornets win tourney's first thriller in overtime (12/28/07) Advance sophomore reserve Matt Ware grabbed an offensive rebound and banked it in with just seconds to go to give the Hornets a 59-58 victory over the Chaffee Red Devils in the consolation quarterfinals of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament on Thursday at the Show Me Center...

Saxony, St. Vincent win in tournament (12/28/07) Saxony Lutheran posted a 86-34 win over Marquand at its Christmas Tournament on Thursday. The Crusaders were led by Garrett Fritsche who netted 20 points and Austin Kwikkel, who grabbed 10 rebounds. Saxony outscored Marquand 25-11 in the first quarter and and 31-8 in thie third, cruising to the 52--point victory...

Christmas tourney Consolation 3: Kelly overwhelms Meadow Heights (12/27/07) By Rachel Crader ~ Semoball.com The Kelly Hawks were able to make big runs early in both halves and record a 78-42 victory over Meadow Heights in the third consolation game Thursday at the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament. The Hawks, who led 14-2 early on, held an eight-point lead at halftime, but an 18-2 run to start the third quarter helped put the game out of reach...

Bluejays christen tourney with rout (12/27/07) The 63rd annual Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament got off to a familiar start for the Charleston Bluejays. Playing the first game of the tournament as the No. 1 seed for the fifth-straight year, the Bluejays rolled past the 16th-seeded Delta Bobcats 97-41...

GAME 3: Jackson overwhelms Meadow Heights (12/26/07) By Rachel Crader ~ Semoball.com The third-seeded Jackson Indians wasted little time opening up a big lead over Meadow Heights en route to a 91-42 victory. Jackson, behind senior Jake Leets's 15 first-half points, led the overmatched Panthers 53-28 at the break and never looked back...

St. Vincent girls roll past Meadow Heights (12/18/07) Lacey Siegmund led the way for St. Vincent, scoring a team-high nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Indians rolled past Meadow Heights 51-30 in a girls basketball game Monday night in Perryville. Brooke Brown (eight points, seven rebounds) and Kelsey Cissell (eights points, eight rebounds) also played well...

Jackson secures road win at line (12/15/07) The Jackson boys basketball team was 19-of-22 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to seal Friday night's 67-59 road win over Kennett. Spencer Goodman led the Indians with 27 points, while Kyle Keith added 11. Ahead 30-27 at halftime, Jackson outscored Kennett 16-7 in the third quarter and then held off the host squad down the stretch...

Panthers pounce on Bobcats (12/12/07) PATTON, Mo. -- Meadow Heights' Tyler Wagner knows that the big inside players on his team are battling injuries in the early stages of this year. The 6-foot-5 Wagner himself broke his foot playing softball this summer. He said he's felt discomfort in the first couple of games...

Woodland boys slip past Chaffee (12/08/07) Three Woodland players scored in double figures as the Cardinals held off Chaffee for a 55-52 road victory Friday night in boys basketball action. Adam Cureton and Jordan King each had 13 points for the Cardinals (3-2), while Kyle Reynolds added 11...

High school honors (12/05/07) Class 2 All-Region Soccer (Southeast Region) Parker Rawdon, sr., forward, Clayton; Scott Belsky, sr., midfielder, Clayton; D J Lambert, sr., goaliekeeper, Lutheran South; Nick Platipodis, jr,, sweeper, Lutheran South;Nelson Dorvlo, sr., forward, University City; Patrick McCaffey, so., forward, DuBourg; Sam Brotherton, jr., midfielder, Affton; Clint Carder, jr., midfielder, De Soto; Alex Haverstick, so, forward, De Soto; Scott Droddy, sr., goalkeeper, Sikeston; Patrick Wulfers, sr., forward, Farmington; Mike Alvarado, jr., forward, Windsor; Ty Williams, sr., forward, Notre Dame; Ryan Willen, sr., Midfielder, Notre Dame; Mark Zimmer, sr., defender, Notre Dame; Ryan Bass, jr., goalkeeper, Notre Dame; Mark Himmelberg, sr., defender, Notre Dame; John Unterreiner, jr., midfielder, Notre Dame; Joda Holloway, jr., midfielder, Notre Dame.. ...

Jackson downs Central in OT in semis (12/01/07) The Jackson boys basketball team overcame a 13-point, second-half deficit Friday night to defeat Central 58-54 in overtime to reach the championship game of the Farmington tournament. Jackson, which improved to 2-0, will try to defend its tournament title today at 7:30 p.m. when it faces Salem in the championship game...

Braves, Cubs to play for Oran title (11/30/07) Nick Niemczyk poured in a game-high 44 points, including six 3-pointers, to lead Bell City past Twin Rivers 93-62 on Thursday and into the championship game in the Oran Invitational. The Cubs will face Scott County Central for the title tonight. Niemczyk went 12-for-12 at the free-throw line in the win. Phillip Gross added 23 points for the Cubs...

St. Vincent girls trounce Valle (11/29/07) Courtney Besand scored 15 points and Brooke Brown added 14 to lead the St. Vincent girls basketball team to victory Wednesday night. The Indians defeated Valle Catholic 67-30 in the Valle tournament. Jessica Welker added 11 points in the win. St. Vincent (67) -- Brooke Brown 14, Elizabeth Rozier 9, Lacey Siegmund 6, Lindsey Waymire 6, Anne Stelle, Jessica Welker 11, Valerie Finger 3, Alicia Zarlingo 1, Courtney Besand 15. FG 27, FT 8-15, Fouls 18 (3-pointers: 5, Fouled out: Besand)...

Central, Jackson boys advance to semifinal showdown (11/28/07) Central and Jackson set up a Friday meeting in the semifinals of the Farmington Invitational with wins Tuesday in the opening-round games. The teams will meet 7:30 p.m. at the Farmington Civic Center, with the tourney's third-place and final games set for Saturday...

Meadow Heights boys collect pair of victories (11/25/07) The Meadow Heights boys basketball team bounced back from a season-opening loss to Leopold to beat Winona 87-81 in overtime Friday and then post its second win Saturday, beating East Carter 74-58. "It felt good to win. We're starting to slowly get back in the swing of things," Meadow Heights coach Tom Brown said after the first victory...

Brown plans to turn shooters loose again (11/19/07) With last year's rebuilding project behind him, Meadow Heights coach Tom Brown is downright excited about the 2007-08 season. "I think we're going to be strong," he said. "When you have height, experience and guards, that's a good start with those three things."...

Panthers reached district final last year in only their second year of existence (11/19/07) The Meadow Heights girls basketball program, in its third year of existence, would like to take another step forward and build off the experience of last year's district final appearance. Mitch Nanney, also the Meadow Heights principal, will guide a team that has three starters who have been prominent players in the program since its inaugural two-win season -- senior forward Amanda Hendrickson and juniors Chelsey Kight and Ashley Doublin...

Jackson spikers squeak by Central in three games (09/12/07) Rivals Central and Jackson squared off in a tight volleyball match Tuesday night, with the visiting Indians pulling out a three-game victory. Jackson rallied for a 22-25, 25-21, 25-23 triumph as the Indians improved to 7-3-1 and dropped the Tigers to 9-6-2...

Davis serves as Leopold's good luck charm in tourney (09/09/07) Leopold placed second in the B.A. Sports high school volleyball tournament at the Show Me Center on Saturday, its best finish since 1989 when assistant coach Sandy Davis was wearing the blue and white Wildcats uniform. "The last time we got in the championship game was my senior year," Davis said, laughing. ...

BA Promotions Volleyball Classic -- Day 1 scores (09/07/07) Friday Night Pool Play Scores St. Louis Notre Dame def. Holcomb 25-19, 25-5 Cape Central def. Clarkton 25-11, 25-7 Bernie split with Jackson 25-14, 25-23 Scott City def. Twin Rivers 25-13, 25-16 Leopold def. Perryville 25-6, 25-14 Cape Notre Dame def. Oak Ridge 25-11, 25-8...

Notre Dame cruises in opener (08/28/07) Notre Dame, the defending state champion in Class 2 boys soccer, opened the season at home Monday with a 10-0 win against Kennett. The game was stopped with about 12 minutes left because of the 10-goal mercy rule. Ryan Willen and Ty Williams both scored two goals for the Bulldogs, while Matt Kiblinger, Trenton Vance, Josh Robert, Chris McMillan, Brock Dirnberger and Nick Wren all added a goal...

ALL-STATE BASEBALL (06/26/07) The all-state team from the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association:

FINAL TRACK HONOR ROLL (05/29/07) Top 10 performances in each event as reported in the five newspapers that are media partners with Semoball.com, through the state meet May 26: (Note: Performances in preliminaries and by individuals in relay meets are not included; only events where an individual is eligible to score points for his or her team.)...

BASEBALL, GIRLS SOCCER DISTRICT BRACKETS (05/11/07) Check out the schedules for the upcoming tournaments.

BASEBALL, GIRLS SOCCER DISTRICT PAIRINGS (05/11/07) BASEBALL Class 4 District 1 (at Hillsboro) Monday, May 14 -- First round: (4) Seckman vs. (5) Fox, 4 p.m.; (3) Hillsboro vs. (6) Poplar Bluff, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 15 -- Semifinals: (1) Cape Central vs. Seckman or Fox, 4 p.m.; (2) Jackson vs. Hillsboro vs. Poplar Bluff, 6:30 p.m...

Oran baseball, softball teams post victories (05/10/07) Staff reports ORAN -- Alex Chasteen knocked in three runs on two hits and Cody Dirnberger collected a pair of hits, both on swinging bunts, as the Eagles cruised to victory. Kody Campbell picked up the win on the mound. Hayti 000 00 -- 0 3 8 Oran 391 5x -- 18 12 1...

Track honor roll (05/10/07) BOYS AND GIRLS top performers through May 9

Notre Dame rallies to down Central (05/10/07) Notre Dame started the day in a 3-0 hole, but that didn't get the Bulldogs down. Notre Dame rallied to tie the game in the fifth inning and scored a pair in the sixth to rally for a 6-4 victory over Central in a SEMO Conference baseball game Wednesday. The game had been suspended earlier in the season then rescheduled because of rain...

Beardslee rips the cover off the ball in Oran's rout (05/09/07) Oran junior Tyler Beardslee had four hits, including a home run and a double, and three RBIs on Tuesday in a 15-5 rout at district foe Bell City. Oran (17-4) had 17 hits. Caleb Seyer had three hits, a home run and four RBIs. Alex Chasteen had three RBIs and Kody Campbell added two hits and a home run...

MSHSAA members vote to expand football playoffs (05/04/07) By BRIAN ROSENER ~ Sports Editor There won't be a separate playoff for private schools, but the postseason bracket for football will expand in 2008. Missouri State High School Activities Association member schools voted 321-92 against a proposal to split the public and nonpublic schools into separate playoffs for every sport except football...

Semoball Girls Track Honor Roll (05/03/07) Top 10 performances in each event as reported in the five newspapers that are media partners with Semoball.com, through April 29...

Notre Dame qualifies trio for state golf tournament (05/02/07) Notre Dame golfers Brett Slaten, Brandon Pleimann and Austin Gelsheimer each qualified for the state tournament by placing in the top 10 at the Class 3, District 1 meet at the Eagle Lake Golf Course in Farmington on Tuesday. Notre Dame, which finished second as a team, missed out on qualifying as a team for state by five strokes to North County...

Chaffee's balanced attack outpoints Saxony Lutheran (04/19/07) The Chaffee boys track and field team used a balanced scoring attack to get past last year's Class 1 runner-up, Saxony Lutheran, in an eight-team meet Wednesday at Chaffee. Collin Dannenmueller won the 400 meters for the Red Devils, Trenton Horman won the high jump and Dylan McAlister won the triple jump...

Jackson hands win to Sikeston (04/13/07) Jackson pitchers walked the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the seventh of an 8-8 game and brought the winning run home with an error in a 9-8 conference loss Thursday at Sikeston. The Indians had a runner thrown out at the plate in the top of the seventh. Sikeston came back to put its first runner on in the bottom of the seventh, but Jackson was able to get a double play to clear the bases with two outs. The final error was the Indians' fifth of the game...

Oak Ridge slips past Panthers (04/06/07) Hannah Sedgwick struck out nine and walked two to lead Oak Ridge past Meadow Heights 8-6 in softball action Thursday. Sedgwick also went 3-for-3 at the plate and knocked in two runs in thewin at home. Meadow Heights opened a four-run lead in the first inning, but surrendered four in the second and two more in the third...

Jackson soccer collects 2-0 win (04/03/07) Jackson's girls soccer team remained undefeated with a 2-0 win Monday at Notre Dame. The Indians grabbed a 1-0 lead midway through the opening half on a Randi Kraust goal off a corner from Chelsea Dale. The score remained 1-0 at halftime. Jackson put the game out of reach with a Bobbi Jo Schlick goal midway through the second half. The Indians outshot Notre Dame 11-5 as Lindsay Poole picked up the shutout...

ND girls soccer runs win streak to five (03/31/07) The Notre Dame girls soccer team won its fifth straight game Friday with a 3-0 shutout of visiting St. Vincent. Destiny Dirnberger scored twice, and Amanda Pleimann added a goal. Mindy Siebert had two assists, Meridith Medlin added an assist and Claudia Brauss had the shutout...

Notre Dame rolls past Kennett in showdown (03/30/07) Luke Moll smacked a two-run home run to lead the Notre Dame baseball team to a 9-1 victory over Kennett on Thursday. Dylan Drury went five innings to earn the win. He struck out three and allowed one hit. Logan Glueck knocked in two runs for Notre Dame (3-2, 2-0)...

Scott City baseball routs NMCC 16-6 (03/27/07) Scott City's offense banged out 14 hits as the Rams rolled to a 16-6 SEMO Conference baseball road win Monday over New Madrid County Central. Ryan Modglin led the Rams (2-1) with four hits, including two doubles, and four RBIs. Cody Carlyle had two hits, including a home run, and four RBIs. Blake Dirnberger added two hits and three RBIs, and Shae Simmons had two hits, including a home run...

Central, St. Vincent fall in tourney semis (03/24/07) The winner of the Noon Optimist Girls Soccer Tournament will not come from the four area squads, as St. Vincent and Central dropped semifinal games Friday at Central. St. Vincent fell to Marion (Ill.) 3-1, while Central dropped a 1-0 decision to Sikeston...

Scott City boys reach district semis (02/27/07) Second-seeded Scott City advanced to the semifinals of the Class 3 District 1 boys basketball tournament with a 70-55 victory Monday night over No. 7 Kennett at New Madrid, Mo. Alex King scored 22 points to lead five Scott City players in double figures. Jay Simmons and Rynn Eskew both added 13 points, while Caleb Estes netted 12 points and Jamie Pinkston scored 10...

Scott City boys reach district semis (02/27/07) Second-seeded Scott City advanced to the semifinals of the Class 3 District 1 boys basketball tournament with a 70-55 victory Monday night over No. 7 Kennett at New Madrid, Mo. Alex King scored 22 points to lead five Scott City players in double figures. Jay Simmons and Rynn Eskew both added 13 points, while Caleb Estes netted 12 points and Jamie Pinkston scored 10...

Saxony Lutheran holds off Chaffee 49-46 (02/25/07) The Saxony Lutheran boys basketball team survived a poor performance from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to prevent an upset bid from host Chaffee 49-46 on Saturday in the opening round of the Class 2 District 3 tournament. The Crusaders, seeded second, shot 5-for-12 from line in fourth quarter. Saxony (22-3) hit 18 of 32 overall...

Perryville boys bow out of district (02/21/07) Perryville's season ended with a 55-50 loss Dexter in a first-round game in the Class 4 District 1 boys basketball tournament at Sikeston. The Pirates (16-10) were outscored 30-19 in the second half after building a 31-25 halftime lead. Rick Dunn and Tyler Bauwens led Perryville with 14 points apiece, and Michael Fritsche added 12 points...

New Salem girls can extend state title streak today (02/17/07) New Salem Baptist of Marble Hill continued its quest for its third straight championship game in the Missouri Christian School Athletic Association Class 2A girls tournament on Friday with a 43-36 win over Training Center in the semifinals at Joplin...

Scott Co. Central upends Doniphan (02/14/07) Drew Thomas, Caleb Johnson and D.D. Gillespie combined for 66 points to lead the Braves in a 74-70 home win against Doniphan in the battle of state-ranked teams. Scott County Central (19-4) entered the game as the No. 7 team in the state's Class 1 poll, while Doniphan (19-3) was No. 5 in Class 3...

Hawks capture battle of state-ranked teams (02/13/07) Kelly's girls basketball team hit 27 of 38 free throws and escaped Scott County Central with a 61-55 win Monday in a match of state-ranked teams. The Bravettes, ranked No. 8 in Class 1, led 23-14 after one quarter, but Kelly (18-4) outscored Scott County 18-6 in the second quarter to pull ahead 32-29 at halftime...

Chaffee boys turn back Oak Ridge (02/10/07) The Chaffee boys basketball team has won 50 percent more games than it did last season. The Red Devils posted their sixth win Friday night, beating host Oak Ridge 60-48. Andy Hendrix hit four 3-pointers and had a game-high 21 points for the Red Devils (6-13). Jerrod Steger added 16 points for the Red Devils...

New Salem's loss in tourney is its first (02/09/07) New Salem Baptist's perfect season is over. The New Salem girls basketball team suffered its first loss of the season, falling 67-56 to People's Christian of Arnold in the semifinals of the St. Louis Missouri Christian Schools Activities Assocaition's conference tournament...

Notre Dame boys claim 20th victim (02/07/07) The Notre Dame boys basketball team notched its 20th victory of the season Tuesday night, routing visiting Kennett 85-47. Ryan Willen poured in 30 points for the Bulldogs, who improved to 20-4 overall and 6-1 in SEMO Conference play. Ty Williams added 12 points for the Bulldogs, followed by John Unterreiner with 11 and Austin Greer with 10...

Jackson's rally falls short against Charleston (01/31/07) Charleston held on for its second tight SEMO Conference win in four days, beating host Jackson 60-58 on Tuesday night. The Bluejays, who handed Notre Dame its first loss Saturday, improved to 17-3 overall and 5-1 in the conference. Jackson fell behind by seven points at halftime but closed the gap in the second half...

Bobcats rout M. Heights to improve to perfect 17-0 (01/30/07) Delta's top-ranked girls basketball team remained unbeaten with a 45-11 win Monday over visiting Meadow Heights. The Bobcats, ranked No. 1 in Class 1, improved their record to a perfect 17-0 behind Ashley Deprow's 10 points. Kayla Seabaugh also added seven points and Sarah keys netted six points for Delta...

Cubs defeat Hornets, win Stoddard Co. Tournament (01/27/07) Nick Niemczyk poured in 26 points as Bell City rolled past Advance 70-45 in the championship at the Stoddard County Activities Association tournament. The meeting was the third between the two teams this season after they had split the first two. But the Cubs (15-4) jumped on the Hornets with a 22-10 first period and stretched the lead to 15 at halftime. The Cubs led 59-32 after three periods...

Notre Dame girls end Jackson's winning streak (01/26/07) Notre Dame's girls basketball team knocked off another area powerhouse Thursday with a 68-40 home rout of Jackson. The Bulldogs beat state-ranked Doniphan on Monday, and on Thursday the Bulldogs outscored Jackson 36-11 in the second half to end the Indians' 11-game winning streak...

Jackson escapes Sikeston with 65-64 win (01/24/07) Antonio Garritano gave Jackson a one-point lead with 1 minute, 10 seconds remaining at Sikeston on Tuesday, and the Indians held on for a 65-64 SEMO Conference win at Sikeston. Jackson trailed 61-52 with 6 minutes remaining, but the Indians responded with an 11-0 run. Jake Leet capped the run with a 3-pointer which put Jackson up 63-61 with 1:45 remaining...

Jackson crushes Kennett with early spree (01/19/07) The Jackson girls basketball team fired in six 3-pointers in the first period to get off to a great start in a 76-18 victory at Kennett. The Indians outscored Kennett 36-6 in the first period and led 50-13 at halftime. Jackson had 13 players in the scoring column and four players in double figures, led by Ashley Charboneau's 14 points. Gabrielle Garritano added 13 points. Lindsay Poole scored 11, including three 3-pointers, and Amanda Peiffer had 10...

Scott City, Oran reach Scott-Miss semifinals (01/17/07) Scott City and Oran advanced to the semifinals of the Scott-Miss Conference boys basketball tournament with opening-round wins Tuesday. The teams will play 9 p.m. Thursday, following the 7:30 p.m. semifinal game between East Prairie and tournament host Scott County Central...

Advance stings Rebs, Gaines dials long distance for Cards (01/14/07) ESSEX -- The Advance Hornets improved to 10-4 on the year and 3-1 in Stoddard County Activities Association play with Friday's 72-55 victory over the Richland Rebels. David VanGennip provided the big spark for the Hornets, scoring 24 points and hauling in nine rebounds off the bench...

Tigers lose lead, prevail in overtime (01/13/07) The Central boys basketball team saw an 11-point fourth-quarter lead slip away Friday night, but the Tigers regrouped and beat visiting New Madrid County Central 59-56 in overtime. Central evened its overall record at 8-8 and improved to 2-0 in SEMO Conference play...

Bravettes upset Kelly, reach final (01/12/07) Scott County Central's girls basketball team will get its second crack at Delta this season in the championship of the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament following a 62-59 upset of No. 2 Kelly on Thursday in the semifinals at Oran. The Bravettes, seeded third, will face No. 1 Delta at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Delta routed No. 4 Oran 59-29 in the other semifinal. The Bobcats defeated Scott County in the semifinals of the Lady Devils Invitational earlier this season...

Close, but Delta still has Oran's number (01/07/07) Oran gave favored Delta quite a battle in Saturday's championship game of the Delta New Year's Tournament. But Kaci Menz made sure the undefeated Bobcats would not fall victim to an upset. Menz, a senior guard, scored 24 points and answered virtually every Oran run as the top-seeded Bobcats slipped past the third-seeded Eagles 43-40...

Jackson girls throw fast start at Dons (01/05/07) The Jackson girls basketball team started fast in its showdown with Doniphan, building a 17-point lead after one period en route to a 63-54 victory at home. "We got a good jump, and we could have put them away," Jackson coach Sam Sides said. "We tried to go inside early and often. In the second half, we just couldn't finish and their defensive intensity picked up...

St. Vincent grabs spot in final opposite host at Saxony tourney (12/30/06) St. Vincent set up a championship showdown with the host team in the Saxony Lutheran Christmas Tournament. The Indians (5-3) completed round-robin play with a 2-0 record by rolling past Ste. Genevieve Valle 62-40 Friday night. Saxony Lutheran also went 2-0 in the round-robin portion of the six-team event. The Crusaders and Indians will square off at 7:30 p.m. tonight for the title...

Crusaders advance to title game in their holiday tournament (12/29/06) The Saxony Lutheran boys basketball team won its second consecutive game in the round-robin portion of its own Christmas tournament, routing Zalma 72-40 Thursday night. The Crusaders (7-1) advance to play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for the championship of the six-team event. Their opponent will be determined tonight...

Story of the year (12/29/06) Women's basketball usually doesn't grab the headlines. What the Southeast women's basketball program accomplished in 2006 -- sharing the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title with Tennessee Tech and then crushing the Eaglettes to win the conference tournament and gain the program's first NCAA Division I tournament berth -- likely would have landed on this list of the Southeast Missourian's top stories for the year...

Chaffee reaches Friday's play (12/28/06) Thirteenth-seeded Chaffee upended the 12th-seed Meadow Heights 65-53 in the consolation bracket on Wednesday. The early morning game got off to a slow start as a low scoring first quarter produced a 9-4 Chaffee advantage. However, Chaffee picked up the scoring pace in the second quarter. By halftime, the Red Devils had built a 13-point cushion. Though they were tested in the second half, they never relinquished the lead...

62nd annual Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament (12/27/06) Bell City, Advance pick up easy victories at Cape

Braves, Cubs set up rematch (12/27/06) Bell City coach Brian Brandtner and Scott County Central coach Ronnie Cookson each felt his team came out a bit flat during the opening round of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament. The squads don't figure to have that problem tonight. Despite Tuesday's somewhat sluggish play, fifth-seeded Bell City routed No. 12 Meadow Heights 80-36 and No. 4 Scott County Central ripped No. 13 Chaffee 69-32...

Jackson girls win conference opener (12/19/06) Jackson's girls basketball team started its conference slate on a good note Monday with a 45-35 win over visiting Poplar Bluff. The Indians had 10 players in the scoring column as they evened their overall record at 3-3. Kelci Keith led Jackson with eight points, and three players had six points apiece...

Perryville wins 'Border War' battle (12/17/06) PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The Perryville boys basketball team withstood a late comeback from rival Chester to win the annual "Border War" on Saturday 45-41 at the Heartland Hoopfest at the Perry Park Center. Chester tied the score in the final 10 seconds at 41-41, but the Pirates were able to hit a jumper with 3.1 seconds remaining and added two free throws to ice the win. Perryville improved to 4-2...

ND boys improve to 6-1 with rout (12/13/06) The Notre Dame boys basketball team had an easy time on the road Tuesday night as the Bulldogs routed New Madrid County Central 76-39. Abe Dirnberger had 19 points to lead the Bulldogs (6-1). Also scoring in double figures for Notre Dame were Ryan Willen with 14 points, John Unterreiner with 14, Ty Williams with 12 and Austin Greer with 10...

Jackson's fast start sinks Perryville girls (12/12/06) The Jackson girls basketball team bolted to a 20-4 lead in the first period and picked up a 65-47 victory Monday night at Perryville High School. Gabrielle Garritano leading nine Jackson players in the scoring column with 13 points. Kendra Schilli and Alyssa Bauwens each scored 12 points for Perryville (2-3)...

Bulldogs complete sweep through Woodland field (12/02/06) MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The Notre Dame boys basketball team needed overtime last year to edge Meadow Heights in the finals of the Woodland Invitational. Despite losing four starters, the Bulldogs had an easier time against the Woodland competition this year, finishing off their second straight title Friday with an 82-43 rout of No. 2 Perryville...

Woodland Invitational (12/01/06) Cardinals outlast Oak Ridge

Advance turns back Kelly in opening round at Oran tourney (11/29/06) Advance used a 22-5 fourth-quarter scoring edge to secure a 67-44 win over No. 5 Kelly on Tuesday in the opening round of the Oran Invitational. Alex Steil led the Hornets with 26 points, and Trenton Moses added 11. Spencer Ayers led Kelly with 11 points...

Bell City falls in opener (11/25/06) The Bell City boys basketball team lost its season-opening contest, falling to Memphis (Tenn.) Central 72-38 on Friday afternoon in the Riverbend Classic at New Madrid County Central. The Cubs, who were runners-up in Class 1 last season, had problems against the Warriors' pressure defense and committed 23 turnovers...

Wagner leads Panthers to 80-77 opening victory (11/22/06) Meadow Heights junior forward Tyler Wagner scored a game-high 37 points in an 80-77 shootout victory Tuesday at Leopold. The Panthers led 37-34 at the half and were able to maintain the three-point advantage through the second half. Both teams combined to shoot 64 free throws and committed 50 fouls...

Run-and-gun Panthers look to defense (11/21/06) By Jeremy Joffray Southeast Missourian The free-flowing style of Meadow Heights' boys basketball team has led to winning records and a national record for 3-pointers. For all the points the Panthers have scored -- Meadow Heights averaged more than 80 points last year -- defensive woes have kept Meadow Heights from achieving postseason success. ...

Meadow Heights girls try to build on JV success (11/21/06) A successful junior high program bodes well for the future of the young Meadow Heights girls program. The present group of varsity players should be much-improved this season following the program's leap to the varsity level last season. The Panthers picked up a pair of wins last year and without a senior on their roster, they will have everyone back...

Three local girls teams christen season tonight (11/20/06) While the high school fall sports season still has two big days left -- the Show Me Bowl football championships will take place Friday and Saturday at the Edward Jones Dome -- area basketball teams are ready to hit the court. Three local girls teams -- Scott City, Perryville and Woodland -- will all start their seasons today. Several other area girls teams will begin play this week, and Bell City, Meadow Heights and Leopold will begin play on the boys side...

Crusaders come up short in bid for third straight Class 1 crown (11/05/06) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Saxony Lutheran's two-year reign as the Class 1 boys cross country champion ended Saturday at the Oak Hills Golf Center, where the Crusaders had to settle for third place at the state cross country championship. Lone Jack topped the field with 71 points, followed by Valley Park with 88 and Saxony with 96. West Platte rounded out the top four with 123 points...

Led by Etzold, Saxony Lutheran captures district title again (10/29/06) The Saxony Lutheran boys cross country program captured its fourth Class 1 district title in four years of existence on Saturday, winning the District 1 meet at Jackson City Park. The Crusaders, who have won the last two state championships, cruised ahead of a nine-school field in the meet hosted by Oak Ridge...

Leopold breezes past Meadow Heights in final (10/25/06) The most serious issue facing the Leopold volleyball team on Tuesday night was how well the Wildcats would adjust to the loss of Jenny Vandeven. The 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter injured her ankle during practice on Monday, when the top-seeded Wildcats had a bye in the six-team Class 1 District 3 tournament at Saxony Lutheran High School in Jackson...

Area teams begin defense of titles (10/23/06) Four area volleyball teams brought home district titles last season -- all in classes 1 or 2 -- and Bell City went on to place third in Class 1. The same four squads enter district play today as top seeds, and again the Cubs lead the way into the postseason...

Saxony boys, Dexter girls win makeup races at Chaffee (10/19/06) Different atmosphere, same results for the Saxony Lutheran boys cross country team. One day after the Advance Invitational was rained out, race favorite Saxony Lutheran came out on top of a five-team field in a makeup cross country meet that was run around the track at Chaffee...

Jackson opens district play with 14-run outburst (10/05/06) Kelci Keith homered and drove in three runs as third-seeded Jackson unleashed its offense Wednesday during a 14-5 victory against sixth-seeded Hillsboro in the first round of the Class 4 District 1 softball tournament at Farmington. Jackson (17-9) had 14 hits, with Keith, Chelsea McDowell, Alisha Craft, Maggie Baugh, Amanda Pitts, Brittany Feeney and Roxanna Miller all getting two. Craft, Pitts and Feeney added two RBIs apiece...

Central tennis stays perfect in duals (09/22/06) The Central girls tennis team improved to 13-0 in dual matches with a 7-2 home victory against Poplar Bluff on Thursday. The Tigers won five of the six singles matches and two of three in doubles. Sarah Ford and Lindsey Pingel won the singles matches at the top of the lineup and teamed up for a doubles victory as well. Brooke Morris also had a win in singles and was part of a winning doubles team with Christen Edmonds...

Central soccer nips Mules in 2 OTs (09/15/06) Matt Hester scored 3 minutes into the second overtime to lift the Central boys soccer team over district rival Poplar Bluff 2-1 on Thursday night. Hester, a senior, was assisted by sophomore Lucian Johnson, who also assisted on the first goal, which was scored by sophomore Zach Zaruba in the 50th minute...

Cubs set sights beyond B.A. Sports crown (09/11/06) Members of the Bell City volleyball team better be ready to get back to work. Cubs coach Erin Hoffman, who guided her team to a third-place finish in Class 1 last year, isn't taking it easy on her players after they won their first B.A. Sports Volleyball Classic on Saturday...

BA Sports scores Sept10 (09/10/06) Saturday scores Pool play/Area teams Jackson defeated Southland, 25-22, 25-5. Notre Dame defeated Holcomb, 25-10, 25-6. Bernie defeated Woodland, 25-20, 25-8. Oak Ridge defeated South Iron, 25-17, 25-17. St. Vincent defeated New Madrid County, 25-7, 25-14...

Saxony soccer triumphs in debut (09/09/06) The Saxony Lutheran boys soccer team posted a victory in the program's first varsity game Friday, beating Webb City 3-2 in penalty kicks during the opening round of the Thomas Jefferson tournament in Joplin, Mo. Saxony Lutheran and Webb City were tied 2-2 after regulation and overtime. The Crusaders then converted all five of their penalty kicks while Webb City made four...

Scott City spikers sweep in debut (08/30/06) The Scott City volleyball team opened its season by sweeping Advance 25-19, 25-15 at home Tuesday night. The Rams, who have won back-to-back district titles, were led by Kacie Ritter, who finished with five assists. Jenni Heisserer had three kills, and freshman Brooke Simpson added two blocks...