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Jadis Jones, Handley McAtee win Athlete of the Year at 2024 Semoball Awards
Saturday, July 13, 2024
New Madrid graduate Jadis Jones, left, and Kennett senior Handley McAtee pose with the Male and Female Athlete of the Year Awards at the 2024 Semoball Awards, presented by Mercy, on Friday. July 12, at La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau.
Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com
The 11th Annual Semoball Awards, presented by Mercy, was the night when the last high school athletic year ended and the upcoming year began.
Many finalists and winners had already said goodbye to their high school past and moved on to the next phase of their life journey. For them, Friday night at La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau was a reunion with friends and rivals alike.
For New Madrid County Central graduate Jadis Jones, Friday capped a legendary high school career. A star and highly touted recruit in both basketball and football, Jones got to stand alongside former MLB and NFL player Brian Jordan, as he won his second straight Male Athlete of the Year award and third straight Boys Basketball Player of the Year award.
Kennett senior Handley McAtee accepts the Mercy Female Athlete of the Year Award from keynote speaker Brian Jordan and Mercy Southeast Communities President Ryan Geib at the 2024 Semoball Awards, presented by Mercy, on Friday. July 12, at La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau.
Semoball.com
Both Male and Female Athlete of the Year Award was presented by Mercy.
Jones was one of the most dominant basketball players in Missouri. He led the Eagles to their second consecutive Class 3 State Championship, averaging 27.1 points, 12 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 3.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game. He entered his senior season on the gridiron having already committed to Coastal Carolina, before racking up 1,043 yards and 18 touchdowns to lead New Madrid to a conference championship. He later decided to stick to basketball and is set to play collegiately upstate at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo.
Handley McAtee of Kennett was named Female Athlete of the Year for winning the Girls Tennis Player of the Year alongside Holcomb's Claire Bean. The duo, who won the girls tennis award last year, won their second-consecutive state championship as partners with a 34-0 doubles record. McAtee also went 13-0 in singles. In the spring, she was also a finalist in softball, having led the Lady Indians to a runner-up finish at the Missouri Class 2 State Championships. McAtee posted a 1.88 ERA with 156 strikeouts and a 16-3 record on the mound, while also breaking two state batting records, with 78 hits, 27 doubles, and 44 RBIs.
"I just think that hard work definitely pays off,” McAtee said. “I definitely put a lot of work into both of these sports and it's kind of been my whole life. I grew up playing sports. That's kind of all I know and I think that for it all to come together for this moment is so special and I hold it very close to my heart."
New Madrid graduate Jadis Jones accepts the Male Athlete of the Year Award from keynote speaker Brian Jordan and Mercy Southeast Communities President Ryan Geib at the 2024 Semoball Awards, presented by Mercy, on Friday. July 12, at La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau.
Semoball.com
For her and many underclassmen like her returning for another year in high school, the Semoball Awards is a sign of a brighter future to come.
As Jordan said in his speech, "If you believe, you can achieve."
As the keynote speaker, Jordan shared three goals that he has lived by throughout his life.
“My three goals are education first, stay out of trouble by picking the right kids to be around, like-minded like yourself,” Jordan said. “My third goal was just to outwork every kid your age, always be early to practice and leave late.”
Semoball Award Winners
Boys Soccer: Bryce Sides, Notre Dame
Girls Soccer: Camille Richey, Saxony Lutheran
Football Offense, presented by Cook, Barkett, Ponder & Wolz: Jamarion Smith, Portageville
Football Defense, presented by My Daddy's Cheesecake: Drake Robinson, St. Vincent
Boys Swimming: Phineas Theall, Cape Central
Girls Swimming, presented by Cook, Barkett, Ponder & Wolz: Sydney Ringwald, Cape Central
Boys Tennis: Thomas Southard & Charlie West, Notre Dame
Girls Tennis: Handley McAtee & Claire Bean, Kennett-Holcomb
Baseball: Mason Adams, Portageville
Softball, Sponsored by Crader Distributing and your local STIHL dealers: Maleigh Lemings, Holcomb
Boys Track & Field: Darius Graham, Poplar Bluff
Girls Track & Field: Amya Bills, New Madrid
Boys Cross Country: Reed Layton, Woodland
Girls Cross Country: Lauren Eftink, Notre Dame
Boys Golf: Landon Barks, Poplar Bluff
Girls Golf: Alana Gilbert, Jackson
Boys Basketball: Jadis Jones, New Madrid
Girls Basketball: Addison Nichols, Delta
Boys Wrestling: Landon Vassalli, Jackson
Girls Wrestling: Ellie Douglass, Sikeston
Girls Volleyball: Lexi Hoffman, Advance
Boys Volleyball: Luke Eggemeyer, Saxony Lutheran
Male Scholar-Athlete, presented by The Bank of Missouri: Asher Britt, Scott County Central
Female Scholar-Athlete presented by The Bank of Missouri: Madilyn Asher, Bell City
Comeback Athlete of the Year, presented by the St. Louis Cardinals: John-Paul Sauer, Jackson
Coach of the Year, presented by SEMO ESPN: Ryan Layton, Woodland
Best Fans, presented by rustmedia: Puxico Indians
Semoball Cup: Woodland Cardinals
The Semoball Awards are presented by Mercy 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.