Betts breaks loose as Charleston rolls Sikeston

Charleston's Bernard Betts (1) runs for a long touchdown during a 32-14 win over Sikeston at John H. Marshall Field on Friday, Oct. 24, 2024.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Bernard Betts was simply unstoppable in Charleston’s 32-14 win against Sikeston at John H. Marshall Field on Friday, Oct. 25.

Betts finished the day with a ridiculous 238 rushing yards and four touchdowns on just 11 carries, eclipsing the 1,000 all-purpose yards mark for the season and propelling the Blue Jays (6-3, 4-1 SEMO South) to a dominant win over the Bulldogs (3-6, 0-4 SEMO North) in each squad’s regular-season finale.

“Obviously, we’re all feeling great,” said Charleston coach Justin Hutchings. “Anytime we can beat Sikeston, it’s big for the Charleston community.”

Charleston's Trez Clark (2) runs during a 32-14 win over Sikeston at John H. Marshall Field on Friday, Oct. 24, 2024.

Dennis Marshall - Standard-Democrat

The game began with a defensive statement from Charleston’s DeShaun Henderson, who delivered a crucial sack on the opening drive.

This play forced Sikeston into a challenging 3rd-and-23 situation, ultimately leading to a turnover on downs after a controversial measurement by the officials.

Despite this early defensive success, the Blue Jays’ offense struggled to gain momentum on its first drive, resulting in a punt.

Charleston's DeShaun Henderson (30) celebrates following a 32-14 win over Sikeston at John H. Marshall Field on Friday, Oct. 24, 2024.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

The Bulldogs’ second drive showed promise as the team began to exploit gaps in the defense with a series of effective chunk plays. This offensive momentum culminated in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Pierce Baker to Keane Atkins for a 7-0 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The game's intensity escalated when Luke Gadberry executed a textbook hit on the ensuing possession, dislodging the ball and forcing a fumble. Although Darryl Jordan recovered the fumble, the Blue Jays' defense stood firm, forcing another turnover on downs, this time after the Bulldogs had moved inside the red zone.

“Bend don’t break that our philosophy,” Hutchings said. “At the beginning of the game, we were doing some things that we weren’t coached to do. We got that fixed and we played a lot better. It was just some stuff that we were doing wrong, but the coaching staff got it figured out, made the adjustments and we were good to go.”

Sikeston students cheer on the Bulldogs during a 32-14 loss to Charleston at John H. Marshall Field on Friday, Oct. 24, 2024.

Brody Nall ~ Special to the Standard-Democrat

Charleston capitalized on the defensive stand with Chase Kearby’s 23-yard touchdown run, cutting the lead to 7-6 with 4:22 left in the first half. Kearby's impressive play featured a fake handoff before he charged up the middle of the defense.

“I’ve been waiting on it all year,” Hutchings said. “We’ve known he can do it. Earlier in the year, he was kind of piddle-paddling his feet, but we ran tough and broke a couple of tackles on that one. I was super proud of him.”

As the first half neared its conclusion, the Blue Jays continued to apply pressure, leading to a sack by Keishundrau Orr with 1:32 left in the first half. Subsequent incompletions led to a crafty, well-executed punt from Gadberry that pinned Charleston at its 2-yard line and set the stage for some end-of-half shenanigans.

What followed was a moment of sheer athletic brilliance. Bernard Betts, known for his speed and agility, delivered a breathtaking 62-yard touchdown run.

“That was huge, and we needed that one big time,” Hutchings said. “We started getting it going with the first score, but that really assured the guys that we had what it takes to win this game.” 


A blur of blue and white, Bett’s otherwordly speed and agility allowed him to weave through the defense, transforming the game and giving the Blue Jays a 12-7 lead with just 26.9 seconds remaining until halftime.

Kenneth Holcomb responded with a strong kick return, but another sack by Henderson dashed the Bulldogs' hopes of adding points before the half.

The second half began with Betts picking up right where he left off. On the opening possession, he broke free for another long touchdown run, reminiscent of his previous score, only to have it called back due to a holding penalty.

Refusing to let the call derail the momentum, Betts responded on the very next play with an even more spectacular 74-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 18-7 with 9:38 left in the third quarter.

“[Betts] is a special young man and playmaker,” Hutchings said. “He’s a very important key player for our team. He showed off his speed, but he also had some good blocks.”

Sikeston responded with a 22-yard touchdown run by Gadberry, cutting the lead to 18-14 with 7:28 remaining in the third quarter.

However, Charleston's relentless pursuit of victory was evident as Betts nearly added another touchdown with a long punt return, only to have it negated by a block-in-the-back penalty.

The Blue Jays were able to build to the lead with 5:30 left in the game when Orr recovered a fumble, setting the stage for a short touchdown run by Betts, making it 26-14.

But Betts wasn’t done yet, putting the final nail in the coffin with a 39-yard touchdown run with 2:51 remaining.

“[Betts] is amazing and a different kind of player,” Orr said. “But I also liked how the offensive line blocked and how we kept it 100 throughout all four quarters.”

Joining Betts in the spotlight was Trez Clark, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark with 74 yards on 19 carries.

“That’s big for our guys,” Hutchings said. “They’ve done an outstanding job for us, and our offensive line has been great at allowing them to make those big plays.

“Now, we have to recover, recoup and we ready to go. We have to lock in and not take anyone lightly. All that can only hurt us. We’re going to be extremely focused going in [the postseason] and make a big run.”

Gadberry finished with 19 rush attempts for 139 yards and a touchdown. His relentless effort, even after taking significant hits, exemplified his determination.

Baker completed 9-of-18 pass attempts for 99 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Despite the setback, Sikeston aims to regroup and refocus as they head into the postseason.

“We just have to regroup,” said Sikeston coach Jim May. “We didn’t come out and play very well. There are no excuses. We just didn’t play very well on either side of the ball. We started with some good things, but we had some adversity and we didn’t handle it very well. We let it beat us. We got to get better and learn how to play through.”

Sikeston will compete in the Class 4, District 1 Tournament next week, while Charleston will have a bye before starting the Class 1, District Tournament the following week.

District tournament seeding is still yet to be released by MSHSAA.