Sikeston crushes Fredericktown 8-0 in dominant home finale

Sikeston’s Jeremiah Wade (13) competes during an 8-0 win over Fredericktown at Bill Lawson Memorial Field on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

SIKESTON — Sikeston closed out its home season with a ruthless 8-0 demolition of Fredericktown at Bill Lawson Memorial Field on Monday, Oct. 28. 

The Bulldogs (12-6-1) dominated from the opening whistle, overwhelming their opponents with relentless pressure and clinical finishing. The Blackcats (5-13-0)  struggled to contain the onslaught, as the mercy rule was invoked early in the second half, highlighting the sheer dominance of the home side.

“We were pateince and postiive,” said Sikeston coach Gabe Dement. “The possession was where everything was generated from. We kept things simple with easy passes, attacking and taking guys off the dribble when necessary, and knowing the right time to do things.”

Sikeston's Chris Artis Jr. (11) stops on a dime during an 8-0 win over Fredericktown at Bill Lawson Memorial Field on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Jaden Johnson opened the scoring with a goal off an assist from PJ Farmer, setting the tone for the match with 26:26 left in the first half. Keith Branson followed with two consecutive goals, the first assisted by Johnson and the second by Will Sims, pushing the lead to 3-0 with 10:53 remaining in the half.

“It took us a little while to get going on the attack,” Dement said. “But we were generating several chances to start the match.”

Sikeston’s relentless attack continued with four more goals in the final 10 minutes of the first half. Johnson netted his second goal with 9:38 left, followed by Tristan Wiggins scoring off a Branson assist with 5:17 remaining. Farmer then found the back of the net with an assist from Wiggins at 2:31, and Branson capped off the half with his third goal, assisted by Farmer, with just 40.4 seconds left.

“The last couple of games we’ve had very unselfish play with a family-like atmosphere,” Dement said. 

The Bulldogs started the second half with a clear objective: to inflict the mercy rule. With the lead already at 7-0, Sikeston took the opportunity to experiment with their lineup, moving defenders into attacking positions and vice versa. Several reserve players were also given valuable minutes to gain experience.

The final goal of the game came from Wiggins, who scored an unassisted goal with 29:07 remaining in the second half, sealing the 8-0 victory and bringing the curtain down on Sikeston’s dominant home season.

The Bulldogs will travel to St. Pius X (5-11-0) on Wednesday for the final regular-season finale.

Following that, Sikeston will shift their focus to the postseason. As the No. 4 seed in the Class 4, District 1 Tournament, they will face No. 5 seed Cape Central (9-8-0) on Saturday, Nov. 2, at Farmington High School.

“They’ve proven they can play with the best teams in this district,” Dement said. “The focus level and belief are higher this year.  However, Cape Central will be looking for that slight upset on Saturday.  They have the ability and players, but hopefully, our guys come ready.”