Sports

At last month’s Babe Ruth Baseball World Series, when the teenage athletes weren’t competing on the Capaha Field diamond, it was a safe bet that they were flocking en masse up the hill at a display of vibrantly adorned wooden bats. “This is a metal bat tournament,” David Keathley said, “and we sell wooden bats. We’ve done very well today.”

For a lot of towns, Friday night lights means high school football played in stadiums with green fields. But not every town. For many of Southeast Missouri’s smaller towns, Friday night lights has a different meaning — high school volleyball played under the lights in gymnasiums on hardwood floors...

SIKESTON — Perryville rallied from behind to snatch a 6-5 victory over Sikeston at the Sports Complex on Tuesday, Sep. 10. The lead changed hands several times, with both teams taking advantage of the other’s mistakes. “We took a big step up mentally,” said Perryville coach Jim Simpson. “The thing that has been holding us back is confidence. Things started going bad and we would put our heads down, but today Sikeston had us on the ropes and our girl really stepped it up.”...

DEXTER – Despite the volleyball programs of Saxony Lutheran and Dexter High Schools being among the more successful programs in Southeast Missouri, as well as the fact that both currently compete in the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 postseason tournament, the two squads aren’t that familiar with each other, as they typically don’t play each other.

DEXTER – The Dexter High School varsity tennis season is not going to be a perfect one any longer, as it dropped its first match of the autumn 5-4 against Farmington on Monday at Dexter High School.

Missouri high school football rankings see significant movement as local teams surge. St. Vincent Indians climb to No. 2 in Class 1 after a stunning victory, while Cape Central breaks into Class 5's top 10.

St. Vincent and Scott City surge in Week 3 high school football rankings after impressive wins. Jackson and Cape Central hold top spots, but big shakeups loom with key matchups ahead. Check out the latest power rankings.

NEW MADRID, Mo. — The "Mush Offense" may not be the most aesthetically pleasing thing to watch, but it's an incredibly effective strategy. Just ask East Prairie coach Ian Penrod, who turned to the simple, yet powerful attack that’s been a staple of his playbook to secure a dramatic 30-27 comeback victory at New Madrid County Central on Friday, September 6...

BERNIE — The Advance Hornets volleyball team shook off its first loss in almost a year by turning in a 25-21, 25-16, 25-14 road win Friday night over the Bernie Mules in a Stoddard County Activities Association contest at Bernie High School. Making the win was even sweeter for the Hornets (2-1, 2-0 SCAA) was picking up a straight-set win over a Bernie team which won 18 games last season and returns many of the players from that squad...

DEXTER - The Dexter High School football squad entered the state’s top teams in Class 3 for the first time in 13 seasons this week, as the Bearcats climbed to a No. 9 ranking. It looked every bit that part on Friday, as Dexter dominated Sikeston 48-7 at Charles Bland Stadium.

There will be no shortage of concerns for Sikeston High School football coach Jim May tonight, as his Bulldogs (1-0) visit Class 3 No. 9-ranked Dexter (1-0) at 7 p.m.

SIKESTON — A 7-2 victory over Marion (Ill.) in its home opener at Bill Lawson Memorial Field on Wednesday has Sikeston off to its best start in more than a decade.  At 3-0-1, the Bulldogs are making a strong case as title contenders and looking like a team to be feared...

COOTER – The Bell City High School baseball program is coming off its most successful spring since winning the third of three consecutive MSHSAA Class 1 state championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

In each of the previous two girl’s tennis seasons, the Dexter High School varsity squad has won just five matches. That number is in jeopardy already this fall, as the Bearcats have opened their season with three consecutive victories for the first time in six seasons. Dexter began the year by beating Charleston 9-0 and followed that dominating win by topping Cape Central 6-3.

The Dexter High School cross country boy’s squad had some question marks entering this season due to having a number of younger runners, who were new to varsity competition.

BENTON, Mo. — Kelly volleyball, still in its infancy, showed glimpses of its potential but faced a steep learning curve in a straight-set loss to Twin Rivers on Tuesday, Sep. 3. As a brand-new program playing just their second game, the Lady Hawks (0-2) gained valuable insight against the more experienced Lady Royals (1-0), a program with three district championships since 2012...

The Dexter Lady Bearcats volleyball team started its season in strong fashion Tuesday night when took a 25-17, 25-23, 25-14 straight-set victory over Arcadia Valley at the Bearcat Event Center. In other action Tuesday, Bernie improved to 2-0 on the season after taking a 25-11, 24-26, 25-12, 25-22 win over Sikeston, while Advance swept Richland 25-6, 25-15, 25-14. ...

The Dexter High School football team began its 2024 season by utilizing all 63 players in its dominating performance at the Portageville jamboree, and that “all in” philosophy continued in Friday’s 57-8 thumping of Malden at Malden. “It was nice to get everybody involved tonight,” third-year Bearcat coach Chad Jamerson said following the win. “Anytime you can get kids involved and get the football into numerous Kids’ hands, that is an alright night.”

After an action-packed Week 1 slate this past weekend, one thing is for certain: We sure did miss high school football. There was plenty of fun to go around in the first week of the new season, with a couple of big names taking tough losses while others made a name for themselves...

In the first release of the Missouri Media Rankings, Southeast Missouri teams were well-represented, including one particular team that jumped into early contention. After a jaw-dropping 53-0 victory over Ste. Genevieve in the opener, St. Vincent becomes the third-ranked team in MSHSAA's Class 1 after a semifinal appearance a year ago...

SIKESTON — Sikeston’s 29-18 season-opening win over Crystal City at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium on Friday, August 30, was a promising start and much-needed victory. While the Bulldogs (1-0) victory over the smaller Hornets (0-1) doesn’t guarantee future success, it does provide a boost of confidence and momentum. The team’s performance on both sides of the ball was encouraging, and it’s clear that they’re making strides under the new coaching staff...

There was a stark difference between the Dexter and Malden football programs on Friday, as the Bearcats have had two-plus seasons to evolve into a very solid group, whereas the Green Wave are taking their first steps toward doing just that in first-year coach Treston Pulley’s tenure.

ELLSINORE, Mo. — Kelly’s bats were hotter than a summer day, scorching East Carter 12-7 in its season debut on Thursday, August 29.  The Lady Hawks (2-0) came out swinging and started the game with six consecutive hits, igniting a five-run explosion in the top of the first. Blaire Riley kicked off the rally with a leadoff double, followed by a single from her sister, Averee. ...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — Dominant. Decisive. Determined. That’s how Portageville looked in its season opener against North Pemiscot on Thursday, August 29. The Lady Bulldogs (1-0) cruised to a straight-set victory over the Mustangs (0-1), winning 25-15, 25-21, and 25-11...

Sikeston kicks off its 2024 campaign with a matchup against an unfamiliar opponent, Crystal City. The Hornets are coming off an 8-4 season where they fell 45-14 to St. Vincent in the MSHSAA Class 1, District 2 Championship game Crystal City has struggled with low player numbers, especially during the offseason. ...