Basketball

Arguably considered the best-ever to come from Sikeston High School, Fred Thatch certainly made a strong case for it. The Saint Louis University commit averaged 21.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.4 steals for a Sikeston team that finished 27-3 and reached the state semifinals for the second time in his career. ...

More times than not, Chaylea Mosby couldn’t be contained. The high-scoring guard averaged 26.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for a Dexter girls basketball team that finished 23-6 after climbing to the Class 4 quarterfinal round for the third straight year...

SIKESTON — The honors continue to pour in for Sikeston’s Fred Thatch. The Saint Louis University commit was named USA TODAY High School SportsAmerican Family Insurance ALL-USA Missouri Boys Basketball Team today. Thatch, a first team member, was named Class 4 Player of the Year after averaging 21.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.4 steals a game for the Bulldogs (27-3), who reached the Class 4 state semifinals.’...

KENNETT, Mo. - The Kennett Indians varsity baseball team ended its week on a high note Friday afternoon. Kennett finished the week 2-2 after it hit a pair of home runs in the final innings to edge Greene County Tech, Ark., 3-2. The Indians trailed 1-0 after one inning and 2-1 after the top of the fourth inning. ...

DEXTER, Mo. – Josh Dowdy never thought he’d leave coaching behind. He has paced the sidelines as both a head and assistant basketball coach for over a decade and recently pushed the Dexter boys basketball team into better times. But the perfect opportunity came calling. And even though the fourth-year Dexter coach made the difficult decision to hang up his whistle, the chance to influence his hometown school on a bigger scale was too good of an opportunity to pass up...

The Kennett Indians Special Olympics team consisting of 3rd - 8th grade athletes will be hosting the First Annual Special Olympics Basketball Exhibition Tournament in Kennett. The event will be held on Saturday, April 7th, and will be held at the Kennett Middle School gym...

Kirk Boeller is Notre Dame through and through, and that's just the kind of person the Bulldogs like to have leading their programs. On Wednesday, Boeller was announced as the next varsity head coach of girls basketball at Notre Dame, replacing Renee Peters after she stepped down last month...

Saxony Lutheran girls basketball senior Addison Beussink was tabbed as a Class 3 all-state selection by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association on Wednesday, headlining a group of local honorees. On the girls side, Oran's Leah Cauble earned all-state honors in Class 2, in addition to being named the Scott-Mississippi Conference Player of the Year...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — There were plenty of sequels at the 60th annual Poplar Bluff Letter Club Basketball Banquet on Wednesday night. Sikeston's Fred Thatch and Dexter's Chaylea Mosby repeated as the most outstanding players of the SEMO Conference while the team champions defended their titles...

KENNETT, Mo. - The Kennett Indians varsity baseball team enjoyed success at the plate and on the mound in its home opener against the Dexter Bearcats Wednesday afternoon. Kennett senior right-handed hurler Zane Wallace limited the Dexter offense to just one run and one hit in five innings of work...

For the second time in three seasons, Sikeston's Fred Thatch was named the Class 4 Player of the Year during the announcement of the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association all-state teams on Wednesday. Thatch, who was also named the player of the year after his sophomore season, finished his senior year averaging 21.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game while shooting 80 percent from the free-throw line and 41 percent from 3-point range...

The 2018 Bootheel Conference high school boys basketball awards have been released. Hayti senior guard Darius Jones and Malden senior guard Dashawn Butler are Co-Players of the Year in the Bootheel Conference in boys basketball. Jones averaged 17 points and seven rebounds per game. Butler averaged 18 points and six rebounds per game...

The 2018 Bootheel Conference high school girls basketball awards have been released. Portageville senior forward Deondra Johnson is the Player of the Year in the Bootheel Conference in girls basketball. She averaged 16 points, six rebounds and two steals per game...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Sikeston’s dream of a state championship ended in heartbreaking fashion in a three-point loss to Grandview on Friday, but the Bulldogs had one more opportunity to leave Springfield, Mo., with a win in the third place game. In yet, another thrilling, exciting game on Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs came up short with a 79-74 overtime loss to Jennings as Sikeston settled for fourth place for the third time in school history...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Grandview is a team known for living, or dying, by the 3-point shot. Sikeston came into Friday night’s Class 4 semifinal matchup knowing they would have to somehow contain Grandview’s perimeter shooting while also staying in position to stop dribble penetration...

When Collin Sheridan became the Cape Central track and field coach last year one of his goals was to establish a pipeline from the junior high. An assistant at Central High School for a decade, he wanted to keep students involved in the sport as they transitioned from junior high to high school...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Sikeston Bulldogs basketball team has run through one of the toughest gauntlets in the state to reach the Class 4 Show-Me Showdown, defeating the No. 7, No. 9 and No. 2 ranked teams. That trend will continue on Friday when the MBCA No. 1 ranked Bulldogs (27-2) take on No. 4 ranked Grandview (26-3) at 6 p.m. in the Class 4 semifinals at JQH Arena in Springfield on the campus of Missouri State University...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Sometimes all it takes is a shift in momentum, one way or the other. A strange third quarter that slowed the pace and played havoc on the Charleston boys basketball team's mindset eventually took its toll. Once ahead by 10, Charleston couldn't hold back a surging Hogan Prep squad in the second half during a 63-58 loss in Saturday's Class 3 state championship game at JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo...

HILLSBORO, Mo. – With a brilliant game-plan and perfect execution, the Sikeston Bulldogs are headed back to the final four. Sikeston confused and stymied St. Mary’s and rolled to a 76-50 victory in Saturday afternoon’s Class 4 quarterfinal game at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – One of the most celebrated basketball schools in the state will get the chance to add to an already impressive collection of hardware Saturday night. Getting a combined 48 points and 19 rebounds from seniors Demarcus Sharp and Mardareyon Clark, the Charleston Bluejays kept Mountain Grove at a safe distance all game long Friday night at the Hammons Student Center in Springfield, Mo., during a Class 3 semifinal. ...

Oran duo Leah Cauble and Jacob Shoemaker were named 2017-18 Scott-Mississippi Conference Players of the Year on Thursday during the announcement of the all-conference teams. Cauble, a junior, led the girls basketball team with a whopping 36 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals per game. The season ended for the Lady Eagles after a quarterfinal loss to Neelyville, who went on to win the Class 2 state championship...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Welcome to Titleville! Enjoy your stay. Neelyville ended the seasons of five of the top seven teams in the state coaches rankings to win the MSHSAA Class 2 state championship. The first state championship in school history. "We have got a great community that supports us. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Hayti Indians played with a lead most of the way but ultimately finished a basket shy of securing its first state title in boys basketball since 1983 Friday night. The Van-Far Indians rallied from a 50-42 deficit in the final two minutes of regulation to force overtime and hit a 2-pointer with four seconds left in the extra session to edge Hayti 56-55 in the Class 2 state championship at JQH Arena in Springfield...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Neelyville has beaten five consecutive state ranked opponents. It needs to beat one more. Neelyville defeated defending state champion and top-ranked Skyline 63-57 to advance to the MSHSAA Class 2 championship game for the second time in three years...

There's never an easy time to make a tough decision, but for long-time Notre Dame girls basketball coach Renee Peters, the time is right. After 11 years leading the Bulldogs, Peters announced Thursday that she is stepping down from her coaching role...

The Charleston boys basketball team is back where they like to be. The perennial title contenders with 11 state championships will look to add another this weekend as they take part in the MSHSAA Show-Me Showdown in Springfield, Mo. The Bluejays will take on Mountain Grove at 6:20 p.m., on Friday during one of the two semifinal games at the Hammons Student Center. Transportation and Law will face Hogan Prep in the other semifinal directly following at 8:10 p.m...

Nathan Ruark takes great pride in the photograph. His mom? Not so fond of the image of her son walking off the basketball court with blood streaming down his face, just the tip of the iceberg of what he was about to deal with. But Nathan, he wants a poster of it...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — Longtime New Madrid County Central boys basketball coach Travis Day was relieved of his basketball coaching duties last week, leaving some in the community upset, questioning the school board. Day, a NMCC graduate, served as head coach of the Eagles for 12 years, compiling a 148-161 record that included a third place finish in Class 3 in 2015 and a Class 3 quarterfinal appearance in 2008. ...

HILLSBORO, Mo. -- It all happened so fast. Poplar Bluff's 12-point, second-quarter lead was reduced to a single bucket in a span of 68 seconds Wednesday night, but the Mules overcame their own double-digit deficit with a quick rally in the closing minutes of the MSHSAA Class 5 sectional playoff...

HILLSBORO, Mo. -- With minutes remaining in a Class 5 sectional, the Jackson girls basketball team had just taken the lead for the first time since the first quarter, but Kelsie Williams wasn't fazed. The Hazelwood Central senior responded with a 3-pointer and then two more for good measure. That stretch of 3s on three consecutive possessions gave the Hawks a six-point lead they didn't relinquish as Jackson never got closer than four the rest of the way...

FARMINGTON, Mo. – Parker Long grabbed the ball and held on for dear life. It was the only thing the Sikeston junior had on his mind with the clock ticking away and Hillsboro looking prime to steal a win. Hillsboro's Isaiah Martin took a pass in the paint, eyed the rim above him and settled in for the winning shot. But Long ripped the ball away and fell out of bounds with under two seconds to go...

Hayti senior Kobe Cooper recently hit an outstanding milestone in his high school basketball career. Jones scored his 1,000th as an Indian during Hayti’s district championship win over Bernie Feb. 22 The two-time all-conference and all-district player had this to say about his achievement: “My goal never was to score 1,000 points,” he said. “My goal was to make it to state. I’ve just always played hard and done what is best for my team.”...

Hayti all-state star hoops player Darius Jones recently signed a National Letter of Intent with Rend Lake College, located in Ina, Illinois. Surrounded by family, friends and coaches, Jones put ink to paper in a ceremony in the school gymnasium lobby Feb. 23...

Caruthersville High School’s star player and leading scorer, Tallon Fonda, recently signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball with Rend Lake College, located in Ina, Illinois. The 6-foot-4 senior signed the dotted line in a ceremony with family, friends and coaches Feb. 23 at Caruthersville High School...

By KYLE SMITH Sports Editor FARMINGTON -- The Dexter Bearcats nearly matched their season-low for points allowed in a game Tuesday night in a MSHSAA Class 4 sectional playoff. The Bearcats crushed North County 61-23 to advance to the state quarterfinals for the third-straight season and the sixth time in seven years...

Listed below is a breakdown of the four teams competing at the Class 2 boys basketball Final Four Thursday and Friday. --- PROGRAM BREAKDOWN: The Indians are located in Pemiscot County and have an enrollment of 211. The head coach is Portageville graduate Aaron Bidewell, who has a career record of 123-66 and a school record of 42-15. The Indians have won eight district titles and advanced to the final four in 1983, 2012 and 2018. Hayti’s only state championship was in 1983...

FARMINGTON, Mo. – Too much size, too much strength and too much speed ended the Saxony Lutheran girls basketball team's season for a second straight year. Saxony Lutheran fell 59-43 to a Whitfield team that features a Division I player and a roster full of matchup problems on Saturday at the Farmington Civic Center in Farmington, Mo...

FARMINGTON, Mo. – They knew they couldn't stop Torrence Watson, but the Charleston boys basketball team was determined to make him and the rest of his Whitfield teammates work for every basket. Despite 51 points from the Mizzou-bound senior, the Bluejays used a tenacious defensive effort on the rest of his squad and a hot-shooting night from 3-point range to pull off a 78-68 win over Whitfield on Saturday during a Class 3 quarterfinal at the Farmington Civic Center in Farmington, Mo...

VAN BUREN, Mo. — The last words that Bubba Wheetley spoke as Advance boys basketball coach came out breathy and squeaking. Nearly unintelligible. What need not be spoken, though, was what they meant to Wheetley. “It’s been a good ride,” he said. Then the tears welled up, and he could only make his ravaged through scratch out half the words...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. - The Hayti Indians varsity boys basketball team received a mid-season wake-up call when it suffered a 69-56 loss to Malden in a semifinal of its conference tournament Jan. 30. “We had a really bad game against a high-quality Malden club in our conference tournament,” Hayti coach Aaron Bidewell said. ...

Tigers win rematch with Oran in state quarterfinal

STEELE, Mo. - Followers of South Pemiscot High School baseball are probably aware of the many outstanding teams and players that have graced the Bulldog diamond over the past 25 years. Among the very best players, and perhaps the very best, are 1999 graduate Greg Mathis and 2007 graduate Jeremy Patton. ...

DEXTER, Mo. – Anything atypical is typical for a Sikeston-Cape Central boys basketball game. Big leads evaporated, what could go wrong did and an inadvertent bounce nearly cost one team the game in the waning seconds. Typical stuff for the rivals who have a knack for bringing out the best, and worst, in each other...

DEXTER, Mo. -- The challenge was always a tall one. The second-seeded Notre Dame girls basketball team got off to a good start but couldn't hang with top-seeded Dexter, as the Bearcats got 14 straight points from junior guard Chaylea Mosby during a first-half stretch that saw the hosts pull away and secure a 64-44 victory in the Class 4 District 1 championship Thursday night at the Bearcat Event Center...

BOYS CEDAR HILL, Mo. -- This time the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team was able to hold off Jackson. A year after giving up a late lead and losing in overtime, the Mules sank 7 of 8 foul shots in the final minute to close out a 58-52 win over Jackson in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 championship at Northwest High School...

DEXTER, Mo. -- The most frustrating part? That's a tough question for the Cape Girardeau Central boys basketball team to answer. After falling into a double-digit deficit that stretched into the third quarter, the Tigers rallied but came up just a couple of plays short in the final minute, as Sikeston survived to nip its rivals by the thinnest of margins, 47-46, in the Class 4 District 1 championship Thursday night at the Bearcat Event Center...

The Dexter Bearcats didn’t let a slow start get in the way of another postgame celebration. The Bearcats withstood a 10-0 first-quarter run by Notre Dame on Thursday night to beat the Bulldogs 64-44 to win their eighth-straight MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 championship...

It can be easy to stay in the shadows playing for Oran girls basketball. After all, the spotlight shines firmly on Leah Cauble, the reigning Semoball Awards Girls Basketball Player of the Year, one of the state's top scorers and the focus of every opposing defense...

DEXTER, Mo. - The Saxony Lutheran Crusaders varsity girls basketball team didn’t put together the finish head coach Sam Sides was looking for but still managed to do more than enough to escape with its fifth straight sectional victory Wednesday night...