Soccer

SIKESTON — Eight long years. Nearly a decade of frustration. That’s how long it had been since Sikeston tasted victory over Cape Central on the pitch, but that drought ended on Tuesday, Sep. 17 with a decisive 3-0 win at Bill Lawson Memorial Field...

Loud yells and a rush of cheers could be heard coming from the visitors’ sideline. Nearly 15 years since Saxony Lutheran and Notre Dame first met on the soccer field, the Crusaders were finally celebrating once the final horn sounded — an exercise in extreme catharsis...

The Waynesville Tigers came into Poplar Bluff on a rainy night and left with a 1-0 victory over the Mules in varsity boys’ soccer on Thursday. The remnants of Hurricane Francine made conditions miserable for athletes and fans alike, with heavy rain and blustery winds that made 67 degrees feel much colder...

The Perryville boys' soccer team won a game on Tuesday. And for once, it wasn't against Notre Dame. Sparked by Treyton Barnett's hat trick, the Pirates routed the Windsor Owls 5-1 on Sept. 10, in Perryville, Mo., to improve to 3-2 on the season. "Treyton's a very good player," Perryville head coach Jerry Fulton said, "always puts up numbers up top since he's been here. Now that he's a junior, we hopefully get a little more."...

Saxony Lutheran boys’ soccer was at its fluent best on Tuesday evening and head coach Chris Crawford was more than satisfied. Anchored by two-goal performances from Nick Chambless and Weston Jeter, the Crusaders pressed their offensive attack all game to salvage a dominant 5-0 victory over Fredericktown Tuesday, Sept. 10 at Saxony Lutheran High School...

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...

Cape Central's freshman Dylan Voshage clinched a nail-biting 5-3 penalty shootout win over Notre Dame after a 1-1 draw in regulation at Soccerfest.

The Poplar Bluff Mules continue their hot start to the 2024 boys' soccer season with a tight 1-0 win over the Perryville Pirates to begin Notre Dame Soccerfest on Thursday, Sept. 5, at Notre Dame High School in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Poplar Bluff finished last season 15-6-1, its first winning season since going 14-11 in 2015. The Mules are 3-0 and looks like they could be a formidable team once again...

As Kennett's soccer team gears up for its second year, head coach Jeremy Westerfield emphasizes perseverance and teamwork.

The Eagle Ridge Christian boys' soccer team showcased a commanding performance against Mississippi Valley Christian (Alton, Illinois), securing a decisive 8-0 home victory on Friday, Aug. 30. Eagle Ridge captain Caleb Margrabe was the undisputed star of the match, contributing an astounding five goals and two assists. Margrabe's leadership on the field was evident as he orchestrated the team's offensive strategy, consistently finding the back of the net and setting up his teammates for success...

The Poplar Bluff Mules football team will face a stiff challenge when district play starts in November. The Missouri State High School Activities Association released district assignments for all fall sports except for cross country on Friday — and the Mules learned they will be joined in Class 5 District 1 by not only two-time defending district champion Cape Central, but also by defending Class 5 state champion Cardinal Ritter...

SIKESTON — With a talented roster and drive to succeed, Sikeston aims to kick its game up a notch in 2024.  The Bulldogs are coming off their best season since 2016, and it’s clear they’re poised to take another step forward. But the question is, can the Bulldogs make a championship run?...

The Poplar Bluff Mules soccer team is prepared to hit the field once more after having just finished one of the most successful seasons they have produced in recent years. Last season, the Mules finished the season with a 15-6 record and had a hard-fought battle against the Farmington Knights before falling 2-1 in the second round of the Class 3 District 1 Tournament. ...

KENNETT, Mo. - Kennett Indian soccer enters its second season ever after head coach Jeremy Westerfield helped start the program last fall. Westerfield said he was even more excited for this season after having a consistent summer of training with his athletes...

For the first time since Maddie Brune in 2016, a Saxony Lutheran girls soccer player took home the Girls Soccer Semoball Award. Camille Richey brought the hardware back to Saxony Lutheran High School as the junior was named the 2024 award winner at the 14th annual Semoball Awards on July 12 at La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau...

One of the greatest goal-scoring talents in Southeast Missouri, the spectacular Bryce Sides capped off his prep career in style with a Boys Soccer Player of the Year win in last week’s 2024 Semoball Awards. Part of a Notre Dame squad that has far and wide established a reputation of being one of the top teams in Southeast Missouri, Sides became the de facto leader in goals for a tough Bulldog squad...

St. Louis City’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate, St. Louis CITY2 (11-3-2), stands on top of the Western Conference with three months to go into the regular season. However, for former Notre Dame Bulldog Nolan McGuire, the next few matches will be his last, as he is going to collegiate soccer career at DePaul when the Blue Demons begin their preseason in August...

The MLS season has been one of struggle and turmoil for St. Louis City. However, their MLS NEXT Pro affiliate, St. Louis CITY2 (11-3-2), stands on top of the Western Conference table after defeating LAFC2 4-3 at CITYPARK on Saturday, July 6, in St. Louis...

SIKESTON — The Sikeston girls’ soccer team celebrated a resurgent season, finishing 12-12 and achieving a .500 record or better for the first time since 2015. This impressive turnaround was further highlighted by several players earning prestigious postseason honors...

Semoball Awards finalists for the spring sports categories were announced Thursday morning on a selection show broadcasted live on SEMO ESPN Radio and streamed on the Semoball.com Facebook page. Baseball Levi McKinnie, Chaffee Gabe Dirnberger, Oran Cooper Rhodes, Jackson...

It was a fantastic year for local soccer teams this spring. Among the teams that had an impressive year was the Cape Central Tigers. The Tigers entered the season coming off a 6-10 campaign in 2023, but in 2024 they were poised to improve. And improve they did, the Tigers finished 2nd in the Class 3 District 1 tournament and finished with a record of 13-6...

At the start of the postseason, veteran Crusaders coach Chris Crawford has a rather straightforward message for his Saxony Lutheran girls soccer team. No matter what, they were going to win on Saturday at the state tournament. Whether it was the first-place game or the third-place game – it didn’t matter, and it showed as the Crusaders pushed past Laquey for third in a 2-0 Saturday victory...

A tight battle for the duration of the contest saw the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders fall 2-1 to the Summit Christian Academy Eagles in the Class 1 state semifinals at World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton. “I thought we played really well today,” Crusaders coach Chris Crawford said. ...

The last dance for 18-year Jackson Indians girls soccer coach Justin McMullen has finally come to an end, putting to rest a run that turned the team into one of the top dynasties around. Over his nearly two decades at his post as head coach, McMullen guided the girls to 10 district titles, seven of them coming consecutively since 2017, and the program’s first-ever final four...

Going up north to take on a top St. Louis small school in Whitfield, Perryville girls soccer’s deep run ended Saturday with a tough 2-0 loss in a defensive chess match. Led by a great effort from the back line and goalkeeper Brooklyn Moll, the Pirates held a phenomenal Whitfield team to just two tallies in the 80-minute affair...

Against an all-too-familiar foe, Jackson girls soccer saw its season end on Saturday at the hands of a juggernaut Nerinx Hall team in St. Louis. The Markers, having finished second in each of the past four seasons and defeating Jackson in each of the last three, didn’t have it easy against a tough defensive Jackson team...

When considering prestigious soccer programs in the region, the Perryville Pirates are certainly among them. This year is no different as the Pirates find themselves in yet another Class 2 state quarterfinal when they take on Whitfield at 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, at Whitfield High School...

Saxony Lutheran soccer and state final four’s are beginning to feel like a tradition. Once again, the Crusaders are back in the Class 1 final four after they defeated Maplewood-Richmond Heights 4-0 on May 16. Now, Saxony Lutheran sets its sights on a final four matchup with Summit Christian Academy...

For the seventh straight year, the Jackson Indians won a district title. And for the third straight year, the Indians will do battle with Nerinx Hall in the Class 4 state quarterfinals, who has ended their season each of the last three years. Jackson (17-3) enters the Class 4 quarterfinal matchup having won 11 games in a row, and having allowed just seven goals all season long...

SPRINGFIELD – The Kennett High School softball squad has been offensive with its play all spring. The Indians have averaged nearly 12 runs per game, which is the most by any Kennett team in nine years, and that was evident on Monday, as Kennett obliterated Lone Jack 11-4 in the semifinal of the MSHSAA Class 2 State Semifinal at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield.

A pair of crosstown rivals met for the Class 3 District 1 title on Friday evening. In the end, the Notre Dame Bulldogs used a relentless offensive attack to rout the Cape Central Tigers 6-0 at Cape Central High School. From the onset, the Notre Dame Bulldogs were poised to snap their drought of not winning a district title since 2019...

The Cape Central Tigers and Notre Dame Bulldogs won their Class 3 District 1 semi-final games to earn their place in the district championship. Notre Dame started the afternoon by defeating Sikeston 4-0 and Cape Central finished the night with an overtime victory over St. Vincent 2-1...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Sikeston secured a 4-1 victory over Hillsboro Hawks in the opening round of the MSHSAA Class 3, District 1 Tournament at Cape Central High School on Saturday, May 11. This win not only avenged an earlier 1-0 loss to the Lady Hawks (9-10-1) but also marked the Lady Bulldogs’ (12-12) first postseason victory since 2017...

In a battle between the first-and-worst-seeded teams in the district, Notre Dame girls soccer put the hurt on DeSoto in the opening round of Class 3 District 1 play, winning 8-0 to kick off postseason play in style. With an all-around dominant offensive performance, not any one player really stood out as the Bulldogs maintained possession for the grand majority of the match...

On Saturday afternoon, the Cape Central and St. Vincent girls soccer teams defeated their round opponents in the Class 3 District 1 Tournament at Cape Central High School. The Tigers defeated North County 4-0 and the Indians defeated Farmington 9-2, setting up a rematch from the first game of the season when Cape Central defeated St. Vincent 5-1...

Coming off a year in which they won just six games, 2024 has been a complete turnaround for the Cape Central Tigers girls' soccer program. The Tigers ended the regular season with a record of 11-5 and they enter the Class 3 District 1 Tournament, which they are hosting, as the No. 2 seed...

The Notre Dame Bulldogs are looking to win a district title for the first time since 2019. The quest for another title begins on Saturday as the Bulldogs enter the Class 3 District 1 tournament as the No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season 12-5...

It’s been a long journey for Cape Central junior Max Cairns, but he’s finally healthy. Just a couple weeks ago, Cairns was cleared after having bilateral hip surgery, a torn labrum on both sides and having both of hips shaved down in the process. “I had never been injured or anything before,” Cairns said. “That was my first major surgery.”...

For 18 years the Jackson girls soccer program has been run by head coach Justin McMullen, who is coaching his final season in 2024. McMullen has led the Indians to eight district championships and a fourth-place finish at the state tournament in 2018...

SIKESTON — Sikeston cruised to a 9-1 victory over Massac County on Tuesday, April 30 at Bill Lawson Memorial Field, turning Senior Night into a goal-scoring celebration. The win highlighted the immense contributions of departing seniors Olivia Gadberry, Cate Schrumpf, and Kenzie Ogden...

Two insurance goals in the second half gave the Jackson Indians girls soccer team a 3-0 over the Cape Central Tigers on Tuesday at Cape Central High School. Jackson outshot the Tigers 7-2 in the first half but had just one goal to show for it as the Cape Central goalkeeper, Piper Underwood, made four saves...

SIKESTON, Mo. — Sikeston battled hard but ultimately fell to Hillsboro 1-0 in a dramatic overtime contest on Thursday, April 25, at the Sports Complex. The match was played in support of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) awareness, with the Lady Bulldogs (10-9) wearing blue jerseys...

It was an emotional night for the seniors of the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules soccer team. The Lady Mules hosted Saxony Lutheran on Wednesday at Poplar Bluff High School for senior night. Despite their best efforts to make up the ground in the first half, the Lady Mules fell short in the final minutes to the Saxony Lutheran Lady Crusaders 3-2...

FARMINGTON, Mo. — Sikeston’s girls’ soccer team had a rollercoaster weekend, showcasing both impressive highs and challenging setbacks at the Fralish Cup in Carbondale, Illinois.  The Lady Bulldogs (6-6) kicked things off with a record-breaking 9-0 victory over Illinois Valley Central (0-10-1) on Friday, April 12...

By defeating Sikeston 4-0 on Tuesday, April 9, at Bill Lawson Memorial Field in Sikeston, Mo, the Cape Central girls’ soccer team did something that hasn’t been done this late into the season since 2021. Have a winning record. Cape Central’s previous two games against Kelly and Sikeston were won by a combined score of 12-0. ...

SIKESTON — Cape Central secured a decisive 4-0 victory over Sikeston in a SEMO Conference clash at Bill Lawson Memorial Field on Tuesday, April 9. The match began as a back-and-forth affair, but the Lady Tigers (4-3-0) intensity ramped up as the game progressed, ultimately overwhelming the Lady Bulldogs’ (4-5-0) defense...

The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules landed their second straight win of the season with some aggressive play on the soccer field. The Lady Mules wouldn’t be denied against the Kelly Lady Hawks as they constantly took shots toward the goalkeeper to secure an 8-0 victory. The Lady Mules improved to 3-4 on the season. Due to the weather conditions, the senior night festivities were canceled, but the Lady Mules still played with an extra boost...

A four-goal second half propelled the Jackson Indians girls soccer team over the Farmington Knights 5-0 on Monday at Jackson High School. Offensively, Jackson had a rather slow start in the first half with just one goal but put on a clinic in the second...

A clash between a pair of rivals in the Jackson Indians and Notre Dame Bulldogs took double overtime to decide a winner. A goal by Olivia Klinkhardt served as the winner in Jackson’s 2-1 win over the Bulldogs on Wednesday. “I kind of thought it would play out pretty tight,” Jackson coach Justin McMullen said. “I thought early on we had a lot of chances and if a couple of those go in I think it’s a different outcome late but, I didn’t expect anything less tonight.”...

SIKESTON — The ball wasn't just passed or kicked; it was launched, swerved, and dipped at the whim of the wind. Yet, Sikeston navigated the aerial chaos, defeating DeSoto 4-1 at Bill Lawson Memorial Field on Tuesday, April 2. “It makes everything tougher,” said Sikeston coach Gabe Dement. “I don’t care if you’re a professional or a high school player. It’s hard to control the ball when the wind is blowing 20 to 30 miles per hour.”...