Soccer

Good Sports is a column featured weekly in the Southeast Missourian and on semoball.com. It is primarily designed to showcase people who have impacted the sporting life of Southeast Missouri, so that readers may get to know them more fully. Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity...

SIKESTON — Just as spring sports begin to start through the state of Missouri, a worldwide pandemic shuts all of it down. Still, with a hope that their respective seasons will begin, three Standard-Democrat coaches are looking to hopefully start their seasons and give their seniors a chance to play with their friends one final time...

It looks fun to run up and down a soccer pitch and laser shots past a helpless goalkeeper. But Cape Central senior forward Kaya Newkirk has lived the behind-the-scenes life that involves a lot more sweat than it does glamor.

The selection of the 2019 All-Southeast Missourian Boy’s Soccer Team was as difficult as getting a victory against one of the several high-quality squads that took the pitch throughout the area last season.

There is rarely a shortage of excellent athletic performances throughout Southeast Missouri by high school athletes each year and the fall season in 2019 was no exception.

Cape Central senior soccer player Kaya Newkirk recently signed to play soccer at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois.

Jackson senior athletes Elizabeth Snyder and Ashlyn Prince recently signed National Letters of Intent to compete in college. Schneider will play soccer at Mineral Area Community College, while Prince signed to play softball at St. Louis Community College...

Except in the United States, soccer is extraordinarily popular, with participation from much of the world — Cameroon to Cuba, Indonesia to Israel, South Africa to Scotland.

In Class 1 soccer, District 1 champion Saxony Lutheran has not solved the riddle that is Principia. For the third time in six years, the Crusaders squared off Saturday against the Panther in the sectional quarterfinals. Once again, Principia (10-11), the District 2 titleholder, prevailed, 3-1, in a game marked by end-to-end play...

Notre Dame (16-5-1) will visit John Burroughs (20-1-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday in a Class 2 quarterfinal soccer game in west St. Louis County. The Bombers, the District 4 champions, are ranked second in Class 2 in the most recent Missouri Soccer Coaches Poll. They have numerous dangerous weapons on offense, with Jackson Miller, Vic Williams, John Cordia, Austin Isaak, and the Kumar twins -- Ritvak and Rishav -- leading the way in scoring...

The Saxony Lutheran soccer team will face a familiar foe when it hosts Principia at 1 p.m. today in the MSHSAA Class 1 quarterfinals. Saxony Lutheran (10-9) has won six straight district championships to advance to the quarterfinals, and this will be the third time in six years the Crusaders will face Principia (9-11) at this stage. The Panthers have bested the Crusaders both of the previous two meetings, 1-0 last year and 7-0 in 2015...

On a frigid night, with players from both teams huddled around portable heaters, host Notre Dame defeated Lutheran South, 6-1 in sectional play Wednesday. The Class 2 District 1 champion Bulldogs (16-5-1) advance to the state quarterfinals against District 4 titleholder John Burroughs...

It's postseason football time in Southeast Missouri. Scott City, Cape Girardeau Central and Jackson are all playing in their respective district finals Friday. Notre Dame Regional High School is not involved in those playoffs -- because the Bulldogs don't compete on the gridiron...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The rain stopped but Perryville's three-year losing streak to Notre Dame did not. The daylong light precipitation ended just before the Class 2 District 1 championship kicked off Wednesday at Perryville Soccer Complex. The top-seeded Bulldogs (15-5-1) scored all three of their goals in the second half to defeat the second-seeded Pirates 3-0 to take the district crown...

The Saxony Lutheran boys soccer team claimed the Class 1 District 1 championship for a sixth consecutive year with two goals in the final 15 minutes for a 2-0 victory Wednesday over top-seeded Gateway Science Charter. Jase Boland and Max Richey netted unassisted goals for third-seeded Saxony Lutheran, which improved to 9-9 on the seaosn. Goalkeeper Matt Wydra made two saves in recording the shutout...

POPLAR BLUFF — After scoring four goals against Poplar Bluff in the semifinals, Northwest’s Brandon O’Dell finished with another hat trick in the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 championship. He added an assist in the closing seconds as Northwest beat Jackson 7-3 on Wednesday in Poplar Bluff...

FARMINGTON, Mo. – The good news for the Sikeston boy’s soccer program is that Cape Girardeau Central midfielder Kaya Newkirk is a senior so the Bulldog defenders won’t have to deal with him ever again.

Deona Blair pounced on a rebound to give the Indians a golden goal in the opening minute of overtime Monday night, capping a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Seckman in the Class 4 District 1 semifinals in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Jackson, the defending district champion, scored twice in the final 10 minutes of regulation on goals by Blair and Wil Essner to force overtime...

Top-seeded Notre Dame and second-seeded Perryville advanced to the finals of the Class 2 District 1 boys soccer tournament Monday in Perryville, Mo. Notre Dame defeated fourth-seeded St. Pius X (Festus) 4-0, while Perryville blanked third-seeded Fredericktown 6-0. Both teams were up 1-0 at halftime before pulling away in the second half...

Northwest senior Brandon O'Dell carved up the Poplar Bluff defense Monday night in the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 semifinal. With a hat trick in 34 minutes and another goal early in the second half, O'Dell helped put the Lions back into the district final for a second straight year with a 6-0 win over the Mules...

Rockwood Summit completed an undefeated regular season Wednesday, defeating host Jackson 4-1 in a high school soccer action. The top-ranked Falcons, 22-0-1, are led by senior forward Christian Kraus, who was selected to compete in the High School Soccer All-American Game Dec. 7 in Orlando, Florida...

SIKESTON — With district play starting next week, the Sikeston boys soccer team had one last tune-up match before postseason play commenced. The Bulldogs hosted Poplar Bluff on Tuesday night, but it was not a match worth remembering for the home team...

Gracie Cook hammered 10 kills as the Meadow Heights volleyball team posted its 12th consecutive win of the season in its 25-16, 17-25, 25-10 victory over St. Paul Lutheran (Farmington) on Friday in both teams' regular-season finale...

Paige Glueck posted a double-double with 14 kills and 27 digs and also had nine assists as Oak Ridge got past Grandview (Hillsboro) 22-25, 26-24, 25-18 in high school volleyball action Thursday. It was both team's regular-season finale.

Soccer can be an unforgiving sport and Jackson found that out Wednesday in its SEMO Conference match at Notre Dame.

The Notre Dame boys swimming team took first place team honors at the Bubble pool Wednesday in its senior night quad event. Bulldogs senior Nicholas Hux took first place in two invidual events -- 50 freestyle and 100 buttefly -- and swam a leg on the winning 200 freestyle relay team...

The Saxony Lutheran Crusaders could not keep the North County Raiders from putting the ball in the back of the net, losing 4-2 on the road in boys soccer. Paul Adams led the Saxony Lutheran (7-9) offense, scoring a goal on an indirect free kick and assisting on the Crusaders other goal. Garrett Richey found the back of the net off the Adams feed...

After drawing even early in the second half on a penalty kick, Farmington had the majority of scoring chances and possession Tuesday night, despite playing down a man over the final 25 minutes. However, Poplar Bluff forward Alex Ketcherside took advantage of one of the few opportunities the Mules were able to put together...

Kyla Beel made sure to leave her mark for the Leopold volleyball team in its final home game of the season on Monday against Bloomfield. The senior standout, who along with six of her other teammates were honored for Senior Night, amassed 23 kills and eight digs...

The Jackson boys and girls claimed the team titles at the SEMO North Conference Meet on Thursday at the Ozark Ridge Golf Course in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Notre Dame senior Blake Morris successfully defended his conference in the the boys race, winning in 15 minutes, 42.94 seconds and helping the Bulldogs to a second-place team finish...

Parker Rhew was a hit this past week on and off the baseball diamond, as he easily won the Semoball.com Male Athlete of the Week honor.

SIKESTON — Jacob Lovel was the lone goal scorer for the Sikeston boys soccer team on Tuesday against Carterville, Ill. Lovel scored on a pass from Josh McClendon, but the Bulldogs fell 7-1. Sikeston (0-20) hosts Perryville on Thursday, in the final regular season match of the season...

The Advance volleyball team avenged its only loss thus far before it sustained its second defeat of the season in a 25-21, 18-25, 21-25 loss to Lindbergh in the championship game of the Second Annual Jackson Tournament on Saturday at Jackson High School.

Gracie Cook finished with nine kills, two service aces and two digs as the Meadow Heights volleyball team capped their third-straight sweep of the week and increased their winning streak to six games in the 25-22, 25-19 victory over host Oran on Friday...

SIKESTON — Sports took a backseat during the Sikeston boys soccer team’s match against North County at the Sikeston Recreation Complex on Thursday. It was the annual Gold Out Game for the Bulldogs, a game where Sikeston dons gold jerseys and raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital...

The Notre Dame girls tennis team shut out the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders 5-0 to advance to the finals of the Class 1 District 2 team tournament Tuesday. The Bulldogs got the early lead and never looked back, thanks to three doubles wins. The frst two doubles matches both ended 8-1 as Claire Bruenderman and Anna Grace Stroup defeated Maddox Murphy and Sydney Turner at the No. ...

The Notre Dame boys swimming team came way with four state qualifiers that was good enough to land the Bulldogs in second place at the 26th Annual Roger Eastman Invitational on Saturday at the Rec-Plex in St. Peters, Mo. Joseph Barber and Nicholas Hux were a part of three of those state cuts for the Bulldogs, including their first-place 200 medley relay team (1:44.90) and second-place 200 freestyle relay (1:34.26). ...

Senior Kyla Beel hammered 24 kills and tallied 14 digs as the Leopold volleyball team rallied after dropping the first set to rebound and eke out a 21-25, 25-22, 25-23 victory over Dexter on Tuesday at Leopold High School. Sophomore Paige Davis contributed 25 assists and...

The Cape Girardeau Central boys swimming team placed first in five events to claim third place at the CoMo Invitational on Saturday at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Mo.

The Notre Dame tennis team won the SEMO Conference Tournament on Friday in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, on the strength of its doubles play. Both Bulldogs doubles teams won semifinal matches and will play for the title at date to be determined. Claire Bruenderman and Anna Grace Stroup defeated Dexter's Kyla Propst and Julianna Rivera 6-0, 6-2 in one semifinal, while Claire Southard and Megan Gullette rallied to defeat Cape Girardeau Central's Anita Kellum and Maria Seidu-Sofo 0-6, 6-2, 6-4...

Addie Johnson posted a double-double with 20 kills and 11 digs as the Woodland volleyball team had to claw deep after dropping the first set to come back and down Meadow Heights in the 18-25, 25-17, 25-18 three-set thriller victory on the road Thursday in Patton, Missouri...

The signs were there during a 3-0 loss at Jackson earlier in the week and again Thursday night at Mules Stadium in a 4-0 win over Sikeston — the Poplar Bluff soccer team is starting to figure things out. “I think we finally came together as a team,” Poplar Bluff senior Noah Kanell said. “It’s taken us how many games? But we’re finally coming together and making everything work out.”...

Jackson squeaked out a 28-26, 22-25, 25-21 volleyball road victory over Park Hills Central on Monday. It could hardly get much closer as only three total points separated the teams. Mia Trankler and Haley Quatmann were menaces at the net all night for the Indians, who improved to 7-1. Trankler finished with six kills and a team-leading eight blocks, while Quatmann ended up with five kills and five blocks. Olivia Ward led Jackson with eight kills, and Katelyn had a team-high 12 digs...

POPLAR BLUFF — Brylee Misner set a Poplar Bluff softball record for career home runs Monday in a 15-9 loss to Farmington at Bobby Strenfel Field. The Mules (2-12) set a season high for runs in a game after giving up five runs in the top of the first inning...

SIKESTON — After going scoreless in its past two games, the Sikeston boys soccer team returned to the pitch at the Sikeston Recreation Complex on Monday, against Saxony Lutheran. Battling to the end, the Bulldogs fell 3-2 to the Crusaders but made the match interesting throughout...

The Jackson cross country team won both gender divisions by a long mile at the Cape Girardeau Central Invitational on Saturday at Central High School.

Mackenzie Stoner slammed eight kills as the Jackson volleyball team denied host Notre Dame its 10th win of the season and picked up a big conference victory in straight sets (25-10, 25-19) on Thursday in Cape Girardeau. Hannah Shinn and Olivia Ward chipped in seven kills apiece for the Indians. ...

After giving up an early goal, the Poplar Bluff soccer team kept Cape Central at bay for much of the first half and generated some offensive chances Thursday night. But the Tigers scored twice in the final five minutes of the half then finished off the host with five goals over a 17-minute stretch to beat Poplar Bluff 8-0 at Mules Stadium...

Sikeston's Emma Drury and Poplar Bluff's Alex Ketcherside won the fan balloting for Semoball Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sept. 15. Drury led the female candidates with 895 votes after she had a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored in a 15-0 win over Saxony Lutheran. She also had a triple and an RBI in a 9-4 loss to Perryville...