Soccer

In her introduction of Ella Zgaynor, who was signing her National Letter of Intent to play softball at Webster University, Poplar Bluff assistant coach Kayla Keith noted that the senior had been hit by 33 pitches during her career. “I do get hit a lot, but I didn’t know it was that many times or like a record or anything,” Zgaynor said...

Jackson senior soccer player Wil Essner has come a long way from being bribed with popsicles or Pokemon cards to get on the field. "I remember when I was a little kid, I used to cry going on the soccer field. I didn't want to do it," Essner said. "My parents would bribe me with little gifts like Pokemon cards and stuff like that. Now, I'm here and am able to be one of the best players in the country. It's pretty cool...

The Missouri Soccer Coaches Association announced its annual All-State teams on Wednesday. Jackson senior Wil Essner and Perryville senior Dayton Strattman were named Co-Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-State in Class 4 and 2, respectively...

Three Notre Dame soccer players were named to the All-SEMO Conference team. Junior forward Will Dodson, senior midfielder Blaise Kulla and senior forward Colton Neumeyer each received All-Conference honors for the SEMO Conference champion Bulldogs, while senior back Caleb Garner was named to the honorable mention team...

FENTON, Mo. — The Jackson Indians fell just short in their quest for a second straight Class 4 state soccer championship. Jackson's defense showed up — as it has all postseason — on the biggest stage, but Rockhurst outshot the Indians 16-3 and maintained control of the ball for most of the game in the Hawklets' 2-0 win Saturday at World Wide Technology Soccer Park...

FENTON, Mo. — After pickup up a dramatic, record-setting come-from-behind victory on Friday to advance to the Class 2 state championship, Perryville wasn't able to finish the job. Whitfield controlled the ball for much of the game, and while the Pirates showed glimmers of hope, it wasn't meant to be as the Warriors cruised to a 4-2 victory on Saturday at World Wide Technology Soccer Park to claim the Class 2 state championship...

The Jackson boys soccer team waited until double overtime to send its fans home happy, beating Blue Springs 2-1 in the Class 4 state semifinal at World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo. Indians coach Zack Walton isn't necessarily a fan of the repeated late-game heroics, but was happy to come away with a win...

It wasn't the start that Perryville soccer coach Jerry Fulton drew up as his Pirates fell behind early in the first half of the Class 2 state semifinal at Worldwide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo. Fulton’s team maintained its composure, pressed on and mounted a state-record comeback, scoring four unanswered goals to beat Excelsior Springs 4-3 and advance to the Class 2 state championship game...

With its ticket punched to the state semifinals, the Perryville soccer team looks to win its second state championship in school history. But the Pirates must defeat an 18-5 Excelsior Springs team to do so. Perryville (22-3) will rely heavily on seniors Dayton Strattman and Bryce Brewer offensively, and senior goalkeeper Ty Baudendistel and a gritty defense to stop any Tiger offensive penetration...

After nearly 95 scoreless minutes, the Jackson Indians finally broke through. With 29 seconds left on the clock in overtime, Indians senior midfielder Mason Grindstaff nailed a shot past Marquette goalkeeper Collin Nowotny to defeat the Mustangs 1-0 and punch their ticket to a second straight Class 4 final four...

Five high school athletes from Cape Central, Jackson and Notre Dame signed national letters of intent on Wednesday to play their respective sports at the next level. Notre Dame's Lexi Rubel — who averaged 16.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last season — made her commitment to Tennessee Martin official, signing her letter of intent to play basketball for the Skyhawks...

ST. LOUIS — For 64 minutes, Jackson and Vianney were locked in a defensive struggle in the Class 4 District 1 championship. With 15:58 remaining in the game, Indians senior Kaivre James saw an opening. "I was like, 'Well, the ball's coming to me,' and I put my knee up," James said. "I put my knee up and it went in."...

MEHLVILLE — It's appropriate that a coin flip decided the No. 1 and No. 2 district tournament seeds between Mehlvlle and Notre Dame. Predicting an outcome between the two Class 3 boys soccer powers is similar.

__Boys Basketball__ West Plains Community College 109, SEMO Prep (Team White) 67 __Boys Soccer__ __Class 3 District 1 Final__ Mehlville 2, Notre Dame 1 __Class 4 District 1 Final__ Jackson 2, Vianney 1

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Perryville senior Dayton Strattman once again wasted little time finding the back of the net, scoring within the first two minutes of the game. Strattman's goal would be enough, but a couple of insurance goals by Perryville in the second half lifted the Pirates over Saxony Lutheran 3-0 to win the Class 2 District 1 championship — Perryville's first since 2015...

__Boys Soccer__ __Class 2 District 1 Final__ Perryville 3, Saxony Lutheran 0

The Notre Dame and Jackson boys soccer teams will both play for district championships on Thursday night. The top-seeded Bulldogs blew past fifth-seeded Hillsboro on Tuesday night in a Class 3 District 1 semifinal, beating the Hawks 6-0 at Mehlville High School...

Boys Soccer Class 3 District 1 Notre Dame 6, Hillsboro 0 Mehlville 7, Cape Central 0 Class 4 District 1 Jackson 1, Northwest 0 Boys Swimming Semo Conference Meet Poplar Bluff 357 Jackson 318 Notre Dame 299 Farmington 295 Cape Central 279 Saxony Lutheran 104...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — One year removed from finishing second in the Class 2 District 1 tournament, Saxony Lutheran has an opportunity to redeem itself. The Crusaders took down DeSoto 3-0 Monday at The Bank of Missouri Soccer Complex, setting up a district championship match against Perryville on Wednesday...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — It took Perryville just 38 seconds to get on the board in its Class 2 District 1 semifinal against Windsor on Monday. Pirates senior Dayton Strattman found in the back of the net with 39:22 remaining in the first half en route to a 7-0 win — the Pirates’ 13th shutout of the season — over the Owls at The Bank of Missouri Soccer Complex...

__Women’s college basketball__ SEMO 66, William Woods 49 (Exhibition) __High school boy’s soccer__ __Class 2 district semifinals__ Perryville 7, Windsor 0 Saxony Lutheran 3, DeSoto 0

MEHLVILLE, Mo. — The Sikeston Bulldog soccer squad was hoping to shock the district tournament with a change in formation and the potential for a final game for seven seniors. But the third-seeded Cape Central Tigers had no plans on letting the sixth-seed Bulldogs upset them, ending Sikeston’s season 3-0 in the Class 3, District 1 Tournament...

The Cape Central soccer team recorded its seventh shutout of the season, beating DeSoto 4-0 on Thursday at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers (13-4-1) received goals from Sam Cairns, Logan Mizicko, Preston Schlichting and Timothy Kirby. Goalkeeper Tad Couch made two saves against the Dragons in the shutout victory...

College volleyball SEMO 3, Austin Peay 2 High school basketball SEMO Prep 99, West Kentucky C & T 82, preseason High school boy’s soccer Rockwood Summit 3, Jackson 0 Cape Central 4, DeSoto 0 State High school softball Perryville vs. Chillicothe – Postponed to 10 a.m. Saturday...

Sikeston senior Dylan Thornbrough is known as the leader of the Bulldog soccer team. But the standout doesn’t just excel on the soccer pitch, serving double duty as the kicker and punter on the Sikeston football team as well...

SIKESTON — The St Pius X Lancers soccer squad spoiled the second edition of the Sikeston senior’s last home game, defeating the Bulldogs 4-0.  Last week's match up against Hillsboro on the home soccer field was supposed to be the last time the seniors suited up on the pitch. Weather would spoil the opportunity for Sikeston to travel to Fredericktown on Monday and the match would not be able to be rescheduled before the district opener on Saturday.  ...

POPLAR BLUFF — Already missing two starters on defense, the Poplar Bluff soccer team lost its leading scorer to an injury Wednesday night. Senior forward Hayden Pinderski went down with 17 minutes remaining when he was fouled from behind. Poplar Bluff was already trailing by two goals on a rainy night at Mules Stadium...

The Perryville boys soccer team claimed the Jefferson County Conference regular-season championship with an 8-0 road victory over Windsor beating the Owls on Wednesday, 8-0. Senior Dayton Strattman, who scored three goals and recorded two assists in the contest, led offensive efforts...

SIKESTON — The Sikeston Bulldogs soccer squad picked up an early goal in the first half but could not keep the Hillsboro Hawks off the board despite a productive defensive effort, falling to the Hawks 2-1 Thursday night. The Hawks sent a statement early with a shot on target in the fourth minute of the match but the Bulldogs’ keeper Jon Martin Boner showed that to see the back of his net wouldn’t be easy...

Loud and gleeful chants from a sizable Notre Dame crowd echoed through Harry L. Crisp Field on Wednesday night, signaling a SEMO Conference championship. The Bulldogs had just dispatched defending Class 4 state boys soccer champion Jackson 2-0 for the league crown — hardware often claimed by the Indians — and a blue-clad, sign-waving contingent swarmed in celebratory fashion...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — The Sikeston Bulldogs soccer team traveled north to Cape Girardeau to take on the state ranked Notre Dame Bulldogs, falling 8-0. Notre Dame entered the match landing a sixth spot in the Class 3 state rankings for boys soccer released on Monday. Notre Dame lived up to their ranking within just one minute of the match when they put the first score of the match on the board...

Perryville goaltender Ty Baudendistel collected his 10th shutout of the season on the road on Monday as the Pirates beat Fredericktown, 5-0. Bryce Brewer led the offense for Perryville finding the back of the net two times and assisted on another score...

Similar sequence, bigger stage. When SEMO midfielder Lauren Welker intercepted an Eastern Illinois pass on Thursday and proceeded to find open, fellow Jackson alum Katelyn Miller, the freshman’s one-touch goal evoked a stream of memories. Welker, a senior, helped the young Miller scorch the net in high school, too...

On a night that was about more than soccer, the Sikeston soccer team dropped a 5-2 decision to visiting Perryville. Sikeston fell behind 3-0 in the first half to Perryville, who is ranked third in Class 2. “Our game plan was to sit back and defend and look for counters,” said Sikeston head coach Gabe Dement. ...

Two days after the Perryville boys soccer team lost for the first time in 10 games to Jackson, the Pirates got right back up on the horse, beating Farmington at home on Wednesday, 7-0. Perryville scored four goals in the first half of play followed by three more in the second half...

SIKESTON — The Farmington Knights visited the Sikeston Bulldogs Monday night coming out on top with a 3-1 defeat on the Bulldogs on Senior night. Sikeston (6-10-1) scored their lone goal of the match in the waning seconds when junior midfielder Brice Gordon was able to find the back of the net off a corner kick from Andrew Faire...

Behind two goals and an assist from Deonta Blair, the Jackson boys soccer team topped Perryville 3-1 Monday. Brayden Stowe also scored a goal in the contest, and Jacob Simmons and Preston LaFave each provided an assist. Jackson (11-4-1) will play at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday when the Indians travel to Lutheran St. Charles...

POPLAR BLUFF — For a half, the Poplar Bluff soccer team held state-ranked Notre Dame at bay, allowing one goal and getting chances for an equalizer Tuesday night. But like the rain that arrived in the second half, so too did the Bulldogs offense. Will Dodson scored a pair of goals on rebounds and set up another as Notre Dame beat Poplar Bluff 4-0 at Mules Stadium...

SIKESTON — The second meeting of Anna-Jonesboro Wildcats and the Bulldogs lived up to the hype.  Earlier in the year the two sides met up in the final match at the Greg Kline Invitational and both squads were looking for revenge and to settle the score, with the Bulldogs prevailing in a 3-1 defeat at home. ...

Alex Powderly was as eclectic as he was electric. When the Cape Central slugger wasn’t stepping into fastballs in the summer or holding goal in the fall, he was playing an instrument or gazing at classic muscle cars. When Powderly ­— whose long, brown locks matched his affinity for 1980s rock — walked into a room, it was known...

The 2021 soccer season is halfway through and each team in the Southeast Missourian’s coverage area is state-ranked. Notre Dame (12-1) came in at No. 2 in this week’s Missouri Soccer Coaches Association power rankings, continuing its tradition of success on the pitch. The Bulldogs have won eight straight games, shut out six teams this season and their only loss came early in the year against defending Class 4 state champion Jackson...

MURRAY, Ky. — The Sikeston Bulldogs soccer squad traveled to Murray, Ky Tuesday to take on the Calloway County Lakers and lost a heartbreaker 2-1. Early in the contest Sikeston fans were brought to their feet when Dylan Thornbrough connected up with Brice Gordon. ...

The Perryville boys soccer team won its seventh straight game Saturday, beating host Hillsboro 5-0 in the championship game of the Hillsboro Invitational Tournament. Bryce Brewer and Dayton Strattman led the Pirates offensively with two goals apiece, with Strattman scoring Perryville's first goal on a penalty kick in the first half...

The Cape Central boys soccer team tied in a road matchup with Anna-Jonesboro (Ill.) on Saturday. With the tie, the Tigers move to 7-1-1 on the season. Cape Central will be back in action on Monday at home against North County.

POPLAR BLUFF — It looked as if the Poplar Bluff soccer team was headed for an overtime loss Thursday night when the Mules got a fortuitous bounce. Sikeston’s Heath Poindexter was able to chip the ball over the oncoming keeper near the top of the penalty box with nothing between the ball and the next. ...

SIKESTON — The Sikeston Bulldogs soccer team will host a Kick-a-Thon Saturday Sept. 25 to raise money for the Gold Out Game to benefit St. Jude Children Hospital. Those interested in participating in the Kick-a-Thon can come anytime between 9 a.m. and 11a.m. on Saturday at the Sikeston High School soccer field at the Sikeston Recreation Complex. ...

The Perryville boys soccer team has been on a roll as of late, winning seven games in a row after suffering its lone defeat against Notre Dame on Aug. 31. Tuesday was no different, as the Pirates shellacked the Seckman Jaguars, 6-1, as part of the opening round of the Hillsboro Tournament...

Four schools in the Southeast Missourian coverage area are ranked top 10 in the first Missouri Soccer Coaches Association state power rankings poll of 2021. Jackson, Notre Dame, Perryville and Saxony Lutheran all cracked the top 10. Notre Dame (9-1) and Perryville (5-1) are the highest-ranked teams in the area, both coming in at No. 3 in their respective classes...

POPLAR BLUFF — Triangles are not just for geometry. The Poplar Bluff soccer team is using them to create success no matter what shape they take. “I don’t care as long as we create triangles all the way down the field,” Mules coach Rusty Crafton said. “That will help us move the ball.”...

Behind two goals from junior Jace Boland, the Saxony Lutheran soccer team improved to 7-3 on the season with a 3-1 win over Sikeston on Monday in Sikeston, Mo. Fellow junior Paul Kaufmann scored the other goal in the match. Boland, Max Richey and Michael Hasz recorded assists...