Van Buren

ELLSINORE, Mo. — After spending the past two years in Van Buren, the Yellow Sucker trophy has returned to East Carter. The Redbirds led by a point heading into the fourth quarter and held on to win 63-51 Friday in Ellsinore. “We worked a long time to get our program back to where it is steady and competitive like it was in the early 2000s. These guys just put in a lot of work,” East Carter coach Jordan Penn said...

BLOOMFIELD - East Prairie coach Casey Knight has been preaching to his squad to crash the boards late in games in recent weeks. “One of the things we’ve been preaching to our guys is to help each other out,” Knight said. “There are times late in games when you are tired and your teammates shoot and nobody crashes the boards. We’ve been talking about getting more offensive putbacks."...

The postseason for winter sports in Missouri will look different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MSHSAA announced Friday. MSHSAA released district assignments for winter sports and also announced that it will modify some postseason activities due to concerns with the virus...

VAN BUREN — The Lady Dawg Classic was exactly that. Ellington and Twin Rivers needed every second of double overtime to settle the championship game. Eventually, it was Twin Rivers’ Brianna South at the foul line, no time left, nobody around her, tie game, all the pressure. She swished the bonus attempt to deliver a 62-61, championship upset Thursday night...

The host Van Buren Lady Dawgs earned the only upset of the first round as four local teams reached the semifinals of the 2020 Lady Dawg Classic. Fifth-seeded Van Buren topped fourth-seeded Koshkonong 55-48. The top three seeds, respectively, Ellington, Doniphan and Twin Rivers, advanced as well...

VAN BUREN — Preston Golden was money in the third quarter for East Carter while Senath-Hornersville overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter Saturday at the Current River Challenge. Golden scored 20 of his game-high 33 points in the third quarter, helping East Carter pull away for a win...

By BRIAN ROSENER Sports Editor VAN BUREN — The opening day of the Current River Challenge started and ended well for the host Bulldogs. Van Buren’s junior varsity team picked up a win over Marquand-Zion to start the five-game event and the Bulldogs made it 2 for 2 in the nightcap with a 66-47 win over Risco...

Van Buren returns two staters after winning 20 games for the first time since 2010. Seniors Haden Barnes and Hayden Hills are both 6-3 and represent a strong combo to anchor the starting lineup. Barnes earned All-District and All-Conference honors last season and led the team in scoring with 19 points per game to go with nine rebounds...

The Missouri State High School Activities Association is pushing back the announcement of class and district assignments for winter sports to Friday, December 11. District assignments and classifications were originally scheduled to be released Friday, November 13...

The stakes were as high as they could be for area athletes throughout Southeast Missouri last week, as they competed in various MSHSAA postseason competitions.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Katie Griffin and Kinsley Murphy earned all-state medals to lead the Van Buren cross country team to a second straight fourth place finish at the MSHSAA Class 1 championship meet Saturday at Gans Creek Cross Country Course. Griffin finished ninth, Murphy was 13th and Addison Lewis placed 28th as Van Buren finished with 118 points, two behind Harrisburg and nine ahead of St. Vincent. College Heights Christian won the team title with 91 points followed by Valle Catholic at 109...

By BRIAN ROSENER Daily American Republic IRONTON, Mo. — Dylan Price wasn’t too sure where to turn during points on the 5,000-meter course at Arcadia Valley Sports Complex. Having not run there before Saturday’s MSHSAA Class 1 District 1 meet, the Ellington freshman came to a near stop with less than 400 meters left looking for the second-to-last turn...

IRONTON, Mo. — Kennett Rampley scared himself on Halloween. The Zalma sophomore surged into the lead at the two-mile mark of the 3.1-mile race Saturday in the MSHSAA Class 1 District 1 meet at Arcadia Valley Sports Complex. In passing Ellington’s Carson McNail, an all-state medalist the previous year, Rampley said, “scared the crap out of me.”...

VAN BUREN — It has been said that a good pitcher can carry a softball team a long way. The Naylor Lady Eagles and Neelyville Lady Tigers did their best to prove that Thursday, getting strong pitching performances in their respective MSHSAA Class 1 District 1 semifinal contests to punch their tickets to Friday’s championship...

The Missouri State High School Activities Association has partnered with HomeTown Ticketing to serve as the official digital ticketing partner for MSHSAA state championship events this fall. Digital tickets will also be an option for all other playoff contests, at the discretion of the host manager...

Ainsley Burnett drove in a game high five runs to lead Notre Dame past Incarnate Word Academy Monday 13-7, leading the Bulldogs to their 23rd victory of the season, closing out the regular season on a very high note. Burnett drove in runs on a groundout in the first inning, and double in the very next inning, and a home run in the third...

There is a reason why Kennett football coach Joel Wyatt is an extraordinarily successful coach and not a member of the media or even a fan, per se. His task is to focus on the here and now, not some possible, but not definitive opponent off into the future. However, the Indian Nation – and the rest of the prep football fans (and media) throughout Southeast Missouri had to have had their interest piqued a tad when MSHSAA released its District assignments Monday.

Cape Central would make quick work of East Carter as the Tigers would win going away in just three innings. The Tigers would score five runs in the bottom of the first inning, then plate eight more in the bottom of the second. They would then shut down the Redbirds in the third inning to win by 10 run rule...

How more impressive is it to only allow your opponents 2 overall hits and allowing one lone run in two games in one day? How about outscoring your two foes 28-1!

A small benefit to socially distancing guidelines is Van Buren’s cross country runners could still put in miles during a summer where there wasn’t much else to do. “I believe Van Buren’s cross country team, right now, is probably ahead as they’ve ever been, as far as being ready for their first race,” boys’ coach Jacob Black said. ...

The Cape Girardeau Capahas are still seeking an elusive Mon Clair League championship. The Caps, the top seed in this weekend’s single-elimination league playoffs, fell Saturday to the no.-4 seed Belleville Rockies, 4-1, in a second-round contest at Capaha Field...

Notre Dame’s Austin Dill will be the starting pitcher if the Cape Girardeau Capahas reach the Mon Clair League championship game this Sunday. The Caps (17-3), the no.-1 seed in the aluminum bat playoff tourney, have won 15 in a row and Dill has the most impressive statistics of any league hurler...

There are now options for schools in Missouri to play sports at different points during the 2020-21 academic year. On Thursday morning, the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Board of Directors announced, during a virtual meeting, the approval of a possible alternative schedule for its member schools...

The Cape Girardeau Capahas (17-3) won their 15th in a row Saturday as the oldest amateur team in U.S. history swept a doubleheader from the Belleville Rockies, 7-2 and 7-6 at Capaha Field. Game one In the early game, Malden’s Dee Triplett’s first inning three-run homer put the Caps on the board early to pace the Mon Clair League leaders. ...

The controversial basketball coach who led Dora (32-2) over Delta in the Missouri Class 1 playoffs this spring en route to a state basketball title is moving to Viola High in northcentral Arkansas. Rick Luna’s contract at Dora was not renewed after the 2019-20 season despite the Falcons winning a MSHSAA championship. Dora’s school board failed to give a reason for voting 5-1 against extending Luna’s coaching job with the school...

Van Buren High School SPORTS: Softball, cheerleading. PARENTS: David and Heidi Truncone SIBLINGS: Hannah Truncone PETS: none PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: Attending and cheering at Evangel University in the fall of 2020 studying Elementary Education and Children’s ministry...

Each year the Semoball Awards recognizes outstanding high school athletes from around the region. That tradition continues this summer albeit in a different format because of lingering COVID-19 concerns and social distancing requirements.

Connor Jackson is staying close to home to play college basketball. The Van Buren senior and Big Springs Conference Player of the Year recently committed to play for Williams Baptist University. “It seemed like the best fit for me, coming in as a freshman, getting to have experience on a JV team, so I don’t sit,” Jackson said. ...

Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Board of Directors voted to grant relief of portions of the MSHSAA By-Laws that include summer limits on contact between coaches and student-athletes at its April meeting on Thursday...

Host sites are set for most district tournaments if spring sports resume in Missouri. Missouri high schools remain out of session and all springs sports activities and practices are currently suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indiana High School Athletics Association canceled spring sports in Indiana Thursday due to the VOVID-19 pandemic...

The Missouri State High School Activities Association issued an update regarding the status of spring sports amidst the COVID-19 pandemic Tuesday. “While schools across the state are determining the best course of action during this unprecedented time, the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) office staff continues to prepare for Spring Championships,” MSHSAA said in a press release. ...

The preseason Missouri high school baseball state rankings were released Wednesday by the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association. Six baseball teams from the semoball.com coverage area are state-ranked. Cooter, which placed third in Class 1 last spring and finished 22-1 in its fall campaign, is ranked No. ...

Spring sports for Missouri high schools will start as planned next week, MSHSAA announced Friday after releasing district assignments. "We re monitoring what is happening from the Missouri Department of Health, the Governor's Office, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education," MSHSAA said in a statement Friday...

VAN BUREN — “Defense wins championships” is one of the best known cliches in sports, so it should not come as a surprise that the top two seeds at the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 Tournament used it to win their respective semifinal contests Tuesday night...

St. Vincent (19-6) will advance to semi-final action in Class 2, District 3 at Bloomfield after a forty-point blowout over Puxico (8-16).

Five boys basketball teams and two girls basketball teams from the Semoball.com coverage area are ranked in the final regular-season state poll released by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. Delta (21-5), which is the No. 1 seed in Class 1, District 2, drops two spots to No. 9 in the Class 1 boys poll...

Van Buren (9-15) earned a victory playing Summersville (1-20) on Thursday, outscoring the Tigers as they tailed the Dawgs each quarter. Catie O’dell let Van Buren with 11 points, including a 3-pointer. Addisyn Shockley scored 14 points for Summersville...

Oran (19-4) gained a home victory playing St. Vincent (10-13) on Monday. Gaining the most points in each quarter, the Eagles didn’t rest until they had defeated the Indians. Katie Webb scored 20 points for Oran, and her teammate Taylor Lowes scored three 3-pointers...

The postseason for MSHSAA basketball is nearing and the seedings and schedule for District play throughout Southeast Missouri were recently set.

Six boys basketball teams and three girls basketball teams from the Semoball.com coverage area are ranked in the latest state poll released by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Thursday. Delta (19-4), which has won nine of its last 10, drops a spot to No. 7 in the Class 1 boys poll...

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.

Six boys basketball teams and two girls basketball teams from the Semoball.com coverage area are ranked in the latest state poll released by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. Delta, which had won nine straight as it beat Oak Ridge 105-86 in the semifinal of the Scott-Mississippi County Conference Tournament Friday, remains No. 6 in the Class 1 boys state poll. Oak Ridge (12-9) moves into the rankings at No. 10 in the Class 1 boys state poll...

Advance (12-8) outscored Puxico (0-15) on Thursday, ending the first half 24-7 and finishing the game 42-21. Alandry Below led the Hornets to a victory by scoring 23 points. Advance will play Holcomb at home on Monday at 6 p.m. Puxico will play Campbell at home on Monday...

Addie Cates led St. Vincent (9-8) to dominating 52-8 victory scoring 13 points (including two 3-pointers) against Crystal City (3-12) on Wednesday.

Seven boys basketball teams and two girls basketball teams from the Semoball coverage area are ranked in the latest state poll released Wednesday by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association. Delta (16-3), which is unbeaten in the month of January, has moved up two spots to No. 6 in the Class 1 boys poll...

The Advance Hornets outscored the Meadow Heights Panthers 33-13 in the second half en route to a 49-37 come-from-behind home victory.