Sikeston eliminated by Festus 51-7

Sikeston's Mason King (20) runs during a 51-7 loss at Festus in the second round of the MSHSAA Class 4, District 1 Tournament on Friday, November 3, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

FESTUS, Mo. — Sikeston’s darkhorse run came crashing to a halt in a loss at Festus on Friday, November 3.

It was a disappointing end to the season for the Bulldogs (2-9), falling 51-7 to the Tiger (8-3) in a MSHSAA Class 4, District 1 Semifinal.

"Festus took away what we wanted to do on offense and outmatched us on defense," said Sikeston coach Treston Pulley. "Give [Festus coach AJ Ofodile] and his team a lot of credit. They're a big, strong team. But I'm proud of our kids for fighting all night long despite the disadvantages in size, strength and all that. They still went out there and played as hard as they could and gave it all they had."

Sikeston's Samuel Pulley Jr. makes a tackle during a 51-7 loss at Festus in the second round of the MSHSAA Class 4, District 1 Tournament on Friday, November 3, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

Festus came out firing on all cylinders in the first half, putting the game away early and rolling to a commanding 44-0 halftime lead.

Hayden Bates opened the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown run, and Essien Smith followed with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Brady Nolan. Landen Yates returned a free kick 60 yards for a touchdown after a blocked punt for a safety, then Laim O'Brien and Smith each added rushing touchdowns. Jeremiah Cunningham capped off the half with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Bates.

“The kids were prepared and executed perfectly after a great week of practice," said Festus coach AJ Ofodile. "We played really well in the first quarter, and it was important for us to start clean. That's one of the things we talked about going in: having a focused and disciplined performance. We had some penalty issues earlier in the season, but our kids have been working hard on that, and it showed today."

Festus quarterback Essien Smith (2) throws during a 51-7 win over Sikeston in the second round of the MSHSAA Class 4, District 1 Tournament on Friday, November 3, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

The Tigers added to their lead in the third quarter with an 11-yard run by Smith at 6:21, and the Bulldogs finally got on the board in the fourth quarter with a 12-yard pass from Luke Gadberry to Bo Riddle at the 6:38 mark.

Gadberry finished 15-for-33 with 159 yards and a touchdown and Riddle caught four passes for 92 yards and a touchdown.

Festus outgained Sikeston 371-199 in total yardage on their way to a district championship berth against Hillsboro. The Tigers are looking to snap a five-game losing streak to the Hawks (9-1) and avenge a 42-21 loss from earlier this season.

Sikeston's Darryl Jordan (14) runs after a catch during a 51-7 loss at Festus in the second round of the MSHSAA Class 4, District 1 Tournament on Friday, November 3, 2023. 

Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat

"In a rivalry game, emotions can run high, but we need to stay focused and disciplined," Ofodile said. "We need to use the energy and adrenaline to our advantage and not let it work against us."

Despite the loss to Festus, Sikeston has a lot to look forward to in the future. The Bulldogs will graduate a large senior class but also have some gifted returners to work with, including Gadberry, Darryl King, Kenneth Holcomb, Mason King and Mauricio Bautista.

"We had several standout leaders in our senior class," Pulley said. "They helped us get a playoff win, which is something that hasn't been done here in a long time. We made significant progress as a team this season, and it's because these seniors stuck together, even when things were at their worst. They wanted to leave their mark on the program by helping us turn things around, and they did just that.

"I like the pieces we have returning,” he concluded. “But we need to invest in our program to give these kids the resources they need to reach their full potential. We plan on taking full advantage of the players we have coming back because we can make some noise next year. We just need to invest in our program the right way and get our kids the things they need to succeed: make them bigger, faster, and stronger as soon as possible."*