Football

There will be no shortage of competitiveness, passion, and bravado exhibited on Sunday during the playing of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Oh, and the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will be going at each other, as well.

Former high school football rivals Zai’Aire Thomas and Gavin Alspaugh are set to reunite as teammates at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. The two local football standouts signed their letters of intent on Thursday at their respective high schools.

Jackson senior Kai Crowe commits to Truman State University. The two-time Class 6 All-State wide receiver joins a Bulldogs program led by Jackson high school coach Ryan Nesbitt's brother Kellen.

Joel Wyatt returns to Kennett as head football coach, aiming to revive the program he once led to historic success.

Dexter High School football coach Chad Jamerson has been picking up nuggets of gridiron knowledge since he was a scrawny kid growing up on the athletic fields of East Prairie. That devotion to learning through the decades paid dividends this fall, as Jamerson led Dexter to its most successful season ever with the Bearcats finishing with an 11-1 record, dominating the SEMO Conference Central Division, and advancing to the MSHSAA Class 3 State Quarterfinals.

Success on the football field begets interest from others, be they fans, media, and also college football programs. Dexter High School is learning that after completing one of the most successful seasons in Bearcat history, as Central Methodist University recently pursued, and received a commitment from, Dexter senior defensive lineman Ethan Glaus.

The Poplar Bluff Mules football schedules have been released for the next three seasons (2025, 2026 and 2027), Poplar Bluff High School athletic director Kent Keith announced on Tuesday. The Mules’ 2025 schedule is identical to this past season’s schedule, other than switching from playing at home to on the road, and vice versa. Poplar Bluff opens the season Aug. 29 at Valley View in Jonesboro, Arkansas, followed by a Sept. 5 home game against Chaminade...

It wasn’t too long ago that Kayden Minner questioned if he’d ever get a chance — any chance — to play college football. Fast forward to this season, and New Madrid County Central graduate not only found a home at Mount Union, but also played a part in the Purple Raiders run to the NCAA Division III National Championship that concluded with a 41-25 loss to North Central in the Staff Bowl at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas on Sunday, Jan. 5...

Jackson girls dominate Woodland 63-20 in FSCB semifinals, advancing to their first title game since 2022. With a strong defense and standout freshman class, Jackson aims to end an eight-year championship drought.

DEXTER — The 2024 Charles Bland Award winner is Caden Lee. Since 1994, the Charles Bland Award has been awarded to the most rounded senior Bearcat football player who excels on and off the field. The award is designated for an individual who contributes significantly to their school, community and classmates...

When third-year Dexter High School football coach Chad Jamerson would watch Bearcat sophomore defensive back Jaxon Miller soar through opposing offenses in pursuit of making one of the 66 defensive stops that he made this fall, it surely brought a smile to his face. However, if Jamerson watched Miller “soar” away from the gridiron, though he would surely be proud, it might make him slightly nervous.

Caruthersville High School football defensive coordinator Brad Treece was born and raised in the Bootheel community and has spent over two decades either playing for the Tigers or instructing young athletes on how to excel.

When a football team outscores its opposition throughout a 12-game season by nearly 30 points per game, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that it earns a lot of victories (11 in the case of the Dexter High School squad this fall) and accolades.

Chase O'Neal was synonymous with Poplar Bluff Mules football this fall as a starter on both the offensive and defensive lines and also as a team leader. Now, that success is paying off for him, as he has signed to be a preferred walk-on at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau...

KENNETT, Mo. - It was a rough season for the Kennett Indian football program. Despite displaying a ‘zero’ in the win column, a few Indian players were able to shine through and earn All-SEMO recognition. These players include seniors Kevin Thompson, Caleb Duncan and Austin Gattis as well as junior Tyquavious (Ty) Jones...

The final Missouri Media Rankings for 2024 highlight the success of local high school football teams. St. Vincent leads Semoball teams, finishing third in Class 1, while Dexter and Cape Central also secure top spots.

The Culver-Stockton College football program recently watched Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division All-Conference running back Demarion Cobb wrap up his athletic career, and the Wildcat coaching staff has an idea for what they want to do with their run game moving forward.

Malden's Zion Bell and Dyentez Dobbins earn All-SEMO Conference honors, helping the Green Wave snap a 30-game losing streak.

Saying that Zai’Aire Thomas did it all for Cape Central this season might be just a bit of an understatement. Thomas helped the Tigers go 10-2 and make it all the way to the Class 5 District 1 championship game, plus the Cape Central senior scored 24 regular-season touchdowns — 13 on the ground and 11 more via reception — and threw for another as he scored 28% of the time he touched the ball on offense...

St. Vincent's playoff run ends in the state semifinals, while Jackson tops the Semoball 2024 football rankings. Discover the top 10 teams and standout players of the season.

There have only been three other teams in the history of Dexter High School football that have achieved an unbeaten regular season prior to this year’s group doing so.

St. Vincent's title hopes dashed as Adrian dominates 21-0 in MSHSAA semifinal. Battling harsh weather, the Indians' offense falters, ending their perfect season and advancing Adrian to the finals.

Following his team’s final game of the 2024 season recently, first-year East Prairie High School football coach Ian Penrod delivered an emphatic answer to just how the Eagles had turned their program around so quickly this fall. “I’ll be completely honest with you,” Penrod said, “these kids played their butts off.”

There was no shortage of incredible feats achieved by the 2024 Dexter football program this past season. The Bearcats matched a program record for victories (11) and won the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 championship, which was the first for the program in 13 seasons. However, a memorable triumph that, perhaps, will never be matched again, was attained by the Miller family.

Week 14 sees Southeast Missouri's high school football field narrowed to one as St. Vincent advances to the semifinals. Discover the latest power rankings and the fate of local teams.

The Caruthersville High School football program had its most successful season this fall since 2018, as it won 10 games for just the second time in 11 seasons. However, that success was not limited to just on the field.

ST. LOUIS – Dexter had its most successful football season in program history come to a halt on Saturday, as it fell to an athletic Lift For Life squad 50-12 in the MSHSAA Class 3 Quarterfinal 1 playoff game at Mehlville High School. “Sooner or later,” third-year Bearcat coach Chad Jamerson said following the loss, “the magic runs out.”

History has repeated itself in Perryville. But with a twist. The St. Vincent Indians successfully defended their title by once again dominating the Crystal City Hornets 42-0 in the Class 1 District 1 championship game on Friday, Nov. 22. On top of winning their second consecutive district title, the Indians will enter the Class 1 semifinals with a perfect 12-0 record. St. Vincent hasn’t won that many games in a season since the year the Indians won the state championship in 2004...

Kirkwood's late surge pushes it past Jackson 45-35 in Class 6 quarterfinals. Despite a strong effort and brief lead, Jackson's season ends as Kirkwood advances to face Nixa in the semifinals.

Kennett School District seeks a new head football coach after a winless season.

Jackson football gears up to face Kirkwood in a high-stakes quarterfinal clash. Both teams boast strong seasons, with Kirkwood seeking a return to its first semifinals since 2016 and Jackson eyeing another berth.

St. Vincent seeks a second straight district title against Crystal City this Friday. With a perfect record and recent dominance, can the Indians continue their winning streak and advance?

The Caruthersville High School football season ended Friday with a defeat at Valle Catholic in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 championship game, which was an anomaly.

The Dexter High School football program is in rare waters this Saturday, as the unbeaten Bearcats (11-0) will battle Lift For Life Charter Academy (7-5) in the MSHSAA Class 3 Quarterfinals.

Jackson and Dexter clinch district titles, advancing to quarterfinals. St. Vincent dominates Van-Far, securing a spot in the district title game. Check out the Week 13 Semoball Area Football Power Rankings.

CRYSTAL CITY, Mo. — In a dramatic semifinal clash in the MSHSAA Class 1, District 1 Tournament, Charleston faced a heart-wrenching 36-34 defeat at Crystal City on Friday, Nov. 15. The contest was a whirlwind of emotions, culminating in an overtime showdown that left the Blue Jays (7-4, 4-1 SEMO South) just shy of victory...

On a rare Saturday afternoon, St Vincent defeated Van-Far 49-8 in a Class 1 District 1 battle with the Indians. The win was No. 50 for head coach Tim Schumer, who played for St. Vincent during his high school days.  At 11-0, St. Vincent remains one of two undefeated teams in Class 1. To continue the perfect streak on their way back to the state semifinals is the goal for the St. Vincent seniors...

Jackson football clinches back-to-back district titles with a dominant 49-28 win over Seckman. Quarterback Drew Parsons shines with six touchdowns, setting up a state quarterfinal clash with Kirkwood.

DEXTER — For the first time since 2011, the Dexter football Bearcats are district champions — but they had to earn it. The Bearcats rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to win the Class 3 District 1 championship 28-13 over the Ste. Genevieve Dragons on Friday night at Charles Bland Stadium...

ST. LOUIS — Cape Central wanted to reach higher this season, but on Friday night the Tigers hit their ceiling. They smacked right into it at Cardinal Ritter High School in the Class 5 District 1 Championship with hopes of capturing a third straight district crown. It was a dominant outing from the two-time defending state champion Lions as Cape Central’s special season ended in a 56-14 rout in St. Louis...

An otherwise magical season of Perryville football ended in the frozen tundra of Festus, as the Pirates were sunk in shutout fashion by the Tigers 43-0 in the Class 4 District 1 championship game on Friday, Nov. 15. Their season ended in an emotional loss, but the Pirates did not leave empty-handed. Their second-place district trophy is something they can finally place in their previously empty treasure chest, right next to their 10-win season...

The story of the 2024 Poplar Bluff football Mules, to paraphrase Charles Dickens, could be titled, “A Tale of Two Teams,” but with a reversal of Dickens’ famous opening line, “It was the worst of times, it was the best of times.” The worst of times was the start of the season, which saw the Mules begin the first half of their schedule 1-4 with home losses to Farmington and Cape Central...

In one way, tonight’s MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 Playoff championship game has an all too familiar feel surrounding it for third-year Dexter High School football coach Chad Jamerson.

Players from Caruthersville, Cape Central, Dexter and Farmington have been selected as finalists as the most outstanding football players in the SEMO Conference. Jermonte Alexander of Caruthersville, Jett Grams of Dexter and Zai’Aire Thomas of Cape Central are in the running to take home the Carr Trophy, given to the conference’s most outstanding player, while Nolan Alford of Dexter, Oscar Dominguez of Caruthersville and Kaesen McClain of Farmington are finalists for the Derland Moore Award as the top defensive players in the conference.. ...

Former United States Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks, the architect of the greatest upset victory in American sports, uttered that line to his athletes just prior to his team beating the monumentally favored Soviet Union in 1980, and no coach in Southeast Missouri grasps the emotion of that sentence more so than third-year Caruthersville High School football coach Dom Guglielmo.

Discover which teams are dominating Week 12 as Caruthersville climbs the rankings with a big win and Cape Central narrowly avoids an upset. Get the latest on district finals matchups and power rankings.

Malden Green Wave ends their season with a 36-8 loss to Crystal City Hornets.

CARUTHERSVILLE – Third-year Caruthersville High School football coach Dom Guglielmo has preached to his team this season that he wants “fast starts” on both sides of the ball, but the Tigers haven’t always been able to do that. In Friday’s MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 semifinal win over East Prairie at Hopke Field, that wasn’t an issue.

CHARLESTON, Mo. — In a game that started with a sleepy first half, Charleston awoke with a vengeance, unleashing a rapid-fire scoring spree to secure a 50-16 grilling of Chaffee in the Class 1, District 1 Quarterfinal at John H. Marshall Field on Friday, Nov. 8...

Jackson football clinches a district final spot after a 31-14 victory over Lindbergh. Despite midgame struggles, strong defense and standout plays by Drew Parsons and Jaylon Hampton secured the win.