Risco

RISCO – This time of year has proven to be a touch stressful for veteran Risco High School varsity boy’s basketball coach Brandon Blankenship.

RISCO – If the Risco High School varsity boy’s basketball squad has a difficult time on Thursday in its road test at Bell City, veteran Tiger coach Brandon Blankenship will have no one to blame but himself.

RISCO – While every other high school varsity boy’s basketball program in Missouri was honing its skills and execution against competition over the past three weeks, South Pemiscot had to compete against itself in daily practices to try and grow as a team.

When his South Pemiscot varsity boy’s basketball team ventures to Risco High School on Tuesday to play the Class 1 No. 3-ranked Tigers, certainly Bulldog coach Jordan McGowan will be concerned with how to contain the offensive ability of the Tigers’ star scorer.

It's been a long while since I've got to enjoy as much holiday basketball as I have this year. For the first time in a while, if ever, I got to attend the Poplar Bluff Showdown, Lady Royals Christmas Classic and the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament all in one five-day stretch. While I last covered the Showdown and Lady Royals Christmas Classic in 2019, this was my first time at Bloomfield in at least a decade...

BLOOMFIELD — The top-seeded Puxico Indians came from a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat the third-seeded Dexter Bearcats 64-60 in an overtime classic to win the championship title of the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament on Monday night. It is the Indians’ first Bloomfield Christmas Tournament title since 1989...

Risco Tigers secure a historic victory over Richland Rebels in the Bloomfield Christmas tournament, clinching fifth place after a 65-year hiatus.

BLOOMFIELD – The Risco High School varsity boy’s basketball squad has six seniors guiding it through this season, and with that amount of experience, comes the benefit of knowing how to win games in several different manners.

Dexter Bearcats narrowly avoid an upset by Risco Tigers in the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, clinching a 69-67 victory with a last-second play.

BLOOMFIELD – Amid the blowout victories, the high-scoring offense, and the 30-plus point-scoring outings produced by senior guard Sammy Smith, fans can lose track of just how fundamentally sound the Class 1 No. 4-ranked Risco Tigers varsity boy’s basketball squad really is.

BLOOMFIELD — After five first-round games decided by double-digits at the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament on Thursday, the sixth game was hands-down the most exciting one of the day. The seventh-seeded Van Buren Bulldogs overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half to defeat the 10th-seeded Doniphan Dons 74-73 in overtime Thursday in the opening round of the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament...

BLOOMFIELD – There will be no shortage of star power in the finale of the opening day of the 68th annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, as No. 6-seed Risco (7-1) will battle the host Wildcats (4-2) at 8 p.m. on Thursday. The Tigers, who are ranked No. 4 in Class 1, feature lanky senior guard Sammy Smith, who already has had games of 30 points (against Delta C-7) and 35 points (against Doniphan).

Even after suffering their first loss season, the Puxico Indians are still riding high to start this season of boys basketball. Puxico suffered it first loss of the season Saturday evening when it lost 58-50 to Thayer in a battle of state-ranked teams — the Indians are tied for fifth in the most recent Class 2 coaches poll, while Thayer was fifth in Class 3...

CLARKTON — The Risco Tigers defeated the Doniphan Dons 82-53 to claim the championship of the Clarkton Christmas Tournament on Friday night. Doniphan played with grit and effort, never giving up in the game, — but Risco was taller, faster, and more physical than the Dons, especially on the offensive side, where their rebounding and inside shooting dominated the scoreboard...

CLARKTON — The Doniphan Dons scored a convincing 58-40 victory over the East Carter Redbirds in the semifinals of the Clarkton Christmas Tournament on Thursday night. The Dons led throughout the game, combining an aggressive defense with an improved scoring proficiency that built a first half advantage that they stretched to double-digits in the second half, which prevented the Redbirds from staging any sort of comeback...

The Puxico Indians are the top seed at this year’s Bloomfield Christmas Tournament. The Indians are 5-0 this season and are winning their games by an average of 26.8 points. Three of Puxico's five wins are by 35 points or more. The East Prairie Eagles, who finished second at last year's Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, are the No. 2 seed, with Dexter, Bernie, Kennett, Risco, Van Buren and Richland rounding out the top eight seeds...

Sammy Smith's 30-point game propels Risco Tigers to an 83-51 victory over Delta C-7.

Risco Tigers aim for redemption with a seasoned squad after a near miss last season.

NEW MADRID – The story of Campbell’s season-opening loss to this boy’s basketball season was a mixed one, as there were several positive things to take away from the Camels’ game against Overton (Tenn.) High School at the Riverbend Classic at New Madrid County Central High School. However, in the end, Campbell (0-1) fell 82-73, so there was also that.

Holcomb Hornets clinch Tri-County title, defeating Risco Tigers 5-1.

Clarkton Reindeer dominate Risco Tigers in a 3-0 sweep, marking their 12th shutout of the season.

It’s fairly easy to predict what will unfold throughout the next couple of months within the Risco High School volleyball program – that is if recent history is any indication.

The Poplar Bluff Mules football team will face a stiff challenge when district play starts in November. The Missouri State High School Activities Association released district assignments for all fall sports except for cross country on Friday — and the Mules learned they will be joined in Class 5 District 1 by not only two-time defending district champion Cape Central, but also by defending Class 5 state champion Cardinal Ritter...

The adage in sports is often that staying on top of achievements can be more difficult than the climb upward, but veteran Risco High School boy’s basketball coach Brandon Blankenship envisions his 2024-25 squad being capable of doing that this coming season after watching the work his athletes put in this summer. “We are bringing back a ton of experience,” Blankenship said after recently watching his team battle Puxico in a scrimmage at Delta High School.

DELTA – Being physically active might be a problem in the world of some teenagers throughout America, but that doesn’t include Risco High School senior athlete Sammy Smith.

Semoball Awards finalists for the spring sports categories were announced Thursday morning on a selection show broadcasted live on SEMO ESPN Radio and streamed on the Semoball.com Facebook page. Baseball Levi McKinnie, Chaffee Gabe Dirnberger, Oran Cooper Rhodes, Jackson...

The Semoball Awards finalists for fall sports were announced Wednesday morning on a selection show broadcast live on SEMO ESPN Radio and streamed on the Semoball.com Facebook page. The finalists were selected by a sports panel made up of representatives from the Southeast Missourian, Standard Democrat, Dexter Statesman, Daily American Republic and Delta Dunklin Democrat...

CLARKTON, Mo. - Two inside-the-park home runs, a double play and RBI after RBI aided in the Holcomb Lady Hornets (21-1) 17-6 championship victory over Risco's Lady Tigers (8-6-1) Tuesday here at the Tri-County Conference Tournament. Although the game lasted just four full innings, the Lady Tigers drew first blood on a Jaelynn Presley single in the top of the first before the Lady Hornets tripped a trigger in the bottom of the inning...

KENNETT, Mo. - Not only did the undefeated Lady Indians (11-0) softball team blank the Risco Lady Tigers (5-4-1) at Indian Park 11-0, the Kennett team's DH for Thursday's game smashed a school record. The Lady Indians' No. 8, senior Hadley Wilson, owns a new Kennett High School record...

With three losses in its last four outings, the Risco High School baseball squad may be looking for some relief. However, the Tigers (4-3) won’t be getting any today, as they travel to Saxony Lutheran (3-3) at 4:30 p.m.

RISCO – Baseball is a game of fundamentals and when a team lacks those – even for a brief moment – it can prove costly.

It’s been six years since the Risco High School baseball program has enjoyed a winning spring, but when the Tigers opened this season with three consecutive victories, it didn’t shock veteran Tiger coach Brandon Blankenship. “We’re expecting to have a good team this year,” Blankenship said following a recent 6-5 win at Bloomfield. “We’ve got enough arms with guys who can throw strikes.”

BLOOMFIELD – Veteran Risco High School coach Brandon Blankenship has coached the Tigers through 16 fall and spring baseball seasons and 22 basketball seasons, so he has seen, and had to endure, every type of scenario possible in sports. On Monday, that experience came in handy, as Blankenship had to utilize four pitchers, and his team overcame four errors, to survive 6-5 against a pesky Bloomfield squad at Bloomfield High School.

Veteran Risco High School varsity boy’s basketball coach Brandon Blankenship has seen a lot of talented athletes come through his program during his highly successful 22-year tenure, and current junior guard Sammy Smith ranks up there with the best.

ESSEX – To start this month, the Richland (Essex) boy’s basketball squad dropped three of four games, including a 10-point loss at Risco, and fifth-year Rebel coach Matt Cline was none too pleased with how his team was trending. “I really haven’t liked the way that we rebounded,” Cline said following that stretch.

Risco High School's Natalie Collier committed to playing volleyball at Williams Baptist University at Walnut Ridge, Ark., under Coach Michelle Lawson. Collier plans to major in Sports Management and Marketing while attending university. Pictured, front row from left, are: Monica Collier (mom), Natalie Collier, Risco head volleyball coach Jessie King; (back row, from left) Risco Athletic Director Brandon Blankenship, Risco Schools Supt. Dr. Amy Baker, Risco Assistant Coach Jon Smith...

Leopold High School varsity boy’s basketball coach Gary Poyner has been around long enough to know how to scout an upcoming opponent. In assessing his next foe, Risco, the debate is whether the Tigers are more problematic offensively or defensively.

NEELYVILLE – Both varsity boy’s basketball squads at Risco and Neelyville high schools have enjoyed their best seasons in several years, so when they recently met, yes, everyone knew the Tigers would prevail, but which team?

An evenly matched basketball game goes down to the wire at Westwood Baptist Academy. After claiming the Metro Atlantic Conference championship, the Westwood Baptist Eagles looked to close out the regular season on a high note. The Eagles are the defending MCSAA state champions, and before they could set their sights on making a repeat, they took on the Risco Tigers on Monday as their last test before the state tournament...

RISCO, Mo. – The Tigers basketball program's winning legacy continued Friday when the varsity squad beat a solid Cooter Wildcats team and delivered a Tri-County Conference Tournament championship to hometown fans. Risco defeated Cooter by a 20-point margin, 70-50 in the final contest of the event's grinding three-game series at Risco's rowdy Roy Hon Gymnasium...

RISCO – And then there were two. From a field of eight Bootheel high school basketball programs, home-town hosts, the first-seeded Risco Tigers and the second-seeded Cooter Wildcats both emerged victorious at Thursday's Tri-County Conference Tournament semifinals at Roy Hon Gymnasium...

RISCO – Competition was fierce Tuesday at the Roy Hon Gymnasium when eight area high school basketball teams competed in the Tri-County Conference Basketball Tournament preliminary round. The bracket pit the host, first-seeded Risco, against the visiting eight-seed North Pemiscot Mustangs; featured a four-five contest, the Holcomb Hornets against the Clarkton Reindeer; included a two-seven matchup, the Cooter Wildcats against the Southland C-9 Rebels; and found the three-seed Delta C-7 Chargers against the six-seed Gideon Bulldogs.. ...