SPORTS

When he graduated six seniors off of his squad last spring, Dexter High School boy’s basketball coach Chad Allen knew that this season would involve a lot of growing pains. “I told the guys,” Allen said recently, “that we are going to get punched in the mouth. We are going to get tested a lot.”

The Twin Rivers Royals and the Neelyville Tigers both encountered significant challenges at the recent Bernie Boys basketball Invitational, with setbacks that not only affected their records but also presented psychological hurdles. The Royals' aspirations were dampened by a 60-50 defeat at the hands of Puxico High School. Despite their double-overtime victory against Campbell earlier, a disappointing third quarter saw them outpaced by Puxico, culminating in a season record of 1-2. Carter Williams led the Royals with 13 points, alongside Zach Joiner with 12, Jake Hester with 9, and Eli Hequembourg with 8.

The Twin Rivers Royals’ chances of making it to the Bernie Boys basketball Invitational championship game ended after falling short to the number one-seeded Puxico High School 60-50. After securing a close win over Campbell in double-overtime on Monday, the Royals returned to Bernie with hopes of moving to...

The personnel scout for the Dexter High School girl’s basketball team this season is going to be pretty repetitive. An opposing coach could just tell their team that the Bearcat players (almost all of them) are identical. They are 5-foot-7, pretty athletic, and fairly skilled. Where will each player...

ORAN, Mo. — In a shooting exhibition that would make even the most hardened defenders weep, Oran bombarded Bell City with an unstoppable onslaught of long-range daggers, burying the fifth-seeded Cubs (0-1) under a mountain of points en route to securing a 73-30 victory in the opening round of the 68th Annual Oran Invitational Tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

The Bernie Invitational Boys Basketball Tournament for the 2023-24 season tipped off with an energetic start as the host team, the Bernie Mules, set the stage for a thrilling series of games. High schools from across the southeast region, including Puxico, Bloomfield, Neelyville, Campbell, and Twin Rivers High School, have converged on Bernie's court, each team eager to establish their dominance early in the season. The event marked more than just the commencement of the basketball season; it celebrated the spirit and skill of young athletes as they faced their rivals in pursuit of victory.

BERNIE — The Bernie High School boys basketball team will serve as tournament host next week. The tournament will feature Campbell, Risco and Holcomb. No. 8 Holcomb will play top-seeded Puxico in the opening round at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27. Campbell has drawn the No. 5 seed and...

If there was ever a philosophy followed by the 2023 Dexter High School football squad, it was to always get up when knocked down. The Bearcats lost 3 of their 10 games this past season, but never consecutive games. That resilience made former Bearcat player Cody Fulkerson beam with pride...

MALDEN, Mo — The Kelly girls’ basketball team blazes past Malden in a season-opening rout, 69-34, on Monday, Nov. 27. The Lady Hawks (1-0) aggressive defense smothered the Green Waves’ (0-1) attempts to get into a rhythm, forcing turnovers that fueled many fast break chances. “We tried...

RECTOR, Ark. — Bleachers at Paul Temerian Memorial Field were packed with fans as the hometown Rector Cougars played host to Izard County Friday night. Just a 20-minute drive from Kennett on Missouri Highway 84 and Arkansas Highway 90, playoff high school football was on the docket. And this...