Poplar Bluff, MO - The Mules Booster Club has named Emily Nelson and Noah Burkey of Poplar Bluff High School the May Athletes of the Month, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Burkey, a baseball player of the Class of 2020, pitched for three years, throwing 99 strikeouts with an earned run average of 2.01, while batting a .382 his junior year with 44 RBIs. During pre-season, he was an All-State and honorable mention Perfect Game All-American pitcher. In the classroom, he maintained a 10.2 cumulative grade point average.
“Noah Burkey has been a leader on and off the field of play. He always works hard at doing everything the right way,” said Steven Edwards, his coach. “He is a great representative of the Poplar Bluff Mules sports programs. Noah will definitely be successful in everything he does in life because of the lifelong guidance of his family.”
Nelson, a soccer player of the Class of 2020, ended her last season prematurely with 6 goals and 3 assists. She won best offense and lettered for two years. She earned a 3.87 GPA out of 4.0.
“She is a tough girl. [She’s] been out for a year for a concussion injury, and she was really excited about returning this season,” said Rusty Crafton, her coach. “She would have been a great asset to our team this year, but looking forward to great things out of her in the future.”
Pictured: Noah Burkey and Emily Nelson are presented AOM awards on Friday, June 12, from Booster Club vice president Brian Taylor.
Article and photo submitted by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Director, Poplar Bluff R-I School District
Poplar Bluff, MO - The Rib City Shootout will be held at Libla Family Sports Complex on the campus of Three Rivers College in Poplar bluff this week.
Girls basketball will be held on Wednesday, June 17th and Thursday, June 18th. Boys basketball will be held on Thursday, June 18th and Friday, June 19th.
The event was originally scheduled on May 29th and 30th; however the first few Rib City Shootouts were postponed due to COVID-19 virus pandemic.
Rib City Shootout Director, Chad Allen, stated that there will be additional shootouts at the Bearcat Event Center in Dexter and the Cape Girardeau SportsPlex. At this time the Libla Center will have 50% fan capacity. The Cape Girardeau SportsPlex will also allow fan, but the Bearcat Event Center will probably not allow fans in the building at this time.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - Girls Basketball
Libla Center Court 1
11:15 a.m. Park Hills Central vs Dexter
12:00 p.m. Park Hills Central vs Tipton
12:45 p.m. Crane vs South Iron
1:30 p.m. Southeast Dynasty vs Ellington
2:15 p.m. Dexter B Team vs Park Hills Central B Team
3:00 p.m. Tipton vs Ellington
3:45 p.m. Crane vs Southeast Dynasty
4:30 p.m. South Iron B Team vs Park Hills Central B Team
5:15 p.m. Crane vs Doniphan
6:00 p.m. Dexter B Team vs South Iron B Team
6:45 p.m. Tipton vs East Carter
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - Girls Basketball
Libla Center Court 2
11:15 a.m. South Iron vs Doniphan
12:00 p.m. Twin Rivers B Team vs Park Hills Central B Team
12:45 p.m. Twin Rivers vs Brown County, IL
1:30 p.m. Tipton vs doniphan
2:15 p.m.Cran vs Park Hills Central
3:00 p.m. Parks Hills Central vs Doniphan
3:45 p.m. East Carter vs Brown County, IL
4:30 p.m. South Iron B Team vs Park Hills Central B Team
5:15 p.m. Crane vs Doniphan
6:00 p.m. Dexter B Team vs South Iron B Team
6:45 p.m. Dexter vs Brown County, IL
7:30 p.m. Park Hills Central vs Ellington
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - Girls Basketball
Bess Activity Center
2:15 p.m. Twin Rivers B Team vs South Iron B Team
3:00 p.m. Twin Rivers vs South Iron
3:45 p.m. Dexter B Team vs Twin Rivers B Team
4:30 p.m. Dexter vs Twin Rivers
5:15 p.m. South Iron vs East Carter
Thursday, June 18, 2020 - Girls Basketball
Libla Center Court 1
9:15 a.m. East Carter vs Southeast Dynasty
10:00 a.m. Tipton vs South Iron
10:45 a.m. East Carter vs Dexter
11:30 a.m. Tipton vs Southeast Dynasty
12:15 p.m. Doniphan vs Dexter
1:45 p.m. Tipton vs Crane
2:30 p.m. Ellington vs Brown County, IL
Libla Center Court 2
9:15 a.m. Crane vs Dexter
10:00 a.m. Doniphan vs Brown County, IL
10:45 a.m. Crane vs Ellington
12:15 p.m. Crane vs East Prairie
1:00 p.m. South Iron vs Brown County, IL
2:30 p.m. Southeast Dynasty vs South Iron
4:00 p.m. East Carter vs Ellington
Dexter, Missouri - If you are missing high school baseball perhaps tonight is the night to check out the SEMO Spartans 19u baseball home opener at East Park in Dexter. Since the DHS Class of 2020 baseball season was cancelled due to COVID-19 four athletes, Carson Bell, Garrett Henson, Mason Keena, and Haden Hillis, will have an opportunity to play a few more games.
These four have been playing several years together and helped the Spartans win Junior Babe Ruth state championships in 2016 and 2017.
Former DHS baseball coach Brian Becker is the head coach of the Spartans.
They will open their season Tuesday, June 2, 2020 as they host the Charleston 18u team around 8 p.m. at East Park.
2020 Summer Schedule:
June 2 vs CHARLESTON 18U 8 p.m.
June 4 vs JACKSON 19U 6 p.m.
June 8 vs SIKESTON 17U 6 p.m.
June 11 vs EAST PRAIRIE 6 p.m.
June 14 vs TROPICS 19U 3 p.m.
June 15 vs TROPICS 17U 6 p.m.
June 18 vs SIKESTON 19U 6 p.m.
June 23 vs CHARLESTON 19U 6 p.m.
June 25 at East Prairie 6 p.m.
June 30 at Jackson 19U 6 p.m.
July 3 at Tropics 19U @ Advance 6 p.m.
July 13 vs TROPICS 17U 6 p.m.
The Mules Booster Club has named Emily Spencer and Gage Rowland of Poplar Bluff High School the April Athletes of the Month, presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors.
Gage, a senior track and field runner, jumped 13 feet, 11.25 inches in the pole vault, ranking him ninth in the state in 2020; jumped 23 feet, 7.75 inches in the indoors long jump, ranking him second in the state and seventh in the country that same year; and jumped 14 feet, 3 inches in the pole vault, and was named All-State in 2019. In the classroom, he has maintained a 10.306 grade point average.
He is a “great kid” and a “very hard worker,” said his coach Mark Barousse, noting that Gage signed a National Letter of Intent to run track for Lindenwood University.
Emily, a senior soccer player, has averaged 15 tackles per season with 60 career tackles; and has lettered all four years of her high school career, being named All-Defense during her freshman and junior years, and most improved during her sophomore year. In the classroom, she has maintained an 11.3 GPA.
“She is a team player and a leader on/off the field; she wants what’s best for her team and teammates,” said Rusty Crafton, her coach. “She is [a] very coachable player and always eager to find ways to improve her game. [I] look forward to seeing good things out of Emily in the future after she graduates high school.”
Pictured: Presenting the AOM awards to Gage Rowland and Emily Spencer on Wednesday, May 13, is Booster Club member David Rowland.
Photo and article by Tim Krakowiak, Communications/Marketing Direct
We may see some summer sports for the high school seniors as soon as July! The SEMO Conference athletic directors met on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 to discuss plans for All-Star games for seniors in baseball, tennis, golf and track.
"The SEMO Conference ADs along with coaches are working on events for our senior spring athletes to allow them a chance to compete one last time before they leave us," commented Dexter High School Athletic Director Josh Dowdy. "The idea is to try and have an "all-star" game/match/tournament for outgoing senior spring sport athletes within our conference during the week of July 6th - July 11th."
"Details of when and where the events will take place is still being coordinated with coaches and athletic directors," continued Dowdy.
As you may know there is a lot to planning just one tournament or event. This will be quite the endeavor for the coaches and ADs, but well worth it to see the athletes compete one more time.
This will be the first ever high school all-star games featuring seniors who lost their 2020 season due to COVID-19. Most of the events will probably take place in Cape Girardeau and Sikeston.
There are eight teams comprising the SEMO Conference for baseball: Cape Girardeau, Dexter, Jackson, Kennett, New Madrid, Notre Dame, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston.
