Cardinals Fans Waiting It Out

With relatively quiet off-seasons in recent years, the St. Louis Cardinals could soon make a big splash in 2009.
The Redbirds are reportedly offering outfielder Matt Holliday an eight-year deal in the $128-million dollar range.
Depending on how you look at this, this deal makes a lot of sense or maybe not so much.
Personally, I like Holliday and I think he would fit right in with his strong work ethic and potent bat to give Albert Pujols some extra protection.
On the flip side, this kind of money is big time. And with Pulols getting ready to wrap up the seven-year $100-million dollar deal he signed after the 2007 season a huge deal will soon be coming his way. The bottom line, if the Cardinals do reach a deal with Holliday they must dig even deeper to sign Albert. And that is a lot of money invested into the middle of your line up.
One way or the other, look for something to happen very soon.

A Look Back and Look Ahead

Some quick thoughts about the Heartland Football Friday Season.
Sikeston and Valle were never really challenged until they lost in the State Tournament.
Out of all the talented teams in Southern Illinois---Nashville was the last one standing. A nice run for a team that lost some tough games during the regular season.
Good luck to Mayfield, Paducah Tilghman and Lone Oak. All three of these teams from Western Kentucky have made it to the state finals. Now that's impressive!
This year provided some of the best plays I have ever experienced covering Friday night football.
How about that Salukis ballclub. An easy win over Eastern Illinois and now William & Mary comes to McAndrew Stadium. SIU looks very solid in all aspects of the game.
Senior running back Deji Karim named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award.
And SIU should continue to be good for years to come with redshirt freshman Quarterback Paul McIntosh who was voted the top football player in the state of Indiana his senior year at Evansville Reitz.
Salukis host William & Mary at 11:00 a.m. Saturday.

Only The Best On Heartland Football Friday

This is the time of year when only the best teams take the field on Heartland Football Friday.
On Saturday the Missouri State Semifinals feature two outstanding match ups.
In class 4 Sikeston plays at Helias. Both teams are a combined 24-0.
Both also manhandled their one common opponent---Farmington.
In class 1 Valle and Tipton are both 12-0 as well.
The Warriors are on the road again but it doesn't seem to matter the way they've been blowing everyone out.
The Kentucky Quarterfinals resume Friday with a couple battles of unbeatens.
In Class 2A powerful Fort Campbell visits Murray and in 4A Allen County Scottsville makes the trip to Lone Oak.
I can't wait to see how these games turn out.
Turning to College Football top ranked SIU visits SEMO.
The Redhawks are coming off their only OVC win against Murray State while the Salukis wiped out Missouri State for the outright Missouri Valley Conference title.
I would expect the out manned Redhawks to play with a lot of emotion Saturday on senior day at Houck stadium.
And finally, it's time to announce the winner of our final Cheer off between Marion and Poplar Bluff. See you On Heartland Football Friday.

Four Heartland Teams Advance to Quarterfinals

A huge Saturday ahead for Four Southeast Missouri High School football teams.
Valle Catholic, Caruthersville, New Madrid County Central and Sikeston all advancing to the Quarterfinal round.
Here's a breakdown:

Class 1 Quarterfinal Valle Catholic at Miller:
Valle is 12-0 and has hardly been challenged all season. 10-2 Miller will have home field advantage and should put up a tough fight--but I still like the Warriors in this one.

Class 2 Quarterfinal Caruthersville at Brentwood:
Caruthersville is 10-2 and playing great football lately. Brentwood is 10-1 and will be very tough at home. The Tigers will need to put together a complete team effort to pull it off.

Class 3 Quarterfinal NMCC at Priory:
New Madrid County Central put it all together with a big win over previously unbeaten Potosi.
The 9-3 Eagles now visit 7-5 Priory. If NMCC can keep it going the Eagles will be very dangerous.

Class 4 Quarterfinal Ladue Horton Watkins at Sikeston. The Bulldogs are 12-0 against against a talented 10-2 Ladue Horton Watkins ball club. I have to believe home field will be a big advantage for Sikeston in this game.

Class 3A Illinois State Quarterfinal Tolono (Unity) at Nashville.
This figures to a very difficult match up for Nashville against Unbeaten Tolono. But the Hornets have been up to the task so far--we'll see if they can keep the magic going one more time?

Catch all your scores and highlights Saturday on Heartland Sports!

High School Football Regionals Set

The Missouri High School Football Regionals will kick off Wednesday November 4th.
Here's how I see the Heartland teams shaping up for the playoffs.

Class 1 Regional
Paris at St. Vincent
Hayti at Valle Catholic

You really have to like the way St. Vincent has been playing. They come in with a lot of momentum following a District championship overtime win over St. Vincent.
Hayti is talented and tough but will have it's hands full with undefeated and 3rd ranked Valle Catholic.

Class 2 Regional
East Prairie at Crystal City
Grandview at Caruthersville

You have to love the turnaround job by East Prairie coach Jason Aycock.
The Eagles don't do anything fancy but play tough physical football.
Caruthersville has had a great year and should take care of business against Grandview.

Class 3 Regional
Dexter at Potosi
Fredericktown at NMCC

Dexter will open with a tough road game at state ranked Potosi. The Bearcats will have to play well to meet the challenge.
I really like the Fredericktown at New Madrid CC game. Two solid teams going head to head should make for competitive match up.

Class 4 Regional
North County at Sikeston
Poplar Bluff at Festus

Sikeston has been the class of the Heartland. The unbeaten Bulldogs play outstanding offense and defense. North County could be in for a long night.
Poplar Bluff will take to the road at Festus. If the Mules can win it should set a rematch with Sikeston.
See you Wednesday night on a playoff edition of Heartland Football Friday.

Winning and Losing Streaks on The Line

Will they or won't they? That seems to be the big question this weekend on the heartland sports scene.
Will the Sikeston football team stay unbeaten at Poplar Bluff?
The Mules are very talented---Sikeston has been dominating---this should be a big test.
Will Jackson and Cape Central win for the first time this season?
Cape Central will need a huge effort at Eureka if the Tigers hope to pull off the upset.
Jackson should have a pretty good shot at beating Rockwood Summit---but playing on the road won't be easy.
Will SEMO gets it's first Ohio Valley Conference win of the year at Tennessee Tech?
The Redhawks are coming off a bye week and should be healthy and hungry for this OVC road game.
Finally, good luck in the final four to the Naylor and Notre Dame Softball teams at St. Joseph's.

Heartland Sports Heat Up

This has to one of the busiest sports times of the year in the Heartland.
Were right in the heart of college football season, high school football is also heating up with Districts and the playoffs just around the corner, College basketball ready to tip off, softball playoffs well underway and the Soccer and volleyball post-season just about upon us.
So where do we start? How about the start of Missouri District play. For teams like Jackson that have struggled, this is the time to get hot and make the playoffs.
Speaking of hot, the unbeaten Sikeston Bulldogs look to keep it going against West Plains and I love the match up between Poplar Bluff and Farmington.
Also a couple of really good games in Southern Illinois with Anna-Jonesboro visiting Du Quoin and Carbondale hosting Marion.
The best match up of all looks like the game between #5 SIU at #2 Northern Iowa.
I just saw the SEMO basketball team practice under Dickey Nutt for the first time.
Eleven newcomers for the Redhawks so it should be a very interesting season.
And it's time for Maroon Madness at SIU ---Let the games begin!
See you tonight on Heartland Football Friday.

Homecoming and Cardinals Highlight Weekend

It should be a huge weekend of high school and college football.
It all gets underway Friday night with Heartland Football Friday.
Some match ups to keep a close eye on include Poplar Bluff at Jackson---will this be the weekend the Indians finally get their first win? Along with powerful Massac County visiting rugged Herrin.
College football games include homecoming match ups for SEMO and SIU.
The Redhawks go for their first Ohio Valley Conference win Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. against Austin Peay at Houck Stadium while the Salukis host Illinois State on Homecoming.
This will be the last homecoming game at McAndrew Stadium.
Finally, a heartbreaker for Matt Holliday and the Cardinals Thursday night.
Down 2-0 the Redbirds are down to their last loss to the Dodgers.
I think it's a pretty sure bet The Cards will come out swinging Saturday at Busch Stadium.

Heartland Sports Heat Up

Pick a sport and something big seems to be going on these days for Heartland fans.
Perhaps the regular season High School football game of the year will take place Friday night with unbeaten Sikeston visiting NMCC.
This will be one of our many featured games on Heartland Football Friday.
Switching to Softball, some remarkable performances on the mound this season for Notre Dames Lauren Reinagel and Kelly's Danielle Dock. The District playoffs open next week. And lets not forget about two-time Illinois defending state champion Cobden.
As far as Volleyball match ups, a pair of 2nd ranked teams in their respective classes met the other night with Scott City beating Leopold in two sets.
And it looks more and more like the Cardinals will open up against the Dodgers in the N.L. Playoffs. St. Louis dominated during the regular season but this will be a whole new atmosphere.
And will Sikeston's Blake DeWitt be on the Los Angeles post-season roster?
Stay tuned!

Huge Football Friday Night Ahead

As they say, "you don't play the game on paper," but what a line up of games ahead on Heartland Football Friday.
Here's a look at some of our featured match ups:

Scott City at Chaffee: These two rivals are only located about ten minutes from one another, this is our kfvs12.com Web Cast game of the night---need I say more!

NMCC at Caruthersville: The talented Eagles roll into town with one loss and state title hopes.
The Caruthersville Tigers are back with a perfect record---you might want to get the calculator out for this one.

Cahokia at Carbondale: Both of these conference rivals are unbeaten, Cahokia is 3rd ranked in the state, the Terriers have home field advantage---this should be a fun one to watch!

Nashville at Pinckneyville: Traditionally this is one of the top High School rivalries in Southern Illinois.

See you with all your scores and highlights Friday night on Heartland Football Friday!

Big Test Week for Heartland Football Teams

With the halfway point of the 2009 regular high school football season approaching, this should be a good week to start seeing just how good some heartland teams are.
Maybe the best example is at Sikeston, the host Bulldogs are 3-0 while visiting Jackson is 0-3.
In recent years Jackson has dominated this match up, come Friday night we'll find out just how good Sikeston is?
Plenty more solid tests like Hayti at Caruthersville, Dexter at Poplar Bluff and West Frankfort visiting Herrin.
Speaking of a test, the Ohio Valley Conference season opens Saturday at 6:00 p.m. with Southeast Missouri State hosting Eastern Illinois. The Redhawks are coming off a big loss at Cincinnati after winning big in the opener at Quincy. This game should offer a very good indication of what fans can expect out of the Redhawks in 2009.
SEMO appears to be improved over last season but it will be no easy task Saturday against a talented EIU ball club.
See you Friday night on Heartland Football Friday and again Saturday night from Houck Stadium with the live web Cast of Eastern Illinois at Southeast.

Heartland Football Friday Big Games

Heartland Football Friday will be loaded with big match ups.
The top games include unbeaten Sikeston at Dexter, Gateway Tech at win less Jackson, Valle Catholic at St. Vincent and Perryville at Ste. Genevieve.
Switching to Southern Illinois--plenty more interesting games.
How about perennial powers Massac County at Anna-Jonesboro, Marion at Harrisburg and our kfvs12.com Web Cast game of the week featuring Herrin at du Quoin. And these are just some of the games we'll be covering.
No doubht our crew will be BUSY! See you Friday night.

Regular Season Kicks off

For high school football players in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, the regular season has arrived!
And although it's only week 1, some games should offer an interesting insight for things to come.
Ste. Genevieve has been a perennial power, but will they continue their dominance at Dexter or will the Bearcats be up to the challenge?
The Sikeston Bulldogs host Fredericktown. The Blackcats have looked impressive in the off-season but Sikeston is also supposed to be improved.
Jackson lost a heart breaker at Riverview Gardens last season, this year they get to play the game in front of their home fans.
Southern Illinois also features some interesting games like powerful Anna-Jonesboro at West Frankfort and a pair of improved teams with Murphysboro hosting Carbondale.
Highlights of these games and much more on Heartland Football Friday.
Hey before I say goodbye--did you see Division II Quincy upset Indiana State.
You probably already know this but Quincy will visit SEMO in the season opener on Thursday September 3rd. Game time is 6:00 p.m. at Houck Stadium. We will also web cast the game live on kfvs12.com

Heartland Football Friday Kicks Off

The wait is over, Heartland Football Friday has arrived!

Opening night in Kentucky is always interesting because the regular season games start a week earlier than those in Illinois and Missouri.

A great one to Kick things off with Mayfield visiting Marshall County. Marshall County is a larger school but Mayfield is traditionally one of the states elite teams.

Chad Fryman will anchor our live coverage from Benton, Kentucky.

While regular season play rules in the commonwealth, Jamboree action highlights Missouri play.

The Farmington Jamboree is always a classic with four teams from the heartland against four teams from the St. Louis area. Southeast Missouri is represented by Cape Central, Jackson, Poplar Bluff and Host Farmington.

We'll have highlights and reaction along with live coverage from the Chaffee Jamboree.

It's generally quiet in Southern Illinois highlighted by intrasquad scrimmages.

Our Heartland Football Friday crew will take in the action at Marion and we'll also preview the Du Quoin Indians.

Wherever your at don't forget to send in your video.

See you every Friday night at 10 on KFVS 12!

Cardinals Moves Working to Perfection

The St. Louis Cardinals have made Three recent moves and all three have worked out to perfection so far in the early stages.
Mark DeRosa is everything you can ask for in a ballplayer. DeRosa can play almost every position on the field. He's a solid hitter for average hitter and excellent power source. DeRosa has already hit seven homers since Joining St. Louis and twenty on the season. And He's already being praised for his leadership in the clubhouse.
If the DeRosa trade was a home run than the Matt Holliday move has been a grand slam so far.
Holliday is hitting a whopping .541 since putting on a Redbird uniform and has already homered three times and knocked in ten runs. Forget what he did in Oakland, since coming over he looks like the MVP candidate that he was in Colorado.
The move to acquire infielder Julio Lugo was the least celebrated of the deals but has also been very effective. Lugo is hitting .342 for the Cards and has also shown some power.
I know it's early, but these moves have a lot of Cardinal fans smiling these days.

Cardinals Trade for Holliday

Here's my take on the Cardinals trading for Athletics Outfielder Matt Holliday for Minor League 3rd Baseman Brett Wallace, Pitcher Clayton Mortensen and Outfielder Shane Peterson.
First, I really like the way Holliday plays. He can obviously hit the ball, he was a three-time all-star in Colorado. But he also has good speed for a big man and is capable of stealing a base at any time. He has also demonstrated a strong throwing arm and plays pretty good in left field.
And maybe most important of all, Holliday plays the game with all out hustle and this will fit right in with the Cardinal way.
About the only negative and it's fairly big one is that Holliday will become a free agent at the end of the season, but I wouldn't rule out the Cardinals being able to resign him just yet.
As far as the prospects go, Wallace is a recent first rounder who has made a quick rise to Triple A, it sounds like he has a chance to be a pretty good pro one day.
I haven't heard a lot said about the other two players involved the deal.
Like any trade, it's wait and see. But at the very least Cardinal fans should enjoy watching Holliday play on a daily basis.

Worlds Top Junior Golfers Come to Dalhousie

The American Junior Golf Association Rolex tournament of champions is underway at the Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau.
This event is considered one of the elite junior golf tournaments in the nation.
It features 144 of the world's best boys and girls golfers ages 12-18.
The four day tourney also includes some heartland golfers.
They are Poplar Bluff's Trent Hillis, Princeton Kentucky's Emma Talley and Cassie Rushing from Marion, Illinois.

Sources say Honza Accepts SEMO SID Job

Sources tell me Southern Illinois University Associate Sports Information Director Jeff Honza has accepted the SEMO Sports Information Director position replacing the retiring Ron Hines.
The 34-year old Honza has served nine years at SIU most recently handling the football and baseball duties.

State Baseball Playoff Results

A couple high school baseball playoff results of interest around the heartland.
Missouri Class 1 State Quarterfinal. Cooter beats Oak Ridge 6-0.
Cooter will now play the Lakeland and Santa Fe winner Wednesday in the state Semifinals in Springfield.
Also, Notre Dames Class 3 Quarterfinal scheduled for Thursday has been moved back to Friday due to a rain out between Lutheran North and Lutheran South.
The Bulldogs will play the winner.
Class 3-A Regional Semifinal in Southern Illinois. Host Marion beats Carbondale 10-0.
Marion will now play the winner between Centralia and Mt. Vernon Saturday in the Regional final.

SEMO Officials Discuss Basketball Schedule

Some big basketball news out of Southeast Missouri State.
SEMO Athletic Director John Shafer tells me he met with new head coach Dickey Nutt Wednesday to discuss the 2009-2110 schedule.
In the works, home games with Southern Illinois and Arkansas State along with a road game at Memphis.
Shafer says SEMO is really working hard to bring good out conference opponents to the Show Me Center.
He also says nothing is official at this time and final details are still being worked out.
Look for an announcement to come soon.

Palmer Goes for 5th Wiin

Caruthersville native Matt Palmer will go for his 5th win of the season Tuesday night for the Angels.
Palmer gets the start at Seattle against Felix Hernandez.
Cardinals and Cubs open up an important series at Busch.
District Baseball heats up with several big semifinal games the finals are set for Wednesday.
The OVC has announced it's All-Conference Baseball teams.
The first teamers include SEMOS Jim Klocke and Terrell Cummings.
Murray State's representatives on the first team are Wes Cunningham, Daniel Hill, Jason Laws and Daniel Calhoun.
The OVC baseball tourney opens Wednesday with SEMO playing Tennessee Tech at 2:30 pm.

Crucial OVC Weekend for SEMO and Murray State

With the Ohio Valley Conference Baseball tournament just around the corner,
only percentage points separate the Redhawks and 2nd place Murray State.
The importance of this is the top two teams get byes in the OVC tourney.
SEMO Coach Mark Hogan recently told me it is invaluable for your pitching staff to get the bye.
Southeast is hosting Morehead State in a doubleheader Friday and single game Saturday.
Murray State is hosting Austin Peay in a doubleheader Friday and single game Saturday.
It should add up to one intense weekend of baseball.

Matt Palmer Does it Again

Chalk up another win for Caruthersville native Matt Palmer.
The Angels pitcher started slow Wednesday night giving up four runs in the first four innings against Boston before settling down.
Palmer would go the distance retiring the last nineteen batters he would face in an 8-4 Angels win.
Palmer is now 4-0 on the season. Not bad for a 30-year old rookie.

Caruthersville Pitcher Making it Big

The folks in Caruthersville have a lot to be proud of these days.
Former Caruthersville high school stand out Matt Palmer will try to improve to 4-0 Wednesday night as the starting pitcher for the LA Angels.
Palmer gets the start at home against Boston starter Tim Wakefield.
I spent some time with some of Palmer's family and friends last week in Caruthersville and they are pumped up over his success.
Matt is a thirty year old rookie who spent a lot of time in the minor leagues.
His college experience included time at Three Rivers and Missouri State.
Palmer also pitched for the Plaza Tire Capahas.
I'ts nice to see a Heartland guy like Matt Palmer having success in the Major Leagues.

I saw a great golf match Tuesday at Dalhousie in the SEMO Conference tournament.
Jackson Sophomore Tanner Werner beat Cape Central senior Tim Simmons by one stroke.
Warner finished at 2-under while Simmons came in at 1-under.
These guys were outstanding, Werner had a hole in one on the front nine and I believe Simmons was 5-under on the front nine.
I also noticed a couple of coaches on hand from the University of Evansville and University of Southern Indiana. No doubt they were impressed with what they saw.
Simmons and Werner will both compete in the state tournament next week in Springfield.
Poplar Bluff won the SEMO Conference team title and the Mules have also qualified as a team for state.

SEMO Releases 2009 Football Schedule

It's never too early to start talking college football.
The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks released their 2009 schedule this week.
SEMO opens the season Thursday September 3rd at 6:00 p.m. against NAIA opponent Quincy.
This game should be a good tune up for the regular season, although Tony Samuel's teams have had some real challenges in these type games in recent years.
Things will get a lot more difficult Saturday September 12th at Division I Cincinnati.
The Bearcats played in the Orange Bowl last season and ended the year ranked 17th in the nation.
The following Saturday SEMO starts it's Ohio Valley Conference schedule against Eastern Illinois.
Playing at home is always important and the Redhawks will look for any edge they can get against the always tough Panthers.
Next up a road game against a UT Martin ball club which has been one of the best in the OVC in recent years.
SEMO returns home for a match up with Austin Peay before playing two more road games at Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky.
The Redhawks finish the year with three very interesting home games against Jacksonville State, Murray State and the season finale against Southern Illinois on November 21st.
I think the game against the Racers should be outstanding and it will also be very interesting to see how Southeast will hold up against the powerful Salukis.

Sizing up the Final Four

You can call it super Saturday in Detroit. The final four is about as interesting as it gets.
The first game matches a Michigan State team with a huge home court advantage against a UCONN team with the biggest player in the tournament.
The night cap should be just as good with red hot Villanova playing a North Carolina team led by Poplar Bluffs Tyler Hansbrough and considered the favorite to cut down the nets Monday night.
Speaking of Monday, that's when the Cardinals and most of the major league teams get into action for the first time. Despite the injury to Troy Glaus the Redbirds should have plenty of offense and some great young talent like former first round pick Colby Rasmus and David Freese. The big question mark is pitching? The key is Chris Carpenter and the bullpen. If Carpenter can healthy for a full season and the bullpen can rebound from a rough year in 2008, watch out for the Cardinals!

March Madness rolls on.
What a great time to be a Missouri basketball fan. The 3rd seeded tigers play 2nd seeded Memphis Thursday night in the Sweet Sixteen in Glendale Arizona. This should a very fast paced and exciting game to say the least. It may be one of those match ups whoever has the ball last wins!
Friday's game between North Carolina and Gonzaga is also intriguing.
The Tar Heels have Poplar Bluff's Tyler Hansbrough and a host of other All-American caliber players while Gonzaga plays a very disciplined and difficult style.
High school spring sports are underway in Southeast Missouri so we'll be talking a lot of baseball very soon. And on the college level SEMO continues to knock the cover off the ball.
And lets not forget the Cardinals who appear to have pitching ace Chris Carpenter back to full strength.
Before I say good bye I want to say congratulations to the Portageville and Scott County Central basketball teams. Great Job on winning state titles!

Great Win for Portageville

Congratulations to the Portageville Bulldogs for winning the Class 2A state basketball championship Friday afternoon in Columbia. Portageville beat a talented Harrisburg team 60-55 to claim their first state title in fifteen years.
Way to go Bulldogs!
Now its Scott County Central's turn Saturday in the Class 1 final against Newtown-Harris.
Tip off is 12:20. Chad Fryman and photographer Brian Heisserer will continue their coverage from Columbia and have a final recap Saturday night on Heartland Sports.
It wasn't easy in the first half against Cornell, but 3rd seeded Missouri took care of business in the 2nd half winning their NCAA opener 78-59. Mizzou will play a talented Marquette ball club Sunday in round two.
The Tigers have the look of a team primed to make a nice run in the big dance.

March Madness Opens with a Bang

The first day of the NCAA tournament is winding down.
So far no huge upsets but you never know what the next day will bring.
North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough certainly had a first game to remember.
The Poplar Bluff native not only scored 22 points to help lead the top seeded Tar Heels to victory over Radford but also set the ACC career scoring record. Hansbrough passed former Duke stand out J.J. Redick early in the first half to top Redick's record of 2, 769 points.
Next up for Tyler and company a meeting with LSU in round two.
The Missouri Tigers tip off NCAA tourney play Friday as the number three seed in Boise Idaho against number 14 Cornell.
What an opening day in Columbia for a couple of Heartland basketball teams.
Portageville started Class 2 state semifinal play with a 60-53 victory over Miller.
Donnell Minnis led the way with 14 points. Portageville will play Harrisburg for the title Friday at 12:20 p.m.
The Scott County Central Braves rolled in their Class 1 state semifinal game beating Glasgow 78-44. Drew Thomas scored 31 points in the winning effort.
The Braves will play Newtown-Harris Saturday at 12:20 p.m. for the championship.

SEMO Closer to Naming New Basketball Coach

Southeast Missouri State has scheduled a news conference for 2:00 p.m. Thursday at which time the university says Athletic Director John Shafer will name a new head basketball coach.
Several names have been tossed around as possible candidates from Jay spoonhour to Rod Barnes.
But it appears that a couple of names have floated to the surface.
I have received several phone calls regarding former Arkansas State coach Dickey Nutt as a possible leading candidate.
Another named being tossed around as a possible front runner is former Saint Louis coach Brad Soderberg.
Stay tuned to KFVS 12 for the latest details.

Hoops Madness

It's a great time to be a High School and college basketball fan.
After all, the High School tournaments are all pointing to the state finals while College hoops are ready to head into the NCAA tournament.
As I write this the Murray State women and player of the year Ashley Hayes are on the court against Austin Peay in the Ohio Valley Conference Semifinals while the Racers men take the court later against the Governors.
UT Martin player of the year Lester Hudson and the top seeded Skyhawks will play Morehead State.
The Salukis appear to be heading into the Missouri Valley Conference tournament with some momentum.
SIU opens MVC play in St. Louis against Bradley.
To the High School game, both the Sikeston Boys and Dexter girls are one win away from the Class 4 State Semifinals in Columbia. Carch both of their games Saturday live on our webcast at kfvs12.com
Both teams are great stories and it would exciting to see them competing on the biggest stage.
Classes 1, 2, and 3 continue to battle it out in Districts before opening Sectional Play next week.
The Illinois playoffs are also heating up.
See you with all the scores and highlights on Heartland Hoops.
One final note, our Heartland Hoops Subway Shot of the Night final will take place Tuesday prior to the Super sectional at SIU arena. It should be a fun night and we plan on carrying it live at 6:00 p.m. on KFVS 12.

March Madness has arrived

Whether your game is High School or College Basketball March Madness is here!
Where do I start? The High School Class 4 and 5 District tournaments are already heating up with the usual suspects on the boys side like Sikeston, Notre Dame and Poplar Bluff making some serious noise.
On the girls side you could say the same for Notre Dame, Dexter, Poplar Bluff and Farmington.
The Cape Central boys and girls finally managed to beat Jackson but now they face a tough test against Poplar Bluff.
A Couple of outstanding Illinois Class 2A Regional finals with Massac County playing Murphysboro and Pinckneyville hosting Du Quoin.
All this and were just starting to get the ball rolling on the post-season.
Talking College hoops, the Salukis wrap things up for the regular season Saturday at home against Wichita State. SIU needs a win to help it's positioning for the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
The Ohio Valley Conference regular season concludes Saturday.
The SEMO men have one more shot at a win at Austin Peay while the women try to keep their slim hopes alive of hosting a first round game. The Murray State women are the number one seed.
The UT Martin men lead the OVC Standings by a single game over Saturday's opponent Morehead State, Murray State and Austin Peay.
It should all add up to a fantastic final four in Nashville.
All this and the NCAA Tourney is still ahead!

Hoops Season Hits Home Stretch

The high school basketball season is hitting the home stretch.
With district basketball tournaments just around the corner teams are trying to get healthy and peak at playoff team.
There are several great games ahead Friday night on Heartland Hoops.
Some of the top match ups include Cape Central hosting Dexter which also happens to be our location for our Heartland Hoops Subway Shot of the Night.
New Madrid County Central visits Portageville with an important theme to help raise awareness about cancer.
Sikeston may be on the brink of a state title run, the Bulldogs play a road game at Kennett.
In Southern Illinois Marion at Carbondale promises to be a competitive game and Pinckneyville will take it's best shot at Anna-Jonesboro.
See you on Heartland Hoops!