FOR LOVE OF THE GAME: AREA GIRLS MAY COURT THE BEST CHANCES OF REACHING STATE

Notre Dame girls top the list of teams that may just find their way to Columbia.

It was a fairly disappointing year for fans of high school football in Southeast Missouri.

No team from this region made it to a state championship game, although St. Vincent made it to the semifinals in Class 1A but got beat 21-0 by Rich Hill which won state.

Three area schools, including St. Vincent, were beaten by eventual state champions -- Jackson was clobbered by 5A Mehlville and Scott City was drubbed by 2A Lutheran North.

But now the focus is on basketball and it looks like a few local teams have shots at making the Final Four, but like the football scene, there are no shoe-ins that will coast to a state title.

It seems the best chance for a team within 30 miles of Cape Girardeau to go to state is on the girls side.

In Class 2A, I believe Notre Dame has what it takes to get to Columbia. The Lady Bulldogs, relying heavily on three freshmen last year, were beaten in a state quarterfinal game where they had complete control in the first half and should have won.

Notre Dame's sophomore trio -- 5-11 center Deana McCormick, 5-10 forward Lisa Millham and 5-7 point guard Courtney Vickery -- is back and better than last year. Notre Dame plays a grueling schedule which always prepares it for the playoffs.

It's too early to tell, but I think whoever comes out of the Class 4A girls district could have a shot at a Final Four appearance.

Jackson, which has dominated the local girls basketball scene for several years, won't be quite as strong as last year's team. Cherish Tillman and Andrea Koeper are good enough athletes to make any average team a good one, but other than those two, the Lady Indians are inexperienced.

Cape Central's girls could come out of the 4A pack this year. They have a great nucleus in Dionna Webb, Heather Jenkins and Katie Dougherty. They'll go as far as their guards -- Webb can't do it all and Jenkins and Dougherty both play inside -- will take them. Farmington and Poplar Bluff will round out the talented District 1 and any team could win it.

In Class 1A, Scott County Central is a team to keep your eye on with the addition of Vontrice Blackmon, who was ineligible to play last year after moving back to the Morley area.

On the boys side, the 4A teams around here won't likely be able to compete once they get out of districts. Sikeston is the best 4A team around, but even the Bulldogs won't stand a chance at going deep into the postseason.

In 3A, Doniphan lost all-state guard Nic Wilson, but the Dons should be every bit as good as they were last year when they made the quarterfinals. And don't count out Charleston which should be much improved over last season.

Southeast Missouri could have a shot at getting a 2A team to Columbia. Portageville, which made it to the Final Four a year ago, will be particularly strong. Scott City and Notre Dame will likely be the top two teams in their district and two of the best small schools in the area, but beating Portageville and advancing to the Final Four is unlikely.

Class 1A is unpredictable, but it doesn't look like a state title is in the cards.

Oran came out of this region last year and made it to sectionals.

Scott County Central -- like last year -- has a lot of talent but no height. And at least one coach says Advance -- featuring Garrett Broshuis, who averaged more than 20 points per game last year -- is the team to beat on the local 1A scene.

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I have taken some criticism for my analogy between the Cape Central-Notre Dame game last Tuesday and the Jerry Springer Show (although the exact words were "It wasn't exactly the Jerry Springer Show ...").For the record, I was referring to the 49 fouls committed (that's an awful lot of slapping), the 30-something turnovers (the passing and ballhandling was sometimes as out of control as Springer's guests), the low shooting percentage and the 33 missed free throws in the game. It was simply a physical, ugly basketball game just like Springer is a physical, ugly talk show. Perhaps I should have made it clearer that there were no punches thrown nor was there any hair-pulling and, in all sincerity, no bad sportsmanship. Central coach Brett Reutzel -- one of the calmest, coolest coaches in Southeast Missouri -- did draw the first technical foul of his career. But believe me, Reutzel -- even when his composure and the officiating are at their worst -- would never provide enough footage for a Too Hot for TV uncensored video.

Bob Miller is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.