FOR LOVE OF THE GAME: AREA SPORTS CARRY GOOD CREDIT RATING WITH REPORTER

Every fall Friday night at about 10:30 p.m., I zip my faded-red Ford Probe into the Southeast Missourian parking lot and whip it into one of the spots vacated by one of our eight-to-fivers.

I quickly punch in my security code, rip the door open and scamper down the stairs to my computer.

"How did so-and-so do," is usually the first question I ask but there's no time for blow-by-blow accounts. There's barely enough time to go to the men's room.

Immediately, I start compiling my stats. By the time I get my box score done, I'll have about 20-30 minutes to explain to readers in written form how Team A managed to beat Team B in a game that took almost three hours to complete.

Why should you care about any of this? Just know that there's much, much more to write about each week than space and time allow.

And as a result, a lot of players don't get nearly the credit they deserve.

For instance, when taking notes for a game, you have to keep offensive stats for both teams to complete a box score.

But by doing so, it is impossible to keep track of defensive stats tackles, batted passes, hurries, forced fumbles, etc.

And that's a shame considering Cape Central and Jackson have two of the best defenses in this part of the state.

Make no mistake, the Tigers' defense has been more impressive than the offense. And, despite putting up a lot of points, the same can be said for Jackson.

In particular, the front seven on both those teams have been spectacular this season.

Don't be offended by the lack of pub, guys. Keep up the good work.

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Speaking of lack of respect, I was out at the Cape Central Invitational cross country meet Saturday.

Although I personally don't find cross country all that exciting to watch, I have to admit there are some very fine athletes competing in this sport.

It takes a different kind of animal to enjoy long-distance running. For the life of me, I can't figure out why anyone would enjoy doing that. But they do.

And they have my respect.

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On the soccer front, Notre Dame has exceeded expectations so far this year. The Bulldogs graduated about everybody last year and have a very young team, but they were unbeaten in their first eight games. I've noticed that the team has a lot of camaraderie. The Bulldogs, who are 8-2-1, seem to remain positive at all times and everyone seems to get along. With only one senior starter, this will be a team to be reckoned with for the next couple years.

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How 'bout them Lady Panthers! Meadow Heights appears to be the best volleyball team in the area after the first few weeks of the season.

MHHS, a tiny school located in the suburbs of Patton and Sedgewickville, has already defeated area power Jackson, a 4A squad. The Lady Panthers (11-1) recently took second place in the 35-team SEMO Classic Tournament, falling to 4A Farmington in the championship game. And last week, MHHS won the Perryville Tournament.

The Lady Panthers should be proud of their accomplishments so far.

Maybe this is the year Meadow Heights -- a strong volleyball school year in and year out -- finally makes the trip to Columbia.

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Since I've gone over football, cross country, soccer and volleyball, I'd be remiss not to bring up softball. Kelly seems to have the upper hand on everyone it plays. With two close wins over a tough Cape Central squad, the Lady Hawks have the SEMO Conference wrapped up.

Unlike many small schools which play volleyball, Kelly plays softball in the fall. And the Lady Hawks also play in the spring ... and in the summer and about any time there isn't snow on the ground. As a result, Kelly has established itself as the area's softball hotbed.

Bob Miller is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian