LADY TIGERS PROVE FORMIDABLE ON ALL FRONTS

What a year this has turned out to be for Cape Central's girls athletics.

Starting with the spring sports, the Lady Tiger track team has been virtually untouchable this season. Returning all-staters Dionna Webb (the defending state champ in the long jump and an all-stater in the 100 and 200 meters) and Heather Jenkins (shot put and discus) have combined with several talented and athletic underclassmen on a team that has the potential to place high in state.

The soccer team is currently 10-4-1 and is coming off a season in which it made it to the Class 4A Final Four.

And the swimming team, which is a perennially strong, is solid once again with Mary Beth Owen breaking school records this season.

In the winter sports, the Lady Tiger basketball team was arguably the second-best team around behind state runner-up Poplar Bluff. Central was state-ranked for much of the season and ended up with a 20-win season for the first time in more than a decade.

In fall sports, the softball team was district runners-up and had a winning record.

The cross country team, led by Lane Thomasson, won its first district title in school history and the tennis team had yet another undefeated season in duals, improving their dual winning streak to an amazing 50 matches.

There's no doubt that when it comes to athletics, Cape Central has Girl Power.

Sikeston, Charleston drop class sizes

The MSHSAA board of Directors has approved the standard enrollment breaks that will be used for the next two-year classification cycle and as a result, Sikeston and Charleston dropped a class size in every sport except football.

Sikeston will be the largest 3A school in the state, missing the cutoff of 1,083 by six students.

Charleston, which has dominated the Class 3A basketball scene for nearly three decades, has dropped to 2A and will make things interesting for 2A powers such as Scott City and Portageville.

Speaking of Sikeston, standout basketball player Bryan Ellitt has accepted a scholarship to play at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff.

Ellitt, a 6-foot-5 center, was the SEMO Conference player of the year and a first-team all-stater this past year.

Other Bulldogs making claim for No. 1 spot

After several weeks of high school baseball, South Pemiscot of Steele, Mo. was the last remaining undefeated team in this part of the state.

And it's not like the Bulldogs -- ranked fifth in 2A -- are playing cream puffs, either.

South Pem (11-0) knocked off the Notre Dame Bulldogs, ranked first in 2A, in extra innings this past week and ripped Kelly 10-2. They destroyed their rival Senath-Hornersville 12-0 and played some good teams from Arkansas.

South Pemiscot already has three players -- southpaw ace Ryan Depriest, pitcher/right-fielder Eric Wright and catcher Adam Burton -- signed to go to Three Rivers Community College.

No Cape Relays

Cape Central did not have its annual Cape Track and Field Relays this year as many schools couldn't field a team with it falling on Easter weekend.

Central will host a dual meet with Jackson on Tuesday.

Central's boys will have a competitive meet at Poplar Bluff on Friday and the girls will compete in the Kirkwood Invitational on Saturday.