MUSICAL COACHES: NEW, OLD FACES IN AREA PREP SCENE

High school coaches in the region have been playing musical chairs this past spring and summer.

But it seems that the music has stopped and most of the vacant positions have been filled as the start of the school year approaches.

The most noticable changes have come on the football scene with new coaches at Cape Central, Scott City, Charleston and Chaffee.

Lawrence Brookins will take over for Jerry Dement at Cape Central. Dement resigned this past January and has accepted an assistant coaching job at Sikeston.

Brookins, a former assistant at Central, took the promotion this past spring and had to assemble a varsity coaching staff from basically ground zero.

Roy Williams will take over at Scott City for Terry Flannigan, who -- like Dement -- has accepted an assistant coaching spot at Sikeston. Flannigan was 25-17 with one district championship in his four-year tenure at Scott City.

Williams has 34 years of coaching experience, winning a state title in 1987 and made four Final Four appearances while at Berkely High School in St. Louis County.

Allan Horrell has taken over for his brother, Brian, at Chaffee after the school board there made a clean sweep of the athletic program.

Former Southeast Missouri State University football player Brent Anderson has replaced Dan Kesserling at Charleston. Kesserling was 41-32 with four consecutive district titles from 1993-96. He will remain as an assistant coach after going 4-5 last season. Anderson had been an assistant under Kesselring.

Here is a rundown of some of the other coaching changes made in preparation of the upcoming school year:

VOLLEYBALL

Cape Girardeau will be getting two new volleyball coaches as Helen Payne returns to Notre Dame, where she coached a few years ago. Cape Central's new coach will be Debra Spinner, who was the assistant coach for the Tigers last year. Payne will replace Janet Buchheit and Spinner will take over for April Morgan McClintock.

Woodland's new coach will be Emily Johnson, who was the assistant coach last year under Tammy Brock. Brock left Woodland to take the girls basketball opening at Chaffee.

Johnson is a former all-state player at Woodland, helping the team to the Final Four her senior year.

Tonya Skinner takes over at Oran for Adrian Elfrink.

Former Southeast volleyball player Kimberly Aggertt is the new coach at Advance, filling in the vacancy left by Margie Kolat.

Marquand's new coach will be Angie Doggins. Adam Hector was the coach there last year.

WRESTLING

Former assistant coach Josh Crowell will assume the head coaching duties at Cape Central, replacing Drew Lilledahl.

Crowell, a 1991 Central graduate, has been heavily involved in the area's youth wrestling programs and will try to keep the program on the upswing.

The Tiger wrestling program improved dramatically under Lilledahl's reign and Crowell was part of the Tigers' evolution to becoming a competitive team in the area.

Crowell was a state qualifier in 1991, his senior year.

Crowell has also been an assistant with the boys and girls soccer teams as well.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Chris Neff, a former assistant coach for Chris Janet, will serve as Notre Dame's head coach as Janet will spend more time as athletic director.

Former Puxico coach Steve Wells will inherit the Scott County Central basketball program and its history. Former coach Todd Porter couldn't live up to the expectations that goes with 12 state championships as the Braves haven't won a district title since 1995.

The new Oran coach will be Larry Boshell, an assistant for the past seven years. He will take over for Mitch Wood. Wood took the high school principal job and will remain the baseball coach.

Tim Corley, a recent Southeast Missouri State graduate, will assume the head coaching duties at Chaffee which was left vacant by Jim Stoverink.

Dwyght Ford is the new basketball coach at Zalma, replacing Mark Vogt.

Former Southeast baseball player Paul Lynch will take over as basketball coach for Morgan Nugent at Oak Ridge. Lynch, a Cape Girardeau native, returns to the area after coaching the past few seasons in the Springfield area.

At Marquand, Ed Ikemeier is the new coach after Grady Smith coached there last year.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Tammy Brock, who was a successful volleyball coach at both Leopold and Woodland, will be Chaffee's girls basketball coach. She takes over for Paulette Crouthers, who will remain volleyball coach.

Oran has a vacancy at the girls basketball post, but has yet to replace Tom Sellers.

At Delta, Nate Crowden is the new coach, replacing Amy Blattell who took the head softball position at Cape Central.

CROSS COUNTRY

Ex-Southeast runner Joe Dandridge will assume the head coaching duties at Perryville, replacing Dean Lewis.