NOTRE DAME MUZZLES SIKESTON BULLDOGS

Last week, Sikeston High's soccer team did the impossible -- it beat Cape Girardeau Central for the first time.

On Thursday, the Bulldogs sought to do it again -- this time against Central's cross-town rival, Notre Dame.

But Notre Dame's Bulldogs had ample bite behind their bark and beat the visiting Bulldogs 5-1.

One striking statistic reveals the extent to which Notre Dame dominated: Notre Dame heaped 40 shots on goal to Sikeston's five.

Notre Dame improved to 7-2-1, dropping Sikeston to 2-6.

"We felt pretty comfortable. We worked the ball around and had lots of chances," said Notre Dame's Oliver Sanders, who scored twice -- the game's first, in the 13th minute, and another three minutes before halftime -- and delivered an assist.

"We knew they were going to be pumped up [after beating Central] and thinking they had a chance to beat us, so especially at the beginning we were wanting to go out hard and . . . get the first goal so they would get down on themselves," Sanders said.

Not only did Notre Dame control play early, it directed it often.

"That explains it (Notre Dame's 40 shots) -- ball control," said Sikeston coach Homer Jackson.

After Sanders' first goal on an assist by Jonathan LeGrand, Jason Garner handled a pass from Zach Miller and scored from 25 yards three minutes later.

Sikeston, which lost 8-2 to Notre Dame at home earlier this season, scored its goal when Andrew Lawson's corner kick was mishandled by goal keeper Colin Vandergraf and flicked in by Heath McGill.

Later, Sanders scored again from the right side on a pass from LeGrand to make the score 3-1 at the half.

In the second half, Zach Miller connected in the 54th minute and Tommy Wencewicz scored 12 minutes later.

Notre Dame coach Brad Wittenborn said his team was able to beat Sikeston's defense, which plays flat across the back in an attempt to draw opponents offsides.

"We got some balls that we put in behind their defense and got some easy chances," said Notre Dame coach Brad Wittenborn. "I've been preaching that we haven't been shooting enough. Maybe today was a little bit better in terms of guys looking for their shot."