SCOTT CITY BOYS, PORTAGEVILLE TO SQUARE OFF IN 2A SECTIONAL

For Scott City, it's payback time.

The Rams (26-3) go into tonight's 8:15 Class 2A sectional game against the Bulldogs with revenge on their minds.

The game will take place at the Tiger Field House on the campus of Cape Girardeau Central High.

Portageville ruined Scott City's senior night a couple weeks ago with a 73-68 win. Two years ago, Portageville beat Scott City in the sectional game where Bulldog fans taunted all-stater Jon Beck who couldn't play due to an injury. The two teams have played in some epic regular-season games and, quite frankly, they don't like each other.

"It's developed into one of the better rivalries in 2A in the state," said Scott City coach Derek McCord. "It's going to be a good ballgame. It'll be intense."

"It'll probably be one of the largest crowds we've seen this year due to the rivalry and the bad words spoken between the schools," said Portageville coach Jim Bidewell. "There's a lot of jawing going on between both sides, but the bottom line is both of us respect each other and that's the way it should be this time of the year.

"I'm sure that their motivation will be pretty high."

In addition to the rivalry, the game will have even more meaning as 14 seniors will be trying to extend their high school careers. Scott City will play six seniors and Portageville has eight.

The Bulldogs, ranked as high as fourth in the state poll early this season, dropped out of the state poll midway through the campaign after suffering four losses. Three of those losses came in consecutive games but one of them was overturned as Caruthersville used an ineligible player.

But as the season played out, Portageville (25-3), which returned most of its players from last year's Final Four team, made a case that it is playing the best basketball of any 2A team in Southeast Missouri. Portageville is looking for its third straight Final Four appearance.

Simply put, Portageville and Scott City have been the region's two top 2A teams over the past several years.

"I have the utmost respect for their program and their coach," said Bidewell. "They didn't get to this point by accident."

The Bulldogs ended their regular season with a win over Scott City. Portageville, a defensive-oriented team, then clawed its way out of a tough district where it will have to face its rival again.

Scott City, meanwhile, struggled late in the season, ending its regular season with two straight losses -- one to Dexter which was ranked first in 3A at the time and the aforementioned setback to Portageville.

In the Portageville-Scott City game earlier this year, Portageville -- not known to be an outstanding shooting team -- lit up the Rams for seven 3-pointers.

"We've just got to do a better job covering shooters," McCord said. We might have been so focused on (William) Durden inside that we neglected the perimeter. We've got to do a better job of that. But the last couple of games have been as good as we've had all year.

"My kids are focused. That was by far our worst game in quite a while and we've got to bounce back. I hope we learned from it."

"We're going to have to play our best ball of the year," said Bidewell. "It's going to be awfully tough to beat them twice in the same year."

Durden, a 6-foot-4 post player, is Portageville's leader. The athletic senior averages 20 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots per game.

Scott City is led by 6-6 center Ryan Weatherspoon who is averaging about 18 points and 10 rebounds per game and Ronald Watson, a 6-3 guard who gets about 19 points a game.

Though Scott City would appear to have more of a home-court advantage as the Rams only have to travel about 10 miles, McCord doesn't see it that way.

"They got a game under their belts on that floor where we don't," McCord said referring to Portageville's game against Cape Central in the Tiger Showcase. "It'll be evened out there. The bus ride could come into play I guess. It'll be nice for our fans and I hope we have a good showing."

The winner of tonight's game will play the winner of Hancock (17-9) and Whitfield (26-3) on Saturday at Park Hills.