Sikeston, Charleston thrill large crowd with showdown

From the moment Neal Boyd, the 2008 "America's Got Talent" winner, belted out the first strains of "The Star-Spangled Banner," fans at the Show Me Center knew something special was about to happen.

The boys basketball teams from Charleston and Sikeston treated an announced crowd of 3,669 to a late-January party Thursday night on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. And if early indications are correct, the contest dubbed "The Rivalry" may have found a permanent home.

Behind 20 points from senior guard Markeith Bratcher, Sikeston (18-1), the state's top-ranked team in Class 4, posted a 71-64 victory over Charleston (19-3), ranked No. 2 in Class 3, in front of the raucous crowd.

"It's an electric atmosphere," said Claude Armstrong, a long-time resident of Charleston who enjoyed the game with his wife, Lorene, and son Kailee, 17. "This rivalry goes back many years, and this rivalry will go on for many more years."

The chance to watch his beloved Bluejays play their top rival at a venue like the Show Me Center was something he simply could not pass up.

Charleston fans root for the Bluejays in the second quarter against Sikeston Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013 at the SHow Me Center. Sikeston won 71-64. (Laura Simon)

"This is big-time here," he said, gazing at the fast-filling seats around him. "This is the big time. It's good for the people that everybody can get in that wants to see it."

Mike Adams, who attends as many Sikeston home games as possible, sat across the court among a host of Bulldogs fans.

"Just the atmosphere of playing in a college arena is exciting for a high school team," he said.

And its fans. Both schools' student sections tried to out-shout the other during the introductions of each team's starting five.

That was just the beginning. The crowd -- which began filing into the arena at 5 p.m., a full hour before the junior varsity contest began, and continued throughout the preliminary game -- raised the noise factor to a decibel level rivaling post-season tournament status.

Sikeston’s J.T. Jones shoots over Charleston’s Darrion Carter, left, and Sumner Foster during the first quarter. Sikeston won 71-64.

That played right into the organizers' hands.

"We wanted a more playoff atmosphere," Sikeston athletic director Andy McGill said.

The game stemmed from a conversation between McGill and Charleston athletic director Danny Farmer shortly after the first meeting between the schools in the finals of the SEMO Conference Tournament in December, played before a packed Sikeston Field House crowd that saw the Bulldogs claim a 71-61 victory.

McGill said nearly 500 fans were turned away from that game at the gate.

"Me and Coach Farmer talked the week after and thought that it would be a good idea to have more of our fans -- and along with anyone else in Southeast Missouri -- that would like to come and watch the game," McGill said.

With the Jan. 4 regular-season game slated for Charleston -- in a gymnasium that seats only about 1,000 fans -- the venue change simply made sense.

"We turn people away all the time," Farmer said. "We have a little facility, it's small. We both have pretty good teams this year, and we played such a good game the first game, so we just decided to have it here. We can seat more people, we're not crowded, and it's such a great atmosphere. We love the atmosphere, and the fans love the atmosphere."

That conversation put into motion a chain of events that involved contacting Southeast and the Show Me Center, and a check of open dates, potential conflicts, financial obligations, additional security and travel plans.

If the charged atmosphere of 3,600-plus fans is any indication, it was all worth it.

"The main thing is it's gonna be a win-win for our team and our community and our fans," McGill said.

One interested spectator sitting courtside was Southeast men's coach Dickey Nutt, who relished the exposure granted to the university and his team.

"A lot of coaches don't like to give up their arena," Nutt said. "But we want as many games as possible here.

"Who knows, you might have some future SEMO students sitting up there in the stands," Nutt added, gesturing to each team's student section.

And possibly a future SEMO player or two on the court? Nutt smiled. He had made sure his staff was on hand so that every player, coach and fan could see the Show Me Center in all its glory.

"This is one of the most exciting times of the year," Nutt said. "Anytime you can bring in two programs the quality of these schools, we welcome that so much. A lot of fans, players, have probably never been here. We want to show them that we have a great facility and a fan-friendly staff.

"We just welcome this so much."

The success of the evening has McGill thinking ahead to next season.

"There's a chance that hopefully we're gonna do it next year again," he said. "We don't know exactly what the dates are, but we'll work on that with the Show Me Center and then work on both our schedules. But the thought process is to at least carry on next year.

"Then who knows after that?"