Still perfect: Younger Sikeston teams all remain unbeaten

Sikeston seventh grader Zach Jackson drives to the basket against Cape Central on Wednesday night. Sikeston won the game 35-32. (Photo by David Jenkins, Staff)

Seventh graders rally for 35-32 win

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs seventh grade basketball team are no strangers when it comes to close games.

Wednesday's 35-32 win over the Cape Central Tigers marks their fourth victory of six points or less on the season.

"We've had several games just like this one and they've just keep digging down deep and keep pulling out wins," Sikeston head coach Derek James said. "I'm just proud of the guys for always making something happen towards the end of games."

Sikeston went into the fourth and final quarter down by a score of 25-23 only to regain and hold on to a slim 35-32 final lead.

The Bulldogs are 9-0 on the season.

Corbyn Blissett led Sikeston with 16 points. The combination of Cape Central's Chase Hagerty and CJ Bingham led to 31 of the Tigers' 32 points. Hagerty led all scorers with 23 points while Bingham added eight.

The seventh grade Bulldogs will be off until Jan. 11 when they host the Jackson Indians.

CAPE CENTRAL (32) -- Chase Hagerty 23, CJ Bingham 8, JD Harding 1. FG 9 FT 14-26 F 16. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: Bingham.)

SIKESTON (35) -- Corbyn Blissett 16, Zach Jackson 8, Hunter Taylor 4, Adam Johnson 3, Austin Lott 2, Tyler McClinton 2. FG 14 FT 7-20 F 18. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: Jackson)

Eighth graders have big finish

SIKESTON -- In a relatively close first three quarters, the Sikeston Bulldogs eighth grade team could not pull away from the visiting Cape Central Tigers.

Leading by just six points at the end of the third quarter, the Bulldogs turned up the defensive pressure with their full-court press and finally started to pull away.

Sikeston eventually ended up with their 10th win of the season with a 57-39 victory over Cape Central on Wednesday night.

"Our press got us back going offensively," Sikeston head coach Kevin Self said. "It got close in the third quarter and we went to our man defense and started pressing and got a good amount of turnovers from that. We finally go some shots to fall too."

Sikeston outscored their counterpart by 12 points in the fourth quarter which led to the 18-point win.

JT Jones paced the Bulldogs (10-0) with 24 points. Peyton Boyd added seven while Chris Word chipped in with 6.

Devin Johnson had 15 for Cape Central while Mikey Jones had 13.

CAPE CENTRAL (39) -- Devin Johnson 15, Taylor 2, Mikey Jones 13, Jacob Roberson 4, Cox 1, Bo Wilferth 4. FG 15 FT 8-14 F 23. (3-pointers: Johnson. Fouled out: Johnson.)

SIKESTON (57) -- Jarius Ray 3, Dantrelle Brown 2, Chris Word 6, JT Jones 24, Gavin O'Brien 2, Javion Williams 4, Peyton Boyd 7, Reece Porter 3, Shandoor Webster 5. FG 19 FT 15-33 F 16. (3-pointers: Jones 3. Fouled out: none.)

Freshmen roll past Kelly 76-31

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs freshman basketball team took care of the Kelly Hawks 76-31 on Wednesday night at the Field House with a breakout second quarter.

After leading by seven points after the first eight minutes, the Bulldogs quadrupled that advantage by halftime. Sikeston outscored the Hawks 28-6 throughout the second quarter to go up 46-17 at the half.

It was more of the same in the third as Sikeston posted 20 points while holding Kelly to five.

Blake Flannigan led the Bulldogs with 17 points. Cord Sheehy and Kyland Gross each added 10 points apiece as well.

Sikeston (6-0) will be off until Jan. 5 when they will host the Jackson Indians.

KELLY (31) -- Jeff Gates 16, Gabe Felter 5, Aaron Granger 4, Caleb Ratledge 6. FG 12 FT 5-15 F 11. (3-pointers: Gates 2. Fouled out: none.)

SIKESTON (76) -- Tyler Anderson 7, Vashawn Ruffin 7, Cord Sheehy 10, Spencer Clark 2, Kyland Gross 10, Rashundre Jackson 2, Andrea Golden 6, Blake Flannigan 17, Josh Hampton 6, Trey Tigret 9. FG 36 FT 7-14 F 16. (3-pointers: Anderson. Fouled out: none.)