Dustin Ward has been the sports editor at Daily Statesman in Dexter, Mo., since August 2013.

Ward graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a minor in psychology. He also has 21-hour concentration in environmental science, social studies and education.

Ward started following sports in southeast Missouri when he was five-years-old in 1991. In the 2009-10 basketball season, he watched 84 varsity basketball teams play a total of 147 varsity games. He has also attended the state basketball, baseball and volleyball tournaments the last three seasons. His favorite baseball memory is watching the St. Louis Cardinals defeat the Texas Rangers in the 2011 World Series.

Ward completed an internship in the summer of 2010 at semoball.com. During the internship he had the opportunity to visit and photograph the athletic facilities at all 58 semoball schools. He also researched the district and state championship histories of 55 schools and used the Cover it Live application to cover the Senior Babe Ruth state baseball tournament. After the internship he served as sports editor at Daily Dunklin Democrat in Kennett, Mo., from 2011-2013.

Dexter boys basketball program to return to SEMO Conference Tournament

Posted Thursday, August 21, 2014, at 11:47 PM

The Dexter varsity boys basketball team will once again participate in the SEMO Conference Tournament in the 2014-15 season.

Dexter competed in the SEMO Conference last season, but elected not to compete in the SEMO Conference Tournament for the first time since the conference tournament restarted in 2006.

Dexter has a 2-13 record in the SEMO Conference Tournament since it restarted. It beat Caruthersville in 2006 and Kennett in 2007.

Dexter added Twin Rivers and Perryville to its regular-season schedule in place of the SEMO Conference Tournament last season.

Dexter also competes in the SCAA Conference and SCAA Conference Tournament with Bernie, Bell City, Puxico, Woodland, Richland, Advance and Bloomfield.

The nine participants of the SEMO Conference are Notre Dame, Jackson, Cape Central, Sikeston, Charleston, NMCC, Poplar Bluff, Dexter and Kennett.

A complete story on the issue written by Dexter Daily Statesman managing editor Noreen Hyslop is available this link:Dexter Board of Education opts for boys basketball program to remain in SEMO Conference

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Why not drop out of the small school conference instead?

-- Posted by Semoespn on Thu, Aug 21, 2014, at 10:34 PM
wins

-- Posted by barkleyfan on Fri, Aug 22, 2014, at 8:02 AM
I just read the story that was linked. Omitted from the story is the fact that Charleston's high school enrollment is less than 300, New Madrid's is a little over 400, Kennett is at 559 and Notre Dame is at 574. So of the 9 SEMO conference schools, Dexter's enrollment would be 5th, putting it right in the middle, with Jackson, Cape Central, Sikeston, and Poplar Bluff all being larger.

-- Posted by DexterResident1976 on Fri, Aug 22, 2014, at 10:37 AM
Dexter is the only school, perhaps in the state, who is a member of two conferences. Kennett was in two, but got out of one of them recently. The problem lies with being so locked in to a conference schedule, you can't play other teams. Dexter's men's basketball program is not trying to dodge playing any of the schools in the SEMO conference. In fact, they want to play each one of them. The issue is when you HAVE to play in the conference tournament, you have to play some of them two or three times. By getting out of one of the conferences, it opens it up to schedule other schools. I'm not saying which conference they should get out of, but they need to get out of one of them. Dexter used to schedule Malden (a long time rival for many years), but cannot now due to playing in two conference tournaments.

-- Posted by Dexter Native on Fri, Aug 22, 2014, at 1:15 PM
Wouldn't it make more sense to get out of the SCAA? They could still schedule most of those teams, maybe drop a Bell City and richland and then they could pick up those other schools like a Malden.

-- Posted by jwhitlock on Fri, Aug 22, 2014, at 2:06 PM
From what I understand former coach Rob Nichols made the same request and was denied by the board. For example, girls basketball and baseball play the same "vicious" schedule and wins/losses are pinned on the coaches. I have a feeling that Josh Dowdy will have this program making Dexter fans glad they stayed in. He is a difference maker especially if he can keep some of the parents at arms length that are much smarter than him.

-- Posted by lonesomedavepeverett on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 10:42 AM
Agreed, lonesome. I think the boys are buying in and working hard on their own as well. I will say though, our girls probably play one of the toughest schedules in the state. They can do that because they are only in one conference. ;-)

-- Posted by Dexter Native on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 4:56 PM
I find it interesting that the school board makes this decision. This should be left up to the athletic director and head coach, period. The SEMO conference was created because the majority of the schools in it were not already in a conference. Dexter has been in the SCAA for over 70 years....Its a pretty simple answer to me, get out of the SEMO Conference.

-- Posted by BonScott on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 7:35 PM
No doubt about it. Board members have no business even concerning themselves with sports schedules.

-- Posted by jwhitlock on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 9:45 PM
My only thoughts are I remain shocked the tournament is always hosted at Sikeston. That is a complete joke.

-- Posted by Dustin Ward on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 10:06 PM
The Sikeston Invitational is over. It's illogical not to rotate the tournament to Poplar Bluff, NMCC, Dexter and locations in the Cape Girardeau with close to the same amount of seating.

-- Posted by Dustin Ward on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 10:08 PM
Downgrading the conference is letting the same school host the conference tournament every season.

-- Posted by Dustin Ward on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 10:16 PM
You are correct on all accounts, Dustin.

-- Posted by jwhitlock on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 10:21 PM
If I had my choice I'd vote to have it at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff every year.

-- Posted by Dustin Ward on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 10:29 PM
It's a neutral site that would require the good people of Cape Girardeau to have to travel once in a while.

-- Posted by Dustin Ward on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 10:31 PM
There is no reason for Dexter to be in that conference. They have nothing to gain by it, and it hurts their scheduling of former rival schools.

-- Posted by BonScott on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 10:31 PM
The BRC wouldn't be neutral. It would be a semi home game for the mules.

-- Posted by BonScott on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 10:33 PM
It would be the most neutral option available.

-- Posted by Dustin Ward on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 10:37 PM
What's the difference between that and playing the SEMO Conference baseball tournament at Cape Girardeau every year?

-- Posted by Dustin Ward on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 10:42 PM
I don't care where they play it. The subject at hand is whether Dexter should stay in the conference or not. And the answer to that is, not.

-- Posted by BonScott on Sat, Aug 23, 2014, at 11:17 PM

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