COLUMN: Thank you, Semoball

Goodbyes are never easy and this one certainly won’t be any different.

Friday, June 7, will be my final day at the Southeast Missourian and Semoball.

I apologize in advance because this will be long, so in case you don’t read the entirety I want to say this first; thank you.

Thank you for reading, commenting and sharing. Those of you that take valuable time out of your days to read and engage in our content mean the world to me.

While my two-years here went by quickly, I can still remember my first day.

I was hired to work alongside then sports editor JC Reeves.

It just so happened that my first day and week on the job lined up with a planned vacation JC had. Intimidating, right?

My first assignment was to produce a story on Joseph Dodson and Jonathan Palmer who qualified for the United States of America Volleyball (USAV) Beach Junior National Tournament.

Following that story, Jonathan’s mother, Julie Ann Palmer wrote me the nicest note and left a snack for doing the story.

It was then I knew the people in this area were special.

That summer was spent with me learning the ropes and also familiarizing myself with the high school teams and coaches in the area.

I still remember my first football game. Edwardsville vs Jackson in what was an overtime thriller that saw Jackson fall, but it was still a memorable game nonetheless.

I am grateful for the times I got to borrow a few minutes from legendary coach Brent Eckley following Jackson games in my first year.

That first football season I also spent time covering the Cape Central Tigers.

I can still remember some of my first interactions with Tigers head coach Kent Gibbs and the thing that has always stuck with me is how incredibly genuine he is every single time we talk.

Whenever I needed anything for a story I was doing on his program, Coach Gibbs gave me any access I needed. For that, I am grateful.

While I’m from a town on the Illinois side of the river in Chester, the passion for high school sports in this area was felt immediately.

I can still recall covering my first Dig For Life Tournament and watching the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders win the Red Division Gold Bracket at the Show Me Center.

With fall fading, all eyes turned to basketball season and in that first year I was once again spending time familiarizing myself with the winter sports teams.

Basketball has always been one of my favorite sports and that continued watching the impressive talent in this region.

Whether it was the Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs led by Kirk Boeller or the Cape Central Tigers led by Drew Church, every single night was incredible for me who loves basketball.

I could go on and on about the incredible coaches, athletes, administrators and parents that have assisted me in any way during my time here.

Early on in that first year, Tony Capobianco took over as sports editor.

I would be doing you all a disservice if I didn’t remind you where you’ve seen Tony before. Just look up the first pitch gone wrong at Fenway Park in Boston.

With a year under my belt, year two was just as special.

We started the year watching the Chaffee softball team claim second place at state, the Cape Central football team made another final four run and the Saxony Lutheran volleyball team made another deep run.

Each time I covered one of those big games, it reinforced even more my love for sports.

You could feel the importance of a game just by walking up. You could feel the tension, see the importance by the lack of parking because so many people wanted to be there.

I’m incredibly grateful for everyone I’ve met. Both JC and Tony were monumental in helping me grow as a writer and I am glad I got to work for them both.

This job has been a dream for me and the things I’ve gotten to do are still insane to me.

I grew up watching March Madness every single year and then suddenly there I was in Dayton covering the Redhawks in March of 2023.

Another one of my favorite experiences was covering the Babe Ruth World Series. While the days were long, it never felt like work because I was sitting there watching baseball.

I will miss the Saturday’s spent with my good friend Rusty Hendricks on the SEMO Scramble talking about the recent happenings.

The experiences during my time here are great, but the friends I made along the way are what I will remember the most.

Cape Girardeau will always have a special place in my heart and I will miss it but it’s time for a new journey.

Thank you once again to everyone who took the time to read, comment, or share stories we’ve written.