By Lance Hanlin ~ SikestonStandard-Democrat

Heading into Tuesday's Class 1 sectional game at Sikeston, I thought I had Clarkton figured out.

Great record, weak schedule, overrated team.

Boy, was I wrong.

How wrong?

On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the most outrageous, absurd, ludicrous take on a team you can think of ... this one was about a seven.

I thought putting Clarkton ahead of Bell City in the state poll was a total joke.

Now that the game is over, the only joke is the idiot who ran his mouth about it back in February (that would be me).

Clarkton did a first-rate job of representing itself and the Tri-County Conference on Tuesday night, beating the defending state champs 63-60.

A well-deserved win

There were no fluke plays, and the referees didn't decide the final outcome. As much as it pains me to say it, the better team won.

So to all you Clarkton fans that have been hounding me at work, at home, via e-mail and via Speak Out since that notorious Wednesday 28 days ago, I'm sorry.

I honestly had no idea what kind of team Clarkton had down there. Saying I was impressed would be an understatement.

On a floor with talents like Eric Henry and Dominitrix Johnson, Clarkton's Andre Marsh was the one that stood out and played like the all-stater.

That's not the same kid I used to watch play at New Madrid County.

The Cubs had no answer for his dribble penetration, or his floating runners through the lane. He finished with 30 points, but it seemed like he scored 60.

Then you've got David Mathis, considered Clarkton's top player. Standing a burly 6-foot-4, I expected him to hold his own in the paint. What I didn't expect was his sweet touch on baseline and fade-away jumpers.

Along with Marsh and Mathis, Michael Ray also played a big part in last night's win.

To go with nine points, he pulled down every rebound in sight, limiting Bell City to one shot per trip. Twin Rivers would probably like to have that guy back.

Show of support

Clarkton's fan support was equally impressive.

With a population of just 1,113 people, the entire town had to be in Sikeston last night, cheering their team to victory.

Now, the Reindeer will pick up a few more fans.

With Bell City out of the picture, Clarkton is Southeast Missouri's only hope of bringing home a state championship in Class 1 boys basketball.

Next up is Verona in the quarterfinal round at 1 p.m. today inWest Plains. Verona is 29-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state.

Are they overrated? Don't even think that I'm going to comment on that subject.

We know what happened the last time I questioned the state poll. One super-sized order of crow is enough.

I will say this though, and Verona has better take notice. Clarkton is not to be underestimated.

Santa's little helpers are for real.

Lance Hanlin is the sports editor of the Sikeston Standard-Democrat.