Prep volleyball soon will change to rally scoring

Rules in college sports have a way of filtering down to the high school level.

The 3-point shot in basketball and the two-point conversion in football are some of the more recent alterations to conventional scoring that stood for years.

Soon volleyball will be getting into the act. It won't be long before rally scoring visits a gymnasium near you.

Rally scoring, liked by some and despised by others, awards points on every serve. Matches are the best-of-five 25-point games, the exception being decisive fifth games, which are played to 15.

Conventional scoring awarded points only to the serving team. The opposing team had to win the serve, which then gave them the opportunity to score points. Matches consisted of three 15-point games, which could get quite long, depending on the number of serve-outs..

The rally scoring system recently was adopted by the National Federation of High Schools and will be implemented nationwide by the 2004-05 school year.

Stacy Schroeder, assistant executive director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, said rally scoring could be implemented for the 2003 season in Missouri.

"That hasn't yet been decided," Schroeder said. "The National Federation has give the option to the state in the interim period."

Schroeder said the time frame on implementing the rule changes depends on the ability to train officials in the rule changes and new signals, and the availability of scorebooks for the new system.

The introduction of let serves will accompany rally scoring. Currently any serve which hits the net results in a loss of serve. A let serve will allow a ball that ticks the cord on its way over the net to remain in play.

Grim receives honor from NFHS coaches

It's been nearly a year since Notre Dame's girls basketball team won its first state championship, but the stockpile of honors continue to mount.

Bulldogs coach Jerry Grim recently was selected the 2002 Midwest Sectional Coach of the Year for girls basketball by the NFHS Coaches Association. The Midwest section is a six-state area that also includes Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

His selection makes him a finalist for national coach of the year, which will be announced April 1.

The Bulldogs won their first title last season and finished with a 29-2 record.

Ford will play baseball at Southern Union

Central senior Josh Ford has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Southern Union State Community College in Wadley, Ala.

Ford played first base for the Tigers his junior season and for American Legion Post 63 last summer. He has also been selected to play this summer for a USA team, associated with Dick Birmingham International Sports, which will face teams from the Caribbean on the island of Aruba.

Southern Union, which competes in the Alabama Junior College Conference, was 40-17 last year.

B.A. Sports announces all-star participants

Senior participants and coaches for the first annual B.A. Sports All-Star Extravaganza have been released.

Media members throughout the Southeast Missouri area voted on the participants, who will compete in a number of events March 29 at Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

The event will include a small- and large-school boys all-star game, girls all-star game and a slam dunk and 3-point shooting contest.

Senior players and coaches from the Cape Girardeau area selected:

Small-school boys: Jared Ritter, Advance; Kenyon Wright, Bell City; Eric Henry, Bell City; Joey Keys, Delta; Joey Bell, Meadow Heights; Nathan Seyer, Oran; Ryne Wood, Oran; Chad Wiseman, Zalma. Coaches: Jim Hall, Advance; David Heeb, Bell City; Mitch Wood, Oran.

Large-school boys: Major Burger, Kelly; D.J. Walton, Scott City; Cory Beussink, Notre Dame; Travis Siebert, Notre Dame.

Girls team: Anna Brisso, Central; Alex Wieser, Central; Jennifer Vandeven, Chaffee; Rebecca Below, Delta; Rebecca Cook, Delta; Jenna Leet, Jackson; Whitney Werner, Jackson; Dana Essner, Kelly; Ashley Millham, Notre Dame. Coaches: Ron Cook, Jackson; Jerry Grim, Notre Dame.

Cairo Jr. High brings home a state title

The Cairo (Ill.)Junior High School Colts won their first state basketball title in more than 30 years Friday by defeatingO'Fallon 49-42 at Rend Lake College. The team finished 25-0 under coaches Tommy Ellis and Alvin Wiggins.