SECOND ANNUAL I-55 GIRLS PREP SOCCER TOURNAMENT BIGINS TODAY

It will be a battle of North vs. South this weekend when the second annual I-55 girls high school soccer tournament is held in Cape Girardeau.

Notre Dame and Cape Girardeau Central are co-hosting the event, which will be played today and Saturday on Notre Dame's two fields.

Making up the North Division are four St. Louis area squads: Notre Dame, Ft. Zumwalt South, Ft. Zumwalt North and St. Charles West.

Comprising the South Division are four Southeast Missouri teams: Cape Central, Notre Dame, Jackson and Poplar Bluff.

The tournament, held in the St. Louis area last year, will feature each team playing three games against squads from the opposite division.

The eventual champion and other place-winners will be determined by a points system that awards six points for a win, three points for a tie, one point per goal per game (up to three) and one point per shutout.

Today's games are: 3:30 p.m. -- Jackson vs. St. Charles West and Poplar Bluff vs. Ft. Zumwalt South; 5:30 p.m. -- Cape Notre Dame vs. Ft. Zumwalt North; 7:30 p.m. -- Cape Central vs. SL Notre Dame.

Saturday's schedule is: 9 a.m. -- Cape Notre Dame vs. St. Charles West and Cape Central vs. Ft. Zumwalt South; 11 a.m. --Poplar Bluff vs. SL Notre Dame and Jackson vs. Ft. Zumwalt North; 1 p.m. -- Cape Notre Dame vs. Ft. Zumwalt South and Cape Central vs. St. Charles West; 3 p.m. -- Poplar Bluff vs. Ft. Zumwalt North and Jackson vs. SL Notre Dame.

* The first major area track and field meet of the season will be held Saturday in Perryville.

The annual Perryville Invitational, set for a 10 a.m. start, has been expanded to a whopping 22 schools, which is a considerable increase from past years.

"We're looking for a really good meet, with some excellent competition," said Joe Dandridge, one of Perryville's coaches. "We're medaling the top six (in each event) and giving plaques to the top three teams."

Schools entered, in addition to host Perryville, are Jackson, Charleston, Kennett, New Madrid, Dexter, Farmington, Ste. Genevieve, Valle, North County, De Soto, Hillsboro, Potosi, Park Hills, Arcadia Valley, Crystal City, St. Pius, Herculaneum, Windsor, Northwest, Seckman and Lindbergh.

* Notre Dame will host a 12-team golf tournament Monday at Bent Creek Golf Course in Jackson. The 18-hole event will tee off at noon.

Teams entered, in addition to Notre Dame, are Cape Central, Jackson, Perryville, St. Vincent, Sikeston, Dexter, Poplar Bluff, Kennett, New Madrid, Ste. Genevieve and Valle.