By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Tyler MIller was the lone member of the DHS Tennis team to represent the Bearcats in the State Tennis Tournament held at Cooper Tennis Complex. The double-elimination tournament began Friday (May 27) and ends Saturday (May 28).


Miller lost his first match of the day, where he played Brock Baade of Savannah High School.

“At the beginning, I didn’t play good at all,” Miller said. “I went down 5-0, but I found the groove and started to make a comeback.”


Miller won the next three games of the set, but fell just short, losing 6-3.

The second set of the match was more competitive, with Miller forcing a tiebreaker, but he fell 7-5. “I thought I had it under control in the second set, but I let [Brock] slide back into it,” Miller added.

The second match, Miller faced Connor Frazier of Greenwood High School (Springfield). Frazier took the first set 7-5.


“I was playing great in the beginning of the first set,” Miller said, “but then [Frazier] started playing a little better - not as much me not playing as good, he just came on.”



In the second set, Miller couldn’t get in the groove of the game, and he lost 6-2.

“I just couldn’t get anything going in the set,” Miller added.


Despite the undesirable outcome, Miller represented the Bearcats well. He noted that most of the people in the tournament had the aid of a private tennis instructor, and have been playing the game since a very young age - Miller said that he never played tennis before the sixth grade.

“It’s an honor to be here,” Miller said in an exclusive interview with the ShowMe Times “They’re the best players around, so its just good to go up against the best so you can tell how good you actually are. You don’t get better playing bad opponents.”



“The competition today was much harder than it was all season,” Miller added. “Other than a few people I’ve played this season, these guys were far better than anyone I’ve ever played.”


Always the competitor, Miller was already lining out things that he needed to improve in his game before next season.


“I need to work on changing the pace on the ball,” Miller said. “I just need to continue to get more consistent - playing through long points and not give up and try to hit a winner. I need to do what I’m capable of doing.”


 With hard work between now and next season, you can expect this young man - going into his senior year - to do great things in the DHS Athletic program, but not just on the tennis court - Miller is a three sport athlete!


You can see him on Friday nights as he plays wide receiver on the football team in the fall, as well as in the gym during the winter when he hopes to lead the basketball team to another successful season.

Thanks to Bearcat Mom - and SMT reader - Tracy Miller for the photos!


By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports

The 2011 All-District Baseball team has been announced!

The Bearcats were represented by three players on the squad - Sophomores Chase Young and Jordan Miller, as well as Junior Alex Cliff.

Young, the 'Cats' shortstop, posted a .409 batting average with 12 RBI's and 2 home runs, coupled with a .500 on-base percentage in 78 plate appearances. Young also posted a .851 fielding percentage on the year.

Miller pitched, caught, and played second base for the Bearcats, posting a .373 batting average with 16 RBI's. Miller was .919 from the field. On the mound, Miller threw 23 and 1/3 innings with a 4.20 ERA, 33 K's, and a 3-1 record.

Dexter's first baseman, Cliff, posted a .429 batting average with 30 RBI's - leading the team in the category - and one home run. Cliff was .978 in the field for the 'Cats and only had three errors all season.

The 'Cats posted a 10-11 record on the year, but only lost two seniors (Josh Sifford and Bryn Hester), so the majority of the starting line-up will be intact for next season.

If this young group of players continues to improve their skills with hard work in the weightroom and off-season drills, I would expect nothing but great things in the next few years for Coach Brian Becker and his program.

By Annabeth Miller
Showe Times Editor

The starter’s pistol of summer is soon to make its noise.

Sure, you know it. Bounce, bounce, thwaap — the wincing sound of a belly buster off the springboard. Or, how about Wheeeeeee! Splash! - the sound of a kid going down the Water Slide!

Dexter’s Aquatic Center is set to open at 1 p.m. Saturday , and DPR staffer Jamie Rowe is ready for the 10th season at the “new” family fun place in town.

“We’re ready,” she said with enthusiasm! The pool will begin its daily hours of operation Saturday – open 1-5 p.m. Rowe said admission is $6 per person (patrons arriving between 3:30 p.m. and closing time will pay just $3.)

This summer marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Aquatic Center, a milestone event for the community in 2001.

“It’s starting to show its age a little,” Rowe said. “We’ve done a lot of maintenance this year. We did add a new shade structure this year, which will be our new concession area. And added a little kiddy basketball goal for this year.”

But the water is crystal blue, the chairs all lined up in straight lines like little soldiers, and everything is polished to a high gleam in preparation for the season opening.

Rowe’s enthusiasm for the Aquatic Center hasn’t dimmed in 10 years, and she says the pool is still the place to be on a summer afternoon.

“It’s good family atmosphere,” she said.

The Aquatic Center has six lifeguards on duty every afternoon, in addition to staff who run the concession stand and work in the office. A total of 12 lifeguards are certified and on the center’s staff this summer.

During the summer of 2010, the center average 126 patrons a day. There were days last summer, she said, when it was just “too hot” in the oppressive heat/ She said people just stayed inside the air conditioning on some of the ubber-hot days last year. But a high attendance day Rowe said is around 400 patrons.

“Those are busy, busy days,” she said.

“We’re kicking it all off Saturday!”

Dexter Aquatic Center

• Hours: 1 – 5 p.m. daily; plus lap swims 7-9 a.m. and 5:30-6:30 p.m.
• Daily Admission; $6 • An individual pass for the entire summer is $85; a family pass is $225
• Aquatic Center will be open through Sunday, Aug. 28.

Photo Above: Jamie Rowe (standing next to the edge of the pool) is ready to start the summer season at the Dexter Aquatic Center. The view is from the very top of the water slide platform - pretty good for a photographer afraid of heights!SMT Photo by Annabeth Miller

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports

The Dexter Bearcats will only be sending one to the Individual State Tennis Tournament this year – junior Tyler Miller.

Miller defeated his opponent, a District 2 sectional qualifier from Lutheran South (St. Louis), in just two sets, 6-2, 6-3.

Also representing the Bearcats was the doubles team of Sam Ward and Brauck Burge, who fell to a team from St. Pius (Festus).

“To me it’s like a reward for the work I put in all year,” Miller said in an exclusive interview with the ShowMe Times . “It’s a great experience to go up against the best in the state to see where I really rank compared to them.”

Miller will be in action again during the Individual State Tennis Tournament, held at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Mo., on May 27 & 28 (next Friday and Saturday).

Make sure to check back with the ShowMe Times for updates on Tyler’s battle for the state championship!

Good Luck Tyler!

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - After shutting out the Dexter Bearcats on Monday (May 16) afternoon, Andy Lack and the Kennett Indians will advance to their third straight Class 3, District 1 Championship game.


Lack, one of the Indians’ three ace pitchers, fanned 11 batters during six and a third shutout innings.

"He's no joke," Becker said of Lack. "He can throw the ball. He spotted up real well today and just drilled the outside corner all game long. He threw his breaking ball for strikes in good spots, and he made it tough on our hitters. We hit the ball hard a few times on him, but he's as good as advertised.”


Becker also had high praise for Cameron Wallace, who came in during the seventh inning after Dexter got two men on following an error and a double to left-center from D.J. Dowdy.

“Then they bring in [Cameron Wallace] who has only given up two runs - one earned run - all season, and that's a pretty lethal combination,” Becker added. “Then right behind those two you have Grantham, who held Notre Dame to no hits through six innings here in the last week or two. Kennett is a good ball club and we just didn't have enough ammunition against them today."


Sophomore Logan Northern took to the mound for the ‘Cats in the contest and lasted through the start of the fifth inning, when Owen Flowers was brought in after the Indians loaded the bases.


Northern didn’t give up more than one run per inning (three total in four innings).

Flowers gave up five runs in his two innings of work.

"They are just a very, very good ball club," Becker said of the Indians. "They are well coached and they have experience out there. They work hard and they are going to be tough for anyone to contend with if they get past Perryville who pulled a big upset today beating Notre Dame."





With the loss, the Bearcats were eliminated from post-season play, and ended the 2011 season with a 10-11 record. Becker’s ‘Cats will lose two seniors this season - third baseman Bryn Hester and centerfielder Josh Sifford - but Becker sees bright things out of this young group.


“My seniors played their hearts out all season long, and we’re definitely going to miss them,” Becker said. “We put a lot of young kids out there - kids that were playing middle-school baseball last year are facing kids that are college-bound athletes - and it’s a rough transition. For the most part, I thought they handled it really well.”


“Like I told them after the game, Kennett is in a position that we want to be,” Becker continued. “The way they started to build their team to what it is now is just the way we are now: they had a good young nucleus of kids and Coach New developed them over the next three years and look where they’re at. They’re tough for anyone in the state to beat right now.”

Photos above Top Photo: Andy Lack delivers a pitch during Monday’s 8-0 routing of the Bearcats. Lack, who fanned 11 batters and gave up only three hits in the contest, helped the Indians advance to their third straight Class 3, District 1 Championship Game.
Middle Photo: Senior Bryn Hester readies himself in the field during Monday’s loss. Hester ended his senior season with a .321 batting average, 16 RBI’s and 2 home runs. Hester also struck out only four times in 80 plate appearances.
Bottom photo: Josh Sifford, Dexter’s second senior, fouls off a pitch during Monday’s game. Sifford finished his senior year with a .200 batting average and 14 RBI’s.