By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports

SIKESTON, Mo. - The Dexter Bearcats competed in the SEMO Coaches Association Contact Camp on Thursday and Friday (June 23-24).


The ‘Cats competed against teams from Cape Girardeau, Jackson, and Sikeston, and head coach Aaron Pixley was pleased with the statement his group made during the camp.


 “Our biggest goal was just to come out and be physical, play a hundred miles an hour,” Pixley said. “We competed well, and they know we were here, I can guarantee you that.”


“I thought we did a pretty good job considering that it’s June,” Pixley added. “From an offensive standpoint, we definitely played better [Friday] as a whole. We didn’t end [against Cape Central] playing quite as well, but I thought against Jackson and Sikeston we played real well.”


The ‘Cats’ running game appeared potent all day Friday, partially due to some excellent blocking by the offensive line. Last year’s starter, Josh Overall, was sidelined due to an offseason shoulder surgery, but Nick Summers did an excellent job, barreling over most defenders - it typically took at least three opponents to bring him down.


Dexter’s quarterback, Cody Stevens, showed more mobility from the pocket, coupled with seemingly better field vision picked up during the ‘Cats’ deep postseason run last year. “We ran the ball better today, and that’s what I really wanted to see,” Pixley noted. “Even against cape, our QB runs against went really well. We only had one negative run on the day; our goal coming in is to have no negative runs, to keep just gaining yards.”

When the coaching staff called on Stephens’ arm, he delivered. The senior delivered passes that were typically right on target, hitting his receivers in stride.


“We ran some very, very nice pass plays today,” Pixley added. “My quarterback and receivers were meshing well today.”



Never satisfied, Pixley noted the progress that the team has to make before the season opener on August 26 against Ste. Genevive.


“We’ve got a long way to go - it’s June and we’re raw. From a technical standpoint, fundamentals and basic things, sometimes we aren’t doing some things right,” Pixley said. “That’s why we looked sloppy at times, but, like I said, it’s June. Everybody is sloppy right now.”

The Bearcats’ next official camp is set for July 25-29.

The Terry Woods Memorial Golf Tournament will be held tomorrow and Sunday (June 25 & 26) at Hidden Trails Country Club in Dexter. This is a very special day for our community, and one that allows a great man's life to be highlighted to many people.

Terry was a man of few words, but many throughout the area knew of the love he had for his family. His love of music, golf and his church family was put on display each day of his life.

Even as Terry went through his struggles with cancer, he was brave, encouraging and strong. Terry’s quiet way of showing a Godly love to others was genuine to the core of his being.

Tomorrow is very unique, as it was the exact date in which his friends, neighbors and family gave him up to be with the Lord. Not only will the day be marked by the golf tournament, but a special memorial service will be held in his honor.

At 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, members of Hidden Trails, businessmen and women from the community, church members and family members will gather to establish the Terry Woods Memorial at Hidden Trails Country Club.

An American flag pole is being erected as a tribute to Terry’s life and testimony of how he lived on this earth, not to celebrate the man but to celebrate the man’s way.

Additional proceeds raised from the event are slated for improvements to Hidden Trails Country Club, and will be used to improve the cart paths around the beautiful 18-hole course.

Currently, there are over 24 teams signed up and others are encouraged to join the event. The organizers are working to combine teams of single players and the cost is only $75 per person. Prizes will be given back to the club for renovations of the cart paths.

“It’s a fun day to simply remember Terry and the way he lived his life,” Jack Huffman, dear friend of Woods and event organizer, said. “We encourage everyone to join us at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow to join in with us.”

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports

The sound of shoulder pads popping around this time of year is music to most people’s ears.


There will be plenty of it on Thursday and Friday afternoon in Sikeston.


The DHS football team has been preparing to go to the Sikeston Contact Camp this week. Head Coach Aaron Pixley noted that the team has gone to the camp for five years, and that it’s a great way to jump-start the season.

“It gets us going physically, I think, because out here during camps, we don’t go full pads,” Pixley commented. “It’s the first day of the new football season where we get to go full pads, and we get to do it against different people. After a while, you get tired of hitting your teammates.”


“For me and the coaching staff, it really shows us who’s going to play hard and be physical and run as hard as they can - just being physical to the football,” Pixley added. “It’s the little things like that that will win championships.“


Coming off the most successful season of his coaching career at DHS, Pixley insisted that living in the past wasn’t going to help get anything done.

“We should be working harder, and this group is working hard. Nothing changes - we’ve done nothing in 2011. Everything we’ve done has been in the past,” Pixley said. “We didn’t play well the first half of the season last year; we have to execute better and get more consistent. We can’t wait until halfway through the season and start doing it. We need to get confident, build great habits early, and continue doing it throughout the season.”


Never satisfied, Pixley noted that hard work from his players would result in a successful camp and campaign this season.

“We have to work hard - we have a lot to prove to ourselves,” Pixley added. “Hopefully this summer helps our cause out, and hopefully this camp helps us out physically and tells us who is going to play hard, and hopefully we stay healthy.”


The Bearcats will be competing in a division with Sikeston, Cape Central, and Jackson during the two-day camp. The ‘Cats are scheduled for scrimmages at 4:00, 5:00, and 6:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday (June 23 & 24) at the SIkeston High School football field.


By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports

Tuesday (June 21) saw more great little league baseball and softball action at the Dexter Park and Recreation Sports Complex.


The youngsters were beginning to show a firmer grasp on fundamental aspects of the game, as well as more aggression at the plate.

It’s been an unusual season -with no rainouts - thus far, and hopefully the weather stays agreeable. Fans were able to enjoy the games in relative comfort, with temperatures in the 80’s and a steady breeze.

Another round of games is scheduled for Thursday night, with the season ending after next week's group of games.


Coaches are invited to send their games' scores and highlights to the ShowMe Times. Items should be emailed to amiller@showmetimes.com or acato@showmetimes.com, or click "Submit Event" at the bottom of the ShowMe Times homepage.

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The ShowMe Times will be out enjoying the youth league action this week, and a complete photo gallery of photos this week of the DPR season will be posted this weekend on the ShowMe Times!

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports

Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium - the Cardinals have a 3-2 lead over the Royals in the top of the sixth inning - a scene that would typically bring a ‘warm fuzzy feeling’ to members of Cardinal Nation.

Jaime Garcia is on the mound with Wilson Betemit at the plate, with a 3-1 count. Garcia delivers a high fastball, and Betemit hits a ground ball right up the middle. Second baseman Pete Kozma fields the ball in the grass behind second base, and makes a hurried throw to Albert Pujols over at first.


Pujols - who hit a solo home run to give the Cards the lead in the fifth inning - lurches out to catch the ball as it is slicing towards the infield grass.


This is where things went horribly wrong.


Betemit runs into Pujols’ extended left arm.


Pujols immediately drops his glove, screaming in pain, and falls to the ground near the first base coach’s box clutching his left wrist.


Dan McGlaughlin utters four words during the FSN telecast that would make any Cardinal fan cringe: "Pujols may be hurt..."

The crowd of nearly 42,000 people fell silent.

People watching at home fell silent.

For many members of Cardinal Nation, it was a shock that hadn’t been felt since the death of Darryl Kile in 2002.

Initial reports after the game indicated that it was just a sprain - the initial X-rays on Sunday didn’t show a break - but after a CT scan and MRI on Monday, it was revealed that Pujols had a non-displaced fracture of his left radius, one of the two major bones in the forearm.

The Cardinals have been hit hard by injuries this season - twelve players have had fourteen stints on the DL - and Pujols would be the third ‘superstar’ on the roster to fall to injury.


Adam Wainwright had season-ending Tommy John’s surgery during Spring Training. Matt Holliday has been on the DL twice - once for an emergency appendectomy, and more recently for a strained left quad.


Members of Cardinal Nation - including myself - have one lingering question: What now?


This is unfamiliar territory for us.


Since making his first Major League start in 2001, Pujols has only been on the disabled list twice, but both stints were on the 15-Day DL.

Sure, he's had two surgeries on his right elbow (one for pain in the Ulnar Nerve after the '08 season, one to remove bone spurs after the '09 season), but that hasn't had much effect on his game.

Albert showed signs of humanity at the start of this season - April 2011 was the worst month of his already legendary career as a Cardinal - but he'd started to 'be Albert' again. From May 30-June 5, Pujols had a .444 batting average with five bombs, 10 RBI's, and 1.074 slugging percentage (#1 in MLB during that timeframe). Back-to-back walk-off home runs against the Cubs were just icing on the cake of Pujols' return to normalcy.

But the question still remains: 
What now?

In actuality, if Pujols were to have a significant injury, right now is about the best time for it to happen.

Think about it: David Freese is about to come off the DL. Lance Berkman has been an absolute madman at the plate this season; Berkman played first base for the Astros from '05 until he was traded to the Yankees in 2010. Matt Carpenter, currently on the Card's 40-man roster, can play first base. Mark Hamilton could be recalled from AAA Memphis.

The Cards basically have two options: move Berkman to first, and put Jon Jay in right field - either permanantly, or until Allen Craig gets off the DL where he has been nursing a broken kneecap, or to call someone up.

Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa indicated that the latter was a more likely scenario.

"We need to call up somebody that fits in to the most needs that one guy can fit in," La Russa said in an interview with Matt Leach of MLB.com, "and deserves a promotion."

If they decide to go with the former, a big question from Spring Training will come back to the forefront: How healthy is Berkman?

Berkman has played the outfield almost exclusively this season with limited time at first, but he has held up well.

"When we were talking to [Lance] after we signed him and people were worrying about his legs in the outfield, he said actually first base is more stressful with the quick lefts and rights," La Russa said. "So getting Lance in a place where he's physically feeling the best is a real good answer for us - and can play the most."

The Cards' roster moves today will be the only indication of what is going to happen before the start of the three game set with the Phillies tonight; if no moves are made, I'd count on seeing Lance Berkman at first for a while. If someone is called up, Berkman will probably stick to right field for the time being.

All I know for certain is this: it's too early to kiss the season goodbye. Granted, Albert is a huge component of the Cardinals. But, given the depth of the Cardinals' roster, I'm honestly not too worried. Albert will be back by August, just in time - as long as an appropriate solution is found during his absence - for a push to the playoffs.

Photo courtesy of Scott Rovak-US PressWire.