By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

At the conclusion of a high school athlete’s career, the select few have the opportunity - and a rare one, at that - to continue playing their sport of choice at the collegiate level. Even rarer is making the decision between multiple sports in college. A DHS Alum had that opportunity, and is making a move that will put her closer to home.


Abbie Warren, a 2009 graduate of Dexter High School, is the daughter of Phil and Cindy Warren, and is transitioning from a collegiate volleyball career at Mineral Area College to playing basketball at Three Rivers College


Warren enjoyed success in two sports during her time at DHS: volleyball and basketball. In volleyball, the team finished second in districts three years in a row. She was selected to the All-District Second Team her sophomore and junior year, the All-Conference Second Team her junior year, the All-Region Second Team and SCAA All-Tournament Team her junior and senior year, and the All-Conference and All-District First Team her senior year.


Impressed? That was just one sport.


The Lady ‘Cats finished fourth in the state, along with an undefeated record going into the Show-Me Showdown, during Warren’s junior season. She was named to the All-Region Second Team and received the team’s Rebound and Free-Throw awards during her junior season. Warren’s senior year, the team finished second in districts, and she was named to All-Conference, All-District, and All-Region First Team and the Twin Rivers Christmas Classic All-Tournament Team. She won the team’s Free-Throw, Rebound, Defensive, and MVP Awards, was named DHS Female Athlete of the Year, and was the Standard Democrat Player of the Year.


 Warren began playing basketball at a young age - her career essentially began once her family moved to Dexter from Bethalto, Ill. - and began playing competitively in elementary school.

“I started playing on a traveling team in fourth grade through sixth grade,” Warren recalled. “We were coached by Kim Waldner. I decided to just stick with school ball in middle school and high school though.”


Warren initially chose to take a volleyball scholarship to Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo., despite a full-ride offer from Three Rivers College and noting that basketball was always ‘the favorite’.

“I picked volleyball over basketball my senior year,” Warren said. “I had a week to decide if I was going to take the full ride offer [to Three Rivers]. I thought I would get burnt out on basketball since I’d played it longer. I thought I’d have more fun with [volleyball] and I had more room to improve, but it turned out that I missed my true love of basketball.”


“I’ve always liked the physicality of basketball more - the higher contact involved was more fun,” Warren added. “They’re both team sports, but with volleyball, if one person is down and one person isn’t doing their job, the whole teams gets down. I liked the teamwork aspect better, and all the trick plays, but basketball was definitely always the favorite for me.”



After an outstanding freshman season at MAC - the Cardinals posted one of the most successful seasons in school history, including a 26-8 record and being consistently ranked in the top 20 of the NCJAA national polls - Warren decided that it was time to make a change.

“I enjoyed [my time at] MAC, but I missed basketball,” Warren said. “I only wanted to play one sport; MAC wanted me to play both. That’s why I chose to switch to Three Rivers, because I could just play basketball and not both."


Warren contacted Three Rivers to see if there was still a chance for her to play basketball there.


“I decided that I just wanted to play basketball, so I contacted Three Rivers to see if there was still room for me to play,” Warren said. “They said there was, and I accepted.”


A tenacious rebounder during her high school days, Warren noted her older brother, James Ford - a key contributor on the Bearcat’s 2004 trip to the State Tournament - as a key influence on her physical style of play.

“My brother was a huge influence for me as a basketball player. James is six years older than me, and he was always playing basketball out in the yard. He taught me everything - I didn’t like it sometimes,” Warren said, laughing, “but he was patient and always went over and over things I needed to learn and get better at. I went to all his games and watched his journey to state, and I grew up always wanting to be like him - he was a good influence for me.”

Warren will be the third member of the Lady Cats’ State Tournament team to go on to play at Three Rivers College - Jill Temples and Ashlee Taylor graduated from TRC in 2010 - and the fifth player to move on to play at the next level - Katelyn and Cathryn Heil are currently playing at Missouri S&T.


Three Rivers College has already signed three other young ladies to fill an inside role, with Warren being the most recent addition to the roster. She aims to land a starting spot this winter, and to hopefully help lead the Lady Raiders to a national title.

The last night of the Dexter Park & Recreation Department's youth leagues season went like all the other evenings: full of fun, lots of kids, even more parents, family and friends in the stands, and ... dry weather!

Thursday evening was the end of the regular league season for youngsters at the Dexter Sports Complex. And it was a season with no "rain outs" and no make-up games.

While one Thursday evening set of games had to be moved to Friday night, it was not because of weather factors. That evening was really a "lights out" situation due to a technical problem with the complex lights.

As a result of no rain-cancelled games, this is one of the first seasons in youth league veterans' memories of no make-up games.

Action was fast on all the fields at the complex Thursday night, and many players were looking forward to that end-of-season party!

Congratulations to all the players, and special recognition for all the umpires, officials, and workers at the Complex! It was a great season!

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The ShowMe Times staff enjoyed attending the youth league games this season. Several photo galleries of photos from the season are posted on the SMT website. Just click on the PHOTOS menu to see all of SMT's photo galleries!

Every Friday morning a gang of young people travel a few miles west of Dexter – armed with clubs and ready for action.

No, it’s not a biker gang or an angry mob! Instead, it is a group of young people attempting to learn how to play golf.

The Hidden Trails Junior Golf program began early in June with a three-day camp, sponsored by the Bank of Advance, featuring instruction by Hidden Trails PGA Pro John Barge. The young golfers learned the fundamentals of golf – how to handle the clubs and swing, golf rules and etiquette, proper putting techniques and more. More than 50 young people participated in the summer program that will run through the end of July.

The Junior Golf Program is one of this small town's hidden treasures that tends to go unnoticed by many in the community.

As the PGA Pro at Hidden Trails Country Club, passion and love of the game are the only words to describe the dedication that John Barge has given to the Junior Golf Program the past three years. John’s a forward thinker who realizes that what you teach and build today can return great rewards for both individuals and the community.

Megan Stuever, Dax Demaree, and Chance Holden assisted Barge in teaching the classes.

Barge said the biggest need for the program during the next month is for some parents of young golfers to step forward and assist.

“We just want to have more parents involved,” Barge said. More than 50 kids on the golf course is a handful for just a few adults to handle. “We need adults to be out on the course with the golfers," Barge added, "to help keep them safe, count strokes. It’s not daycare, but helping with the program.”

After learning the basics of the game, the program now offers the youngsters an opportunity to put those lessons to work. Each Friday morning the young golfers participate in Junior Golf at Hidden Trails.

The young golfers are divided into three groups based on age and skill level. The golfers in the oldest group – age 11 and older – play nine holes of golf. This group, Barge said, is in many ways being groomed to be a part of the DHS golf team when they reach high school.

“This is where Bearcat championship teams start,” Barge said. Barge has experience in preparing and advising high school players. He worked with a high school championship team in Illinois, and had an early hand in the development of the championship DHS players that went on to participate in state play – the Christian brothers, Gill, Williams and Jackson.

“This is the first year Bank of Advance has sponsored the Hidden Trails Junior Golf Program,” Stuever, who works at Bank of Advance said. “The Bank gave each young golfer a special t-shirt, tees and balls for their summer experience.”

Barge encourages youngsters to be tenacious and continue to work at playing and improving their golf game.

“You may go to college if you play enough,” he said. “At the very least you get a game you can play for a lifetime.”

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By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The Terry Woods Memorial Golf Tournament was held on Saturday and Sunday (June 25 & 26) at Hidden Trails Country Club in Dexter.


Friends and family gathered to reminisce and celebrate Woods’ life after he lost his battle with cancer on June 25, 2010. Along with the two-day tournament, a memorial service was held in remembrance of Woods.

Woods was an active member of the community - he was a deacon at First Baptist Church - and has been sorely missed in the year since his passing.


A memorial flag pole was erected on the HTCC grounds, and was christened during the event by Woods’ son, Theron Woods, son-in-law Corey Mouser, and grandson Seth Mouser.

“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.


 Additional proceeds raised from the event were designated for improvements to Hidden Trails Country Club’s cart paths.



Family members (from left) Corey Mouser, Theron Woods, and Seth Mouser raise the flag at the Terry Woods Memorial, just outside of the Clubhouse Dining Room at Hidden Trails Country Club in Dexter.

Thanks to Marrianne Bruce for the picture.

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The next to last night of DPR Little League baseball continued Tuesday (June 28) night at the DPR Sports Complex.

Youngsters competed hard during their games, with some hot bats in the rookie league games.

The last night of DPR Little League this summer is Thursday (June 30) night.

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!