By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The Dexter Bearcats will face one of the toughest opponents of the season on Friday night when they play host to the Caruthersville Tigers.


Both teams are top ten in the state in their respective classes - Dexter is currently ranked No. 7 in Class 3, and Caruthersville is currently ranked No. 2 in Class 2.

The Bearcats were a little banged for last week’s contest against Charleston. Tyler Miller (bruised quadriceps), Nick Summers (concussion), and Dylan Aaron (shoulder) all had to sit out with injuries - but coach Aaron Pixley noted his squad would be back at 100% for Friday’s SEMO Conference showdown.

“This week, everybody will be back, including Dylan, who has been out for a while,” Pixley said. “We’re going to go ahead and start him out at guard, but keep an eye on him and check on his conditioning. So far, we’ll be going into the game at full strength.”

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The Tigers are led offensively by the speedy Elbie Fonda. The 5’9”, 180 lb. Senior is averaging just over 170 yards per game and 11 yards per carry, and poses a significant ‘big play’ threat to the Bearcat D.

“I think they’ve realized that they’ll have to play very well,” Pixley said of his defense. “They run the ball extremely well at Caruthersville, and our kids know they’re going to have to tackle and tackle well. They know if they’re not in the backside alleys, their backs will cut back, get into space and run.”

“They know what they have to do - you have to know your responsibilities, make sure you’re lined up correctly, get downhill and play the run hard, and when they throw it, get some pressure on the quarterback and make good pass reads,” he continued. “We have to make something happen defensively, and we understand that it’s going to be a very tough game.”

On top of the sheer talent of the Tigers, the team faces another foe Friday: Homecoming. Potential distractions abound with all the extra activites the week brings, but Pixley didn’t feel it was a big issue for his team this year.

“We were a little sluggish on Tuesday, but we really picked it up on Wednesday and had a good Thursday practice, so it’s been a good week for us,” Pixley commented. “I haven’t seen a sign of anything that has gone on that has distracted them. I don’t look for that - I hope we come out of that locker room ready to play and fired up, because we’re going to have to be that way for four quarters against these guys.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Charles Bland Stadium, with the Homecoming Queen festivities scheduled for 6:30.

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As always, if you can’t make it to the game, I’ll be Tweeting the scores and big plays of the contest from the sidelines - just keep checking back with our Facebook or Twitter page for updates!