By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

Charles Bland Stadium will host the Bearcats first matchup of the 2011 MSHSAA Playoffs on Wednesday night, when the ‘Cats face off against Park Hills Central.


This will be the second time the two squads have met this season - the District 1 Champion Bearcats and District 2 runner-up Rebels faced off in the second week of the season, with the ‘Cats coming out on top with a 37-27 final score.


Coach Pixley noted the advantages of already having faced the Rebels, but again pointed out their poignant power running game as a key concern for his defense.


“Anytime you play someone twice, you get a pretty good idea of what they’re going to do - it doesn’t mean you’re going to be able to stop it,” Pixley said. “We have the same concerns going in to this game that we had going into the game earlier in the year. They’re a very good football team.”

“They have a very good power running game, and they have a very good play action game on offense,” he continued. “On defense, they play hard and get off the ball, they swarm to the ball very well. They haven’t changed any since week two.”

“You’ve gotta get prepared, you’ve gotta see it, you’ve gotta get out here and make sure your mind is right and you know what’s going on, and hopefully we’ll be that way tomorrow night.”

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Quarterback Cody Stevens led the Bearcat offense against the Rebels in week two, with 64 and a TD on the ground, and 132 yards and 4 TD’s through the air. Josh Overall nearly broke the 100 yard mark in the contest, racking up 96 yards on 13 carries. The duo will both have to have another big game for the Bearcats to be able to knock off the Rebels for the second time in 2011.


Defensively, Alex Cliff led the Bearcat ‘D’ with 13 tackles in the week two matchup. The Bearcats also won the turnover battle, 3-1, in the contest.

“Nothing has changed - we thought they were very good the first time around,” Pixley said. The only difference is it’s not 100 degrees outside like it was the first time around. I think both teams are in better shape, but we’re going to have to play hard and physical football to beat these guys.”

There will be a change of scenery for the Bearcats during the game: according to a MSHSAA rule, if the field doesn’t have separate ‘visitor’ stands, the opposing team gets the choice of which sideline they will be on, and the Rebels have elected to be on the Bearcats’ usual press box sideline.


Pixley addressed this is his post-practice speech with the team, but he said he didn’t think it would be a factor for his team.

“If playing on the other sideline has an effect on us, then we have some major issues,” Pixley said, laughing. “None of the little changes should make a difference.”

“It’s a state rule that if [your field doesn’t] have visiting bleachers, the opposing team can pick the side they want to go on, and they said they wanted our side,” he continued. “We go to the other side - that’s just part of it. We’re going to deal with it and not make an issue out of it.”

The Bearcats, luckily, haven’t been hit hard by the injury bug this season. Players have missed a game here and there, but there hasn’t been anything that kept any Bearcat out more than a game, save Dalton Putnam in the last three games of the season. The senior defensive back/wideout went down with an ankle injury - later reported as a high ankle sprain - during the Caruthersville game, and hasn’t seen any action sense.

“Dalton’s day to day - he hasn’t practiced, but he’s been out running and rehabbing that ankle, so we’ll see how he’s doing tomorrow before we make a definite decision,” Pixley said of Putnam. “If not tomorrow, hopefully if we win the game tomorrow, we’ll have him back for the next one.”


Other than Putnam, the ‘Cats are nearly at 100% for the State Playoff matchup against Park Hills. Zach Lacy is nursing a lower back injury, while RB/MLB Nick Summers is ‘a little banged up’, according to Coach Pixley. Despite their bumps, both seniors are expected to be in the starting lineup and playing at full capacity.

The contest is scheduled to get underway with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. The cost of admission is $5.00 for anyone ages 6 and up.  No passes are accepted (MSTA, student activity, Gold Card, etc.) once teams enter into the state playoff rounds, per MSHSAA regulations.

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Editor’s Note: Make sure to head down to the DHS Tennis Courts at 5:00 for another great Bearcat Football Tailgate Party!
Pork Loin sandwiches, hot dogs, and any other ‘tailgate fare’ that you care to bring will be served!

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!

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

For ten weeks, Brett Dorton tirelessly researched each and every game - he wasn’t out to win a TV, he just wanted bragging rights over his buddies that were also in the 2011 Pigskin Pick’Em Challenge.

The hard work paid off in more ways than one; it was a close contest that came right down to the wire, but Brett was able to come out on top and claim the Grand Prize of the 2011 Pigskin Pick’Em Challenge!


Dorton, finishing the season with 172 points, averaged 17.3 correct picks per week, and was the only user in the game to get 21 games right three separate times.

Dorton’s prize is a 50” LG Plasma TV - Congratulations Brett!

"We all thank the ShowMe Times, their staff, and all the sponsors for making the Pick'Em so much fun to participate in," Dorton said. "It was great to be able to use the internet to not only make the picks, but to be able to follow the standings week by week."

"This was a lot of fun for people in the community," he continued, "and hopefully even more people will participate next year!"

In a very close second place is Marty Young. Young finished the contest with 171 points, and averaged 17.1 correct picks per week.


Michael Qualls and Matt Miller tied for third place with 167 points. Kurt Lovelady rounds out the Top 5 with 166 points.

The second through fifth place winners will all receive a print of Terry Hester’s The Perfect Swing - Terry’s rendition of St. Louis Cardinal Albert Pujols’ swing.


Everyone at the ShowMe Times would like to congratulate all of our winners, and thank everyone that played. We would also like to thank our many excellent sponsors - without them, this great contest wouldn’t have been possible.

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Make sure to keep checking with the ShowMe Times for updates to the Basketball Edition of the Pigskin Pick’Em Challenge!

This great contest is coming soon, and will only be available on the ShowMe Times!

The Middle School Lady ‘Cats were in action again last night. With a packed house of Bearcat fans on hand, this game was a rematch of the finals of the Dexter Middle School tournament. The Lady ‘Cats were the champions defeating Jackson in tournament play by a score of 42-20.

The 8th grade game began as a defensive grind between the two teams. Dexter had a slow start offensively, an area that they normally stand out among their competition. End of the first quarter score was 6 to 3 in favor of the ‘Cats.

The Bearcats actually fell behind in the second quarter and with 13.8 seconds left in the half, Melanie McKuin hit a shot and was fouled. Unfortunately, the free throw was missed giving the ‘Cats a 14 to 13 halftime lead.

It was obvious that Coach Chad Allen instilled a little motivation as well as a new game plan for the second half as the 8th grade ladies pumped in four quick points within the first minute of the third quarter. From that point forward, the Bearcat offense continued to roll.

MaKayla Waldner was a complete thief during the 2nd half for the Lady ‘Cats, stealing the ball from the Jackson Indians and converting the turnovers into Bearcat points. She ended her scoring night with a team high of 11 points.

Ashlynn Werneck contributed four points on the night, but one key shot came at the end of the third quarter when she sank a two point basket at the buzzer. Additionally, Julia Hahn came off the bench for four key points in the contest.

The ‘Cats stretched the lead even further by out scoring the Indians 15 to 4 in the fourth quarter. One of the most unselfish teams you will witness, these Middle School girls run the floor like a High School team.

Dakota Reynolds continues to amaze the crowd. Though her point total was not as high, it’s only reflective of the overall passing scheme of this team. Dakota did have an incredible layoup in the first quarter, when she put a WNBA spin on the ball to the delight of the Bearcat fans.

Ironically, the final score of the game was within just a few points of the tournament victory the Bearcats handed Jackson during the recent tournament – Dexter Bearcats 40 and the Jackson Indians 19.

Unofficial scoring from the stands had McKuin with 9 rebounds, Keirsey and Werneck had 5 rebounds and Reynolds and Waldner had 4 each. In the petty theft category, Waldner led the team with 6 steals followed by four for McKuin and Reynolds, two for Keirsey and one for Tankersley.

The 7th Grade Lady Cats had another great game and defeated Jackson by a score of 23 to 16. Leading scorer for the 7th Grade was Harley Allen with 16 points. Sidney Rodgers added an additional 4-points while Mosby added 2-points and Wyman chipped in a free throw.

The Lady Bearcats will be in action again this coming Friday night against the Poplar Bluff Mules. The game will be held at the Bearcat Event Center with tip-off for the 7th grade game at 6 p.m and the 8th grade to follow.

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By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

If you saw any of the Mason children today, chances are you wouldn’t recognize them.

When the family moved to the St. Louis area in the fall of 2007, Jackson was in fifth grade; Mabree was in third grade; and Davis was in kindergarden.


Chris and Janet, on the other hand, haven’t changed a bit. Chris, the former music minister at FBC Dexter is now the worship pastor of First Baptist Arnold, in Arnold, Mo. Janet is now the music teacher at Fox Elementary school.

Last Saturday, Jackson’s freshman football team - the Seckman Jaguars - took on the Poplar Bluff Mules in their season finale. The oldest Mason child is slowly becoming both a young man and an outstanding football player.

The Jackson many of you remember is gone, his small stature replaced by a 6’ 3”, 200 pound frame. He is now a tight end, occasionally moving out to the slot, and is also a defensive end.

The Jaguars opened up Saturday’s contest with a bang, picking off Poplar Bluff’s quarterback on the first play of the game. Seckman has a potent rushing attack, led by Cole Luaders, who had three touchdowns and over 100 yards on the ground in the contest. Luaders - a great soccer player - also handles kickoff duties for the team, and had several kicks called for touchbacks during the game.


Seckman’s defense was dominant throughout the first half, forcing three turnovers and not giving up any points.


“We’ve forced a lot of turnovers in the rest of our games,” Mason said. “We average around two, maybe two and a half per game.”

Mason mainly plays offense, and he is an exceptional blocker. On Luader’s third touchdown of the game, a 50 yard scamper to the end zone, Mason had a monster block on a Poplar Bluff linebacker that made the play possible. His aggressive style punished Poplar Bluff defenders all game long.

He also runs crisp, precise routes in the passing game, and shows great finesse when catching the ball. The young squad doesn’t throw the ball a lot, but when you see a ball go Mason’s way, you can be sure it’s going to be caught.


His only catch of the day came on a 3rd & 3 at midfield. The Jag’s were driving down the field, but needed a big play to keep the drive alive. Mason ran a crossing route, just behind the PB Linebackers. The throw was a tad high, but Mason left his feet to haul in the ball and move forward for a 10 yard gain and a first down.

“I’ve had enough [catches] for my first year,” he said. “I think we’re going to start throwing more next year once we grow as a team, and our quarterback develops his arm more.”

The Jaguars would go on to blow out the Mules with a 28-8 final score, and improve their record to 6-2 on the season.


Seckman’s only two losses on the year came from perennial football powerhouse Webster Groves and Kirkwood, a game that many feel the Jag’s could have won.

Mason was pretty happy with his team’s performance in their final game of the 2011 season.

“The first quarter, we came out and drove the ball right down their throats. We kept running outside and picking them apart that way,” he said after the game. “We couldn’t really run up the middle on them, so we kept it all off-tackle. Defensively, we had that interception the first play of the game, took that down and scored pretty quick. It was 20-0 before you really knew it.”

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Despite his success on the offensive side of the ball, Jackson has seen limited playing time on defense this season. He expressed a strong desire to be able to play more defensively next season.

“I wish I could get more in on defense - I like hitting kids,” Mason said, laughing. “The blocking is all good and everything, you get to put people on their backs a couple times, but I like defense better - it’s more physical.”


Most kids would be sad that the football season was ending, but not Mason: he’s going to be a three-sport athlete this year. Jackson will begin wrestling practice in a few short weeks, and both he and his father Chris mentioned him playing lacrosse in the spring, as well.

Jackson reflected his attitude towards defense when he was asked about why he wanted to play lacrosse - the sheer physicality of the game.

“I want to play lacrosse in the spring,” he said with a look of sheer intensity. “It’s obvious - I get to hit people!”

The Lady Bearcats' front row was well-represented on the 2011 All-District Volleyball team.

Junior Brittany Harris made the First Team, while sophomore Hannah Noe and freshman Jessica Lindsey received Second Team honors.

Congratulations Lady Bearcats!