Dexter, Missouri - The T S Hill Middle School Football program was busy on Tuesday night at Charles "Seed" Bland stadium as they hosted the Eagles of New Madrid County Central in both a seventh and eighth grade match.  First year Head Coach James Sneed has been proud of his junior high "Cats as they reach the end of the 2013 season.  The 7th grade team has posted a record of 4 and 2 on the 2013 season. 

Both teams are an exceptional group of athletes filled with both quick specialty players and strong linemen.  The future looks incredibly bright for these two age groups as they continue to work toward the Friday night lights at Dexter High School.  

7TH GRADE FOOTBALL

With an early start time of 5:00 o'clock, the parents and fans hurried to the stadium after work to get to the game.  But it would be worth their rush during the seventh grade game as the Bearcats defeated the Eagles by a score of 12 to 0.  

The Bearcats got on the scoreboard early in the first quarter as #16 Caleb Hoggard tucked away the football and dashed over 50-yards for the first points of the game.  Hoggard was able to catch some daylight created by his big, strong offensive line that consists of Luke Boyer, Hunter Lawrence, Garrison Collier, Travis Propst and Brock Simmons.  The extra point attempt failed but the Bearcats took the initial lead in the game 6 to 0.  

At that point, the game turned into a hard fought match between defensive units.    The seventh grade unit was filled with outstanding defensive play throughout the night with outstanding play by many of the defensive unit of the 'Cats.  Braxton Foster did an outstanding job from his defensive end position.  Other defensive standouts for Dexter included defensive lineman Cory Diaz, linebacker Corbin Strong and Cornerback Nate Gargas.

As the second half began, the same solid defensive play continued for both teams.  Both teams found success in moving the football but could not convert the yardage into points. 

In one of the biggest plays of the night, cornerback Nate Gargas for the Bearcats came up with a huge hit for lost yardage, causing a fumble that was recovered by 70 Hunter Lawrence.  Gargas had a standout night and will prove to be an outstanding future Bearcat.

Following the fumble, the Bearcat's offense seemed to have a different spark.  With 2:49 remaining in the game,  Bearcat running back, Caleb Hoggard, got behind his big strong offensive line again and delivered a 22 yard touchdown run.  The two-point conversion failed again making the score in the closing minutes 12 to 0 in favor of the Bearcats.  

In their last posession, NMCC looked to be mounting an offensive attack of their own, until 84 Eric Hahn picked off a pass from the Eagles quarterback to give the "Cat's another chance to put some points on the board. 

Bearcat running back ,Corbin Strong, picked up over 25-yards on on a sweep play around the end.  Strong #41 continued his relentless search for the endzone in the final drive taking the Bearcats deep into Eagles territory.  With just under a minute left in the game, Dexter took the victory formation and ran out the clock making the final score 12 to 0.  

For the final time this 2013 season, the 7th Grade team chanted in their final huddle "1 - 2 - 3 - BEARCATS" and put a great season to rest until next year.  They ended the season with 2 wins and 2 losses on the year, with wins over Chaffee and tonight's win against New Madrid County Central.  The pads were all checked in and many of the boys will move on to the Middle School basketball season, already in progress.  


EIGHTH GRADE FOOTBALL

The eighth grade contest proved to be a strong competition from the first whistle.  New Madrid won the toss and received the opening kickoff and began to move the football down the field with authority.  The Bearcat defense tightened up but was unable to stop #4 Shawn Thomas of the Eagles as he rounded the left end and headed to the endzone.  With 4:39 remaining in the first quarter, the two point conversion failed.

Woodson of Dexter returned the kickoff to the 44 yard line. Woodson was crafty with his moves and picked his steps well as he broke loose on a 30-yard run.  Upon being tackled from behind, he coughed up the football giving the ball back to the Eagles on the 22-yard line.  Exchange of offside penalties then left a 3rd Down and 8.  The Eagles backed up to pass and Marcus Woodson came close to picking off the pass in the flats, forcing the Eagles to punt.  

At the 1:29 of the first quarter, Ben Sindle took the ball at the 47 yard line around the right end and raced down the sidelines into the end zone for a touchdown.  Marcus Woodson was given the ball on a middle dive and the 2-point conversion was good.   The Bearcat took the lead back from the Eagles by a score of 08 to 06.

Unfortunately, the Bearcats were only able to keep the lead for 11 seconds.  On the ensuing kickoff, New Madrid found an unguarded lane on the kickoff team and was able to return the ball over 60 yards for an Eagles touchdown.  The 2-point conversion was good, quickly putting the Eagles back on top by a score of 14 to 08.

The Bearcats could not put the wheels back on the offensive machine the remainder of the game.  New Madrid continued their breakaway running style and was able to stack up an additional 12 points on the scoreboard.  The final score ended in favor of the New Madrid County Eagles with the score 36 to 8.

The eighth graders will have their final game this Thursday at Charles Bland Stadium when they take on Charleston Bluejays.  Game time will begin at 6:00 PM.  Fans and friends of the program are encouraged to come out and support these young men.

Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Editor

Cape Girardeau, Missouri – The Lady ‘Cats had a very long evening, but their hard work and determination paid off beating the almost invincible Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs.  Dexter now 11-4 earned a chance to compete for a district title and only the Kennett Lady Indians are standing in their way.

This also may have been the longest match this season lasting well over 5 hours.  MaKayla Waldner had one of the longest singles matches that lasted 3 hours 15 minutes.  She was able to defeat Reagan Kapp 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.  Way to go MaKayla!!

“We played Notre Dame much better this time than last,” Dexter’s head tennis coach Kurt Loveday said.   “They beat us 9-0 and 5-4 during regular season.”

Kendra Stevenson beat Madline Walker 6-4, 6-4 and Taylor Owens defeated Greta Goodin 7-5, 6-2 to complete the three single wins.

Notre Dame was not down yet, they came back to tie it 4-4 when Carly Hopkins and Reagan Kapp defeated Baylee Cooper and Erica Morgan 6-1, 7-5.  The team of Waldner-Stevenson was not to be out down, they secured a win when they beat Walker-Soutar 7-5, 6-3. 

That a great night of action for the Lady ‘Cats Tennis Team with the lights going out to moving to another location to the longest singles match of the season and BEATING Notre Dame I am sure the girls are excited to play this afternoon

VARSITY SINGLES

No. 1 - Carly Hopkins (ND) defeated Baylee Cooper 6-0, 6-0

No. 2 - Makayla Waldner (D) defeated Reagan Kapp 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

No. 3 - Kendra Stevenson (D) defeated Madeline Walker 6-4, 6-4

No. 4 - Adele Soutar (ND) defeated Erica Morgan 6-3, 2-6, 6-4

No. 5 - Taylor Owens (D) defeated Greta Goodin 7-5, 6-2

No. 6 - Emily Young (ND) defeated Mary Kate Miller 6-3, 6-2

VARSITY DOUBLES

No. 1 - Kapp-Hopkins (ND) defeated Cooper-Morgan 6-1, 7-5

No. 2 - Waldner-Stevenson (D) defeated Walker-Soutar 7-5, 6-3

No. 3 - Owens-Miller (D) def. Goodin-Young 6-2, 1-6, 7-5

Dexter will play in Kennett this afternoon at 4:00 p.m. for the District Championship.  The Kennett Lady Indians are the seven-time defending district champs and are undefeated. Let’s Go Bearcats!!!

Dexter, Missouri - SMT Week #6 Offensive layer of the Week honors Peyton Pollock.  Probably one of the best offensive games so far this year with Peyton throwing for a total 284 yards and rushing for 112 yards.  He made two key plays putting the ball in the air and advancing Tim Spence and D.J. Dowdy into the end zone.   His hand-off to Ethan Stevens also produced a touchdown.

Defensively, the Bearcats were lead by Dylan Bazarian, with a total of 14 tackles on the night.  Dexter was able to find several strong individual performances on the field against the hard-hitting New Madrid County Central Eagles, but Dylan stood out and earned our SMT Week #6 Defensive Player of the Week!

 

 “The ShowMe Times is proud to highlight the individual performances of two Dexter Bearcat Football student-athletes each week as the SMT Players of the Week.  No one individual’s contribution wins a game or makes the team strong.  Yet the coordinated efforts of many make for a winning combination.”

Dexter, Missouri - Charles "Seed" Bland Stadium hosted its own version of Monday Night Football as the junior varsity Bearcats hosted New Madrid County Central.  As a light crowd watched, the Bearcats were defeated by a score of 32 to 0 by the Eagles.  

The 'Cats were slow to get their offense going in the first half but offered some resistance defensively against the Eagles.  Dexter was successful in stopping NMCC in a 4th down and goal from the 1 yard line.  Taking the ball over on downs on the goal line, Dexter was unable to clear the end zone resulting in a safety.  New Madrid received the ensuing kickoff and methodically moved the football down field for a touchdown.  The two point conversion was good.  

Dexter found a little success in the passing game in the second quarter as quarterback Gavin White was able to complete passes to Nate Weathers and River Chism.  The 'Cats were able to move the ball down into Eagles territory until the drive was stalled and turned over on downs.  New Madrid once again fired up their offense but changed from their running game to test the Bearcat's defensive secondary.  New Madrid completed a long 50 yard pass for a touchdown making the halftime score New Madrid 18 to Dexter 0.

NMCC received the 2nd half kickoff but the Bearcat specialty teams stepped up with a good tackle at the 25 yard line.  Following a procedure penalty, New Madrid completed a 30 yard pass taking the ball down to the 20 yard line.  The bruising running style of the Eagles offense quickly  made up the additional yardage needed for another touchdown making the score 24 to 0 in favor of NMCC.

Dexter was able to create some positive yardage offensively but failed on a third down and 11.  They were forced to punt the football.  A big return by the Eagles gave them the ball 1st and 10 from the 46 yard line.  New Madrid continued to pick up yardage 10 and 12 yards at at time.   Austin Merrick came up big with a sack on the next play from scrimmage.  But the quick running Eagles broke loose on the next play taking the ball down to the 13 yard line. With 8:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, New Madrid carried the ball into the end zone again to go up on the 'Cats 32 to 0.

The 'Cats started their next series with a strong running attack from Aaron Sandlin.  Sandlin showed some hard nosed running but eventually the Bearcats drive was stalled again at the 28 yard line of the Eagles. 

However,  the Bearcat Defense came and was able to put up a good defensive stand forcing the Eagles to punt.  The Bearcats got the ball back in great field position at the 35 yard line.  After picking up an initial first down on the first play from scrimmage in the series, the Eagles defense stiffened bringing the drive to a screeching halt.  

"Offensively, we made some good plays through the air early on and eventually got the run going late in the game," stated Marc Thrower. 

"Defensively we played well early but toward the end we had too many kids out of position to shut down their athletes," added Thrower.  "But our  kids never quit and that is all we could ask for in this situation."

The Bearcats did suffer some injuries on the night as Tyler Heil looks to be out with a broken his wrist.  Also, Nate Weathers received a neck injury after a great catch and run but was tackled by the face mask.  There was no update at this point on his condition.

"I'm proud of the way our kids have faced adversity this season," commented Coach Marc Thrower.  "That's been the story of our season. We have had kids playing in positions they've never played before in order to replace all of the injured players.  These kids have stepped up and have given everything they had."

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Additional Pictures of Event Located Here:

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Dexter, Missouri - The Dexter football team may have lost by one point on the scoreboard, but they won the hearts of the entire Bearcat Nation Friday night.  The scoreboard unfortunately did not reflect their efforts against the New Madrid County Central Eagles.

Coming off of a loss the previous week, the Eagles were hungry for  a win.  It was an intense game from the moment the ball was kicked to the last few seconds of the game.  Two key plays probably kept the Bearcats from winning such a tremendously well played game.

Considered to be the best offensive performance of the season by the Bearcats, head Coach Justin Peden said, "It was a game of inches.  I really respect the boys' efforts tonight.  Peyton Pollock had a great game."

Pollock took some hits during the game, but managed to put up a total of 359 yards, 284 yards passing and 75 yards rushing.  "He's a real warrior!" according to Peden.  "The guys are starting to believe in themselves and the program.  I am very proud of them tonight."

Ethan Stevens and Carson Dean also had a great night for the Bearcats.  Stevens ran for 68 yards averaging 9.7 yards per carry.  Dean rushed for  46 yards.

"Ethan Stevens is a weapon on the field."  He scored the first touchdown in the game with a 36 yard run into the end zone giving the Bearcats momentum.  It wasn't until the end of the 2nd quarter with little time left on the clock before Larry McIntosh ran up the middle to score for the Eagles.  Bearcats 7, NMCC 7

The first ten minutes of the second quarter proved to be a back and forth competition between the two teams.  It wasn't until late in the quarter before Dexter was able to score.  Peyton Pollock passed right to Tim Spence for a 27 yard touchdown.  Dexter 14, NMCC 7.

The Bearcats just needed to run the clock down and hold the Eagles, but unfortunately with just 21 seconds left in the first half, Austin Lynn passed to Jamonte Sykes for an Eagles touchdown.  Chris Farr's extra point kick was blocked by the 'Cats!  Dexter 14, NMCC 13.

After locker room strategies were made, the Bearcats were again ready for battle.  However the Eagles scored in the 3rd quarter along with a 2 point conversion, taking the lead to 21 - 14.  The Bearcats were not going to give up.  With 8 minutes  left in the game Peyton Pollock passed to D.J. Dowdy for a 36 yard touchdown bringing the score to 21-20.

An extra point would tie the game; however an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for excessive celebration after the touchdown took the ball back to the 13 yard line and forcing them into a 2 point conversion situation.  Ethan Steven's pass to D.J. Dowdy was no good.  Dexter 20, NMCC 21.

The Bearcats were able to get the ball back with a fumble recovery.  Then with less than 2 minutes on the clock Pollock driven them down the field into Eagles territory.  A pass to D.J. Dowdy looked good, the fans went wild; however the referees called incomplete and Dexter was again forced to run the ball on a 3rd down.  A fumble turned the ball over to the Eagles and they just simply ran the clock down.  Final Score Dexter 20, NMCC 21.

"It only takes one or two key plays to turn a game and that made the difference tonight.  Our Sophomores and Juniors really stepped up.  Our future is bright here at Dexter, really bright!"

Coach Peden gathered the team at the north end of Charles Bland Stadium after the game.  "You have got to want this!  I care so much about you guys!  You have overcome so much!"

Peden went on to say, "YOU can win the rest of the games this year.  I know you have it in you.  YOU just have got to want to win!  I wish you could see yourselves how I see you.  You guys are awesome and good players.  Family on three and enjoy your homecoming weekend!"

Team Stats
Total Yards              Dexter 469          NMCC 286
Rushes-Yards          Dexter 45-173     NMCC 39-185
Passing Yards          Dexter 113          NMCC 284
Comp.Att.Int.          Dexter 5-11-2     NMCC 15-21-0
Penalties                  Dexter 4-31        NMCC 6-51

The Dexter Bearcats were awesome Friday night!  'Cats fans everywhere are so proud of them and know they played hard and did everything they could to win Homecoming!  Way to go Bearcats!!!

The Bearcats (1-5) and (District 1-2) will be back in action on Friday night when they travel to Charleston, Missouri to take on the Bluejays!  Game time is 7:00 p.m.  Let's clip those Jays wings and cover their bleachers with RED and BLACK.  Friday is black-out day so get your black on and show the Bearcats you support them.