Dexter, Missouri - Homecoming came right down to the wire. It was truly a battle between the Bearcats and the Woodland Cardinals.

Trailing by two points with less than 4.1 seconds remaining the Bearcats knew they had only one opportunity.  Coach Josh Dowdy's last play could not have been played out any better.

It took four long throws.  First Alan Pippins in-bounded the ball to senior Ryan Mayo  who threw it to half court with Gabe Jackson waiting for the ball.  Jackson pitched it to senior Jason Jarrell who stood at the right side of the basket and shot for a perfect 3-pointer to earn a game ending 64-63 win over the Woodland.

"Those four guys executed the ball perfectly," Dowdy said. "Sindle was there somewhere, supposed to get the rebound, but he was probably jumping up and down if I know Ben."

His trey was his only field goal in the game.  His other four points came from free-throws earlier in the game totaling seven for what is normally a high scoring athlete.

"Jason has been clutch for us a couple of different times this year," stated head boys basketball coach Josh Dowdy.  "He hit two huge free throws against Kennett in the semifinal game of the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament and tonight he hit a big shot in his last Homecoming game of his high school career.  I bet he and the rest of us will remember that for a while."

Dexter led 18-15 at the end of the first period.  The second quarter belonged to Woodland, outscoring the Bearcats 20 - 12 by the half it was 30-35 Woodland!  Dexter pushed back in the second half and defensively holding the Cardinals to just 9 points in the third. 

Dexter junior Clay Mullins led all scorers with a game-high 23 points.  Ten of those points from the charity stripe.

"Clay hit some big free throws down the stretch," Dowdy said. "He did a real nice job of attacking the basket also."

Gabe Jackson tallied 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 blocks for the Bearcats.

Senior Ryan Mayo hit two 3-pointers in the second half.

"Ryan Mayo played another great game.  He hit a big three that ignited us and created a couple of key turnovers on the defensive end.  He is playing like a senior - like he only has a few games left."

"This team is having fun and it is awesome to see the smiles on their faces," Dowdy said.  "They deserve it - Their road has not been easy.  The hard work continues to pay off  for them!"

Woodland's Michael McCormick led with 14 points. Tyler Womack tallied 10 points. Two were 3-pointers. Paul Duncan added 10 as well.

"Woodland was well prepared and played a great game," stated Dowdy.  "We have a lot of work left to do on the defensive end. We made some crucial mistakes down the stretch that usually cost you games.  We are fortunate to escape with a victory."

Dexter returns on Friday against rival Bernie at the Mule Barn!  Get there early for a good seat as that gym fills up fast!  Game time 6:00 p.m.

Final Score Dexter 64, Woodland 63

Dexter         18   12   12   22  -  64

Woodland    15   20     9  19  -  63

Dexter (64) - Jason Jarrell 7, Alan Pippins 3, Ben Sindle 3, Clay Mullins 23, Dawson Kasting 7, Ryan Mayo 7, Gabe Jackson 14. FG 20, FT 18/28 F 19. (3-pointers: Jarrell 1, Pippins 1, Sindle 1, Mayo 2.  Fouled Out: Mullins).

Woodland (63) - Tommy Grindstaff 7, Tyler Womack 10, Tyler Massa 1, Jamie Wiseman 7, Connor Goodwin 7, Bruester Young 7, Paul Duncan 10, Michael McCormick 14.  FG 25, FT 7/13, F 26. (3-pointers: Grindstaff 1, Womack 2, Wiseman 1, Goodwin 1, Young 1. Fouled Out: Womack, Young.)

Kennett, Missouri - The Junior Varsity Lady Cats basketball team toppled Kennett 42 - 10 on Monday evening after 18 days off the court.  Their last game was December 22, 2016 due to the fact that the Farmington game was cancelled because of weather.

Dexter held Kennett to a 10 - 0 lead in the first period and increased their lead to 17 - 4 by the half.  Kennett scored only 6 points in the second half.

Maycie Martin came out strong leading the Cats with a game-high 17 points.  Maci McBride contributed 9 points, all on treys.

Antonia Randle and Tyneshia Wilson each tallied 4 points for the Lady Indians.

Finals Core Dexter JV 42, Kennett JV 10

Dexter  10  7  14  1  -  42

Kennett   0  4   6  0  -  10

Dexter (42) - Maycie Martin 17, Rylee Allen 2, Maci McBride 9, Keirstan Keirsey 7, Alexa Werneck 3, Mallory Dunlap 4.  FG 17, FT 5/16, F 11. (3-pointers: Maci McBride 3, Fouled Out: None).

Kennett (10) - Antonia Randle 4, Janesha Hubbard 2, Tyneshia Wilson 4.  FG 5, FT 0/1, F 15. (3-pointers: None.  Fouled Out: None).

The Dexter junior varsity team will be back in action on Thursday.  They travel to Neelyville.  Game time 6:00 p.m.

Photo provided.

East Prairie, Missouri - The Bloomfield Wildcats didn't seem to mind the cold temperatures outside and a day off from school.  They hammered East Prairie on the road 72 - 39.

Austin Phillips opened the game with a 3-pointer and the Wildcats never looked back.  They shot 68% from the field in the first two quarters building a 24-point lead thanks to the efforts of three Bloomfield athletes who tallied double digits. 

Timmy Hector tallied a game-high 22 points including three treys.

Peyton Bell recorded  20 points including two 3-pointers.

Alex Gibbs finished with 10 points.

"We played well offensively and defensively in the first half," commented Bloomfield head basketball coach Brandon Crook.  "We worked and moved the basketball very well on offense that lead to high percentage shots that we converted on."

Bloomfield made a run in the third quarter scoring 10 points quickly and bringing them within 16 points.

"They made quite a run in the third quarter," continued Crook.  "But we were poised enough to keep working and win the 4th quarter."

Bloomfield once again proved to be a powerhouse scoring doubles in each of the four periods defeating the Eagles by 33 points.

Luke Marcum and Derez Tipler contributed 10 points each for East Prairie.  Marcum recorded 2 treys and Derez had one 3-pointer.

Final Score Bloomfield 72, East Prairie 39

Bloomfield    20  18   18   16  - 72

East Prairie    8    6   17     8  - 39

Bloomfield (72) - Jacob Hector 5, Dalton Phillips 6, Timmy Hector 22, Kyle Anderson 2, Austin Phillips 5, Peyton Bell 20, Dallas Monroe 2, Alex Gibbs 10. FG 28, FT 8/12, F 8. (3-pointers: Timmy Hector 3, Austin Phillips 2, Peyton Bell 2. Fouled Out: None)

East Prairie (39) - Luke Marcum 10, Deverence Jones 2, Derez Tipler 10, Casey Gregory 10, Mason Bryars 5, Chad Housman 2. FG 16, Ft 3/6, F 12. (3-pointers: Luke Marcum 2, Derez Tipler 1, Mason Bryars 1.  Fouled Out: None)

Bloomfield (8-4) will be back in action on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 when they travel to the Bearcat Event Center to take on take on the Bearcats.  Game time 6:00 p.m.

Women can discover nature through rabbit hunting

Puxico, Missouri - The Valentine’s Day weekend is the perfect time for Southeast Missouri women to relax and have fun hunting rabbits, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The annual Women’s Rabbit Hunting Clinic is scheduled for Feb. 11, beginning at 8 a.m., near Duck Creek Conservation Area.

“This is a very hands-on course and is an environment where anyone can learn, even if they’ve never fired a gun before,” said Conservation Agent Mic Plunkett.

The clinic begins with an introduction to rabbit hunting, where the women learn rabbit species identification, hunting techniques, safety and regulations. They then learn how beagles assist in hunting rabbits before testing their shooting capabilities with expert instruction.

"We ensure each participant gets an opportunity to target shoot with one-on-one instruction before we take them to the field to hunt,” Plunkett said.

After target practice and classroom instruction, the group is accompanied by guides while they try their hand at hunting rabbits. At the end of the day, there’s instruction on cleaning and cooking the harvest before the new hunters share their hunting stories.

Plunkett said those who sign up should come prepared for camaraderie, shared adventures and excitement.

"Every part of the clinic is designed to take someone through the whole experience step by step to ensure safety, a fun time and an understanding of why hunting is important,” Plunkett said.

“This rabbit hunting clinic is part of the Conservation Department’s mission to help people discover nature by spending time outdoors,” Plunkett said.

For more information and to sign up for the Women’s Rabbit Hunting Clinic, call the MDC’s Southeast Regional Office at (573) 290-5730. For more information about rabbit hunting in Missouri, go online to mdc.mo.gov/hunting.

Van Buren, Missouri - The 2017 Van Buren JV Boys Basketball Tournament will be held at the Van Buren High School Gym on Jnauary 9th, 12th, and 14th.

Seeds are as follows: #1 Van Buren, #2 Dexter, #3 Greenville, #4 Liberty, #5 Winona, #6 East Carter, #7 Ellington, and #8 Clearwater.

On Monday, January 9th Van Buren will play Clearwater at 4:30 p.m. at 5:45 p.m. Liberty will play Winona, at 7:00 p.m. Dexter will play Ellington and at 8:15 p.m. Greenville will play East Carter.

Semifinal games are slated for Thursday, January 12th with the consolation side of the bracket beginning at 4:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.  Championship semifinal will be at 7:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

7th Place will be played on Saturday, January 14th at 4:00 p.m.  Consolation game will be at 5:15 p.m. Third place game will be at 6:30 p.m. and the Championship game will be at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday evening.