Dexter, MO - On October 29, 2021 Coach Aaron Pixley stepped onto Charles Bland Stadium High School Football Field for the very last time under the Friday night lights. He will have at least one more opportunity to coach on Friday, November 4th when the Dexter Bearcats travel to Kennett in a District semifinal game.
Coach Pixley graduated from Dexter High School in 1988. He was hired in 2000 to be the weightlifting coach and head football coach.
In his first stint at Dexter High School he was the "All-Time Wins" leader over 13 seasons as head coach. From 2000 to 2012 Pixley accumulated a 78-58 record.
In his first year as the Dexter Head Coach, Pixley had a team shirt that stated his philosophy toward the game of football, and obviously life. The slogan read "Never Accept Mediocrity".
His thirteen seasons as the gridiron master has provided our community many exciting Friday nights. His record tells the story with 78 wins which is a record for any head football coach at DHS. His two best seasons were in 2002 in his third year as the head coach the Bearcats had a season of 8-3 and then in 2010 was perhaps his most memorable year with a record of 8-5 and playing in the Class 3 State Quarterfinals.
In addition, the community has been able to experience the joys of victory with three titles as SEMO Conference Champions, 2002, 2005 and 2011. The Bearcats won four District Playoffs, 2002, 2005, 2010 and 2011, with 2010 making it to the State Quarterfinal.
After 4 years at Kennett High School he came back home to finish his career.
He is passionate about winning football games, but that was not his ultimate goal. Pixley always put turning his players into great upstanding men above all and puts character above winning a football game.
Coach will end his career with a few titles. The title he is most proud of is the Longest Bearcat Football Coach of All-Time at Dexter High School. He will close out his football career of 17 years with the Bearcats at the end of the 2021 season and a total of 21 years of football coaching.
A former player said, "You are a man of great character, you are humble, you are genuine and sometimes you were intimidating. You were never just a coach, you were so much more."
We hope you kick back and enjoy that pool and make lots of memories with your other favorite title, being "Pop Pop".
A game ball signed by the Class of 2001 was presented at the 50 yard line.
Dexter, MO - On October 29, 2021 Coach James Sneed stepped onto Charles Bland Stadium High School Football Field for the very last time under the Friday night lights. He served as Assistant Football Coach for 19 years beginning in 2002.
Sneed also served in the U.S. Army until returning to Dexter in 1997. He was hired as a Technology Assistant in 2001 at Dexter Public Schools.
He has been known to do all the behind the scenes work to make the football program successful. If you needed something taken care of he was always there to make sure it was done.
A former athlete said of Sneed, "Coach Sneed was the whole reason I continued to play football in high school. He was caring, supportive, tough, and respectful. He truly cares about each and every students and athlete. He was the best role model I had at Dexter High School."
A quote that later became known as a "Sneedism" is "if you are walking you are wrong and you are moving like pond water. No one will ever accuse Mr. Sneed of walking like pond water at Dexter High School.
Everyone can attest to this as you are everywhere doing every task with diligence and we can't thank you enough for your years of service. You will be missed!
Coach Sneed received a signed football. He will have the opportunity to be assistant coach at least one more game when the Dexter Bearcats travel to Kennett on Friday, November 5th in a District semifinal game. Kick-off at 7 p.m.
Five Dexter athletes qualified for the MSHSAA Class 3 Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Ironton and 22 total from Stoddard County will go on to compete at the MSHSAA Cross Country State Championship.
"I am very proud of these DHS athletes," stated James DeBerry, Dexter High School Cross Country Coach.
Only the top 30 individual athletes and the top four schools in each class could advance to the State Championship.
In Class 2, District 1 the Bloomfield Wildcats finished fourth qualified for the MSHSAA Cross Country State Championship.
Principia won the team championship, Steelville placed second, and Arcadia Valley won third.
In addition to Bloomfield's entire team headed to state, four runners earned medals for finishing in the top 30. Josh Reynolds was eighth, Connor Scott was 23rd, Caleb Upchurch was 24th and Hunter Moore finished 29th.
Logan Robison from Puxico finished 28th and will head to Columbia for the state competition.
From Dexter were Ben Dowdy who placed 16th, Clayton Bell finishing 26th and Cameron Bell placing 27th.
Taven Owens from Bernie finished 15th and Landon Ellsworth placed 30th. Both will compete at state.
Bell City’s Kennett Rampley, Advance’s Luke Ballin and Richland’s Lennon Cook won all-district medals. Rampley took ninth Ballin was 21st, and Cook was 24th.
Richland’s Alexia Kemp and Bernie’s Mackenzie Hill qualified for the Class 1 girls championship meet. Kemp was eighth in 22:07.27 and Hill was 22nd in 23:47.20.
In girls cross country competition:
Dexter's Gabby Brown placed second in the girls division for Class 3 and Abbie Lloyd placed 20th.
Two Puxico girls qualified for the Class 2 girls championship meet. Lanie Wilkerson finished 11th and Paisley Wilkerson was 17th.
The state championship races will be Saturday at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.
The Class 1 boys race will begin at 9 a.m., the Class 1 girls at 9:45 a.m., the Class 2 boys at 11:15 a.m., the Class 2 girls at noon, the Class 3 boys at 1:30 p.m. and the Class 3 girls at 2:15 p.m.
Pictured are: Abbie Lloyd, Ben Dowdy, Clayton Bell, Cameron Bell, and Gabbie Brown of Dexter.
Photo provided by DeBerry.
Dexter, MO - The Dexter Bearcat Football team secured the #3 seed for the MSHSAA Class 3, District 1 Football Tournament which will be held at Charles Bland Stadium on Friday, October 29, 2021. With the forfeit of Malden last Friday night, Senior Night will be held prior to kick-off. It's also "Wear Pink" Night in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The Bearcats (5-4) will host #6 seeded Doniphan in the first round.
Dexter beat the Dons earlier in the season 35-0 at Doniphan.
Park Hills Central received the top seed and Kennett was seeded second. Both have received first round byes.
Potosi, seeded 4th will host #5 seeded Fredericktown.
The Bearcats with a win over Doniphan will travel to Kennett on Friday, November 5th in a semifinal game.
The winner of the Potosi/Fredericktown game would travel to Park Hills on November 5th.
Dexter, MO - The Dexter Lady Bearcats volleyball team hosted the Perryville Lady Pirates on Senior Night. They rallied back to win in 5 sets; 23-25, 17-25, 25-16, 25-14 and 15-10 at the Bearcat Event Center on Monday, October 18, 2021.
Carly Long led the Cats' with 20 kills, Kate Nichols finished with 12 kills, Rachel Cobb had 10 kills and Dulcie Pullen ended her senior night with 10 kills.
Pullen paced the Dexter volleyball team with 24 assists and Long created 19 assists.
Cobb finished with a team-high 6 blocks and Avery Neely finished with 4 blocks.
Magi McBride led Dexter with 21 digs.
Perryville (5-18-2) will face Sikeston in the first round of the MSHSAA Class 4, District 1 Volleyball Tournament at 6 p.m. Thursday, October 21st at Cape Central High School.
The Bearcats (18-9-1) will host Kennett in the semifinals of the MSHSAA Class 3, District 1 Volleyball Tournament at 6 p.m. Monday, October 25th at the Bearcat Event Center.
