By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

Summer for the typical high school student is spent teetering on a fine line between relaxation and laziness. Some will get jobs, and some will have camps for their sport in the upcoming school year.

For one incoming DHS junior, his summers are anything but typical. He spends days on the road, traveling from showcase to camp to tournament, and then home for a day or two. He’s been home for one weekend this summer. His name is Chase Young.

Chase is the 16 year old son of Marty and Christine Young. He was an everyday starter for the ‘Cats on the baseball field during his sophomore season, and started several games during his freshman season. He has a career .496 batting average, .573 slugging percentage, .560 on-base percentage, and 17 stolen bases.

Impressed so far?

That’s just one sport - Young is a three-sport athlete for the ‘Cats.

He was a big part of the most successful Bearcat football season in recent memory, and made several crucial plays at wideout during the post-season run. He also led the JV basketball team to a very successful season, and received respectable playing time at the varsity level, but Young still notes baseball as his favorite.

”Baseball is my favorite sport; it’s what I’m best at it,” he said. “I’ve always liked playing basketball, and I’m pretty good at football, but I like baseball the best. I’ve played since I was a little kid.”

“Church, classes, and sports...that’s all he really has time for,” Young’s father, Marty - who was a collegiate athlete at Freed-Hardman and coached at UT Martin - said. The time Young spends in athletics has never impeded his studies - he’s in the top 10 percent of his class with a 3.8 GPA, and has already posted a 26 on the ACT.

If you think that all the time he spends on the road during the summer would eventually begin to wear on him, you’re dead wrong.

“I don’t ever get tired of it,” Young said, smiling. “It’s what I love to do; it’s what I know.”

For the last several summers, Young has been a member of the Rawlings Prospects - Harper, a nationwide club baseball team. So far this summer, the ‘Spects have posted an impressive 37-6 record, most recently competing in the Premier World Series in Lubbock, Texas. Young noted some well-known names - such as Rafel Palmero and Roger Clemens - as fathers of players on an opposing team.

“There were 48 teams there, probably the best 48 teams in the country at this level,” Young recalled. “Most of the teams from Texas, but some were from as far as Wisconsin.”

“We played three full games and then we got seeded - we went 2-1 in that pool. The top 24 teams were sent to the championship bracket, the bottom 24 went to the consolation bracket. We played three more pool games, and then the winner of each pool would go to the final eight. We went 3-0 in the championship pool and were seeded fourth. We beat the D-Bat Mustangs, who beat us in pool play, and came back to win 10-0.”

Young wasn’t the only Bearcat to compete for the Prospects - teammate Jordan Miller is also a member of the team.

“Jordan did well; he won a game for us when he pitched,” Young said of his teammate. “When you play eight games in five days, you go through a lot of pitchers. He stepped in at second some and did well there too; he played really well during the entire tournament.”

Young also had a solid going over at the plate and making several great defensive plays.

The ‘Spects would go on to finish third in the tournament.

“Looking through the alumni lists on some of these teams, it’ll make your head spin,” Marty said. The Mustangs, for example, had 27 players selected in the MLB Draft, and 58 players signed collegiate letters of intent in 2011.

Despite typically finding Chase in a middle-infield position during games for DHS, he plays centerfield for the ‘Spects.

“With his speed, center is a better fit for him at the collegiate level,” Marty said.

Chase definitely has speed - and plenty of it. He’s been clocked at a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash, a 6.8 in the 60, and a 3.75 home to first.

“I like playing centerfield more,” Young said, “it feels more natural to me than second does.”

Young has also been selected to play in the Midwest Future Games, sponsored by Under Armour and the Prep Baseball Report.

“The No. 26 ranked Class of 2013 player, Young recently put himself on the map at Prep Baseball Report’s Top Prospect Showcase in Cape Girardeau. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound utility player ran an event-best 6.83 60, showed off a strong arm (78 mph) from the outfield, and proved to be one of the better overall athletes in attendance. At the plate, the left-handed hitting Young uses a short, level swing to drive the ball gap-to-gap and is an extra-base threat,” Young’s profile on the event’s website said.


The Midwest Future Games will feature the best players from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri.


“This weekend we’re going to the Midwest Futures game in Chicago,” Young said. “The Prep Baseball Report did a showcase that I went to at Notre Dame. Me, Tanner Murphy from Malden and Drew Harper from Sikeston were invited to it. You represent your state and play at Benedictine University. One day we do a showcase and play a few games. The next day we play a few more games and then head home.”

Despite all the accolades and constantly being surrounded by major college scouts - LSU, TCU, Mizzou, Nebraska, Arkansas, Texas, and Baylor, to name a few, all had scouts at Young’s last tournament - Marty has always tried to keep his sons grounded.


“Something that I’ve always instilled Chase and Chandler is our ‘family motto’: play hard, pray hard, work hard, and love your family,” Marty said. “I think that’s taken them a long way, and will continue to. I’ve also tried to instill a sense of humility and ‘coachability’ into them.”


“It’s been kinda hard to be humble with all the attention that I’ve gotten because of showcases,” Young said, “but my Dad has pushed that sense of humility into me since I was a little kid. It’s definitely something that’s a challenge, but I try hard every day to remember it.”

With hard work and keeping with his ‘family motto’, this young man will continue to do great things, not only on the baseball field, but in life. Chase plans to major in pre-medicine when he gets to college, but hopefully he’ll be able to get paid doing what he loves: playing baseball.

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The schedule for the 2011 Football Jamboree has just been announced!

The jamboree will be held at Charles Bland Stadium at 6:00 p.m. on August 19.


The Bearcats will face the Kennett Indians, NMCC Eagles, and East Prairie Eagles in preseason action - this can be a great ‘scouting’ tool for the ‘Cats, as they face both Kennett and NMCC later in the season during districts.

This wil be the first time Bearcat Nation will be able to see the team since having their best season under head coach Aaron Pixley, and look to returning starters Cody Stephens, Josh Overall, Jake Lee, and Nick Summers to lead the team to another successful season. The 'Cats are also showcasing a revamped offensive line, with seniors Zach Lacy and Theo Gaul anchoring the tackle slots.

The scrimmages will follow the traditional jamboree format, with a coin toss to determine offense or defense and the ball placed at the 40 yd. line. If a team scores, the ball will be placed back at the 40 yd. line. Each team will play 12 plays on offense and defense, respectively. No score will be kept. There will be no kicking game.

Admission will be $1, with a concession stand available on the east end of the field. The Bearcat Booster club will be providing food and drinks for all players and coaches at the conclusion of the evening’s scrimmages.


For more information, contact DHS Athletic Director Chuck Powers at cpowers@dexter.k12.mo.us or 614-1030.

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Make sure to check back with the ShowMe Times for updates on the team's progress during preseason practices, which are set to begin on August 8.

By Mike Buhler, RaidersAthletics.com

Poplar Bluff, Mo. - The future was on display Saturday evening as several area seniors – including several future Lady Raiders – made their way to Three Rivers College for its 2nd Annual Senior All-Star Softball Game.

Both squads – sponsored by Skeeter Kell Sporting Goods and First Missouri State Bank – played a pair of five-inning games. However, Skeeter Kell needed seven innings to defeat First Missouri 4-2 in the opener before First Missouri won the nightcap 4-3.

Three Rivers’ entire 2011 recruiting class, with the exception of Rachel George, participated in the game and as a group, they impressed.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” Three Rivers coach Jack Childress said. “I thought Katelyn Hughey had a pretty good doubleheader. I thought all of them played pretty well. … (Kelsey) Snider had the winning hit off of (New Madrid Country Central standout) Kelly Robey in the first game, which was pretty big. (Cindy) Nippe played well – she had a couple of hits.

“I thought that Chelsea Crain played well,” added Childress. “She had a couple of hits and she pitched the last couple of innings. (Mariah) Randazzo had a nice couple of hits and played a nice third base.”

Another signee who stood out was Oran alumna Abbey Anderson.

“She’s going to give us a little speed,” Childress said. “She hasn’t been playing this summer but she has been practicing.”

Several walk-ons for Three Rivers also participated in the game.

“We had some others who played in it that are walking on,” said Childress. “Alex Green made good contact off of Robey.”

Notes: Snider, Nippe and Crain are from Twin Rivers High School, while Hughey is from Naylor and Randazzo is from East Carter. George hails from Corning, Ark. … Kelly Robey’s sister, Heather, pitched at Three Rivers in 2004 and 2005 and had her No. 9 jersey retired. Kelly Robey has signed with Union University in Jackson, Tenn. 

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For more information on everything regarding Three Rivers College athletics, visit www.raidersathletics.com!

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

Dexter High School sophomore Cody Neldon just returned from a week-long baseball experience that he will never forget.


Neldon, the 15 year old son of Traci & Denny Christian of Dexter and Jamie & Jessica Neldon of Holcomb, just returned from a Coast to Coast Baseball camp held in Puerto Rico.

Based in Marietta (OH), the eight year old program has taken over 1600 players from 46 different states to compete in Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia and Puerto Rico. The organization's alumni now compete at every level of college baseball, and even professionally. Neldon showcased his skills for the Coast to Coast coaches at a tryout last fall held in Cordova, TN. At tryouts, players are evaluated in four areas: hitting, fielding, arm strength and speed.

“They usually look at smaller towns, where collegiate scouts typically don’t go,” Neldon noted. “They were trying to look at kids that didn’t get as much exposure because they live in a small town.”


Neldon noted the highly competitive nature of the tryouts, as well as the outstanding coaches he worked with.


“There were over 2,400 kids that tried out this year,” he said. “I was one of the 24 that made it on the U.S. team. Out of that 24, they made two teams of 12, with two coaches each. Once of my coaches, James King, used to play for the L.A. Dodgers before he was injured. My other coach was Gary Bandy, who coaches at York College in Nebraska.”

“One of my really good friends that I’ve played baseball with for the last five or six summers, Dustin Houart from Holcomb, made the team as well.”

Neldon was presented with a full week of living and breathing baseball. They began each day with a three-hour practice session, and then had a few hours off to rest. During the afternoon and evening, teams were scheduled for double-headers every day. Mother Nature gave the athletes some adverse conditions during the trip, but Neldon and his teammates made the best of it.

“It rained most of the time; we only got to play six games,” Neldon said. “It would be raining in San Juan and not in Caguas or vice versa, so one team would come in and play a game, and then another team would come in. That’s how we had to play most of the time; I think we actually got one doubleheader in the whole week. During one of our games at Roberto Clemente Stadium, it started raining during the game. It’s a turf field, so they pulled the tarps out, and they called the game. Then we went out and slid on the tarps.”

Neldon was able to fill an outfielder’s role, his natural position with the Bearcats, as well as several other positions.

“I played center field most of the time,” he said. “I played shortstop one game, and pitched a game to give some of the other guys’ arms a rest - I gave up one run in three innings.” 



Neldon also performed well at the plate, hitting over .500 for the week.

Despite living the ‘baseball life’ for a week, Neldon will quickly have to convert to other sports - he’s a three-sport athlete! He’s a member of the basketball team, and led the JV squad to a successful showing in the Rib City Shootout the week after he returned from Puerto Rico.

Neldon also participated in the ‘Cats final football camp of the summer where he looks to land a starting spot as a wide receiver or in the defensive backfield. During baseball season, Neldon hopes to transition from an ‘off the bench’ role to becoming the everyday starter in centerfield, which was vacated by a graduating Josh Sifford last season.

"I had a lot of fun while I was down there," Neldon said. "Hopefully what I learned will help me on the field next year."

Photos above:
Top Photo: Cody Neldon rounds third base during a DHS game against New Madrid County Central last year. Neldon, then a freshman, did an outstanding job coming off the bench for the ‘Cats as both a backup player and a pinch-runner.
Bottom photo: Per the Puerto Rican tradition, teams exchange small gifts and gather for a group picture after a hard-fought battle on the baseball diamond. Neldon can be seen as the last player on the back row.

New Orleans, LA - In an exclusive report by SMT Sports, Dexter has yet another reason to be proud of the athleticism found in the Waldner family. MaKayla Waldner has placed 4th in the AAU Junior Olympics today in the championship meet in New Orleans, Louisiana.

MaKayla competed in the pentathlon, scoring an incredible point total of 2,913. The pentathletes are many times considered to be among the most skilled athletes. In Ancient Greece, the training was often considered useful for military service. Each of the five events in the pentathlon was thought to be useful in war or battle.

Even though the events are now 100M Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, Long Jump and the 800M Run, the level of athleticism has not changed. The Pentathlete is extremely skilled and able to perform at very high levels compared to others.

MaKayla was seeded 7th going into the competition with a field of 47 girls in the competition. She was sitting in 6th place prior to the last event, where she ran a great 800M to move up two spots, finishing 4th overall.

In the pentathlon, competitors are awarded a certain number of points based on their performance in each specific event. The overall winner is the competitor with the highest points total at the completion of all five events.

The road to the AAU Junior Olympics is not an easy one. MaKayla has been very dedicated in her training. She is coached by Kevin Lewis (pictured above) and has competed all summer to reach this level of excellence.

Competing in St. Louis earlier this summer in the AAU district meet, MaKayla placed first in all five of her events. Her victories there qualified her for the for AAU regionals in Lawrence, Kansas.

At the regional meet, Waldner competed in the pentathlon, pole vault, high jump, 100m hurdles & the 200m hurdles. At the regionals, she added five additional gold medals and the opportunity to compete in the AAU Nationals.

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MaKayla Waldner proudly receives her 4th place medal at the AAU Junior Olympic Championships in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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MaKayla Waldner is the eighth grade daughter of Bob and Kim Waldner and comes from a great heritage of athletes. Both Kim and Bob were college athletes and have already seen their older daughters, Sammy and Brittney, excel in athletics running track at the college level. Her older brother, Trevor, has also had an outstanding wrestling career at DHS.