The Labor Day Holiday was not observed at Charles "Seed" Bland Stadium this past Monday evening as the Junior Varsity Bearcat met the Malden Greenwaves. With the change in the weather, it was a great night to watch the football action.

D J Dowdy is a young incredible quarterback that does nice job handling the offense for the Bearcats. He is surrounded by young talent from the junior, sophomore and freshman classes at DHS. These young men don't often see much action during the Friday night contests and this is a formidable opportunity for them to see action and perfect their skills.

The first quarter found the Bearcats dominating the play on the field and the clock. The first drive took up about 5 minutes but ended with a 4th down and 1 yard attempt that failed. After a turnover by Malden, the Bearcat offense came back on the field with a new pace to their offense.

At around the 3:06 mark of the offensive machine got rolling with a pass completion from D J Dowdy to Stevie Payne. Brad Wick picked up his running game with powerful stiff arms used against the Greenwave defense. Jonathon Foels, a sophomore running back that returned to the Bearcat squad this year, began to show his talent as a running back as he picked up 7 to 12 yards per carry.

With a quick switch of possession with back to back fumbles by each team, the scoring for the Bearcats got started. Jonathon Foels took a hand off from QB D J Dowdy and raced 20 yards for the Bearcat's first touchdown of the night. The two point conversion was good as Dowdy rolled out and delivered the pass to Holden Bruce. With 0:25 seconds left in the 1st quarter, the score was Bearcats 8 and the Greenwaves 0.

Second quarter action found the Bearcat defense holding the Greenwaves on a 4th down and 2 yard attempt at the 8:28 of the 2nd quarter. This was a critical turnover by downs as Noah Cronk came up with a big tackle.

Loss on the first play from the Greenway 46 … with a lateral pass had a loss of 3 yards

Brad Wick used his powerful running style with an 18 yard run from scrimmage. That was followed by a 26 yard completion by DJ Dowdy to Stevie Ray Payne to setup Dexter for a 1st down from the 7 yard line. Jonathon Foels followed with a quick run off right tackle for a Bearcat touchdown. Dowdy found open daylight around the left end to make the 2 point conversation good.

The Greenwaves found the Bearcats defense tough. Dillon Bazarian came up on a big 3rd down tackle in the next defensive series. However, Malden was desperately trying to get things going and was able to convert on their 4th down attempt. Malden was able to put together a long run to the outside but eventually the Bearcats were able to sniff out the reverse by the Greenwaves and stop them on a 4th down attempt.

With 3:08 remaining in the half, the Bearcat offense picked up their game immediately with an 18-yard pass completion to Jordan Miller from Dowdy. Jonathon ls followed with a long 15-yard run from scrimmage taking the football down to the15 yard line. The offense continued to take their steps 15-yards at a time and the third play had D J Dowdy connecting up again with Jordan Miller for another 15-yard. Miller was stopped short of a touchdown at the 1-yard line. Brad Wick had no problem powering through the Malden defense for another Bearcat Touchdown. The 2-point conversion attempt failed leaving the score at 22 to 0 in favor of the Bearcats.

A booming kickoff out of the end zone by Brad Wick gave Malden the ball on 20-yard line with 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the half. The defense provided good containment on Malden's running back, Cortez Dobbins. The Bearcats created another turnover as Logan Quertermous put a huge rush on the Greenwaves quarterback causing a misfire the pass that ended as an interception by Bearcat defensive back Jordan Miller. Miller returned the ball all the way down to the Greenwave's 23-yard line. However, the 'Cats were unable to take advantage of the turnover and went in at halftime with the score of Dexter 22 and Malden 0.

Brad Wick started the second half with a little excitement again as he kicked a bullet at the front line of the receiving team. The football was mishandled by Malden and the fumble was recovered by the Bearcats to start the 2nd half.

Very quickly, the "Jonathon Foels' Show" started as Foels was picking up first downs and averaging about 8 to 12 yards per carry. With 4:24 remaining in the 3rd quarter, Brad Wick ran the ball in from the 4 yard line for another Bearcat touchdown. The two point conversion failed.

Defense became the name of the game, as Dakota Southerland began to stack up tackles. Southerland is a big young freshman that show a lot of promise on the field. Defensive end Stevie Payne also dominated, delivering a rush into the backfield that caused another turnover on downs by the Greenwaves with two minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter.

With a solid lead, the Bearcat coaching staff began to rotate in some of the freshman talent into the lineup. They mounted a solid drive as Tim Spence made several great runs. Also contributing to the running game was running back Dillon Bazarrian and quarterback Jason Madison. With a long sustaining drive, the young Bearcats deliver eight more points as Tim Spence took the ball into the end zone from 6 yard out. The two point conversion was good by #35 Dillon Bazarrian.

The Greenwaves mounted up a drive late in the 4th quarter. A touchdown saving tackle by Bearcat Matthew Fulkerson on Edwin Hale prevent what seemed to be a sure play for Malden. Unfortunately, Malden was able to toss a pass into the flats that was turned into a 30-yard touchdown with only 2:30 left in the game.

It was an excellent showing by the Junior Varsity Bearcats. This has traditionally been a group that knows how to win and they are only improving with time.

"Our guys displayed great discipline tonight and played a great game", commented Coach Greg Lummakka. "As they continue to work and take advantage of our weight program, we can expect good things in the future from these guys."

It was a fun night and nothing better than ending it with a 36 to 8 victory for the Bearcats.

Special thanks for Travis Miller for supplying the pictures to the ShowMe Times of the JV Football Action!!

Dexter's own Glen Johnson continued to make his hometown proud with his pursuit, and dedication, of a dream. Dexter's story of 'David and Goliath' continues as Johnson plays among the giants of football on the defensive line. Be aware: he comes equipped with inner strength and a spiritual heart that has allowed him to reach great levels in the sport.

Johnson was very excited coming out of spring practices as he felt he had earned the starting role for the Southwest Baptist University Bearcats at defensive end. He remained in Bolivar for the summer, increasing his dedication in the weight room and to the running program. He entered fall practices in what he felt to be "the greatest shape of his life" and ready for the 2011 football season.

However, things would not be that easy in 2011 for Glen Johnson as he still had battles to fight and victories to win. Listed number 2 on the depth chart, defensive line coach Tracy Hayworth encouraged Johnson that "he should always be ready to be in the game".

The season opener saw SBU traveling to Bacone College in Muskogee, Okla., where SBU defeated Bacone by a score of 28-19. This is one of the first season-opening victories SBU has earned in recent history.

Johnson saw significant playing time in the game against Bacone College. He was able to record his first sack on the Bacone quarterback, as well as several tackles during the game.

Johnson reported that the team had a slow start but made adjustments to come from a two touchdown deficit in the second half to gain the victory. In his humble way, Johnson shared that he "had a pretty good game and received several positive comments from his coaches." However, he further noted that "there were a few plays he felt he could have improved upon."

If the report could end with Football Only, those that know Glen Johnson know that there is a far greater, as famed radio announcer Paul Harvey put it, "The Rest of the Story" that surrounds this young man's life.

Johnson is also the huddle leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes on the campus of Southwest Baptist University. Most recently, Johnson has reported that through the efforts of a strong leadership team (including himself that he modestly leaves out), the FCA has increased their numbers to well over 125 participants at the weekly campus meetings.

We have a lot of good young men that leave this community. Some athletes are incredibly talented and can make their way into the college ranks on pure size and ability. Glen Johnson has done it the hard way - he's met the challenge head-on with passion, hard work and perseverance.

He had a dream of being a college football player. He has often stated that "he really didn't know what it took to accomplish his goal." Nonetheless, he has done it and continually makes all those that know and love him very proud.

If you would like to send a note to Glen Johnson, the SMT staff would ask you to fill up his email box with positive words of encouragement of how proud we are of him. You can email Glen at glensbu@gmail.com.

---

From the SBU Athletic Media Relations Department

Bolivar, Mo. – The Southwest Baptist University Bearcats began their 2011 season with an opening day victory over Bacone College, 28-19. After being down 19-7 at halftime, the Bearcats responded with 21 straight points to come away with the victory.

After trailing 13-0 early, the Bearcats had a huge interception by Raymond Segura who took the ball back 28 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 13-7. The Warriors would add two field goals to lead 19-7 at halftime. The Bearcats came out in the second half, looking to turn things around.

Early in the third quarter, running back Justin Duhaney had a five yard touchdown run, pulling the Bearcats within five points. Later in the third quarter, quarterback Justin French connected with Derwyn Lauderdale with a 10 yard pass for a touchdown to give the Bearcats a 21-19 lead. The Bearcats would add a 36-yard rushing touchdown from Thaddeus Everson in the fourth quarter to seal a 28-19 victory.

The Bearcats were lead in passing by Justin French who was 18-30 for 148 yards with one touchdown. Justin Duhaney lead the Bearcats in rushing with seven attempts for 41 yards and a touchdown, while Derwyn Lauderdale lead the Bearcat receivers with three grabs for 47 yards and a touchdown.

The defense was excellent in the second half, shutting out the Warriors. Zach Moore lead the Bearcats with 10 tackles, while Anthony Wiggins had a blocked extra point, and the Bearcats compiled three sacks.

"I am very proud of our teams resilience and fight tonight," head coach Keith Allen commented after the victory. "We were down by two scores going into the half and we came back out and scored 21 unanswered points to secure the victory."

The Bearcats will be back in action next Saturday, September 10th when they host Arkansas Tech at 6:00 p.m.

---

SBU is a four-year evangelical Christian university that was established in 1878.  The main campus is located about 30 minutes north of Springfield, Missouri, in Bolivar, a town of approximately 10,000 people. DHS alum Glen Johnson is a defensive lineman for the Bearcats.

For more information on SBU Bearcat Athletics, visit sbubearcats.com.

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

PARK HILLS -- The Dexter Bearcats had a big task ahead of them Friday night as they traveled north to battle the Park Hills Central Rebels. The ‘Cats came out on top after a hard-fought, albeit sloppy, contest, 37-27.

The game was a tale of two halves. The ‘Cats offense was scoring almost at will, and the defense was dominant, in the first half. Midway through the third quarter, however, the ‘Cats seemed to just lose their steam. They couldn’t move the ball on offense; they gave up 20 unanswered points on defense - it was almost like the big 30-7 lead going into halftime woke up the ‘sleeping giant’ of Park Hills.

Offensively, the ‘Cats running attack wasn’t as potent as it was against Ste. Gen., but it didn’t have to be: the Bearcats had some success moving the ball through the air this time around.

“We really executed well on offense in the first half. We have a hard time coming out sometimes, I felt like we were a little flat on that first drive, but after that we settled in,” head coach Aaron Pixley said. “We have to come out with more energy than what we did tonight. Our offense executed well, I thought the passing game worked well. Cody [Stevens] made some big plays scrambling in the second half - I think we had a third and twenty-something, and he would up scrambling for a first down there.”


Senior quarterback Cody Stevens was 12-30 for 132 yards, four touchdowns, and one INT. Stevens’ favorite target in the contest was Tyler Miller - seven receptions for 78 yards and three TD’s - but Pixley was pleased with the performance of the entire receiving corps.

“Cody and Tyler have a good relationship with each other, and they made some plays together,” Pixley noted. “Chase Young had a huge catch on the bomb there that was called back, and we hit some short passes to Cody Neldon for some good games. Jake Lee got in the mix tonight, threw some to him. We don’t really care who catches the ball, we just want people to execute. I’m proud of them for making some plays.”

“For the most part, we ran the ball pretty good. We got into some situations where we had to throw, and we had some backs get dinged up a little bit, so we did what we had to do.”

On the ground, Josh Overall was good for 96 yards on 13 carries. Stevens contributed 65 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown. Wideout Cody Neldon also earned 34 yards on the ground this week.

Runningback/Linebacker Nick Summers didn’t dress in the second half due to a shoulder injury, but both Pixley and team physician Bobby ‘Doc’ Jibben noted that it was a precautionary measure.

---

---

Jake Lee (No. 88) and Garrett Wray (No. 5) hold onto a tackle while a host of teammates swarm in.

---

The ‘Cats were plagued by penalties during the third quarter - every time they would break a good play, a flag would get thrown.

“You start off, offense was making some good positive plays. It seems like in the span of six plays there, we had three ten or fifteen yard penalties, and we were backwards - that just spoils good, positive plays,” Pixley noted. “It’s tough to work from first and twenty.”


The Rebels came as advertised - they were big, they were physical, and they tried to dictate the tempo of the game on the ground. Senior linebacker Alex Cliff was flying around the field, recording 13 tackles in the contest.


 “[Park Hills] did a good job of running the ball on us in the second half and keeping the ball away from us,” Pixley said. “We knew they wanted to eat up the clock - we had a nice lead coming out into the second half, and we had some good plays in the second half, but we were inconsistent and had too many penalties. We just shot ourselves in the foot too many times.”

“We were sort of working against ourselves instead of working against Park Hills. I’m proud of our kids - we played hard. We were sloppy at times on a very hot and muggy night, but we gutted it out and got the W against a good team.”

Looking ahead to next week, the ‘Cats will return to Charles Bland Stadium to play host to the Sikeston Bulldogs. Pixley noted the outstanding speed of the squad, and said his team would have to tackle well to be able to get another victory.

“They're possibly the best team on our schedule. Very, very fast, I’m sure they’re physical, and they attack on defense,” Pixley said. “We’re going to have to play extremely well. We can’t play with a lot of penalties like we did tonight. We need to be better at taking care of the football and not turning it over. We’ve gotta tackle - we were at the point of contact several on defense tonight, we just didn’t do a very good job of tackling. We’ve got to shore that up and get better next week. “


Kickoff for Friday (Sept. 9) night’s game is set for 7:00 p.m.

---

For a full breakdown of the game's stats, click here

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The Lady Bearcats continue to impress on the volleyball court. When the Jackson Lady Indians came to town Thursday night, the ‘Cats played strong and picked up wins on both the JV and Varsity levels, moving their records to 3-0.

The JV ‘Cats defeated Jackson in straight sets - 25-9, 25-16 - to continue an unbeaten streak (for the freshman) that runs over two years strong.

The Varsity squad was forced into a three set match for the first time this season, but still came out with a victory - 25-20, 25-27, 25-20 - after some intense competition .

“I knew Jackson was going to be tough, and my girls went out and played as a team,  ” head coach Lauren Hutchcraft said. “They stayed fired up, dug deep, and played hard.  They didn't get frustrated or mentally down when they made mistakes on the court.  After losing the second set by two, they could have easily given up.  However, they didn't and I couldn't be more proud of them.”

  Hannah Noe had an outstanding game setting up her hitters - she totaled 23 assists, 5 digs, 5 kills, 2 aces, and was 9 / 10 from the service line.

“Hannah Noe always gives solid performances, and she didn't disappoint me tonight by any means!  She is an all-around great volleyball player,” Hutchcraft said.  “She can serve, hit, block, and set.  She can do it all, and well!  She is truly a great team player.  I felt Jessica Lindsey and McKenzie Mitchell had good performances tonight, as well.”

The Lady ‘Cats, currently ranked No. 12 in Class 3, will go on the road to face Cape Central in their next matchup on Tuesday (Sept. 6).

“I am expecting the unexpected - I'm going to be prepared for anything and everything,” Hutchcraft noted.  “They lost to Bloomfield (currently ranked No. 4 in Class 2) in three sets this season, so it must've been a very good game for both teams. We’ll have to play our best!”


The matchup between Dexter and Cape Central is set to get underway with JV action at 6:00 p.m., and Varsity action immediately following.

---

Photo above
Coach Lauren Hutchcraft gets her girls fired up during a break from Thursday night’s action against Jackson.