By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The JV tennis team picked up another ‘W’ on Wednesday afternoon when they faced the Caruthersville Lady Tigers.

The Tigers were only able to bring two players to the match - one member of the squad was out due to injury; the remainder didn’t have enough practices in to be eligable for competition under MSHSAA rules - but the JV ‘Cats were able to get three matches in.

The doubles duo of Paige Patterson and Alison Jarrell, as well as singles Kendra Stevenson and Brannon Heaton, were all able to get 6-0 victories.

The Lady ‘Cats will be in action again Monday (Sept. 12) afternoon, when they face off against the Charleston Bluejays.  The match is set to get for a 4:00 p.m. start.

Photo Above:

Brannon Heaton makes a very athletic shot during her singles match.  Heaton was able to get a 6-0 win to help push the JV squad to a 3-0 victory in the contest.

If you’ve ever been one to think that all kids are alike, allow us to prove you wrong - meet Mr. Zach Lacy.

Zach is the son of Russ and Kim Lacy of Dexter. He is a young man that proves that manners and kindness can reside in the life of a young person. A gentle giant on the high school football team, Zach has a strong fan following among the members of Bearcat Nation.

As an athlete, Lacy has been a standout in both football and wrestling, now in his senior year at Dexter High School. He has been a team leader and someone that is considered a friend among all his peers. Lacy is one of the good guys - one that always has a smile on his face and an upbeat spirit that he is willing to share with anyone.

During his sophomore year, Zach became a starting offensive lineman for the Bearcats out of sheer size and ability. His performance as a young Bearcat exceeded all expectations of his coaches and fellow players.

Gaining valuable experience during the 2009 season for the ‘Cats, Lacy came into his junior year. A nagging shoulder injury continued to plague his performance during the season, but Zach was quick to grow his mental toughness by playing through the entire season with only being sidelined a few times during a game. You would always find him ready and willing to get back on the field every Friday night, regardless of any injury.

The Bearcat offensive line has been one that has drawn a lot of attention. Zach has been fortunate to surround himself with quality lineman in the past - Jake Bollinger, Theo Gaul, Tim Moore, and Jacob Stephens all come to mind - that have given him both motivation and valuable experience. His ability to be steady and solid on the field has brought him All-Conference and All-Region honors during his junior season as an offensive lineman.

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“Zach Lacy has been a pleasure to work with in the weightroom and on the football field,” head football coach Aaron Pixley said. “He has transformed his body from a boy as a freshman to a man as a senior."


“He has improved as a player every year, and most importantly, as a person.”, Pixley continued. "We are excited to see Zach have his best year yet."

Zach’s athletic abilities don't begin and end on the football field - he's also an outstanding member of the wrestling team. Lacy has wrestled at the varsity heavyweight division since his freshman year and has competed in District, Sectional and State-level competitions throughout his high school career.

His initial goal when he went out for the squad was to improve his footwork and mobility on the offensive line, but he found that he was actually great at the sport. He had a bit of a tough start during his freshman season, but at the end of his sophomore year, he was voted Most Improved Wrestler by his coaches and his junior year found him as a state tournament qualifier.

“Through hard work in wrestling and the weight room, Zach has been able to reshape his body into a force to be reckoned with on the athletic field”, commented football and wrestling coach, Rick Schwab. “He has greatly lowered his body fat percentage while increasing his 40 speed and increasing his numbers in the weight room.”

“Zach has a great work ethic, a determined mind and it has showed through his accomplishments in our athletic programs”, Schwab continued.

Lacy is extremely involved with activities both at school and around the community. He is one that is truly a standout in the Class of 2012. Both his infectious smile and friendly demeanor make you know that Russ and Kim Lacy have done something incredibly right in raising this young man.

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The Lady Bearcat Tennis team split a tough match with the Kennett Lady Indians Tuesday afternoon. The Varsity squad lost 3-6, while the JV won 7-4.

“Kennett is good and experienced - last year’s district champion,” head coach Leanne Dooley noted. “They didn’t lose many to graduation.”


Shanna Gant (8-4) and Erica Morgan (8-1) picked up the only singles wins at the Varsity level for the ‘Cats. Dooley noted Gant’s effort, saying that she played a “good match and played hard.” Morgan was praised for her good footwork and agressive play by Dooley.


Hailee Hubbard lost a tough match in a tiebreak (7-9) to Kennett’s Kelsey Washburn. Hubbard and partner Jamie Manuel picked up the only varsity doubles win (8-4) over Kennett’s Wasburn and Katherine White.


On the JV squad, Brannon Heaton skunked Kennett’s Mackenzi Carr, 6-0. Taylor Owens played the most competitive singles match for the JV squad, beating Laura White 6-4.

The Lady ‘Cats will be in action again Wednesday (Sept. 7) when they take on the Caruthersville Lady Tigers at home; the match is scheduled to get underway at 4:00 p.m.

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By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

CAPE GIRARDEAU - The Dexter Lady ‘Cats picked up another big win on Tuesday night against the Cape Central Lady Tigers.


Despite rolling through the first set 25-12, the squad faced some adversity in the second set, but still came out on top, 26-24.

“We did well in the first set - I saw much better hitting from my girls than I did in the previous three games we've played this season,” coach Lauren Hutchcraft said.  “The second set, Cape came out more fired up and ready to play, and we only won that one by two.”

“[Cape Central] did a good job on pulling my middle blockers to one side and attacking from the other for a cleaner one-on-one attack,” Hutchcraft continued.  “This made it harder for my three girls on backrow defensively with not having a double-block on the majority of their attacks in that second set. However, we pulled the win off by two points in that second set.  The one thing I'm really proud of my girls for is staying mentally ‘up’ and not dwelling on mistakes.”

The ‘Cats were nearly flawless from the service line in the contest - Lindsey Hindman, McKenzie MItchell, Erika Mouser, Hannah Noe, and Lauren Ward were all perfect on the night.


Freshman standout Jessica Lindsey had another solid performance, with 5 digs, 6 kills, 2 blocks, and 2 aces in the contest.


The JV ‘Cats also won their match in straight sets, 25-12, 25-7, and both squads move to 4-0 on the season.


The ‘Cats won’t be in action again until the SEMO Tournament, held this Friday and Saturday (Sept. 9 & 10) in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

The Lady ‘Cats will get a preview of an upcoming district opponent - the Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs, who have been nothing short of dominant in the district for the last decade. The ‘Cats usually don’t see this matchup until much later in the season - this year, the contest with ND is the last of the year before the district tournament - so this could be a vital ‘scouting tool’ for the Lady ‘Cats.

“The SEMO Tournament will be a good tournament for anyone wanting to watch some good volleyball in the area!  We actually play a district rival on Friday night at 4:30--Notre Dame!,” Hutchcraft said.  “They have literally won districts for the past 10 years, so this will be a good progress report for my girls and I to see how we're doing so far and what we need to do when it comes down to the end of the season.  We normally wouldn't play them until the last regular season game, and then the following week is districts - it'll be nice to play a team that's in our district so early on, especially the one that is known as the team to beat.”

“On Saturday, we have one more pool play game against Meadow Heights,” Hutchcraft added.  “The top team from each pool will advance to the Gold bracket; the second team will go to the Silver; and the third team will go to the Bronze.”


The tournament will be held in various locations across Cape, but mainly the ShowMe Center and Notre Dame Regional High School. Make sure to get to Cape this weekend to check out all the great volleyball action!

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The full bracket for the tournament can be printed out here.