By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The Dexter Bearcats opened the 2012 season with a bang on Tuesday afternoon, capitalizing on a five RBI effort from Chase Young in an 11-4 victory over the Malden Green Wave.

With runners on first and second, Young stepped to the plate with a 9-6 lead in the bottom of the sixth. After falling 1-2, Young fouled off seven straight pitches and finally shot a drive into left-center for his fourth and fifth RBI's on the day.

"The at-bat by Chase Young in the end was incredible. He fouled off about seven really good pitches, and then shot the ball out there to left field," head coach Brian Becker said of his shortstop. "You tip your hat to their pitcher; you know he had to be frustrated, but sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the guy that comes out on top."

"That's why he's in the three hole; he's going to come up a lot of times with runners on base, and he's a really good hitter," he continued. "I think people know that about him; he's just a real good ball player."

Becker was pleased with the win, but noted a pair of fielding errors midway through the contest as key areas that needed improvement.

"It wasn't pretty at all, but any time you can start the season 1-0 and not 0-1, it's a good start," he said. "We saw a lot of positive things and a lot of negative things, but that's the way the first game looks a lot of times. We had some opportunities early in the game to break it open and we didn't get the job done, but later in the game we had some big hits by Chase [Young] and Jordan [Miller]."

The game was tied at 1-1 after the first inning; solid pitching by starter Owen Flowers (2 2/3 IP, 3 K, 3 BB, 3 ER) gave the 'Cats a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the second. Josh Overall came up with a leadoff single before Owen Flowers was able to make it to second on a fielding error. Logan Northern was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice, but not before Overall and Flowers both crossed the plate. Young's one out double drove Cody Neldon home to give the 'Cats a 4-2 lead.

The Green Wave were able to tie the game at 4-4 in the third, but Overall (4 1/3 IP, 7 K, 2 BB, 0 ER) was rotated from second base to the mound with two down and got the 'Cats out of the inning without allowing another run to score.

Flowers started a perfect 4-6-3 double play in the fifth inning to give the 'Cats some momentum heading into the bottom of the fifth. With the bases loaded, Jordan Miller picked up his first hit of the day - a bases-clearing double - to increase Dexter's lead to 9-4 lead.

"Jordan started out the game not-so-hot; he made a couple boo-boo's on defense, and didn't have very good at bats early in the game. He stepped up there in the end and got a big hit for us, and that's what we need," Becker said. "Guys are going to struggle, and when they do, they've got to push that aside and keep plugging along. He did a good job of stepping up for us there late in the game."

Becker was impressed with the efforts of both his pitchers in the contest; it was Overall's first time on the field since missing the majority of last season after shoulder surgery.

"Josh did a heck of a job. He came in and threw strikes, and Coach Pixley told him after the game that it could very well be the first time he's pitched and not hit somebody," Becker said, laughing. "[It was his] first game back; I thought he did a good job, and I thought Owen did a good job as well. [Owen] had trouble hitting his spots there in the third inning, but overall I thought both pitchers did a good job."

The Bearcats will be back in action Wednesday (March 21) afternoon when they head to Kennett in the first Class 3, District 1 contest of the season. The Indians made a deep run into the playoffs last season after downing Dexter in the District Championship game.

"Any time you go down to Kennett, it's going to be tough. Whenever they have a team like they have this year, it's doubly tough," Becker said. "They lost a few, but they have a lot of kids back from last year's team, and you know going down there that they'll be hard to handle. We're going to go down there and do our best, and we'll see what we can do."

The game is set to get underway at 4:00 p.m.; Jordan Miller is expected to get the start for the Bearcats.

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

The DHS Golf team has found great success in recent years. Under coach Eric Sitze, the squad finished third in the state two years ago, and last season, the Bearcats sent four to the state championships.

The team has lost four seniors in the last two years, but two of them (Jon Bowman and Chance Holden) moved to on play golf at the collegiate level.

"We're reloading this year. We finished third in state two years ago, and last year I took four to state," Sitze said. "I've lost four Varsity golfers in the last two years; Jon [Bowman] and Chance [Holden] went on to play in college, and we've lost Brennan Justice and Logan Robey, who were three year varsity players. We have 11 kids on the team this year; we can play five in tournaments and six in matches, and I have three guys back that played Varsity last year."

Cody Stevens is the team's lone senior; the three-sport athlete has already signed to play golf and football at Missouri Valley College. Ryan Joyner, a junior, and Myles Urhahn, a sophomore, both saw significant time on the varsity level last season.

"Cody [Stevens] has played a ton, and he just signed a golf scholarship, and we also have Myles Urhahn and Ryan Joyner," Sitze said. "Both played a little bit of Varsity last year; Myles is just a sophomore, and he's shaved a few strokes off his scores from last year. Ryan's scores still aren't very low, but he's got time to improve. I've had a freshman, Brandon Strickler, turn in a decent score or two, so we'll see how he does."

"Cody's shot some really good scores so far this year," Sitze added. "He's got a lot of experience over the last two years, and I expect great things from him this year."

Sitze noted that, on a team level, things would be hard this year due to their youth, but he expects good individual performances from his veterans.

"Team-wise, it will be a struggle this year, but on an individual level, we should have a few guys do pretty well," he said. "I'm letting them get a feel for their game and seeing where they are based on scores right now."

One of the biggest challenges for any golfer, regardless of age, is the short game - shots close to the green. Sitze noted this as one of the biggest challenges for his golfers early in the season.

"The biggest hurdle early is mostly their short game - you can make up a lot of strokes around the green," he said. Any year, if you watch these guys play golf, they lose a lot of strokes on the green in chipping and putting."

Only four of the Bearcats' matches are at their home course - Hidden Trails Country Club - this season, but Sitze said he prefers to have his team on the road and on harder courses.

"We really like to play on the road a lot. When you get to district and state-type courses, they all have bent greens, so they are a lot faster," Sitze noted. "We have Bermuda grass here, so it's a little slower. We also don't have the tiered greens and sand traps that a lot of other courses have."

The Bearcats are set to open the 2012 season on Friday, March 23, in a four team match with New Madrid County Central, Malden, and Bloomfield. The match is set to get underway at 4:00 p.m. from Hidden Trails Country Club.

Click here to download the 2012 schedule.

The West Kentucky United U-14 girls soccer team won the Cincinnati Elite Spring Thaw Tournament. Pictured from left to right in the front row: Anna Ferguson (Hickman County), Ashley Zimmerman (Lone Oak), Kaitlin "Cookie" Cook (Marshall County), Skylar Hargrove (Graves County), Callie Thomas (Graves County), Allie Fiske (Marshall County), Bailey Wood (Marshall County) and Linda Arakelyan (Murray). Back row: Coach Aaron Fenton (Mid Continent University Assistant  Coach), Allison Whitfield (Louisville), Macy Wessel (Massac County, IL), Erica Zetter (Mayfield), Hannah Bowles (Caldwell County), Allye Darnell (Graves County), Ashlyn Willett (Graves County), Jannie Wiles (Marshall County), MaKayla Waldner (Dexter, MO) and Julie Kinsolving (Caldwell County).

The Dexter Sideouts fifth grade volleyball competed in a tournament in Advance this weekend and brought home the second place trophy.

Team members are Anna Bishop, Chaley Mosby, Kelby Hill, Macy Roper, Maycie Martin, Jaydn Northcutt, Maci Mcbride, Jerika Porter, Natalie Sitze.

The team has accumulated a 11-4 record this so far this season.

The fifth grade girls are coached by Christina Pyles.

Good job, ladies!

By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

Fans of Lady Bearcat Softball will be greeted by fresh faces in the dugout this year, but not only the players; the Lady 'Cats will be sporting a new coaching staff in the 2012 season.

Leonard Morse is entering his first season as head coach of the Lady Bearcats; he assisted under previous head coach Tammy Crowley for the last four seasons, and has taught at Dexter for five years.

Chris Bolin, in his first year back in Dexter, will fill in as assistant coach.

"I started off assisting with the field work, and I could keep a scorebook; that really sealed the deal," Morse said, laughing. "I moved from groundskeeper to coach."

The Lady Bearcats only participate in the spring softball season; Morse noted this as one of his biggest challenges as a coach, as the MSHSAA State Tournament is only available during the fall season.

"Coach Bolin and I are trying to build this program back up and get more interest. We're both going to coach the summer leagues and the travel team, and most of our girls wind up playing on that team," he said. "That is the biggest challenge: to get good talent year-in, year out when you don't have a State Title to play for. You don't have a District Tournament either, so sometimes it's hard to get girls motivated. We still have the county tournament, but that's down two teams this year since Bell City and Richland couldn't get teams together. We also lost those two games on the regular season, and those would have been easy wins for us."

The two big losses from last season's roster are Alec Jackson and Mollie Whitehead. Jackson, who was the team's ace pitcher, and played catcher on her off days, was lost to graduation and is currently playing softball at Shawnee Community College; Whitehead, currently a sophomore, elected to be a member of the track team this spring.

"Mollie Whitehead flipped over to track to throw the discus, and I can't blame her; I would have too if I'd had that talent. She's got a good shot at getting a college scholarship that way," Morse said. "She set all the school records when she was in middle school, but decided to try softball last year. She was a good first basemen last year for us, and we wish her the best."

"It's going to be hard, replacing Alec. Not only for what she could do at the plate, behind the plate, or on the mound as a pitcher, but also losing her leadership. All four years I was an assistant, she was on the team," he continued. "It's what we're looking for, who is going to step up and take the mantle and prove they can be the leader of the team. It's one thing to say you're a leader, but it's another to earn the teams respect and be a leader. I think we'll be okay replacing her behind the plate - Tiffany Watson played a little bit at catcher last year, but she also plays third and short for us."

Morse will look to several young players to fill in the roster this season; the softball Lady 'Cats have eight of 14 roster slots filled with sophomores.

"We're really young; I've only got one returning senior in Whitney Leyton, plus two more that came out this year, and one junior. I've got two freshmen, and the rest are sophomores," Morse said. "We had a handful not come out this year - we lost three seniors last year, two juniors didn't come back out, and a few sophomores didn't come out."

"Our defense will be top-notch. We've got two returning starters in the outfield, and two more in the infield. Riley Rickman is coming back, and she played some first base last year, so in a way, she's a returning starter as well," he continued. "Emily Triplett was our DH last year, and she's playing third base for us now. We have some pieces that are filling in really well; one of the girls that moved in, Vicki Anderson, she's a pitcher and moved in from Imperial. She's a good pitcher, and she's not afraid to get in there and pitch inside. In left field, we'll have Whitney [Leyton] starting, and she provides a lot of leadership as well. The way she plays the game is full-out; she tends to get hurt because she's so aggressive, and she's not afraid to dive for a ball in the outfield. I can put her anywhere I want her to and she'll give me everything she has. Ashley Brown was our starting center fielder last year, and she's back; she has speed and a good arm, and she's not afraid to go after balls either."

Morse was quick to point out his team's flexibility, which will be a key asset with such a short bench. He noted sophomore Kendra Stevenson, who can play virtually anywhere on the field. Most of her freshman season was spent on the corners or on the mound, but she has the ability to play some in the outfield as well.

Both Morse and Bolin expressed the same goal for their first season coaching the Lady Bearcats: more structure, excellent defense.

"We're trying to maintain a little more structure than there was in the past; I think we're going to have one of the best defensive infields that we've had in the five years I've been associated with this," Morse said. "In spring softball, if you have a good pitcher and good defense, you'll win some games, and we fully expect to win quite a few games. It's shaping up to be a good year; we have a good vibe around this team, and it's a lot of fun right now. We've been having trouble getting everyone out here at once, because of early season injuries or other school functions, but when we have them here, we've got a good group. They work hard, and they will do anything we ask them to without complaining, which is always a good quality. We're already improving, and jumping way out ahead of where we were because they're putting in the time."

"We have a tough schedule, as we still have to play New Madrid and Kennett," he added. "The Malden Tournament is being held in Bernie this year, and some of the Arkansas teams that come up for that are really good. It's not going to be a cakewalk, but we'll be competitive no matter what."

The Lady Bearcats are set to open the season on Monday, March 26, when they host Clearwater. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.

Click here to download the 2012 Softball schedule.