Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Manager/Writer

Bloomfield, Missouri – There was a lot on the line Friday night as the Bernie Mules were about to see just how bad they wanted the District Championship.  It was an extremely fast paced game and two tough competitors were neck and neck throughout the entire game. 

 

The #1 seeded Bernie Mules were up to the challenge and finally prevailed over the #5 seeded South Pemiscot Bulldogs to win their 4^th District Championship since 2009.  

“It was hard fought game from the get-go,” Bernie Coach Brad Botsch said.  “Hats off to South Pemiscot.  I thought they really brought the intensity and played extremely hard.  You have to give credit to the job Coach Bidewell has done and we feel fortunate to come out with a win!”

 

Bernie fans and South Pemiscot fans were on their feet most of the game cheering, screaming, and rocking the arena with music and chants.

The Mules scored first with a 3 pointer, but the Bulldogs struck back with two of their own.  They ran up and down the court so fast it was difficult to keep up with until time-outs were called or someone fouled.  Even the referees were beginning to sweat a little trying to keep pace with the boys on the court.

 

Leading scorer for the Mules was David Baker, #31 who hit seven baskets and six points from the free-throw line, totaling 20 points on the night.  Landon Woods, #10 had 11 points for the night including one 3-pointer and he was 2 for 2 at the free-throw line.  B.J. Jennings, #12 contributed 8 points along with Sam Turner, #45 with 7 points including two 3-pointers and Joey Walker, #40 with 2 points. 

 

Coach Brad Botsch said, "I’m really proud of our kids for gutting this win out. This was a tough, physical, defensive oriented game and you have to play gutsy basketball in order to pull out games like this. I’m really happy for our three seniors and all our guys for the hard work they have put in this season. Winning a district championship never gets old, and it makes all the time, hard work, and effort we put in to this season worthwhile."

 

Coach went on to say, "South Pemiscot really played hard. Coach Bidewell has done an excellent job down there and his kids pushed us to the limit. You have to give them a lot of credit for our struggles tonight offensively. They really played hard and hats off to them for the season they had."

 

"We had guys step up for us down the stretch when we really needed a key rebound, defensive stop, or bucket. Our entire team contributed in a positive way in some form. We’re really proud of our kids, and hope to keep winning,” stated Coach Botsch.

 

With just over a minute left in the fourth quarter, the Mules had their biggest lead of the game, 46-41.  They won with a final score of 48-45.  A very close win for the Bernie Mules and a heartbreaker loss to the South Pemiscot Bulldogs.

 

Jefferson City, Missouri – Many hunting and fishing permits will expire at the end of February, including 2012 permits for small game, fishing, trout fishing and the combination permit for hunting and fishing. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds hunters and anglers to purchase their 2013 permits so they won’t miss opportunities in the year ahead.

Conservation makes Missouri a great place to hunt and fish, and the Missouri Conservation of Department makes buying permits for these activities simple and convenient through its online system called e-Permits. E-Permits lets Missouri sport hunters; anglers and trappers purchase, print and immediately use most permits 24/7 from a personal computer with a printer.

Simply visit mdc.mo.gov and click on “Buy Permits” from the Missouri Department of Conservation home page.

All sport-fishing and sport-hunting permits are available through e-Permits, along with trapping permits and the Apprentice Hunter Authorization. Commercial permits and lifetime permits will continue to be sold through Missouri Department of Conservation’s Central Office by calling 573-751-4115.

People can still buy permits from vendors, and by phone by calling toll-free 1-800-392-4115. Allow up to ten days for mail delivery of permits purchased by telephone. Phone purchases are subject to a $2 convenience fee, while the fee for online permit purchases is $1.

Mark Jacques, owner of the American Outdoors in Dexter, Missouri said, "You can always stop by and purchase a fishing license with us.  The cost is $12 and we have the equipment to print them right here."  American Outdoors is located 2104 N. Outer Road or can contact them at 573-624-542."

E-Permits from the Missouri Department of Conservation are printed on regular printer paper and can be saved on a computer so extra copies of permits can be printed in case one is lost or destroyed. Permits may not be shared, and additional copies of a permit do not provide additional valid permits for the buyer or others to use.

Written by

Jessica Snider, SMT Writer

It was an exciting first quarter last night as the Bearcats were on the road for their last regular season game against Cape Central. The Dexter Bearcats were on a roll throughout the last part of the first quarter and on into the second quarter. Junior DJ Dowdy's momentum could not be stopped by the Cape Central Tigers.

Although the Dexter Bearcats got their crowd fired up quickly, Cape Central started drifting away with their lead in the second quarter. The Tigers were strong on offense and the Bearcats couldn't come up with many rebounds. After an exciting first half of many ups and downs, and the Bearcats even leading at one point by two points, when halftime arrived, the Tigers had a 26-20 lead over the Bearcats.

During halftime, fans were entertained by the Cape Central Tigers Dance Team. Prior to the start of the Varsity game, the Cape Central Seniors were announced. With a very enthused Cape Central crowd, the Bearcats held their own in keeping their heads in the game throughout the first half.

Coming out in the second half, Dexter knew they needed to step things up in order to get the momentum back on their side. Even though they hung with the Tigers pretty well all throughout the first half, things started going in the other direction in the third quarter. Many Bearcats threw the ball away after gaining the possession, and not many shots were made on the Dexter side.

Cape Central's offense was even harder to be stopped by the Bearcats in the third and fourth quarters. Many Junior Varsity players got Varsity experience in last night's game. Many substitutions were made in hopes of the Bearcats getting back into their groove, but nothing seemed to help. The Tigers continued to expand their lead as they went into the fourth quarter.

Even though the Dexter Bearcats couldn't seem to close the gap on Cape Central's lead, they continued to play their game as best they could. The Bearcats were looking for the open shot, but at times it was very hard to see the play through. It wasn't hard to see the frustration on many faces as they watched their last regular season game go down like that.

The Dexter Bearcats ultimately fell on the road to the Cape Central Tigers.

The Bearcats will be back in action tonight in District Competition as they take on the Kennett Indians.

Dexter will be playing tonight at 5:30 P.M. in the Bearcat Event Center.

Good luck, Dexter Bearcats!

Dexter, Missouri – What a great season the Dexter Bearcat Wrestling team had this year!  Coach James Sneed and Coach Cody Boyer took seven Bearcat Wrestlers to the State Championships last weekend in Columbia, Missouri.

"We had a very good showing," stated Head Coach James Sneed.  "This is the first time and I have been doing it now eleven years, that we came in second in the District.  Getting to Columbia has been a goal for the boys and here we are!"

Assistant Coach Cody Boyers said, "The last time Dexter finished second at district was my Junior year in high school (2000-2001) so it has been twelve years since we took second."

Junior Trevor Waldner, Sohpmore Dylan Bazarian and Freshman Ethan Steven all won District Championships at St. Genevieve and qualified to go to state.  Other team members qualified by placing in the top four or higher were Senior Logan Quertermous, Freshman James Mullins, Freshman Storm Massey,  and Sophomore Cameron Craft.

They seven guys are grade kids to wrestle with," commented Coach Sneed.  "This will be Trevor's third year going back to state.  As a freshman he did not win a match.  Last year as a sophomore he went 1-2.  This year he went all the way, won a medal and finished 4th.  I can't wait to see what he does his Senior year!"

Ethan Stevens competed in the 145 lb weight class and finished 13^th in the state rankings.  "I can't remember a Freshman winning a match at State, but it has been quite a while.  I expect BIG things out of Ethan and the other two Freshman State qualifiers, James Mullins and Storm Massey." stated Sneed.  Way to go Ethan, Storm and James!!  Three Freshman at State.  This is a great accomplishment for the wrestling program at Dexter High School.

Storm Massey competed in the 126 lb weight class and finished 14^th in the state rankings.  We expect more from Storm over the next couple of years!  Way to go Storm!

James Mullins competed in the 120 lb weight class and finished 14^th in the state rankings.  Way to go James!

Dylan Bazarian competed in the 152 lb weight class and finished 9^th in the state rankings.  "Dylan is a Sophomore and had a good tournament after a rough start.  He came back and pinned his second round opponent and had his next opponent on his back, but just couldn't seal the deal," said Coach Sneed.  "I look for Dylan to medal next year.  He is right on the verge and with hard work in the weight room and on the mat it will show next year." Way to go Dylan!  We will see great wrestling from you next year as well.

Logan Quertermous a senior at Dexter High School competed in the 182 lb weight class and finished 14^th in the state rankings.  "He met his goal of going to State and I am proud of him for that," stated Sneed.  "Logan is a hard worker and a really good team mate.  We're gonna miss him as he graduates this year."  Way to go Q!

Coach Sneed said, "Cameron took both of his matches deep into the second period before losing and his first round opponent earned a medal.  He is starting to use his body and is improving every time he gets out on the mat."  Cameron Craft competed in the 285 lb weight class and finished 16^th in the state rankings.  Way to go Cameron!

Trevor Waldner took 4^th place in the MSHSAA state high school wrestling tournament.  Trevor is a junior and competed in the 132 lb weight class and finished the season with a record of 48-4 and finished 6^th in the state rankings.  "Trevor is the highest placed Bearcat Wrestler since 1998.  He wrestled well at State and was close to being in the finals." said Sneed.

His Semi-final match against John Williams was a hard fought match.  The match was 0-0 after the first period and Trevor went to the down position to start the second and almost got a reversal late in the second which would have changed the whole match.  He didn't and they went into the third period still 0-0.  Williams a second place finisher last year got the escape for a 1-0 lead and then got a late take-down to seal the 3-0 final.

"I look for Trevor to be in the finals next year.  That is his goal and he will be a Senior next year as well." stated Coach Sneed.  Way to go Trevor!!

Coach Sneed went on to say, "I couldn't ask for a better group of kids in my first year as Head Coach at Dexter Senior High School.  They worked very hard and have given us the effort it requires to be successful.  Our program is really improving and maturing."

When asked what's next for these wrestlers, Coach Sneed commented,  "We will try and wrestle some this summer and I would like them to go to camp as well.  We are looking to upgrading our schedule and giving them better competition that will help them become State Tournament competitors again next year."

The Dexter wrestling fans are so very proud of these young men and their accomplishments.  We look forward to next year's matches and tournaments.  Go Bearcat Wrestling!!

Bloomfield, Missouri - The #2 ranked Bernie Mules traveled to Bloomfield to play in the District Semi-Finals last night and they came to win!  They wasted no time building a lead against the #3 seeded Holcomb Hornets in the Class 2, District 1 boys semifinals.

"The Holcomb Hornets are a great team and they are well-coached." stated head coach Brad Botsch of the Bernie Mules.  "They always play hard-nosed disciplined basketball."

The Mules were on fire as they scored three 3-pointers within the first few minutes of the game, giving the crowd something to really cheer about.  The crowd standing on their feet, roared as each ball sank into the basket!

B.J. Jennings #12 hit two 3-pointers along with a 3-pointer from Sam Turner #45 to make it an 11 - 3 in just the first three minutes of the game.  Within just two more minutes the Bernie Mules were leading by a score of 19 - 3.  The Hornets didn't know what hit them and the game was extremely fast paced from the beginning.  The Mules maintained a 26-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

"We had a very focused effort tonight.  This time of the year, it is all on the line and our kids came in loose from the start and executed what we wanted to do."  Coach Botch stated.  "Our guards really played well from the get-go, and got us going early and our kids stepped up and hit some shots early.  We just game out of the gate scoring!"

After a short break between quarters, the Holcomb Hornets seemed to a little more confident in their strategy as they cut the deficit to 26-12 at the 6:28 mark.  However the Mules fought back and increased their lead to 38-22 by halftime.

Coming out of the locker room at half-time seemed to give the Hornets some much needed confidence and to turn up the defensive pressure, but never got closer than nine point allowing Bernie to secure a spot in the District Finals on Friday night.

"We were just a step slower than Bernie tonight," state Holcomb's Head Coach Seth McBroom.  "It was a tough game and we have had a tough week with some adversity.  No one wants to hear excuses.  They played hard and I am proud of each and every one of them."

The Bernie Mules had four players in double digits.  B.J. Jennings, #12 lead the Mules with 20 points, Tory Kirkpatrick, #14 had 16 points, David Baker, #31 had 13 points and Landon Woods, #10 rounded out with 10 points on the evening.

B.J. Jennings hit three 3-pointers, five baskets and four field goals to lead the Mules to an awesome win.  Troy Kirkpatrick wasn't far behind him with his 16 points which included four 3-pointers and he was four for four from the free-throw-line.

"The Mules were unbelievable in the first half and really throughout the game," Coach McBroom added.  "They know how to play ball and it is a testament to them and their coach.  You have to tip your hat to them tonight!"

Coach Botsch said, "I am really proud of my guys for getting this win, but we must keep our eye on the ultimate goal.  It is so difficult to win district championships, and the opportunity to get another one is there for us.  South Pemiscot will be ready and they are a very good team.  We will have to play very well to win!"

Hornets senior Jamie Massey #32 scored a team-high of 27 points with 19 of those points in the second half.  Massey finishes his high school career with 2,019 points.  "What an amazing career with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and over 300 blocks," McBroom stated.  "He has unbelievable character.

Holcomb finished its season with a record of 23-5.  They won the 16-team Bloomfield Christmas Tournament for the first time in school history.  They also finished undefeated against Tri-County Conference teams and won the Tri-County Conference Tournament for a second straight season.  "Everyone in the school needs to thank them," Coach McBroom said of their accomplishments.  I can't thank them enough or tell them I love them enough as they know that because they are part of my family.  It has been an awesome four years with those seniors!"

Holcomb will be graduating Tyler Lewis #5, Chase Davis #1, Aaron Sikes #14, Lance Ruff #21, James Vance #30, Jamie Massey #32 and Michael Glover #33 from its historic 2012-2013 team.

Final Score Bernie Mules 70, Holcomb Hornets 49. 

The Bernie Mules will be back in action on Friday, February 22nd at 7:30 p.m.  They will look for their fourth district title in the last five seasons as they compete against the South Pemiscot Bulldogs out of Steele, Missouri for the District 1 Championship Title for Class 2.   South Pemiscot is ranked #5 and has upset 4th seeded Portageville Bulldogs and top-seeded Hayti Indians to advance to the district tournament finale.

The Bernie Basketball team has a Facebook page, Bernie Basketball.  Send them your best! Go Bernie Mules!  They are Souled Out!