Columbia, Missouri - The High School Basketball Final Four is an incredible tradition that is laced with pride and accomplishment. The Lady Bearcats of Dexter entered tonight's game with a record of 22 - 8 to face the Warriors of St. Pius X High School with a record of 24 - 5. Every team that makes that long trek to Columbia has one thing in common - every single team has worked hard and filled with talented athletes. Many times, the outcome of the games comes down to who gets the quicker start.
The Lady 'Cats found tonight's game to be one of those tough starts as the St. Pius X Warriors racked up 17 unanswered points in the beginning of the first quarter. St. Pius X was on fire as the Warriors spread the scoring out among their starting lineup.
Dexter junior Krysten Garrison was able to drop in a bucket with just 42 second left in the first quarter to make the score 2 - 17.
"As a first time experience," commented Dexter head coach Chad Allen, "The girls simply came out a little tight too start the game and dug a big hole too much to over come."
In the second quarter, Bearcat sophomore Chaylea Mosby got things rolling with a lay-up followed by a 3-point shot early. Natalie Sitze followed with a breakaway lay-up to close the gap to 9 midway through the second quarter. Hannah Thurman put in a inside shot making it a 7-point game until the Warriors regrouped and went on a 4-point run to close the half out with a lead over the Lady Cats 26 - 15.
"Basketball is a game of runs," added Coach Allen. "Every time we'd make a run trying to dig out of that 1st quarter, they would respond with a run of their own."
Dexter closed the game in the 3rd quarter with the 3-point shooting of Chaylea Mosby. Again, the Warriors responded with a run of their own closing out the quarter with a Lady Cats behind by 10. The 'Cats were outscored in the fourth quarter 21 to 6 making the final score of tonight's semifinal game 59 - 34.
Chaylea Mosby lead all Bearcat scorers with 17-points. She was followed with Krysten Garrison with 8, Hannah Thurman with 6, Natalie Sitze with 2 and Rylee Allen with 1-point.
Final Score Dexter 34, St. Pius X 59
Dexter 2 13 13 6 34
St. Pius X 17 9 12 21 59
Dexter (34) - Krysten Garrison 8, Natalie Sitze 2, Hannah Thurmon 6, Chaylea Mosby 17, Rylee Allen 1. FG 14, FT 4/7, (3-pointers: Chaylea Mosby 2, Fouled Out: None)
St. Pius X (59) - Antoinett Mussorici 9, Abby Hipp 21, Natalie Denzer 13, Amanda Hayes 1, Hannah Simone 4, Alaina Malott 7, Kathrynne Taylor 2, Lexi Chirpich 2. FG 23, FT 10/12 (3-pointers: Mussorici 1, Hipp 1, Denzer 1, Fouled Out: None)
Dexter will play for 3rd place at the Mizzou Arena at 12:45 p.m. on Friday.
Columbia, Missouri - The Dexter Lady Bearcats will take on the St. Pius X Warriors out of Kansas City on Thursday, March 16, 2017 at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
Dexter Lady Cats has a record of 22 - 8 and St. Pius X has a record of 25 - 3.
The winner will play in the Class 4 Championship on Saturday, March 18th at 4:30 p.m. The loser plays for third place at 12:45 p.m. on Friday at the Mizzou Arena.
The Lady Cats will make their 4th appearance at the Final Four. They finished 4th in 2009 and 2013 and second in 2014.
St. Pius X finished third in 2016 in Class 3 and was #7 in the final MBCA poll.
St. Pius X averages 54.4 points per game and Dexter averages 60.5 points per game.
Junior guard Antoinette Mussorici leads St. Pius averaging 15.6 points per game.
Sophomore guard Chaylea Mosby leads Dexter averaging 22 points per game.
Dexter, Missouri - There will be a lot of new faces this season for the Dexter Bearcats Tennis Team. Last year five seniors graduated. In the 2017 season two seniors are returning to the court.
"This should be a fun year," commented Dexter boys tennis coach Kurt Lovelady. "I have a lot of new athletes on varsity after graduating five seniors last year. Most of the boys put in a lot of work in the off season and it has shown in practice."
Zach Potts and Will Brehmer are the only two seniors on the team.
"Potts is returning this year. He went to State last year in doubles," continued Lovelady. "He came up one win short of placing and getting medal."
"He is a tremendous worker and goes hard during practice," Lovelady said of Potts. "This will be his fourth year on varsity and hopefully he can improve upon his run to State last year."
"Brehmer has worked hard in the off season as well and has moved up this year to an upper varsity spot," stated Lovelady. "Will's ground strokes have improved a lot so far this season."
Dexter will open their 2017 season on the road at Poplar Bluff on Thursday, March 23rd. Match time 4:00 p.m. Their first home match will be Wednesday, March 29th at 4:00 p.m. against Cape Central.
The Dexter boys tennis team will compete in Class 1, District 1 against Arcadia Valley, North County High School, Notre Dame and Sikeston.
They will compete in three tournaments this year. The Poplar Bluff Tournament will be held on Saturday, April 1st. The Cape Central Tournament will be held on Friday, April 7th and the Famington Tournament will be held on Friday, April 28th.
"Each tournament will have a different layout (singles, doubles, mixed)," Lovelady said. "I hope the team will be contending for the Championship in each this season."
2017 Dexter Boys Tennis Team Schedule
3/23/2017 4:00 PM @ Poplar Bluff
3/28/2017 4:00 PM @ Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau)
3/29/2017 4:00 PM Central (Cape Girardeau)
4/4/2017 4:00 PM Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau)
4/6/2017 4:00 PM Poplar Bluff
4/24/2017 4:00 PM @ Central (Cape Girardeau)
4/26/2017 4:00 PM @ Sikeston
4/27/2017 4:00 PM Arcadia Valley
5/2/2017 4:00 PM Sikeston
5/3/2017 4:00 PM @ Arcadia Valley
Shown in the photo are Front Row from Left to Right: Blake Bolin, Will Brehmer, Zach Potts, and Nate Gargas. Middle Row from Left to Right: Tyler Robinson, Matthew Chesser, Travis Propst, and Eric Hahn. Back Row from Left to Right: Eric Allen, Wyatt Parker, Logan Wyman, and Tres Hampton.
Dexter, Missouri - With new renovations at the East Park baseball field, the Dexter Bearcat Baseball Team is anxious to get their 2017 season started.
"The renovations to our field brought a new level of excitement that as a coach is very pleasing," commented Dexter head baseball coach Brian Becker. "The kids are anxious, as am I, to get the season going."
Returning to the field this year are seniors Jason Jarrell, Hunter Parrott, and Riley Mason. Jarrell is starting as catcher and was All-Conference and All-District Athlete last year in Class 4, District 1 baseball. Parrott will play as an infielder and pitcher. Mason will play as an outfield and pitcher.
"Overall, I think one of the strengths of our team will be our pitching depth. We have several kids that return with experience on the mound," continued Becker. "That will prove to be important given the new pitch count restrictions that are in place this season. It is essential that you have depth, but right now I am looking for someone to step up and be the ace. We will see how that goes as the season progresses."
Dexter has two new key additions to the team this season. Clay Mullins and Cordell Holt. Mullins will perform as an out fielder and pitcher and Holt will be on third base.
"The big key for us will be our performance at the plate," stated Becker. "We struggled as a team last year, but part of that was because of our youth. They are another year stronger and most of them have matured enough to handle that bat a little better."
The Dexter Bearcats will compete in Class 4, District 1 against New Madrid County Central, Fredericktown, Kennett, Notre Dame, Perryville and Sikeston.
"Once again we are in the always competitive SEMO Conference," Becker said. "I feel it is one of the best conferences top to bottom anywhere around. Our district tournament will have a couple of new teams (Sikeston and NMCC) which only makes an already tough district even tougher."
Doniphan moved out of Class 4. Sikeston and NMCC are now in Class 4.
Competing in the SEMO Conference are Notre Dame, Jackson, Poplar Bluff, Kennett, Cape Girardeau, New Madrid County Central, Sikeston, and Dexter.
The Bearcats will have a total of 26 players on the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams for the 2017 baseball season.
Dexter will open on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at home against Cooter at 10 a.m. and Clearwater at 2 p.m. at the East Park Baseball Field.
2017 roster includes: Seniors: Ethan Martinez, Jason Jarrell, Riley Mason, and Hunter Parrott; Juniors: Trevor McDonald, Trenton Willis, Landon Henson, Cordell Holt, Clay Mullins, Kris Rinehart, and Spencer Owens; Sophomores: Dawson Jones, Tyler Wright, Tristan Williams, Luke Thurston, Caleb Stearnes, Caleb Hoggard, Colton Rodgers, and Ethan Kincy, ; Freshman: Mason Keena, Joon Jin, Carson Bell, Phillip Toledo, Garrett Henson, Luke Becker, and Haden Hillis.
The SEMO Conference Tournament will be held April 28 - May 1st and the Class 4 State Tournament will be held May 23rd - June 2nd.
2017 Dexter Baseball Schedule
3/18/2017 2:00 PM Clearwater3/18/2017 10:00 AM Cooter
3/21/2017 4:00 PM @ Malden
3/22/2017 4:00 PM Kennett
3/25/2017 10:00 AM Oran
3/25/2017 2:00 PM Valle Catholic
3/28/2017 4:00 PM @ Central (Cape Girardeau)
3/30/2017 4:00 PM @ Neelyville
4/3/2017 6:00 PM @ Campbell
4/5/2017 4:30 PM @ Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau)
4/6/2017 4:00 PM Scott City
4/8/2017 2:00 PM @ Ste. Genevieve
4/8/2017 12:00 PM Perryville Neutral Site:Ste. Genevieve, MO
4/10/2017 4:30 PM @ Sikeston
4/12/2017 4:00 PM Chaffee
4/13/2017 4:00 PM Central (New Madrid County)
4/17/2017 4:30 PM @ Poplar Bluff
4/18/2017 4:00 PM @ Jackson
4/22/2017 10:00 AM Valle Catholic Neutral Site:Cape Girardeau, MO
4/24/2017 4:00 PM @ Doniphan
5/5/2017 4:00 PM Twin Rivers
5/8/2017 4:30 PM Portageville
Dexter, Missouri - One of the largest track teams in the history of Dexter will be competing in Class 4, District 1. This will be the first year the DHS Track & Field Team will compete in Class 4. Last year they competed in Class 3.
"Coach King and I have one of the largest group of track and field athletes since I can remember," commented head coach Kim Waldner. "There are 26 girls and 40 boys participating this year."
Dexter has had pretty good success over the past few years. There are four Lady Cats returning as state qualifiers from the 2016 season; Rhylan Hillis, Emily Page, Emily Ladd and Madelyn Webb.
Hillis, Page, and Ladd all ran the 4 x 800. Web threw the shot put.
"We moved up a class this year to Class 4 so times got a little faster, but overall I think we can still perform and have great success," stated Waldner.
There will not be any home track meets this year. That is unfortunate that everyone will have to travel to see our DHS Track & Field Team compete; however there are a couple of meets close to home at Sikeston, Poplar Bluff, Notre Dame, and Jackson.
Competing in the Class 4, District 1 will be Cape Central, DeSoto, Dexter, Farmington, Festus, Hillsboro, North County, Notre Dame, Perryville, Potosi, Sikeston, and Ste. Genevieve.
The SEMO Conference Meet will be held at Kennett High School on Monday, May 1, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.
District Competition will be held at Hillsboro High School on Saturday, May 13, 2017.
The MSHSAA State Track and Field Meet will be held in Jefferson City, Missouri on May 20, 2017.
2017 Track & Field Schedule
March 21, 2017 Jackson Quad 4 p.m. Varsity
March 29, 2017 North County Relays 4 p.m. Varsity
March 31, 2017 Ste. Genevieve Old Settlement Meet 4 p.m. Varsity
April 4, 2017 Perryville Invitational 2 p.m. Varsity
April 8, 2017 Jackson Invitational 10 a.m. JV/V
April 12, 2017 Sikeston Twilight Relays 4 p.m. Varsity
April 13, 2017 Farmington Relays 2:30 p.m. Varsity
April 20, 2017 River Bend Invitational 4 p.m. JV/V
April 26, 2017 Notre Dame Open 4 p.m. JV/V
April 28, 2017 Poplar Bluff Invitational 3:30 p.m. JV/V
May 1, 2017 SEMO Central Conference Meet 4 p.m. (Kennett) Varsity
May 5, 2017 Hillsboro Invitational 2:30 p.m. Varsity
May 13, 2017 Districts
May 20, 2017 Sectionals TBA
