If you’ve spent many night at Charles Bland Stadium watching the Dexter Bearcats battle on the Gridiron, odds are you’ve seen Brett Dorton around - lugging his laptop and printer into the press box, goofy socks and young son, Carter, in tow.


Brett, the Vice President of First Commercial Bank, is a model of volunteerism. He’s never been offered the ‘gig’ formally; in fact, he never even meant to get caught up in it, but for the last 16 years, he has worked tirelessly, season after season, to bring the DHS coaching staff and local media outlets the most up-to-date stats on the Bearcats.

"I had just started hanging out with Alan Hedrick back in 1995, and he was keeping the stats for the Bearcat football team,” Dorton recalled. “His spotter could not make it to the game that night and Alan asked me to fill in...sixteen seasons later, I am still there and have loved every minute of it."

"At first we kept the stats just like everybody else did....on the sidelines, with a clipboard, keeping the stats by hand.  After the game we would go to Russell Hedrick's basement and put the stats into an Excel spreadsheet, and then at about 1:00 A.M., we would drive around and put the stats in the mailboxes of the coaches and the newspaper."


Keeping stats by hand worked for many years - and still does - before advances in technology, but Dorton and Hedrick were both convinced there had to be an easier, more efficient way of doing it.

"We were convinced that there had to be a ‘better way’,” Dorton said.  “Alan has always been very technology driven, and determined to find a way for automation to make a job easier.  He did some research on the internet, and eventually found a computer statistics program from Sydex Sports.  Instantly, we knew that this was the path that we needed to be going down."

Dorton undertook the task of learning the software, which he noted wasn’t an easy thing to do, and the current method of keeping stats for the Bearcats was born.

 "Twelve years ago, we began keeping the stats using the Sydex program, and honestly, I did not get to see much of the football games that year,” Dorton said, laughing.  “Between learning to use the new program, the fact that it was DOS based, and the old, slow laptop that we had - I was always putting in the last play while the next one was going on.  Over the years, the program has been updated several times and we use a much faster computer, so those problems were short-lived."


The advantages to doing stats with a computer program became immediately apparent: the stats team could now provide radio announcers with quarterly stat printouts, as well as immediately having printouts to give to coaches and members of the press after games were over. Dorton noted the additional upfront work required with the system, but he feels the advantages and ease of use far outweigh the additional work.

"Using the computer to keep digital stats does require some additional work upfront: Inputting the rosters into the system, hauling the equipment around, etc.,” he said.  “However, the quality of the end product is very much worth it.  Not only are we able to keep more stats than before, we are able to share them with the press.  Between every quarter we are able to print out a complete set of stats for the radio announcers.  Then after the game we share sets with the coaching staff and the newspaper reporters.  We hope that the statistics we are able to provide them make their jobs a little bit easier."

Dorton is quick to give credit to the rest of the ‘stats team’, and noted that the great work he does wouldn’t be possible without the help of these people.

"The statistics that we are able to provide today would not be possible without spotters.  Alan worked with me for several years, but then graduated to the radio broadcast with Rob Mayer and Jason Comfort,” Dorton said.  “For the past twelve years, my spotter has been Denny Putnam, and he does a fantastic job.  You can always rely on Denny to be there every week.  He has been doing it for so long, he knows the exact order to call out the information so that I can enter it into the program as quickly as possible.  I couldn't do it without him. "

With laptop computers constantly becoming smaller and more affordable, as well as further advances to statistics applications, one would think that the vast majority of schools would have already made the transition to the digital stat game. Dorton points out that this isn’t necessarily the case.

"There are very few local schools that keep digital stats.  The primary reason is that they cannot find people willing to make the commitment to be there every week/every year.  In the past seventeen years, I have only missed about five games.  Home or away, I am going to be there every week supporting the Bearcats,” he said. “Doing this work for the Bearcats and their coaching staff is totally a ‘labor of love’.  I have no desire to ever sit in the stands again." The dedication that Brett has for the team is appreciated very much by the coaching staff, players and parents.”

 "Although we share the information with several outlets of the media, I am there for the Dexter Bearcat football program,” Dorton added.  “My primary focus is to provide the best statistical information possible for the Bearcat coaching staff and their players.  We could not ask for a better coaching staff for these boys.  It is a privilege to get to provide this service to them."


Another outstanding opportunity arose for Dorton and his team this season: the ability to upload stats to MaxPreps via an Apple iPad app.


MaxPreps is the premier high school sports website for high school athletics. College coaches can access the massive database to gather information on recruits; high school coaches can use it to keep track of their athlete’s ‘numbers’; sports journalists can use it to scout teams for upcoming stories. It’s a great tool, and Dorton continues to take advantage of the latest and greatest technologies to provide this service.

"Every year we try to make improvements,” Dorton said.  “This year we added MaxPreps iPad app to the statistics so that we can upload the stats to the internet right after the game.  This way, parents, players, friends and family, and even college coaches can keep track of how the 'Cats are performing by simply going to MaxPreps.com."


Brett Dorton continues in his ‘labor of love’ for the Bearcats game in and game out. His tireless work makes the lives of the Bearcat Coaching staff and local sports reporters far easier, and he hopes to continue providing this great service for many years to come.

Thank you Brett for all you do!

Dressing For Halloween!

Sometimes its not the yard, or the trees, or the front door that gets a little extra touch for Halloween fun. Sometimes, it's 'man's best friend'! Finton McGowen is all decked out ready to great ghosts, goblins, banshees and trick-or-treaters! Finton is the loyal dog of Todd, Kristi and Madison McGowen, and Kristi sent his photo to the ShowMe Times! Halloween is just around the corner and the "official" evening for trick-or-treating in Dexter is Monday, Oct. 31. The annual "Trunk-or-Treat" event sponsored by the Dexter High School Student Council will, indeed, be held on Halloween evening. Do you have some creative autumn and Halloween decorations at your house - or a pet that specially dressed for the holiday?  Ghosts dangling from your trees? Pumpkins overpopulating your front yard? Witches, wizards and warlocks on your door? Snap a photo and send it to the ShowMe Times! Send along your name and street address and send it to amiller@showmetimes.com - and we'll publish your creation for all to see!

Autumn Fun!

Were they running from Elpheba the Wicked Witch? Were goblins and banshees chasing them? Well, it might look like the three Dorton children took a head-first dive into the pile of leaves in their front yard, but all is well! The scene is all part of the decorations Brett and Christy Dorton have created in their front yard on Park Avenue. Do you have some creative autumn and Halloween decorations at your house? Ghosts dangling from your trees? Pumpkins overpopulating your front yard? Witches, wizards and warlocks on your door? Snap a photo and send it to the ShowMe Times! Send along your name and street address and send it to amiller@showmetimes.com - and we'll publish your creation for all to see!

The leaves in the trees are turning shades of autumn gold and yellow and red, there’s a crispness the air, and pumpkins, mums and scarecrows are decorating front porches and yards. These are all signs that … Christmas is right around the corner!

Christmas? Yes! The holiday season is not far away, and a local artist has the perfect way to help folks get in a festive Christmas mood.

Buddy Heaton of Bloomfield has just released a new CD chocked full of Christmas spirit. The CD, "Christmas Memories with Buddy Heaton” arrived this week and is being distributed throughout the area.

“Well, you might think I’m rushing the Christmas holidays, but the time to start preparing is now,” Heaton said. He is excited about the new CD, and his excitement about the holiday is evident as he talks and as he sits down at his beautiful grand piano and starts his musical magic.

“Growing up in Bloomfield with a large family, singing around the piano was an all day event during Christmas! You had no choice but to gather in at 310 S. Prairie Street where Mom and Dad and all of the Heaton Clan would share Christmas Day,” he said. Buddy has 11 brothers and sisters. “We were like the Osmond Family and we actually thought we could sing like them, too.

Heaton’s mother plays a central part in his musical Christmas memories.

“Mother would sing ‘Silent Night’ and we would all just be in awe as she sang. Dad would just listen,” he remembered. “Since their passing we still get together, but none of us can make it through ‘Silent Night.’ Mom and Dad were the best!”

So many of his brightest Christmas memories are centered with family and singing around the piano. So it was just a natural that he would want to record these wonderful Christmas memories.

“So many memories – I thought I would share the songs we would sing around the piano,” Heaton said. “Christmas when I was growing up didn’t mean how many gifts you would get, but sharing our hearts with one another in music, laughter, and stories – and always remembering the Birth of Jesus and how He blessed us with our family.”

Heaton is known throughout for his musical talent – especially at the piano keyboard -  and he shares that talent at church, school and throughout the community. He says he has had music and the piano as a central part of his life for as long as he can remember.

“My father would tell the story that when I walked in the VA hospital an older man asked him, ‘Well, James, how long has that boy been playing the piano?’ Dad replied ‘since the cradle’,” Heaton recalled.

Heaton’s love for his parents shines in his stories about holidays in the Heaton home and it shines through the music on the CD. His goal is for he and his brothers and sisters to continue the old tradition going – singing around the piano.

“How much I loved my parents is in every note that I played on the Christmas CD,” he said.

Heaton and his wife Pam traveled to Nashville this summer to record the CD at Classic Recording Studio. The recording includes a dozen Christmas classics – from “Sleigh Ride” and “Jingle Bell Rock” to “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” and “Mary Did You Know.” Heaton also provides vocals for “Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire.”

All the songs will lift your spirits and help put you in a mood to celebrate the season. Heaton‘s performances and arrangements are traditional and beautiful. He puts just the right touch to evoke wonderful Christmas memories and leads you to ponder pulling out the holiday decorations – all while playing this CD and singing along with each track.

 “This is what ‘I’ll Be Home For the Holidays’ is all about ,” he said. “Let’s take the time to make this holiday a holiday that will last a lifetime!”

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"Christmas Memories With Buddy Heaton" is available for $10 at Corner Cottage, Petal Stone, the Metro Art Gallery and from Buddy's niece, Lori Hawkins, at Leon's Dexter Queen.

Hitting The Books!

Mrs. Cindy Warren's classroom at Central Elementary School in Dexter has really been hitting the books! The class received an award this week for being the class in the school to earn the most points in the Accelerated reader program for the first quarter of the year. The class will receive a Popcorn Party for being such good readers. Accelerated Reader is a program designed to help motivate and encourage reading and reinforce reading skills. April Aldridge directs the Accelerated Reading program at Central Elementary. (SMT Photo by Annabeth Miller)