Dexter's Nick Hessling sheds a tackle against Sikeston on Friday night. Hessling had 91 yards rushing Friday in his first game of the season after returning from an injury. (Alex Abate/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer

The Dexter Bearcats are looking to avoid the program's first 0-4 start in 14 years, and they know it won't be easy when they host Poplar Bluff at 7 p.m. Friday.

"We expect a physical football team," Dexter coach Aaron Pixley said. "They play hard all the time, they have good athletes. They have a lot of kids back and are very capable, they have played some tough schools."

Poplar Bluff coach Shane Kearbey said the same of the Bearcats.

"Coach Pixley prides himself in having tough, physical teams," Kearbey said. "That's what you can expect out of them, no matter what the record, no matter what the situation, Dexter is going to bring it and come after us."

The Bearcats have scored just 14 points in first halves in the first three contests (The Mules have scored seven). However, Dexter is hoping to build on the running game against the Mules after Nick Hessling had 91 yards rushing in his first game of the season last week at Sikeston.

"It all starts up front," Pixley said. "We hardly ever talk about offensive lineman but they are so important."

The offense has sustained drives from time to time but has struggled to consistently put long and efficient drives together.

"Offensively, we are doing better than the defense but still we are not finishing off drives the way we should," Pixley said. "We are really good between the 20-yard lines and after that, the percentages go way down, and we have to change that."

The defense gave up 322 rush yards last week to Sikeston as running back Eli Jackson finished with 151 yards to lead the team and quarterback Charlie Bohannon gained 141 yards, 61 coming on a touchdown scamper late in the contest.

"We are not real fast," Pixley said. "When we are not very fast, they get us in space. We missed a lot of open field tackles."

Through the first games of the year, the Bearcats are still young and growing, Pixley said.

"It is a new set of kids, a lot are very inexperienced," Pixley said. "A lot are not where they need to be in the weight program, it is just inconsistency right now. Whenever that light clicks on, they are going to be just fine."

The Bearcats have had 10 turnovers over the course of their first three games. They hope to limit that against the Mules, who have eight turnovers.

"We need to take care of the ball better," Pixley said. "We need to stop giving up big plays, that is our Achilles' heel right now. Teams we are playing are good and are capable of hitting home runs at any time."

Various Bearcats, most notably Hessling, have missed some amount of time due to injury over the start of the season but that is no excuse, Pixley said.

"We are putting in kids that may not be quite ready for Friday night football but they are just going to have to suck it up and get tough," Pixley said.

The Mules have been in a similar situation the last two weeks with injuries to two-way starters Colby Geringer and Aaron Ellis. That could be a blessing in disguise.

"We've had a lot of injuries but when those kids start to come back we're going to be pretty deep," Kearbey said. "It's going to make you a better team."