'Electric' Dexter athlete to remain a Bearcat at the next level

DEXTER – There have been few athletes at Dexter High School as mesmerizing as Bearcat wide receiver Lee-Michael McDonald has been in recent seasons.

“I pose the question,” third-year Dexter coach Chad Jamerson said recently, “why would colleges not be interested in Lee-Michael?”

It turns out that they are.

McDonald signed a letter of intent recently to compete for NCAA Division II McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois.

“When I took my official visit,” McDonald said of McKendree, “the campus was beautiful. The coaching staff, I felt like they really wanted to have me there.”

Which proves Jamerson’s point.

McDonald battled through injuries this past season, which was arguably the most successful in many ways, in Bearcat history. He helped Dexter finish 11-1 and advance to the MSHSAA Class 3 Quarterfinals.

“You can use any hyperbole that I have used in the past,” Jamerson said, “the kid is just electric.”

McDonald was utilized in a myriad of ways to get his hands on the ball, and when he did, he had the athleticism and speed to make things happen.

“A lot of defenses have learned,” Jamerson continued, “that trying to tackle Lee-Michael is like trying to eat soup with a fork. It’s a task and you ain’t going to get a lot of it done.”

McDonald gained 542 yards of offense this season, despite being hampered by injury, and still managed to score eight times.

McDonald caught a team-leading 19 passes this past season but also was used on sweeps and other ways to utilize his skill set.

“A next-level offensive coordinator,” Jamerson said, “is going to see a guy like (McDonald) and figure out ways to move him around to put defenses in stressful positions and find ways to get him the football.

“Whether he is in the slot, or he’s an ‘X’ receiver out on the edge, they will find ways to get mismatches. Lee-Michael will present mismatches at the next level.”

Under first-year Bearcat (McKendree shares the same nickname as Dexter) coach Jason Rejfek, McKendree finished 5-6 and split its eight-game schedule in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Rejfek signed 59 athletes in his first recruiting class, including 11 players from Missouri high schools or colleges.

“They have said that college football is a whole new level,” McDonald said of the Bearcat coach's advice for him. “You’ve got to elevate your body and elevate your mind to get ready for that.”