SCAA rivals, young posts to battle for years to come

The high school boy’s basketball season in Missouri has just a few short weeks remaining, so the opportunities to catch Bernie center Jon Aycock and Dexter’s counterpunch to Aycock, center Elijah Ibrahim in action, are fleeting. However, because both emerging talents are sophomores, hoop followers throughout Southeast Missouri will still have ample time to catch those blossoming players in years to come.

“He is doing what he can do well,” Bernie coach Jason Long said of Aycock recently after watching him drop 40 in a win over Greenville.

Both 6-foot-4 athletes are seemingly getting better each time the sun rises, which for Mule and Bearcat fans, is a really exciting prospect.

Aycock lit up Greenville with an array of offensive skills while Ibrahim recently helped Dexter rally past Kennett in double overtime with some offense, but even more so at the defensive end.

“Elijah has a big body,” veteran Bearcat coach Chad Allen said following that victory over the Indians. “He uses his body really well.”

Both players burst onto the scene this year and have taken fans (and the media) by surprise.

Aycock was a 6-foot-1 freshman playing mostly junior varsity at this time a year ago while Ibrahim wasn’t even at Dexter High School.

Ibrahim moved in from Poplar Bluff over the summer but was expected to take a back seat to all of the returning players that Allen already had in his lineup.

“(Ibrahim) elevates at the right time,” Allen said.

That would be an accurate assessment literally and figuratively.

Ibrahim rejected a multitude of Kennett drives in that win, and offensively, he scored on agile moves around the basket. With the Bearcats down two returning starters in juniors Gibson Booker and Devin Turnbo due to injury, Allen needed some young players to “elevate” themselves to the forefront of his team at both ends of the court.

“He had some great blocked shots (against Kennett),” Allen said. “He rebounds so well, too. He is just a great guy to have around the rim.

“He just does a great job for us down there.”

As for Aycock, he too, can protect the rim and rebound, but it is his offensive skill, both scoring and passing, that catches your eye.

“(Aycock) has a good touch around the basket,” Long said. “His teammates are getting him the ball. When a teammate takes a shot, he’ll get the offensive rebound.

“He does what a big guy needs to do, and he does it well.”

Bernie (15-6) has split with Dexter (12-11) this winter. The Mules claimed a 70-68 overtime thriller in Bernie while the Bearcats topped Bernie 63-56 in the third-place game of the Stoddard County Athletic Association Tournament last month at Dexter.

The Mules will play three games this week. They host Delta (13-11) tonight at 7:15 p.m. before traveling to Richland (Essex) (13-11) on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.

Bernie will close its regular season with a road game on Thursday against Oran (8-14) at 7:30 p.m.

Dexter has won five of its last seven games and will visit SEMO Conference foes Poplar Bluff (9-13) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and New Madrid County Central (5-14) on Thursday at 6 p.m.