Young Bearcats grow up in a hurry in thriller over Kennett

DEXTER - The high school basketball season is a journey, and no team resembles that indisputable fact more so than the Dexter High School varsity boy’s basketball squad.

The injury-plagued Bearcats survived a pair of overtimes to beat SEMO Conference foe Kennett 68-60 at the Bearcat Event Center in Dexter, and it was a horde of young players rising from the shadows who lifted Dexter.

“Man,” veteran Dexter coach Chad Allen said, “we played our butts off tonight. We were real scrappy.”

As the season got underway just over two months ago (the Bearcats had a delay to their season due to having one of the best Class 3 football programs in the state), veteran Bearcat coach Chad Allen felt good about having the experience and skills of juniors Gibson Booker and Devin Turnbo in his starting lineup.

Both players had played a lot of minutes as sophomores and Booker’s shooting and Turnbo’s athleticism at both ends were going to be invaluable.

Fast-forward to Friday, both were sitting injured (Booker with a knee issue and Turnbo with a hairline fracture in his left foot), and Allen had to rely on junior Carter Stone, and sophomores Will Guethle, and Elijah Ibrahim, all of whom, were background players to start this season.

“We’re definitely getting better as the season goes along,” Allen said. “These guys are stepping up.

“It’s a good thing to have.”

Early in the fourth quarter, the Indians (9-12), who had won four straight games prior to Friday, led 42-37 before Stone and Guethle hit consecutive 3-pointers to put their team ahead 43-42.

“Will shot the ball extremely well,” Allen said.

Guethle sank seven 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 23 points.

Another Bearcat 3-pointer, this one by senior shooter Tucker Temples with 3:20 remaining in regulation, gave the Bearcats (12-11) a 50-44 margin.

Kennett responded by scoring consecutive baskets and pulling to within 50-48, with the second make coming from senior guard Dyson Watson off a steal.

Watson had an opportunity to win the game in regulation, but the Bearcats got a hand on his dribble and Kennett never got a shot off.

Both teams were hampered by turnovers and missed opportunities into the second overtime, but Dexter had clawed itself a 62-60 lead with less than a minute to go in that extra period.

Bearcat junior guard John Sepulvado sank a pair of free throws for a 64-60 score, followed by a Kennett turnover.

Guethle and Stone each sank free throws in the final moments to seal the victory.

“If I had to pick a (Most Valuable Player) for this game,” Allen said, “It would be Carter. He didn’t score a lot, but he creates so much defensively.”

Stone scored some, though.

He finished with 14 points while Sepulvado (17 points) and Ibrahim (11 points) were each productive, as well.

Watson paced Kennett with 20 points while junior Tyquavious Jones (19 points) and sophomore Antonio Flakes (11 points) contributed also.

Dexter has won five of its last seven games and will visit Poplar Bluff (9-13) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Turnbo may be back from injury for that game, but that remains to be seen.

Kennett has won its most games since 2021 (11 wins) and will visit Kelly (5-19) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.