Dexter

Last month, in the championship game of the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, Puxico needed an entire half to rally from a 10-point halftime deficit to overtake Dexter in varsity boy’s basketball action.

Dexter High School football coach Chad Jamerson has been picking up nuggets of gridiron knowledge since he was a scrawny kid growing up on the athletic fields of East Prairie. That devotion to learning through the decades paid dividends this fall, as Jamerson led Dexter to its most successful season ever with the Bearcats finishing with an 11-1 record, dominating the SEMO Conference Central Division, and advancing to the MSHSAA Class 3 State Quarterfinals.

The task of beating Puxico in varsity boy’s basketball is a daunting one, and it becomes that much more difficult for Indian opponents if they aren’t at full strength.

JACKSON – The Dexter High School varsity girl’s basketball squad hasn’t faced its counterpart from Delta High School in at least two decades, and given Saturday’s affair with the Ladycats, the Bearcats may want to wait that long again before competing with the MSHSAA Class 1 program.

Success on the football field begets interest from others, be they fans, media, and also college football programs. Dexter High School is learning that after completing one of the most successful seasons in Bearcat history, as Central Methodist University recently pursued, and received a commitment from, Dexter senior defensive lineman Ethan Glaus.

BERNIE – Eighteen years plus an extra day has traversed since former Bernie High School basketball player Marcus Massey sank a jump shot at the buzzer to knock off Stoddard County rival Dexter, which set off a wild celebration of Mules jumping all over each other.

Kennett Indians dominate Tri-Match with decisive victories over Valley View and Dexter.

DEXTER – The story of the Bloomfield High School varsity boy’s basketball season this winter has been a familiar refrain of limited offensive production. That continued on Tuesday, as the Wildcats were limited to single digits in the first three periods of their 47-37 loss to Dexter in the Bearcat Event Center.

Given its struggles offensively this basketball season, the fact that the Bloomfield varsity boys squad has battled its way to seven victories with 10 regular season games, as well as the Stoddard County Athletic Association Tournament and postseason, remaining, is fairly impressive.

There will be no secrets kept between the varsity girl’s basketball teams of Dexter and Kennett when the two squads matchup on Monday at Kennett at 7:30 p.m. The Bearcats (5-6) and Indians (7-5) are seeing each other for the third time in the last two months. The teams competed in the Kennett Jamboree in November before facing each other in the SEMO Conference Tournament last month, which resulted in a 58-55 Dexter win.

DEXTER – The Dexter High School girls basketball squad has won five of its 11 games this season, which means it has lost six of those contests. That up-and-down performance was on full display Thursday in the Bearcats’ 72-45 loss to Farmington in the Bearcat Event Center.

The Cape Central Tigers turned back the clock to the 20th century by playing a boys' basketball game at old Tiger Field House on Thursday, Jan. 9, in Cape Girardeau.  The Tiger Field House, now a part of Terry W. Kitchen Junior High School, was the former home of Cape Central HS before a new building was constructed in 2002...

High school basketball throughout Southeast Missouri takes a backward approach to scheduling each winter.

It's been a long while since I've got to enjoy as much holiday basketball as I have this year. For the first time in a while, if ever, I got to attend the Poplar Bluff Showdown, Lady Royals Christmas Classic and the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament all in one five-day stretch. While I last covered the Showdown and Lady Royals Christmas Classic in 2019, this was my first time at Bloomfield in at least a decade...

BLOOMFIELD — The top-seeded Puxico Indians came from a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat the third-seeded Dexter Bearcats 64-60 in an overtime classic to win the championship title of the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament on Monday night. It is the Indians’ first Bloomfield Christmas Tournament title since 1989...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Dexter’s composed approach proved decisive in a 56-47 victory over East Prairie in the semifinal of the 68th Bloomfield Christmas Tournament on Saturday. While the second-seeded Eagles (7-1) struggled under the mounting pressure, the third-seeded Bearcats (6-5) played free of tension, relying on a combination of key shooting and tough defense to claim control...

Dexter Bearcats narrowly avoid an upset by Risco Tigers in the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, clinching a 69-67 victory with a last-second play.

BROSELEY — The Neelyville Lady Tigers were looking to get back into the championship game of the Lady Royal Christmas Classic for the first time since 2019, but the Portageville Bulldogs had other plans. The Bulldogs made a fast start hold up as they took a 57-49 game over the Lady Tigers in Friday’s semifinal...

BLOOMFIELD – What a difference a year can make.

BLOOMFIELD — After five first-round games decided by double-digits at the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament on Thursday, the sixth game was hands-down the most exciting one of the day. The seventh-seeded Van Buren Bulldogs overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half to defeat the 10th-seeded Doniphan Dons 74-73 in overtime Thursday in the opening round of the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament...

BROSELEY — The Neelyville Lady Tigers basketball team outplayed Dexter in the quarterfinal round of the Lady Royal Christmas Classic on Monday as the Lady Tigers took a 61-45 win over Dexter. Despite losing some possessions late in the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers took advantage of a comfortable lead to take care of the Lady Bearcats...

Even after suffering their first loss season, the Puxico Indians are still riding high to start this season of boys basketball. Puxico suffered it first loss of the season Saturday evening when it lost 58-50 to Thayer in a battle of state-ranked teams — the Indians are tied for fifth in the most recent Class 2 coaches poll, while Thayer was fifth in Class 3...

BROSELEY — The Dexter Bearcats girls basketball team was in control from start to finish as the Bearcats took care of Greenville 57-19 in the first round of the Lady Royals Christmas Classic on Saturday. Dexter will take on Neelyville, who had the luxury of a first1round bye, at 6 p.m. on Monday...

DEXTER, Mo. — It was an uncharacteristic night for Sikeston and a redemptive one for Dexter.  Just two weeks removed from an 18-point loss in the third-place game of the SEMO Conference Tournament, the Lady Bearcats (3-3) turned the tables with a 52-42 victory over the Lady Bulldogs (4-5) at The Bearcat Event Center on Thursday, Dec. 19. ...

DEXTER — The 2024 Charles Bland Award winner is Caden Lee. Since 1994, the Charles Bland Award has been awarded to the most rounded senior Bearcat football player who excels on and off the field. The award is designated for an individual who contributes significantly to their school, community and classmates...

ESSEX – Midway through the third quarter of its varsity boys basketball game against Dexter on Monday, the Richland squad was in some degree of trouble.

When third-year Dexter High School football coach Chad Jamerson would watch Bearcat sophomore defensive back Jaxon Miller soar through opposing offenses in pursuit of making one of the 66 defensive stops that he made this fall, it surely brought a smile to his face. However, if Jamerson watched Miller “soar” away from the gridiron, though he would surely be proud, it might make him slightly nervous.

When a football team outscores its opposition throughout a 12-game season by nearly 30 points per game, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that it earns a lot of victories (11 in the case of the Dexter High School squad this fall) and accolades.

The Puxico Indians are the top seed at this year’s Bloomfield Christmas Tournament. The Indians are 5-0 this season and are winning their games by an average of 26.8 points. Three of Puxico's five wins are by 35 points or more. The East Prairie Eagles, who finished second at last year's Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, are the No. 2 seed, with Dexter, Bernie, Kennett, Risco, Van Buren and Richland rounding out the top eight seeds...

Doniphan, Neelyville, Portageville and East Carter are the top four seeds at the Lady Royals Christmas Classic, which tips off next Saturday (Dec. 21) at Twin Rivers High School in Broseley. Top-seeded Doniphan and No. 2 Neelyville have first-round byes...

SIKESTON – The Poplar Bluff High School boys basketball squad starts just two seniors and its key reserves are a junior and a sophomore, but the Mules played more like a seasoned group on Wednesday, as the Mules held off a rallying Dexter team 43-38 in the consolation semifinal round of the SEMO Conference Boys Basketball Tournament at the Sikeston Field House.

SIKESTON — Patience may not be a trademark, but Sikeston showed plenty of it before speeding up the game and outclassing Dexter in the opening of the SEMO Conference on Tuesday, Dec. 10.  Led by cousins PJ Farmer and Marquel Murray, the top-seeded Bulldogs (4-0) transformed a grind into a 79-37 statement win over the eighth-seeded Bearcats (3-1).  ...

SIKESTON – The Dexter High School boys basketball squad showed the ability on Monday that it could easily separate itself from Kennett in the opening round of the SEMO Conference Boy’s Basketball Tournament at the Sikeston Field House.

The final Missouri Media Rankings for 2024 highlight the success of local high school football teams. St. Vincent leads Semoball teams, finishing third in Class 1, while Dexter and Cape Central also secure top spots.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — In a game that felt like a long-awaited breakthrough, Sikeston clinched a decisive 56-38 victory over Dexter in the third-place game of the SEMO Conference Tournament at Notre Dame Regional High School on Friday, Dec. 6. Executing their strategy precisely, the Lady Bulldogs (2-3) showcased their progress and determination, signaling a promising trajectory for the remainder of the season...

SIKESTON — A mixed bag of results greeted the Sikeston wrestling teams as they squared off against DeSoto and Dexter on Tuesday at the Field House in a triangular meet that would ultimately reveal strengths and weaknesses.  While a dominant early surge by the Dragons (2-0) threatened to derail the evening, the Bulldogs (1-1) ultimately clawed way back, securing victories over the Bearcats (0-2) and splitting the duals...

The Dexter High School boy’s basketball squad has a different look about it this winter than last. The Bearcats have more capable athletes to throw at opponents, and they certainly have more experience than last year.

Dexter High School senior athlete Kate Nichols dropped 32 points in her first basketball game of this season on Monday, as she led the Bearcats to a 58-55 victory over Kennett in the opening round of the SEMO Conference Girl’s Basketball Tournament, so she still has plenty of extraordinary feats to unleash in the red-and-black before she graduates in a handful of months. However, she does have one eye on the future, as she recently signed to play volleyball next fall for Mineral Area College in Park Hills.

If veteran girl’s high school basketball coaches Eric Sitze and Kirk Boeller are in search of sympathy as this season gets underway, they can lean on each other for a friendly ear when the two meet tonight in the SEMO Conference Tournament championship semifinals.

DEXTER – The Dexter High School boy’s basketball squad started three returning players in its season-opening game against Charleston on Tuesday at the Bearcat Event Center.

The opening game of the regular season for any basketball coach is a bit of a crapshoot (no pun intended). Every coach knows what he/she has stressed in the early practices, but will those lessons be executed?

St. Vincent's playoff run ends in the state semifinals, while Jackson tops the Semoball 2024 football rankings. Discover the top 10 teams and standout players of the season.

With just one starter returning on the basketball court this winter, veteran Dexter High School girl’s coach Eric Sitze is a tad concerned with how his team plays early in this season.

There was no shortage of highlights for the Dexter High School volleyball program this fall, either as a team or individually.

There have only been three other teams in the history of Dexter High School football that have achieved an unbeaten regular season prior to this year’s group doing so.

Some marriages don’t last six years, so the fact that Dexter High School senior cross country runners Ben Dowdy and Cameron Bell have spent hours each day, training side by side, for that many years, it’s impressive that they still speak, let alone, still like each other.

SEMO NORTH FIRST TEAM OFFENSE QB — Brett Drye, Farmington, sr., 6-1, 180; QB — Jay Edmundson, Poplar Bluff, sr., 6-0, 178; RB — Keyshawn Boyd, Cape Central, jr., 6-0, 190; RB — Jaylon Hampton, Jackson, soph., 5-7, 165; RB — Zai’Aire Thomas, Cape Central, sr., 5-6, 165; WR — Hunter Clifford, Poplar Bluff, sr., 6-1, 166; WR — Kai Crowe, Jackson, sr. ...

There was no shortage of incredible feats achieved by the 2024 Dexter football program this past season. The Bearcats matched a program record for victories (11) and won the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 championship, which was the first for the program in 13 seasons. However, a memorable triumph that, perhaps, will never be matched again, was attained by the Miller family.

Stoddard County volleyball players received a lion’s share of recognition with the release of postseason honors. Leading the way is a quartet of all-state players — the Advance trio of Addi Carlton, Emma Eilers and Brogan Hawkins, plus Bernie’s Bailey Henry — who helped their teams make deep postseason runs...

Kennett's girls basketball kicks off the 2024-2025 season with a Jamboree, hosting Dexter, Holcomb, and Twin Rivers.