Already potent Dexter FB wants to get even better via the air

Dexter High School senior quarterback Jackson Howard takes a snap against New Madrid County Central on Friday at Charles Bland Stadium in Dexter.

Tom Davis ~ TDavis@semoball.com

Dexter High School football fans are immersed in one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory, so they aren’t overly concerned with the Bearcats’ ho-hum passing numbers, thus far. However, third-year coach Chad Jamerson, at the very least, has that issue on his radar.

“We’ve got to make our passing game more of a weapon for us,” Jamerson said following last week’s 40-0 win over New Madrid County Central.

The Class 3 No. 6-ranked Bearcats (3-0, 1-0 SEMO Conference Central) will visit East Prairie (2-1, 1-0) today at 7 p.m.

To the fans’ credit, as dominant as Dexter has been this season (it has the top offense and second-best defense in terms of points in the league so far), it’s difficult to be worried about HOW the Bearcats pound their opposition, but Jamerson feels a balanced offense is going to be much more of a threat as the season wears on.

“We tried to make a concerted effort to throw the ball a little bit more (against New Madrid),” Jamerson said.

Dexter senior quarterback Jackson Howard is a three-year starter and has completed just 51.9 percent of his 27 passing attempts this season for 216 yards.

He has thrown for four touchdowns and had three intercepted, but Jamerson liked what he saw from Howard in his latest outing.

“I thought his decision-making was the best that it has been all season long,” Jamerson said. “We really worked together in putting together the game plan and figuring out what shots we could take and where we could go with the football.”

Dexter High School senior punter Jackson Howard kicks a ball against New Madrid County Central on Friday at Charles Bland Stadium in Dexter. (Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com)

Howard hasn’t been pressured much this season, which is a testament to the phenomenal play of the Bearcat offensive line, but he showed some mobility against the Eagles, which impressed his coach.

“He started to show the fact that he’s got some escape ability,” Jamerson said. “He ducked under a pass rush and delivered that hitch (pass) on the run.

“Once we get our eyes, our nose, and our mind around the game plan, I think he will become a lot more well-rounded.”

Howard is versatile in helping Dexter even in fourth-and-long situations.

As a punter last season, he was named an All-SEMO Conference First Team selection, and he has been very good in that regard again.

“That is where he is exceptionally gifted for us,” Jamerson said. “We have had a couple of punts where we are on the other side of the 50 (yard line) and I am confident in his ability to put some air underneath the ball and place it somewhere around the 20 (yard line).

Mentally, Howard is never OFF the field.

Early in the win over New Madrid, a Bearcat player committed a penalty on a Dexter punt return and Howard, standing on the sidelines, expressed his displeasure at the costly mistake.

Later, as the Bearcats were closing out the rout, he was standing along the sideline watching every snap of sophomore back-up Will Guethle and the remainder of the young Bearcats, who were getting valuable repetitions.

“I think that he does an excellent job,” Jamerson concluded, “and he has the mental awareness of the game and the understanding of what we want in those situations.”

A victory tonight would give Dexter its best start to a season in at least 15 seasons.

“This is the best Dexter team that I have seen in maybe 15, 20 years,” New Madrid County Central coach Tyler Fullhart said. “I played 20 years ago, and this team might be as good as some of those teams.

“This is a phenomenal Dexter team.”