'Work ethic' showing in much-improved Dexter kicking game

Dexter High School senior kicker Parker King and sophomore holder Will Guethle execute an extra point earlier this season against New Madrid County Central at Charles Bland Stadium in Dexter.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

With each passing week, as the SEMO Conference Central Division championship was on the line, and as the top seed in the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 was hanging in the balance, the stakes facing the Dexter High School football squad have increased.

The regular season draws to a close tonight, as the Class 3 No. 3-ranked Bearcats (8-0) host Scott City (5-3) at Charles Bland Stadium at 7 p.m., and what this time of year means for every team is that the margin for error diminishes.

Dexter has run roughshod over its opponents this fall by an average margin of 43 points to a mere seven. However, that more than likely won’t be the case moving forward, so every point will become imperative, which places outsized importance on the foot of senior kicker Parker King.

“How huge has Parker King been this year in big-time games,” Jamerson asked after last week’s 35-12 rout of District power Central (Park Hills). “He has come out and performed, not only on extra points, but he has also performed on field goals.”

King booted a 28-yard field goal against the Rebels and has been solid on extra points as the year has progressed.

“There is no doubt that Parker has shown up and shown out for us,” Jamerson continued. “He has done a great job of taking care of our kicking team.”

It’s been a road to redemption, somewhat, for both King and his holder, sophomore Will Guethle. The two were inconsistent at the start of the season, but the players and their coaches placed a heavy emphasis on improvement in those areas and the work has paid off.

“We identified that (issue) early,” Jamerson said. “After Week One, we thought ‘This is not where we need to be with our kicking game.’”

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Jamerson and his staff began to open practice for 10 minutes “every single day” by working on the kicking game.

“The work is obviously paying off,” Jamerson said.

Not only do King and Guethle work on their chemistry and precision during practice, but Jamerson said the two have spent countless time after practices working on their own.

For Guethle, he and Jamerson had to have a heart-to-heart earlier in the season because of his performance.

“If you had seen how he was handling snaps in the beginning of August,” Jamerson said, “he really struggled to find that rhythm and get it down on the block. At one point, we thought that we may have to replace him.”

Jamerson said that Guehle met the challenge and told his coach ‘I’ll get it fixed,’ and he has.

They pulled long-snappers Logan Pullum, Lucas Woods, and Landon Annesser after practice to perfect the execution.

“Those two guys,” Jamerson said, “their work ethic is showing through and through.”