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Dexter will feel the need for speed (from Lee-Michael McDonald) on C3 Quarterfinal
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Dexter High School senior Lee-Michael McDonald (7) sprints for the end zone in a game against Scott City earlier this season at Charles Bland Stadium.
Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com
The Dexter High School football program is in rare waters this Saturday, as the unbeaten Bearcats (11-0) will battle Lift For Life Charter Academy (7-5) in the MSHSAA Class 3 Quarterfinals.
The game will be played at 1 p.m. at Mehlville High School near St. Louis, as Lift For Life does not have a field to compete on.
“I’ve been coaching for 20 years and trying to get to this moment,” third-year Bearcat coach Chad Jamerson told Semoball.com after beating Ste. Genevieve to win the program’s first District title in 13 seasons last week. “To bring a district title to Dexter and have the opportunity to be in the playoffs, it just means everything.
“They took a chance on me three years ago, and I’m glad I’m helping to repay it.”
Dexter fans can ignore the five defeats on the Hawks’ schedule, for four of those defeats have come against teams with a combined five losses this season.
Lift for Life has played four games against Class 3 competition this fall and won each. In total, the Hawks have outscored Class 3 competition 181-12.
The Dexter defense has been stifling this season, but the Bearcats will need to produce offensively in order to advance to the Final Four of the MSHSAA Playoffs. Having senior athlete Lee-Michael McDonald healthy, something he lacked for the first portion of this season, will go a long way in helping the Bearcat season continue.
“A healthy Lee-Michael McDonald is a scary Lee-Michael McDonald for a defense,” Jamerson said earlier this season.
In the C3D1 championship game against the Dragons, Dexter trailed 13-0 before exploding for four scores in the second half for a 28-13 win. McDonald scored two of those touchdowns, one from 58 yards out and the other from 34.
“Anytime that Lee-Michael is on the field,” Jamerson said, “we have said this for how many weeks and how many years now, he is lightning in a bottle.
“I have said that trying to tackle Lee-Michael is like trying to eat soup with a fork. There is no way to do it effectively.”
McDonald’s speed on sweeping runs is how Jamerson has gotten his fastest athlete into space this season.
“I have never seen a kid go from zero to a sprint that quickly. He can just move in small spaces more efficiently than the average human being.”
Turnovers will be key
In the first half of the District title game, it was Dexter which had a fumble and a couple of interceptions, which led to the halftime deficit.
“Ste. Genevieve had a great defensive game plan, and a lot of the times we just shot ourselves in the foot,” Jamerson said. “We knew that if we kept playing our game, we would give ourselves an opportunity to win.”
In the second half, the Bearcats got a pair of picks from junior defensive back Devin Turnbo. Being opportunistic like that will be necessary on Saturday.
“Physicality has found its way, not in football, as it has been in the past,” Jamerson said earlier this season of the evolving game. “That is something that we want to be, is physical.
“No one wants to be punched in the face for four quarters. Sooner or later, somebody is not going to bring you as much after you have punched them in the face. Sooner or later, you’re going to get worn down. That is our philosophy both offensively and defensively.”