Brent Stidham sacks Malden quarterback Kaleb Loughary during Friday night's victory over the Green Wave. [Click to enlarge]

MALDEN -- There were a lot of firsts for Dexter at Malden Friday night...including a win.

Dexter scored first and played with the lead for the first time this season, Jake Cox came up with the team's first interception of the season and the defense held an opponent to single digits for the first time in four tries. All these firsts helped pave the way for Dexter's first win of the season, a 41-7 decision over the Green Wave.

Nick Hessling and Seth McBride both scored two touchdowns and quarterback Ben Mills ran for one touchdown and connected on a scoring pass to Caleb Stanley as the Bearcats rolled up 343 yards of offense. The 41 points were the most put on the scoreboard this season by the Bearcats, while the seven points allowed was 31 points better than the team's previous best defensive effort.

Caleb Stanley (44) pulls away from a Malden defender after catching a pass during the Bearcats' 41-7 victory on the road. [Click to enlarge]

Dexter scored 14 points in each of the first two quarters to surpass the team's previous total of just 20 points scored in the first two quarters of the first four games. Hessling got his two scores on runs of five and ten yards in the first period for a 14-0 Dexter lead, then Mills hooked up with Stanley for a 4-yard scoring pass early in the second to make it a 21-0 game.

McBride got in on the action late in the second with a 1-yard run to make it a 28-0 game before Kaleb Loughary found Andy Matthews just over the goal line with a 1-yard scoring pass with just 16 second remaining in the half.

Mills would put the only points of the third quarter on the board at the 1:09 mark with a 13-yard scramble. McBride finished off the scoring with a 1-yard run with 7:08 remaining in the game.

Members of the Bearcats' defense stop a Malden ball carrier. In on the defensive stop for Dexter are Austin Mace (No. 57), Wesley McCollough (No. 32), and Hunter Bruce. [Click to enlarge]

"Any time you get a win it's a positive," Dexter coach Aaron Pixley said after the game. "We needed it badly. Quiet honestly, I was worried about it. Whenever you are 0-4 you don't know how you are going to respond to anything.

"They (the team) were a little quiet before the game and I didn't really know how to take that, but we came out playing hard," Pixley continued. "The defense played very well tonight. We still gave up a few big plays in there and we have to stop that, but I felt like my offense executed pretty good, got some plays in the passing game, then we just got on a roll with the run there in the second half and did a real good job.

"I felt like all phases played hard," he added. "Special teams, coverage teams, did better. We had a few break downs in there, but you know, we've got a lot of young kids out there playing football and they're learning. I'll tell you what, at times I look out there and I'm thinking my goodness, there are about eight sophomores out there, we just have to stay positive and learn to get better."

An identified Bearcat defender forces Malden's Raymond Wilson to fumble the ball. [Click to enlarge]

McBride finished the game with 102 yards on 23 carries after replacing Hessling (8 carries for 31 yards) early in the second quarter. Hessling's playing time was limited to defense after the senior hurt his ankle.

"Nick took a helmet to the ankle there in the first half and we felt like we had to get him out because it was the ankle he hurt before and we didn't what to take a chance there," Pixley pointed out. "We basically patched him up at half and he felt like he cold play defense, we just didn't want him taking shots on it. He did a good job at linebacker for us. And Seth, he did a good job stepping in there and making some plays. Seth McBride, again, did not play football last year, so he's still learning a bunch about football."

Mills completed 10-of-16 passes for 162 yards, but suffered three interceptions, one on a deflection. Mills found six different receivers, with Ryan Windham hauling in three for 63 yards.

Seth McBride (No, 30) breaks a tackle to score. [Click to enlarge]

Defensively Dexter limited Malden to 151 yards of total offense, 79 on the ground and 72 through the air. Malden's top rusher was Ryan Cain with 63 yards on six carries. Loughary completed 6-of-18 passes, with four of those going to Andy Matthews for 54 yards and the Green Wave's only score of the game.

Dexter's best defensive effort of the season was spearheaded by Aaron Mace who was charted with a game-high nine tackles (5 solo, 4 assists), three of them behind the line of scrimmage.

Hunter Bruce finished with seven tackles (5 solo, 2 assists) and had one tackle for a 22-yard loss and one of Dexter's three sacks.

Jerry Jarrell photos Dexter's Wesley McCollough (No. 32) gets to Malden quarterback, Kaleb Loghary, to disrupt a pass attempt. [Click to enlarge]

Taylor Jarrell finished with six tackles (4 solo, 2 assists), one for a loss, while he recovered two Malden fumbles.

Dexter will host Charleston next Friday.

Notes: There was a scary moment after the game when Dexter's Aaron Mace fell to the ground after the team meeting at midfield after the game. Mace was complaining of a neck injury and to be on the safe side, he was transported from the football field by helicopter to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau for further examination. "Right now we don't really know (about the injury)," Pixley said in a somber moment just after the helicopter had taken off. "I hate to say anything for the newspaper because, honestly, I do not really know exactly what is wrong. It's all precautionary. They are taking him to St. Francis and they'll take good care of him. I think he'll be fine, but we just have to make sure."