'Cats open league play at home against Bluejays

Dexter broke through for a 41-7 win over Malden last Friday, and will need another big effort against Charleston in the Bearcats' SEMO Central Conference opener.

Charleston has also had its share of troubles this season while posting an identical 1-4 record as Dexter. Both Dexter and Charleston have faced top-notched oppponents early. Dexter with the likes of Ste. Genevieve, Gosnell, Ark., Poplar Bluff and Sikeston, while Charleston has hooked up with state-ranked Hayti (40-12), New Madrid County Central (39-0), Sikeston (48-6) and Kennett (32-22). The Bluejays' lone win has come against hapless Portageville (49-0) in week three.

"They are very athletic," Dexter coach Aaron Pixley said Wednesday after the team's practice. "I say that every year, but they are very athletic. They have a very good quarterback in Chase McClendon, a athletic kids that's got a real strong arm. He likes to roll and get outside. No one has contained him yet. We've got to contain him and not let him roll to the sidelines because he does a good job of holding on to that ball and waiting for receivers to get open."

"They have talent all around him," Pixley continued. "They put three backs in the backfield quite a bit, and all three can run. So we just have to control the line of scrimmage, and if we can't control the line of scrimmage, they are going to score a lot of points on us. They are capable of scoring from anywhere on the field, which is typical of a Charleston team, so we just have to make sure we don't give up the big play.

"This is our first conference game," he added. "If we over look this game, then we're not really trying to play for a conference championship. There is no way, as a football team trying to grow, trying to be on the same page, and play for the common goal, there is no way you can over look any game, especially after an 0-4 start. So we realize that anyone can get us and we have to play extremely hard and play well to win this game."

In earning their first win last Friday against Malden, Dexter recorded some other notable firsts for the team.

Sophomore Jake Cox got the team's first interception of the season midway through the third quarter and returned it 44 yards that led to a Dexter touchdown and a 34-7 lead.

Senior Dustin Lane blocked the team's first punt early in the second quarter that set Dexter up for a short scoring drive to make it a 21-0 game.

It was the first game that Dexter played with the lead, the first game they led at the half, and the first time they won the turnover battle and the first time the defense held an opponent to single digits.

The team's success has shown in practice this week, according to Pixley.

"We've had good practices this week, but we've had our moments where it's not so good, but that's every year," Pixley noted. "Some of our younger guys are starting to learn how to play football. Starting to do things better on defense from a linebacker stand point, getting down hill and making the play at the line of scrimmage or behind the line of scrimmage, so all we have to do now is transfer that to the game.

"But our attitude has been a little bit better, anytime you win a football game, everybody feels good," he added. "Although it's not against the caliber of competition we've been playing against, a win is a win. And we needed it in the worst way. But we can't stop now. We've got to continue to improve and I've been telling them all week long, 'we're not a good football team, yet.' We've got to continue to improve and if we stop improving, we're going to get worse.

"Practice have been better, the weather has helps, that's for sure, but we've just got to continue to get in better stances, come out low, play extremely hard and swarm better on defense," Pixley said. "If we start doing that and start taking control of the offensive line, the line of scrimmage, then we'll have a chance every Friday night."

On the injury front, there has been some improvement, but also some setbacks.

"Aaron (Mace) is back, he has a stiff neck but I think he is going to be all right," Pixley said of his sophomore starter who went down after the Malden game and was taken by helicopter to a Cape Girardeau hospital. "We're going to hold out Corbin (Matthews) out another week (head injury). Bob Miller (knee injury) came back to practice this week, but we're going to hold him out till next week, until he goes full pads and gets a good solid week in, but he should be back.

"We're starting to get a little healthier," he pointed out. "The guys who have been dinged up and been playing are starting to get a little bit healthier. They're just getting better every week. To this point (of the season), it has been worse very week seems like. We lost a couple of young kids, Austin Featherston, who was real prominent on special teams for us Friday night broke his thumb in the jayvee game Monday and Brent Stidham hurt his foot and will be out this week but hopefully he'll be back the next week. It's almost like we're trading out. We get two back and lose two. But at the same time, people that have been playing and have been dinged up are starting to get healthier and that will help. All we have to do is go out there and play as hard as we can."