Dexter football team looks to build upon strong summer

DEXTER, Mo. - The Dexter Bearcats varsity football program enters the 2015 season looking to build on a strong summer after doubling its win total for a second straight year in the 2014 season.

The Bearcats finished 3-1 at a contact camp in late June at Southeast Missouri State University. Dexter's only loss was by one possession to Class 6A Horn Lake, Mississippi, in the championship game of the event.

"Things have been going really good," Dexter third-year coach Justin Peden said of the summer success. "We've had a really good summer. Weight attendance was really good this summer, we had our June and July camps, participated in a seven-on-seven tournament at SEMO, and had a joint practice with Hayti. We've been getting a lot of work in and it has been a good summer."

Dexter faces the daunting task of replacing standout quarterback Peyton Pollock. Pollock threw for over 1,300 yards and rushed for more than 300 yards his senior season in 2014 before signing to play football at Southwest Baptist University.

Peden said senior Ethan Stevens will start at the quarterback position in 2015.

"Ethan's a little bit of a different type of quarterback than Peyton was," Peden said. "Peyton could run well and Ethan can run well to so I don't think there will be a whole lot of a drop-off at the quarterback position. Ethan has been in the system for a long time here. He's been around a long time and has always been somebody who has wanted to be the quarterback. He's been ready for this opportunity for a long time and has really taken it seriously, prepared himself for it and helped get the other guys ready. He's been doing really well at the quarterback position."

Peden said he expects the running game to be a forte of the 2015 squad.

Senior Carson Dean, who had 53 carries for 208 yards last season, is likely to anchor the rushing attack. Peden also expects contributions on the ground from junior Jake Adams, sophomore Logan Elder and quarterback Stevens.

"Pretty solid," Peden said of the ground attack. "Carson Dean had a hand injury towards the end of last year and he's back and running the ball well. Logan Elder, a sophomore, is also stepping up really well. And Ethan, of course, is a running threat. Jake Adams is always an option to run the ball. We've got a pretty stable core of running backs we can work with. It's going well and I think running back is one of our stronger positions."

Dexter, which averaged 136.7 yards per game in the air and 110.6 yards per game rushing last season, also has the luxury of returning a veteran group of wide receivers. Senior Austin Chesser, junior Peyton Tinnin and senior Gavin White had a combined total of 41 receptions for 311 yards in 2014.

"I like running the ball, but if we have to throw it I think we can be successful throwing the ball as well," Peden said. "We've got pretty much all of our receivers back except for Austin Aldridge . . . We've got a good group of receivers to throw to so it's not like we cannot throw it. We will just do what we have to do and take what the defense gives us."

Peden says he plans on calling the offensive plays himself in 2015. 2014 Dexter offensive coordinator Brice Beck recently accepted a head coaching job at McCluer High School near St. Louis

"It's going to be a little bit of a different system, but similar principles," Peden said. "I'm going to go ahead and run the offense this year, and I think it will be successful. The guys have been working hard to pick up any new terminology and stuff, so it has been going really well."

One area Dexter will have to develop in the 2015 season is the offensive line.

"We've got some young guys in key spots," Peden said. "We've got three sophomores starting on the offensive line. One of our guards is a senior, but he hasn't played since eighth grade. Upfront we are young, but the group is a really good group. The next two or three years they are going to be really solid. This is going to be kind of the beginning of their development, but I think if we can get them to gel upfront we could be pretty dangerous."

The Bearcats return approximately six starters on offense and defense.

"We are shifting some guys around," Peden said. "We've got Bo McMullin and Jake Adams back at inside linebacker and Austin Chesser and Gavin White at safety. Ethan is going to play outside linebacker. Tyler Stevens and Austin Merritt are also back on the defensive line.

"Last year's senior class was a big group, but we had a lot of injuries with that class," Peden continued. "So a lot of the younger guys got experience last year. The injuries were good for them because they got some valuable playing time on varsity."

The Bearcats have 14 seniors and five juniors on its squad that are accompanied by a slew of underclassmen.

"I've been with this year's seniors for three years," Peden said. "So they really know me inside and out and the younger guys have gotten to know me over the summer at weights and stuff. I think we as a group and a program are turning the corner and understanding each other better. It's just a matter of putting it together on the field and hoping for the best. I think the program itself is doing a lot of good things."

Peden said freshman Corbin Strong could provide contributions on defense, freshman Caleb Hoggard could see minutes on offense and defensive, freshman Luke Boyer could see time as an offensive lineman, freshman Garrison Collier is a valuable deep snapper, freshman Nate Gargas is a talented wide receivers and freshman Hunter Lawrence kicks the ball well.

"We've got some freshmen who can play," Peden said. "It's just going to be a matter of where to fit them in. It will be good. Some of the young guys will get some experience. Hopefully, we won't have to rely on them too much, but will be able to use them here and there. There are going to be a lot of freshmen and sophomores playing, which is good and bad because you want to get them experience, but you also want to be a veteran team, obviously. But I think it will be positive and they will be good."

Dexter is eyeing its second straight conference championship. The Bearcats finished 3-1 in the conference in 2014 and tied for first with NMCC and Caruthersville. Kennett placed fourth and Charleston finished fifth in the conference last season.

"We've got a strong conference," Peden said. "Kennett did well at the end of the season last year and they have been working hard all summer. NMCC, from what I saw on film over the summer, looked to be a lot better. Charleston will also be improved and Caruthersville will always be solid. I think there will be a lot of good, close games in our conference, and hopefully we can squeak out the wins in those situations and get the conference championship. I don't want to share it this time. I want to get the whole thing."

Dexter is slated to compete in Class 3, District 1, with Ste. Genevieve, Park Hills Central, Fredericktown, Potosi, Kennett, New Madrid County Central and St. Pius of Festus at the end of the season. Park Hills Central beat Kennett 48-14 in the district championship last season before losing to John Burroughs 46-0 in a Class 3 state quarterfinal.

"I think you have Park Hills and Ste. Genevieve, and really three through eight are similar teams," Peden said of the district. "It depends on who gets rolling at what part of the season. But if we can knock off Ste. Genevieve, and kind of make some noise in the district, it's kind of wide open. Parks Hills and Ste. Genevieve are kind of the class of the district, and everybody else is pretty well even, in my opinion."

Dexter opens its season Aug. 21 at home against Ste. Genevieve at 7 p.m.

". . . Overall, the togetherness of the group has been refreshing for me," Peden said of the 2015 squad. "These guys are always picking each other up and helping each other out. There is not a lot of negative energy around the guys, and that's a big plus. We've got a lot of young guys. We did the math and 45 percent of our team is freshmen, and with the freshmen and sophomores combined it's like 65 percent of our team. We are young and they are impressionable, but the older guys have done a really good job being leaders for these guys and making it a good experience for them."

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com Dexter's No. 11 Payton Tinnin tackles Kennett's No. 25 Edward Wilson Friday at the East Prairie Jamboree.

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