No. 3 Top Story: Dexter
DEXTER - Despite some powerful teams over the years, Dexter's boys basketball team hadn't produced a district championship since 1976.
Year after year, following dominant regular season records, the Bearcats would come up short during playoff time.
But that all ended this year as Dexter clinched their first district championship in 28 years by demolishing the Fredericktown Blackcats 80-48.
The drought was over. The monkey was off the back.
But they didn't stop there.
Dexter came from behind to upset heavily favored DeSoto 45-42 in the Class 4 Sectional, marking perhaps the biggest win in school history.
The Bearcats followed that up with an almost easy 63-43 victory against Lutheran South in the Class 4 Quarterfinal to qualify for their first ever final four appearance.
The Cinderella story ended at the Hearnes Center in Columbia where they were greeted harshly with a 79-30 loss to nationally ranked Vashon.
The Bearcats ended up with a fourth place finish after a 78-56 loss to Ozark in the third place game.
Dexter finished 23-8 and, despite the final two losses, the team will always be remembered as the team that broke the district drought and the first in school history to reach the final four.
-- Derek James