Dexter hoops wary of 'long,' talented Cape Central

Cape Central forward Cameron Williams looks to score last season during the MSHSAA Class 5 Quarterfinal against Webster Groves at St. Louis Community Center - Meramec.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

The Cape Central boy’s basketball squad hadn’t even dismantled Sikeston 84-71 in the championship game of the 8th Annual Fountain City Classic at De Soto High School on Saturday, but Dexter High School boy’s coach Chad Allen already knew what to expect from the Tigers.

“Cape guards you extremely well,” Allen said 24 hours before the Tigers jumped all over the Bulldogs from the opening tip.

Cape Central (3-0) and Dexter (2-0) will meet today in the opening round of the SEMO Conference Tournament at Sikeston Field House at 8:30 p.m.

The Tigers are the No. 2 seed, while the Bearcats are the No. 7 seed.

Cape Central held Sikeston to just one bucket over the initial four minutes of the title game at DeSoto, as it built a 13-2 margin.

“They are great at what they do,” Allen said. “They are so big (and) so long.”

Malden senior Tronne Lee looks to score against Dexter senior center Peyton Boles on Friday at Dexter. (Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com)

Incredibly “long.”

The Tigers have 6-foot-7 senior forward Cameron Williams returning for his fourth varsity season, while they also feature 6-foot-7 junior forward Latroy McIntosh.

McIntosh put in a game-high 24 points against Sikeston, while Williams had 22 points in a semifinal win against Fox in the DeSoto event.

Cape Central also has 6-foot-4 junior guard Jaydon Reynolds, who moved in from Ohio this season, as well as 6-foot-5 junior shooter Max Vogel.

“They are probably as long as any team in the SEMO Conference,” Allen said. “It’s going to be a tough test for us.”

Dexter isn’t big but has utilized grit in its opening two wins, one of which was against Class 3 No. 1-ranked (and defending state champion) Charleston, who is the top seed in the SEMO Conference Tournament.

The Bearcats' lone size comes in senior center Peyton Boles, whom Allen has been very pleased with so far this season.

“This year,” Allen said of Boles, “he isn’t afraid to mix it up. Last year, he was a little bit more laid back. This year, he is getting after it.”

Boles will have to “get after it” against Williams, as well as McIntosh, which will be as difficult of a challenge as he will ever see in his high school career.

“I’ve heard (Williams) got even better through the summer,” Allen said. “He’s a tough guy to guard. We’re going to come up with a game plan and see what we can do to, hopefully, limit his touches.”

As Williams’ career has evolved, he has shown the ability to be able to produce at three levels (perimeter, mid-range, and on the block).

“If he has the ball,” Allen said, “not only can he score, but he can also get the ball to shooters. He is a great asset for them.

“He is definitely going to go to the next level, and he is going to be a great test for us.”

Like Cape Central, which is ranked No. 7 in Class 5, the Dexter defense has been very impressive this season.

In wins against the Blue Jays and on Friday against Malden, the Bearcats limited both teams’ ability to score the ball.

“We’re definitely going to have to pressure the ball (against Cape Central),” Allen said. “Hopefully, putting enough pressure on them where it makes it a little tougher on them in getting it inside (to Williams).”

The Tigers advanced to the conference title game last year before falling 44-40 to New Madrid County Central, which is seeded third this year, despite being ranked No. 2 (behind Charleston) in Class 3.

The SEMO Conference Tournament opens tonight with a match-up of No. 8-seed Notre Dame vs. No. 9-seed Kennett (5:30 p.m.) and No. 3-seed New Madrid County Central vs. No. 6-seed Poplar Bluff (7 p.m.), with all tournament games at the Sikeston Field House.