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STATESMAN TOP 10: Dexter football wins triple OT thriller for rare postseason win
EDITOR’S NOTE: This game was full of ups and downs. The three overtime periods proved how badly the Bearcats wanted to win this game. Just when Ste. Genevieve grabbed the momentum, the Bearcats would make a big play on defense. The Bearcats won the battle up front, gaining 346 yards of total offense and holding an almost 2-to-1 advantage in time of possession. This game ranks No. 1 on the Dexter Statesman's list of the top 10 games for the 2018-19 school year.
STE. GENEVIEVE — When Caleb Hoggard busted through the line and dashed 24 yards for the game-winning touchdown Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, the Dexter Bearcats ended eight years of postseason frustration.
Hoggard’s touchdown run delivered the sixth-seeded Bearcats a 25-19, triple-overtime victory over the third-seeded Ste. Genevieve Dragons in the first round of the Class 3 District 1 tournament at Ste. Genevieve High School.
Dexter (5-5) lost 13-6 to the second-seeded Park Hills Central Rebels in the district semifinals a week later in Park Hills.
“This is the first district win we’ve had in a long time,” Hoggard said. “Being able to come out and play in overtime and get this win is just huge for us.”
The Bearcats hadn’t won a postseason game since 2010 when they defeated Ste. Genevieve 49-28 and Park Hills Central 28-20 to advance to the state quarterfinals where they lost 42-6 to John Burroughs.
Dexter won a district championship in 2011, but a different playoff format was in use where district games were considered regular-season games.
Dexter coach Aaron Pixley coached those teams before leaving for Kennett. He returned to his hometown team last season.
The Bearcats won the coin toss for the initial overtime and elected to play defense first. In overtime, each team lines up on the 25-yard line and goes until it runs out of downs, scores or commits a turnover.
Hoggard called his first overtime game stressful.
“Definitely a lot of anxiety,” Hoggard said, “but it also pumped my adrenaline a little more to go out there and have more success with the boys and go out there and play hard.”
Ste. Genevieve went four-and-out, but Logan Trollinger intercepted a pass by Dexter quarterback Haden Hillis on third down to force a second overtime.
The Bearcats took possession first in the second overtime and scored on a 2-yard run by Corbin Strong.
“I couldn’t do it without the linemen,” said Strong, who was named the SEMO Conference’s top defensive player and signed to play football at Southeast Missouri State. “They deserve all the glory. Those guys are the true men in the running game.
“Another key is you’ve got to run downhill. That’s what I’ve done since I was little. I don’t cut. I just run downhill behind my big men.”
Dexter caught a break before Strong’s touchdown and got a second chance on fourth down when the Dragons were called for pass interference after Hillis’ throw to Nate Gargas near the goal line fell incomplete.
Hoggard’s extra-point kick was no good, giving the Bearcats a 19-13 lead.
Devon Bader caught three passes from quarterback Logan Gegg on Ste. Genevieve’s possession. Bader’s 9-yard catch tied the score at 19. The Dragons had a chance to win the game, but Grant Staffen’s extra-point kick was off target.
The teams switched ends of the field for the third overtime, and the Dragons offense took the field first. Braxton Foster sacked the quarterback on first and second downs, and they lost 14 yards on those plays. Gegg’s third- and fourth-down passes fell incomplete.
“What can I say about our defense?” Pixley said. “They played very, very well. They’ve been playing pretty good all year. I’m just proud of this football team for their effort, their heart and for sticking to it. Whenever you do that, you always have a chance.”
Mason Keena gained 1 yard on first down, and Hoggard followed with the game-winning touchdown.
Strong credited the win on the team’s work ethic in practice.
“We worked really hard in practice. We have for a long time,” Strong said. “You know, we started out a little rough in practice. We were kind of weak in practice, but we worked our way up to where we were just hammering it. That’s the key. Working hard in practice and then bringing it to the field.”
Pixley was proud of his team’s effort.
“Great effort by everyone involved,” Pixley said. “This football team tonight was no different than any other night. We’re still kind of beat up and banged up, but the kids that are playing are just giving everything they have. We talked about it before the game. We want to make sure we walk off this football field exhausted, and I think we are.”
The Bearcats took a 7-0 lead into halftime after Hillis and Seth Rogers connected on a 4-yard touchdown pass. Hoggard converted the PAT with 4:34 left in the first quarter.
Strong broke loose for a 31-yard touchdown run with 4:11 left in the third quarter for a 13-0 lead — the extra-point attempt failed — but the Dragons struck back 13 seconds later.
Gegg threw to Bader in the right flat, and Bader raced 65 yards for a touchdown. Gegg’s PAT cut the Bearcats’ lead to 13-7.
The Dragons tied the score with 7:30 left in the game when Gegg and Staffen teamed for a 5-yard touchdown pass. Staffen missed the extra point, leaving the score tied at 13.
“It was a game of momentum big time,” Pixley said. “Football is like that, but in particular this game. It was just back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. We really felt like we had a good game plan, but I felt like Ste. Gen. was making adjustments, making us do some different things. To our kids’ credit, we just kept making adjustments.”