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Retiring Dexter coach surprised by signed football at halftime
Dexter football coach Aaron Pixley isn’t ready to hang up his whistle yet.
Pixley and assistant coach James Sneed were honored with a football signed by the Class of 2022 at halftime of Friday night’s game against Doniphan. Both will retire from teaching at the end of the school year.
The school honored the longtime Dexter R-XI School District employees in the Bearcats’ final home game of the season.
Pixley and Sneed have plenty of work to do, though, as the third-seeded Bearcats will meet second-seeded Kennett in a MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday at Metz Cherry Stadium in Kennett.
Pixley was caught by surprise by the halftime presentation.
“I didn’t know anything about it. I had no idea what was going on,” Pixley said. “Whenever they started lining people up, I thought maybe it’s something.”
Pixley, a 1988 DHS graduate, was hired as head football and weightlifting coach in 2000 and became the school’s all-time wins leader over the next 13 seasons.
During that stretch, the Bearcats compiled a 78-59 record and won district championships in 2002, 2010 and 2011 and conference titles in 2002, 2005 and 2011. They reached the quarterfinal round in 2011.
After four years as Kennett’s head coach, he returned to Dexter in 2018 and coached the team for four years.
With a total of 17 years at the helm, he is the longest-tenured football coach in school history. His overall record at Dexter is 93-82, entering Friday’s game.
“I’ve been beyond blessed here. I’ve been here quite a while,” Pixley said. “I’ve been blessed to have coached some really good kids and be around some really good coaches and good administrators who supported our program. This is my home. This is my school. I’m very proud to have been here (and) to be able to coach at this school for as long as I have. We just want to keep it going. Hopefully, we’ll prepare and get better next week and go down there (Kennett) and play well enough to be in the game at the end.”
Sneed, a 1981 DHS graduate, began coaching football in 2002 and has been a member of the staff ever since. He also coaches the school’s wrestling team.
The Bearcats enter Friday night’s district semifinal, winning six of their previous seven games. Their only loss came at the hands of Kennett, 32-6 on Oct. 8.
Kennett enters the semifinal round with a 7-2 record after alternating wins and losses over the past five weeks. New Madrid County Central beat the Indians 34-29 in Week 6 and Poplar Bluff beat them 41-15 in Week 8.
The Indians received a first-round bye in the district tournament.
The Bearcats equaled a season-low in points scored against Kennett. Scott City held them to six points in a season-opening 27-6 win.
While Dexter has scored 72 and 53 points, respectively, in its previous two contested games, Pixley is concerned about his offense Friday night.
“We’ve got to move the ball,” Pixley said. “Their defense is outstanding. They really pressure you. They get in gaps. They blitz like crazy. It’s difficult for offensive lines. If we want to have a chance, we’ve got to figure out how to move the football.”
The Indians average 43 points per game on offense with senior Jordan Jarrett churning out yards rushing and junior quarterback Tanner Pierce leading a solid passing game.
“Defensively, we’ve got to play as hard as we can,” Pixley said. “We’ve got to swarm to the football and hopefully not give up big plays. They’re very capable. They’re a very good football team, and we’re going to have to play very very well to be in it.”
Four Kennett players — seniors LeTrevio’n Thompson and JT Williams as well as junior Otrevian Wells and freshman Will Gaines — were injured in the team’s 56-5 Week 9 victory over Sikeston. Their status for Friday night is uncertain.