Bearcats Head to East Prairie With Positions — and Expectations — on the Line

Football season may not officially begin tonight, but for the Dexter Bearcats, the trip to East Prairie will provide the first real look at what weeks of summer work have produced.

And while preseason jamborees don’t count in the standings, Dexter’s coaching staff will be watching closely.

There are jobs to be won, combinations to be settled and, perhaps most importantly, an opportunity to find out who is ready to compete when the lights come on.

Dexter still has several position battles underway as the Bearcats prepare for tonight’s jamboree, with particular attention being paid to the interior offensive line and outside linebacker.

The goal is to come away from East Prairie with some answers before the season opener next Friday in Ste. Genevieve..

“You know, I think we still got some position battles going on tonight,” Dexter’s head coach said Friday morning. “We’re making the move tonight to try to get these position battles settled and figure out a couple spots and put ourselves in the best position to be prepared to play next Friday night.” 

But those competitions are about more than simply determining who has the most ability.

They also offer the coaching staff a chance to see who wants the job.

Position battles, the coach said, reveal “who wants to play and who wants to compete.” 

Moore, Gott making an impression

Several familiar names have performed as expected during preseason work, including Caden Hart and Ryan Loman.

But two younger players have particularly caught the coaching staff’s attention.

Junior Luke Moore has made a strong move at outside linebacker following what the coach described as a great offseason.

“Luke has really stood out,” he said, adding that Moore has likely worked himself into a starting role. 

Sophomore Aaron Gott has also made himself difficult to overlook.

Gott first caught the coaching staff’s attention on special teams last season and is now pushing for significant playing time at inside linebacker.

He may be undersized and young, but the coach said Gott possesses something that is difficult to teach — “a knack for the football.” 

Offensive line remains a major focus

Up front, Dexter continues working to find the right combination along the offensive line.

Jack Smith returns as a starter, while Walker Jarrell, Giles Monroe and Mason Monroe are among the players figuring prominently into the front-five combination. The Bearcats know Giles Monroe will occupy one of the guard positions, while Mason Monroe could line up at either center or guard.

The remaining question is finding the combination that gives Dexter its best five.

That matters greatly for a program that expects its running game to be a strength.

“You can have mediocre backs with a good offensive line,” the coach said, “but it doesn’t matter how good your running backs are if the offensive line is mediocre.”

For Dexter, getting things right up front makes everything else easier. “We want to be good up front, and then everything else falls into place.” 

Competition remains at outside linebacker

Defensively, Moore appears to have secured one outside linebacker spot. The other remains very much in play.

Tristan Petzoldt, other contenders and the possibility of moving Gavin Passkey outside while Gott works inside are all among the combinations being evaluated.

The coaching staff expects tonight’s jamboree — followed by film study over the weekend and early next week — to help settle the position before the opener. 

Petzoldt, however, will not participate tonight as the Bearcats exercise caution with a knee issue.

Otherwise, Dexter enters the jamboree in relatively good health.

And keeping it that way is priority No. 1.

“That’s the goal tonight, is to get out of this healthy,” the coach said. 

Expect to see the starters — and perhaps some passes

Fans shouldn’t expect Dexter to simply hide everything tonight.

The Bearcats plan to give their No. 1 unit considerable work, particularly early in the jamboree, because the staff wants that group developing chemistry before games begin to count.

And although Dexter’s running game figures to remain a major strength, the Bearcats would also like to put the ball in the air enough to evaluate their progress in the passing game and pass protection.

“We really spent a lot of time focusing on this summer getting better in that,” the coach said. “I want to see what we look like throwing the ball. You know, what we look like protecting the passer.” 

There are already established players the staff expects to produce. Baron Greer, Gavin Passley and Jackson Miller were among those specifically mentioned when discussing confidence in Dexter’s running game and returning talent.

The bigger questions tonight will be around them.

“How good is our perimeter defense and how good are we on the interior offensive line?” the coach said. “If we get those two things figured out, we’re going to be salty.” 

More than anything, play hard

Ultimately, however, the most important evaluation tonight won’t appear on a stat sheet.

Asked what he most wanted to be able to say about his team on the ride home from East Prairie, the answer came immediately:

“That we played hard.”

At this point in August, missed assignments and imperfect technique can be corrected. What the coaching staff wants to see is whether the Bearcats compete, do the little things and play with the attitude required when practice turns into game conditions.

“If we come out and play as hard as we can tonight, I can fix technique,” the coach said. “I can’t fix attitude and effort.” 

For Dexter, that may be the most important result to come out of East Prairie tonight.

The scoreboard won’t count.

The answers very well might.