Bearcat shooter back healthy and feeling it in recent outing

DEXTER – The task facing the Dexter High School varsity boy’s basketball squad today is going to be difficult, as it travels to Class 2 No. 8-ranked Puxico (16-2) at 7:30 p.m. However, the Bearcats’ chances are greatly improved now that fifth-year Bearcat coach Chad Allen has junior shooter Tucker Temples and sophomore guard John Sepulvado back in the rotation.

“Not having everybody together can throw you off,” Allen said late last month when Temples was out after suffering a concussion.

Temples has returned to action and his shooting prowess wasn’t hindered by him hitting his head.

“He is real heady,” Allen said of Temples with no pun intended. “He’s not fast by any means, but he just gets things done.”

In a narrow defeat to Notre Dame on Thursday at the Bearcat Event Center, Temples sank five 3-pointers and scored a team-leading 15 points.

His shooting, along with that of sophomore shooter Gibson Booker, opens the paint up for Bearcat senior center Ethan Zebelin, who is a true throw-back post player.

“Not only (Temples’) handling the ball,” Allen said, “but he gets the ball to where people need it when they are open and knocking down the threes.”

Like a lot of the Bearcat varsity players this season, Temples is new to the scene. Dexter had a senior-heavy roster last year, and guys like Temples were limited to junior varsity action.

Surprisingly, Temples is shooting more from the perimeter this year than last.

“He really didn’t shoot the ball that well,” Allen said of last winter. “He has just really come into his game this past year.

“He is playing extremely well for us.”

The Bearcats have labored to a 6-14 mark this season after not winning fewer than 15 games over an eight-year span. They have four games over an eight-day span beginning with the battle against the Indians. However, Allen said his team is working hard and he is trying to get them to peak later this month as the Class 4 District 1 Tournament gets underway on Feb. 27.

“We need to try and make a run right now in the second half of this season,” Allen said. “Our District (Class 4 District 1) is a District where I think that we can compete and have some success. We have to keep working and we’ve got to get better until we get in the District tournament.”