Bearcats fall to Dragons in thriller

The Dexter Bearcats didn’t lose on Friday night against Ste. Genevieve in the Class 3, District 1 Semifinals, they just ran out of time.

That was the message Bearcat head coach Chad Jamerson had for his team after they made a thrilling comeback in the 29-28 decision that sent the Dragons to the Class 3, District 1 title game next week against Park Hills.

It will go down as a loss and, yes it ended the Bearcats’ season, but something else happened.

While Dexter was warming up, there was another person near the back of the play looking like a ballhawk streaking in the secondary.

That person was Jamerson.

It’s not known if he hugged every Bearcat player after the game but he came close. He thanked his seniors and said he would always be their coach, something he will never take for granted.

“I always thank these kids for calling me ‘Coach,’” he said. “The three best things that have ever been said to me are the time my wife said ‘I do,’ the first time my daughter called me dad and every single time these kids call me coach. It isn’t something we take lightly. A lot of people look at it as just a football program, for us it’s a way of life. These kids dedicate so much time to these moments, we want them to be as special as they can.”

Lee-Michael McDonald finished with 234 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns while Jackson Howard passed for 191 yards and had three passing touchdowns.

Jett Grams finished with 63 yards and a score for the Bearcats.