Dexter wins first district title since 2019

The Dexter Bearcat Tennis team set two goals at the beginning of the season. Those were to qualify at least one member of the team for sectionals. This goal was checked off the list when Peyton Boles advanced to sectionals last week.

The second goal was to win the district championship as a team. On Wednesday afternoon it was mission accomplished as Dexter swept Potosi 5-0 at home to win the title for the first time since 2019.

“One of our goals this year was to win districts and one of our goals was to get somebody qualified for districts,” said Dexter Coach Eric Boles. “We haven't won a district title since 2019. My first two years coaching here we got a district title in 2018 and 2019. But we have had a drought since then and we have never been the number one seed since I have been coaching, so this is the first year we have gotten to host the district final. And it is really exciting to come out here and see the boys perform as they did and win as decisively as they did.”

In doubles action Dexter's Peyton Boles and Lawson Blocker started quickly building a 4-1 lead over Potosi's Isiah Marty and Draven Griffin. Marty and Griffin battled back and took a 5-4 lead and then seemed close to victory taking a 7-6 lead. Boles and Blocker then swept the final three games to win 9-7.

“They (Boles and Blocker) have done that a couple times this year, they are a little slow starting in doubles,” said Boles. “Here is the thing, they are mentally strong and they complement each other well. I didn't have any doubts that they would come back, it was just a matter of how close they would make it.”

“I just have faith in them (Boles and Blocker),” Boles continued. “Like I said I have faith in all of these guys, there is not a boy I'm worried about putting out there and knowing they are going to perform well.”

There was little drama the rest of the way for Dexter. Dexter's Cooper Worley and Drew Chamberlain defeated Wyatt Mercer and Haydin Eckhoff 8-3 and Logan Jones and Rhyder Williams defeated Wyatt Richards and Logan Compton 8-1. In singles action Williams defeated Compton 6-0, 6-1 and Jones defeated Richards 6-3, 6-2.

Boles spoke about his message to his team going into sectionals.

“My message from this point on is everything we do from now on is gravy,” said Boles. “We are going to enjoy ourselves, we are going to play and we are going to battle like we have done all year but we are not going to get down on ourselves, we are just going to have a good time and let the guns go.”

The Bearcats will travel to St. Louis for the Sectional Round of MSHSAA’s Boys Tennis Tournament where they will take on District 4 winner University City High School. The date and time for the sectional match has yet to be determined.

“We are just going to let it fly, let it fly, let it fly,” Boles said. “Because when we play conservative we struggle but when we play like we have got nothing to lose, we are fun to watch.”