District championship notebook: Dyes leads Sikeston boys basketball team at charity stripe

SIKESTON, Mo. -- In a game that was too close for comfort, senior Dominique Dyes was Sikeston's proverbial pillow.

Cape Central refused to fold late in the fourth quarter of Friday's Class 4 District 1 championship, pulling within a possession several times inside the final minutes.

Not even the roar of a standing-room-only crowd at the Sikeston Field House was able to tamper with Dyes' emotions, as he stepped to the line each time feeling more and more confident.

In the final 36 seconds, the 5-foot-10 guard hit five crucial free throws that sealed the Bulldogs' 59-55 victory, and he wrapped up his night with 16 points.

"No words can explain it," Dyes said. "... I had a focus, and I've been in so many close games that I didn't even feel pressure.

Sikeston's Dominique Dyes drives to the basket against Cape Central's Tevyn Wright-Hunt (4) and Garrett Jackson (42) in the Class 4, District 1 championship game Friday night at the Sikeston Field House. (David Jenkins/Standard Democrat)

"I just felt like I was in the gym by myself. It was incredible."

It's the kind of confidence the 27-1 Bulldogs have come to expect with Dyes embarking on his final varsity campaign, one that permeates throughout the rest of the team. Sikeston's sharpshooter entered the game hitting 42 percent of his 3-point shots, and his 208 attempts proves he's more than willing to carry the load.

"He's been a great senior leader for us," Bulldogs coach Gregg Holifield said. "He really stepped up and hit some really big shots, those free throws.

"He's the type of guy who thrives in that situation, and he just kind of pulled us together."

Dyes added four rebounds and five assists in the winning effort, but the scoring wasn't indicative of his lethal self.

On a night when Sikeston struggled to knock down long-range shots, finishing 9.5 percent (2 of 21) from 3-point range, Dyes made only one 3-pointer in five attempts. However, he was perfect from 2-point range (3 of 3) and finished 7 of 9 from the charity stripe.

"He had a great game, knocked down some really big free throws," said Sikeston sophomore Fred Thatch, who contributed 15 points in the win. "He talked everyone through it. He's got the most experience on the team, and he was just a good leader this game. He led us to the 'W.'"

There were even other microcosms to Dyes' poise down the stretch that showed an unyielding maturity, like when he purposely missed his final free throw in order to force the Tigers to rebound and run out the remainder of the clock.

Dyes is averaging 16.7 points and a team-high 4.3 assists per game this season, and his leadership is playing a pivotal role in the development of the Bulldogs' top weapon in Thatch.

"He's hard on everybody, but at the same time, he respects us," Thatch said about Dyes. "Me and him bump heads sometimes because we both think we're always right, but at the end of the day, it always does us good. ... Maybe when everybody's gone, I'll lead the team like he did."

Sikeston has won all four of its tournaments this season, as the Bulldogs' body of work reached another plateau with Friday's victory.

Perhaps even more liberating for Dyes was getting the chance to celebrate a district championship on his home floor. After the game, he was reminded of the disapppointment in watching Notre Dame win last year's title and how it motivated he and his teammates to prevent that from happening again.

"We had pictures of the last district championship, and we just looked at that moment and reflected back on that moment," Dyes said. "Having another team walk on our floor and cheer, it hurt.

"I shed no tears last year because I made up in my mind I was going to go back in the gym and work. Me and my brothers were going to put in the work, and that's what we've been doing."

Still, Dyes insists the overall objective is far from over.

"We're not done. We're not finished," he said. "We've got to bring that state championship home to our people."

Central seniors bid farewell

Cape Central's Al Young drives to the basket against Sikeston during the third quarter of the championship game of the Class 4 District 1 tournament Friday, March 4, 2016 in Sikeston, Missouri.Fred Lynch

Four Tiger seniors, including starters Al Young and Tevyn Wright-Hunt, graduate from this year's team. Kaleb Ward and Garrett Jackson are the other two seniors.

Central wraps up its season with a 21-7 record, and coach Drew Church had nothing but glowing remarks about the imprint his seniors have left on the program.

"They're four guys that have been in our program for four full years, and they're the kind of guys we want," Church said. "Not only are they good athletes, but they're phenomenal guys. They're going to be successful.

"I just really want to thank them for their hard work, and I really think they've continued to help us and put Cape Central on the basketball map."

Central accomplished several historic feats this season, perhaps none more significant than the program's first Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament championship since 1996 and the first in Church's 10 years at the helm.

While Young assumed the spotlight averaging more than 20 points per game, Church was forced to integrate an entirely new group into his varsity rotation. Young entered the season as the Tigers' only player with varsity experience.

"Coach Church has done a fantastic job with this team. I think it's one of his best jobs he's done," Holifield said. "He really gets them to pull together. They win so many close games, and against us, you can see how they play. They come in with a fire in their eyes, and they play outstanding every time we play them."

Young's 14 points led the Tigers in Friday's loss, but the rest of the contributions are encouraging for the future.

Zyshon Mallory, Jawone Newell and Austin Parker each added nine points, while Blake Harris chipped in six points. All four of those players are key returners for next season.

"We've kind of thrown those guys to the fire, and they've really grown this year," Church said. "It wasn't just Al Young, and if you concentrated on Al, I think we did a good job of finding people and having other guys step up."

Young's final game in a Central uniform evoked both reverence and relief from fans across Southeast Missouri, particularly those at rival schools Sikeston and Jackson. He's signed to play football at Southeast Missouri State next season and said he's interested in seeing if he can service the Redhawks on the court as well.

Young said he's looking forward to watching his alma mater from across the town.

"It's a heartbreaker. I hope my team next year can come back and not have the same feeling that I have," Young said. "I hope they can go out and finally get a district championship.

"They'll be good. I think we'll win it next year."

A rejuvenated rivalry

Cape Central's Zyshon Mallory tries to shoot against Sikeston's Juwon Kimble during the first quarter of the championship game of the Class 4 District 1 tournament Friday, March 4, 2016 in Sikeston, Missouri.Fred Lynch

In a strange twist of fate, the Bulldogs found some revenge that was ignited from the gridiron.

The Central football team was stunned by Sikeston in a 23-19 decision during the regular season but rolled past the Bulldogs 41-12 later in a district semifinal. Fast-forward to the winter season when the Tigers handed Sikeston its only loss of the season in a 73-63 decision during the regular season before the Bulldogs redeemed themselves in Friday's district final.

The rivalry between the two teams isn't necessarily budding, but the influx of recent talent has given life to an exciting new brand.

"There are so many phenomenal athletes out there that if you don't leave it all out there, you're going to get embarassed," Church said. "I think these games bring out the best of both teams, and I think it's good for basketball in this area."

According to a Sikeston administrator, around 2,800 people were in attendance for Friday's game, proving that neither team -- nor its fans -- takes the other for granted.

"I respect their program a lot," Thatch said. "Every time they're about to play the Bulldogs, they come out full of intensity, play super hard, and we just always have to come with it. ... We're two of the best teams in the conference, so it's going to always be big."

"We both respect each other," Young said. "Some of them are friends, and some of them, we hang out with every now and then. We respect their game, and they respect ours. It's just fun. Some of them played on my AAU team, so it's crazy to grow up with them. Then in our senior year, we're battling it out to win districts, to win conference. It's pretty fun."