Pretty much everything that went Dexter's way in its season-opening win got flipped against the Bearcats in Week 2.
Dexter was plus-6 on turnovers against Ste. Genevieve, and consistently created short fields for itself in the process. Seth Rogers even returned his first interception 85 yards for a touchdown just before halftime, sending the Bearcats into the locker room with an 8-0 lead and lots of momentum.
While Dexter didn't complete a pass, the rushing game was consistent. Caleb Hoggard had 25 carries for 100 yards and Corbin Strong had 10 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown.
Against the Class 5 Mules in Week 2, however, the Bearcats weren't so fortunate.
Dexter got two quick defensive stops to open the game but found itself moving backward after both teams punted on their first two possessions.
The Bearcats started every first-half drive inside their own 25-yard line, including one from the 5, and didn't make it past midfield in the first half. The average starting spot in the game was at their own 36, while Poplar Bluff was at its own 47.
Even when Dexter put together an 11-play drive on its opening possession -- the one that started from the 5 -- the Bearcats stalled in their own territory and punted.
After another punt from the Dexter 20 and a short return, the Mules had first-and-10 in Dexter territory.
Then came the turnovers on three consecutive drives -- eventually finishing minus-2 on turnovers -- each one led to a Poplar Bluff touchdown, and the Mules went into halftime with a 28-0 lead and lots of momentum.
Dexter had 40 yards of offense in the first half and 187 overall. It wasn't until Poplar Bluff put in its substitutes with a 35-0 third quarter lead that the first string Bearcats started consistently moving the ball.
Hoggard finished with 29 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown, giving him 182 yards on the season and 3.4 yards per carry. Strong added 31 yards on seven carries and now has 102 yards off 17 carries and a 6-yard average.
Quarterback Ben Sindle was 4 for 13 passing for 91 yards with an interception. He found Trevor McDonald for a 50-yard heave in the fourth quarter, connected with Bo McMullin twice for 33 yards and Nick Trout once for eight yards.
A scoop and score for 48 yards by McDonald put Dexter on the scoreboard and gave the Bearcat defense touchdowns in two consecutive weeks.
It also means the Dexter defense has scored half of the team's touchdowns and gained 160 yards in defensive returns. The offense, through two weeks, has 352 yards of total offense.
Defensive end Gabe Jackson, who also played left tackle after moving inside from tight end because of injuries, led the Dexter defense with seven tackles. Braxton Foster, McMullin, Strong and Jett Featherston each had five.
The linebacker trio of McMullin, Strong and Featherston combined for 30 tackles in week 1. Strong leads Dexter in tackling through two weeks with 18.