DEXTER -- Lloyd Hyten loves basketball and the City of Dexter.
He should be a perfect fit to lead the Dexter High School boys basketball program.
"I was born and raised in Dexter. I've always lived in Dexter," said Hyten who played for the school's all-time winningest boys basketball coach Jim Hall. "All my kids graduated Dexter. My son (Chris) was first-team All-State. My daughters were cheerleaders and one of them is a kindergarten teacher here now ... so we're Dexter folks. I just want to see the program succeed."
Hyten, who takes over for former coach Josh Dowdy who resigned to become the Dexter Athletic Director, has coached basketball off and on since the mid-1990s when he became involved in AAU basketball. He coached mainly third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders over a stretch of nearly 20 years.
Two years ago, Dowdy approached the now 65 year old about coaching the middle school team. Hyten coached seventh and eighth grade for one year. The next year, Dowdy asked Hyten to move up to the high school.
"I enjoyed the middle school. I enjoyed the JV," Hyten said. "We've got a big challenge ahead of us (next season). Ninety-three percent of our scoring graduated. Five of the top six (players) graduated."
The Bearcats went 18-10 last season, repeating as Bloomfield Christmas Tournament and Stoddard County Activities Association regular-season champions while winning 11 straight games at one point.
Hyten said that big man Gabe Jackson, 3-point shooters Alan Pippins and Ben Sindle, swingman Clay Mullins and defensive specialist Dawson Kasting are irreplaceable.
"It's going to be really hard to replace them," Hyten said. "I don't think there's a lot of people who expect a lot out of our program coming up this year, but the thing I look at, we've got a bunch of juniors who could have played last year on some other teams.
"Braxton Foster wants to prove some things. Seth Rogers is really talented. He plays a lot bigger than he is. ... We've got a big boy (Ethan Kincy) I think can help us some."
Hyten also mentioned guards Nate Gargas and Joe Rice, who along with Foster, saw plenty of action late last season because of a slew of injuries that left only one senior -- Jackson -- healthy by season's end.
Hyten believes that several players from last year's junior varsity team will have an impact. Hyten led the Bearcats to a 14-5 finish that included 14 straight wins and the Van Buren and SCAA tournament championships.
"(Garrett) Henson had a really good JV year and so did (Haden) Hillis. Spencer Warren's got some size," said Hyten, who also mentioned Logan Wyman.
"Our JV team lost the first three games and then won 14 straight and then we lost the last two by single (digits)," Hyten said. "Everybody makes excuses. We probably would've won both of them, but we were moving a couple of them up on varsity."
Hyten was enthused by his team's showing in the Rib City Shootout last weekend at the Bearcat Event Center. The Bearcats went 3-1.
After losing 31-28 to Ripley, Tenn., in the opener, they beat Calloway County, Ky., Hazelwood East and Lyon County, Ky.
"Ripley, they were super talented," Hyten said. "They jumped out 9-2 or 9-3. With a bunch of kids who didn't play all the time (last year), we could've just folded, but we came back and we're one ahead (28-27 on a 3-pointer by Rogers) with two minutes to go and tied with 1:15 to go. We lost by three, and I thought that last shot (a 3-point attempt by Rogers) was in. That's what I told them afterward, it's June 1, it's summer basketball, but I couldn't be more proud of them for a first game."
Hyten knows expectations from outside the program will be low for the upcoming season.
"I'm not writing the season off," Hyten said. "Realistically, are we going to win a state tournament? No. Are we going to win the district? No, probably not. So what do we do? Do we reside ourselves to be mediocre or do we try to get better? ... I think they'll give a good effort, and they'll surprise some people. I've got kids who aren't going to give up. We're going to try to prove people wrong. Long-term, I think the future is looking pretty good."
The Bearcats have some quality freshmen coming up who can contribute if they work hard this summer, according to Hyten.
"Rob Nichols has an excellent eighth-grade team," Hyten said. "I don't think they lost a game (as seventh-graders) last year. He's got some size. He's got some shooters. I think the Dexter program is on the rise."
Professionally, Hyten worked at Arvin/Faurecia for 37 years before retiring in 2010. He worked in industrial engineering for 17 years before moving into management. Since his retirement, he returned short-term to Faurecia to work on projects three times.
"I like these kids. It's fun being around them. We've got a good relationship, I think," Hyten said. "I'm expecting to come in and work hard and leave it out on the court and represent the school and the community in a positive fashion."