SALEM, Mo. -- It took 10 games, but injuries eventually caught up to the Dexter Bearcats.
With nine preseason starters out, Dexter was exposed on offense and defense as Salem comfortably won 38-0 on Friday in the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 quarterfinals.
Dexter (4-6) committed five turnovers, including a bad snap that was returned for a touchdown. The offense finished with 37 total yards, including 31 rushing yards on 28 carries, while Salem had 346 yards of offense and 239 rushing yards.
The two things combined had Salem (7-3), who will play at Kennett in the semifinals, starting seven of its 11 drives on Dexter's side of the field. The Bearcats' average starting field position was its own 26, while Salem started at the Dexter 47.
"We don't get anything going on offense and also the defense is out there way too long and we are defending a short field. They were in a terrible situation all night and we couldn't help them out too much," Dexter coach Kevin Goltra said.
After a scoreless first quarter the Pirates put up 21 points in the final 7 minutes of the first half.
They got the first touchdown on a 1-yard run off a fumbled snap turned QB sneak, and had to go just 25 yards for the second after a Dexter fumble. After forcing a punt with 33 seconds left in the half, running back Nick Holiday, on a halfback pass, found Lawson Toman wide open up the sideline for a 55-yard touchdown.
Salem converted a third-and-goal from the 13 with a quick slant for a touchdown in the third quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter, a snap sailed over Dexter quarterback Ben Sindle's head and Cameron Camden scooped it up and ran 32 yards to put Salem up by 35 and start the running clock.
Long before the running clock started, though, The Dexter defense was frustrating the Pirates.
On Salem's third offensive play of the game, the Bearcats forced a fumble and Christian Yarber recovered it at the Salem 42.
The Pirates' next drive was bruised after Dexter defensive end Gabe Jackson got a sack for a 7-yard loss. Camden was hit as he threw on third down for an incomplete pass and the Pirates punted to the Dexter 1. Immediately after the drive, everything the Pirates ran was away from Jackson, toward the side of the field where senior Austin Adams would be, but he was out with an injury.
"Gabe had about as good a 1 1/2 quarters on defense as you'll ever see anyone play in high school football. Completely dominant. They went away from Gabe every single time afterwards. That is good game planning by them," Goltra said.
Jackson finished with five tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack.
Dexter went three and out, punted to its own 34, and Salem marched for its first touchdown drive that almost wasn't.
Facing third-and-goal from the 1, Camden fumbled the snap, picked it up and ran forward behind the center and into the end zone. He finished with 84 yards on six carries to lead Salem and threw for another 52 yards.
It wouldn't be the only time luck favored the Pirates. In the third quarter, another fumble on third-and-1 bounced forward and the Pirates landed on it for a 6-yard gain. Three plays later and looking at third-and-goal from the 13, Camden found Chandler Gray on a slant and he ran 10 yards into the end zone.
Sindle finished with minus-54 yards rushing, largely from chasing down snaps that went over his head. Hoggard had 48 yards on 17 carries and Corbin Strong added 24 yards on four carries.
"They were a physical, hard-nosed team. Props to them for being able to get whatever we could succeed at," Hoggard said. "I just think, how we faced the adversity, our players did very well adjusting and I couldn't be more proud to be apart of this team."
Dexter's first and second string centers were out with injuries, as well as its right tackle.
"Poor Shawn Chambers hasn't snapped a football since Week 2," said Goltra of Dexter's third string center who missed several weeks with him own knee injury. "We were in a bad situation but he did everything he could and I was proud of him for his efforts and all the kids for that matter. They played hard, have all year. I'm really proud of these kids. I love this group."
Bo McMullin, playing despite an injured knee, led Dexter with 12 tackles, two for a loss and a forced fumble.
And he wasn't supposed to play.
"That kid is all heart. He's not the athlete his daddy was, is what they all tell me. If his daddy had his heart he must have been a heck of a football player," Goltra said. "Bo has one of the biggest hearts of any football player I know. He's out there on one leg getting sacks, forcing fumbles, getting big hits and beating guys to the ball that have two good legs and are a whole lot faster."
McMullin started at fullback and inside linebacker, but soon left the game because of his knee.
With Salem threatening to break the scoreless game in the second quarter, he asked be let into the game. On the first play, he sniffed out a botched handoff and made the tackle to force third down. He came up limping, and continued to limp between plays all night long.
"Last game, I just wanted to put it all out there," McMullin said. "I didn't really know if I was going to be able to (play) or not. I just wanted to help the team so I went back in."
He refused to leave the game. Goltra said he and the doctor were arguing with him all night, and kept losing the arguments.
Dexter will lose 12 seniors in Adams, Jackson, McMullin, Sindle, Yarber, Zach Cartwright, Landon Henson, Trevor McDonald, Spencer Owens, Kris Rinehart, Nick Trout. For the group, as well as the team, this season was always about earning respect after winning two games last year in Goltra's first season with the team.
"I won't use my own words," Goltra said. "Just listen to other coaches talk about us. Listen to the Ste. Genevieve coach talk about our kids. Coach (Kory) Schweiss from Park Hills Central saying we have improved more than any team he's ever seen in high school football from year one to year two. As bad as we were last year, he was utterly impressed with us this year. And just about every coach has addressed that in some way to us.
"It goes to our senior class, the way they stuck together with 12 of them. We had a good senior class this year. How hard they fought and how hard they worked in the weight room this year, seniors through freshmen, just killing it in the weight room. That's the reason we can play and compete in these physical football games."