Cape Central triumphs over Dexter in memorable return to historic gym

The Cape Central Tigers turned back the clock to the 20th century by playing a boys' basketball game at old Tiger Field House on Thursday, Jan. 9, in Cape Girardeau.

The Tiger Field House, now a part of Terry W. Kitchen Junior High School, was the former home of Cape Central HS before a new building was constructed in 2002.

35 years after their most recent state championship (1980) the Tigers returned to their old stomping grounds and defeated Dexter 55-36.

Cape Central head coach Lamont Frazier, who graduated from Charleston in 1990 as a three-time state champion, remembered his old battles with the Tigers in the Tiger Field House.

"You see the guys going up and down, and obviously, as a player, you see it differently than you do as a coach," Fraizer said. "I guess this was just as nostalgic for me as it was for hopefully some of the fans who got to come back and see a game."

The Tigers were led by the trio of TySeanDre Edwards (16 points) Mar’K Mills (15 points) and Mateo Rivers (10 points). The Tigers made four baskets from the three-point line and Edwards made all four of Cape Central’s free throws.

"They just have a natural knack to score and they kind of play off one another really well," Fraizer said. "Those guys do a very good job of playing at all three levels. Mateo has done a great job of being a facilitator and then picking and choosing his opportunities."

When the Tigers win, they usually win by wide margins. However, this is the first time this season Cape Central won a game despite scoring less than 60 points.

"Their pace is a little different. For them it's about — and again, I'm speaking from the other guy sitting on the other end — time of possession," Fraizer said. "Try to let you allow your offense to be part of your defense. And then defensively try to force the other team to take low-percentage shots and not give up second-chance points. And so, when facing that, and you have to have a plan of attack, you got to stick to that in hopes that at some point it breaks free and you can get an easy basket here or there. Because in a game like this, a 10-point lead is a big deal."

Dexter was led by John Sepulvado, who scored 11 points as the only double-digit scorer for the Bearcats.

"We struggled offensively and I thought John did a great job for us," Dexter head coach Chad Allen said.

The Tigers took control of the game early with a 13-6 first-quarter lead, led by Mills being responsible for half the points in the period. Will Guthle scored five points in the second quarter for Dexter but the Bearcats only made slight progress against the Tigers, going into halftime down 26-14.

Led by Elijah Ibrahim's eight second-half points, the Bearcats improved their scoring in each quarter by two points. However, the Tigers only increased their lead with each period to cruise to victory.

"I just thought we didn't come out here ready to play and ready to go up against their intensity," Allen said. "They just really got at us early and set the tone. By the time we even sort of adjusted, it was definitely a little too late."

Cape Central (8-4) will host cross-town rival Notre Dame on Jan. 14, to start a slate of rivalry matchups, especially in the SEMO Conference. The Bulldogs recently defeated New Madrid County Central 61-33 on Thursday led by Brett Dohogne's 16 points.

Cape Central is also later set up for a third rematch with Jackson on Jan. 24, in Jackson. The Indians defeated Kennett 50-46 on Thursday with Kole Deck scoring 23 points and Jory Thoma putting up 18.

This is usually the part of the season that brings the most excitement for fans a players alike. But similar to the Christmas Tournament, Fraizer stresses the importance of focusing on the process.

"Honestly, I wish I knew what was in their heads. "I could probably write a book and just retire," Fraizer said. "We really tried to adapt their focus to let's just do what we're supposed to do right now."