GOSNELL, Ark. -- Gosnell controlled the football and the game against Dexter Friday night rolling to a 27-13 win over the Bearcats at home.
Gosnell earned the win with a punishing ground game that ate up yards and swallowed valuable time off the game clock to keep Dexter's offenseon the side lines.
"Time of possession," said Dexter head football coach Aaron Pixley after the game when asked what he thought was the story line ofthe night was. "They doubled it on us. They had the ball twice as long as we had it. It's tough for your offense to get in sync if they are standing on the side line all night long."
Gosnell (1-1) dominated time of possession, 31:01 to 16:59, and held a total yards advantage of 294 to 197 over Dexter. The Pirates attempted only five passes all night and connected on only one for a minus three yards.
"Whenever you're playing second-and-four or second-and-three all night long, then it's tough to stop a team from driving it down your throat," Pixley said of Gosnell's ability to rush for big chunks of yardage on first down. "We just didn't get it done across our defense. Gosnell had a very good offensive line.
"Gosnell fumbled the ball eight time last week and lost that game," Pixley continued pointing to a season-opening 52-37 loss by the Pirates. "They drove the ball all over the field against Poinsett County. It could have very well been the other way around score-wise.
"We told our team that and I think some of our kids believed it and some of them didn't," he continued. "We found out tonight that they are a very prideful football team and they're tough. We had to match their toughness and they came out on top.
"It's very disciplined football," Pixley noted of Gosnell's style of play. "It's just raw, hard-nosed, face-to-face physical football and they beat us."
Senior Alex Becker rushed for 110 yards on 17 carriers for Dexter, and along with an improved showing by the offensive line, gave Pixley and the 'Cats some positives to build on heading into next Friday's game at home against Sikeston.
Dexter, 0-2, scored it's first offensive points of the season in the loss. Quarterback Josh Stevens scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter to give Dexter a 7-6 lead, then connected with senior Eric Rinehart on a pass across the middle for 21-yards and a touchdown late in the third quarter to cut Gosnell's lead to 21-13.
Sophomore Clint Mchan was the workhorse in the backfield for Gosnell, lugging the ball 28 times for 95 yards, but it was Josh Anderson's 50-yard run on the game's opening drive for six points that set the tone for the game. Anderson finished the game with 10 carries for 112 yards, and his dash through the Dexter defense early stacked Gosnell to a 6-0 lead after a unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt.
Dexter would answer in the second period with a seven-play drive that covered 56 yards and resulted in Stevens' 3-yard run around end on what appeared to be a busted play. Josh Davis' PAT was good and Dexter led 7-6 with 9:02 remaining in the second.
Gosnell answered on its next possession using over eight minutes to cover 72 yards and retake the lead on a 10-yard run by Chris Vaughn (9-for-76 yards). Mchan's run for a two-point PAT was good and Gosnell led, 14-7.
A interception in the third set up Gosnell's third touchdown. The turnover gave the Pirates the ball on the Dexter 28-yard line and five plays later, Mchan pushed it across from 1-yard out. The PAT kick was good and Gosnell led, 21-7.
Dexter again answered after a change of possessions when the 'Cats capped a four play drive from the Pirates 46-yard line in the third quarter with a touchdown pass from Stevens to Rinehart. The drive was aided by a 15-yard face mask penalty, but a missed PAT left Dexter trailing 21-13.
Gosnell tacked on the game's final score on their ensuing possession using the final few second in the third quarter and nearly half the fourth period to put together a 13-play drive that covered 66 yards.
Mchan bowled over from three yards out for the TD and the attempted 2-
point PAT was no good setting the final score at 27-13. Dexter's linebackers led the way defensively, accounting for 38 of the team's 62 charted tackles. Senior Austin Matthews led the way with 16 tackles (10 solo), followed by sophomore David Hessling's nine (7 solo), senior Josh Davis' seven (5 solo) and junior Zach Ventura's six solo.