SEMO News Service photo by Alex Abate Kennett's Davontee Childress (right) tackles Dexter's Aaron Mace during Thursday's SEMO Central Conference football game at Charles Bland Stadium in Dexter. The Tribe lost to Dexter 26-21 -- Kennett's ninth straight loss to the Bearcats -- to finish 6-4 for the second year in a row. [Click to enlarge]

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Dexter Bearcats never gave up Thursday night at home against Kennett.

Bearcats quarterback Ben Mills completed an 83-yard strike to Gary Summers with 11 seconds left to secure a comeback win, 26-21.

"We told the kids on the sidelines with 23 seconds left and we were down by one point, we told them, 'listen, never say die, anything can happen, just keep fighting,'" Dexter coach Aaron Pixley said.

SEMO News Service photo by Jerry Jarrell Kennett's Tevin Hampton (with ball) is wrapped up by Dexter's Hunter Bruce (11) during Thursday's SEMO Central Conference football game at Charles Bland Stadium in Dexter. [Click to enlarge]

The win puts the Bearcats at 4-6 to finish the season and 3-1 in the SEMO Central Conference.

"We wanted to win for the seniors tonight," Mills said. "It was a rough season but we wanted to pull it out for them tonight."

The Bearcats stopped Kennett on the last play of the game and forced Blake Parr to throw deep out of bounds as time ran out.

"That last play was all because of our pressure on him," Pixley said. "We did it with a three-man line and I am very proud of their effort on that."

After Mills threw an interception with 2:34 remaining in the game, the Bearcats defense was forced to hold and it did just that. Kennett got off a punt and the Bearcats took over on their own 17-yard line with 23 seconds remaining.

"He was supposed to run a post and I told him, 'take a step inside and if you can run a seam and get by him, I am going to heave it and I hope you come down with it'," Mills said.

The Kennett defender went for the interception near the right sideline but the ball was too high for him so after Summers brought it in, there was no one in front of him.

"I was going to stop and try and come up and catch it but the ball was too high and was too far ahead of him so I just kept running and let it right into my hands," Summers said after finishing with 138 yards receiving.

The completion at the end of the game was a needed one for Mills, who had two interceptions on the night.

"He needed that," Pixley said. "He needed that situation and now he knows he can make plays in that situation."

After a first half that saw Kennett (6-4, 2-2) take a 14-7 lead going into the break, the Bearcats came out fresh in the second half. They went on a 76 yard drive that lasted eight plays and tied the game at 14 on a Hessling run and an extra point with 8:56 left in the third quarter.

"We come out in the third quarter and really slammed it down their throat and were looking great," Pixley said. "I was thinking, 'this is what we have to do'."

Dexter scored another touchdown near the end of the third quarter on another Hessling run but the extra point was missed which gave the Bearcats a 20-14 lead. Kennett got a go-ahead score with 3:36 remaining in the contest as Blake Parr found Jimmie Gooden and an extra point by Drake Daniels gave Kennett a 21-20 edge.

"He is a good quarterback and he's got an excellent arm," Pixley said of Parr. "He has got good receivers."

The Bearcats, after losing two straight district contests coming into the season finale, were a bit shaken mentally coming in.

"Starting off the game, for sure, we were a little unsure and maybe a little timid," Pixley said. "Once it got going and the sweat started coming off of us, we just started playing."

Parr finished the game with 16 completions for 153 yards and a score while running for 57 yards and another score while Mills threw for 183 yards.

Jarvis Finley led the Tribe in receiving with 62 yards on five catches, while Gooden added 13 yards on two catches and also scored the game's first points on a 90-yard interception return for a TD.

Notes: Finley finished the season with 853 yards receiving on 46 catches, while Gooden added 513 yards on 27 receptions. Parr finished the season with 2,220 yards and 21 TDs passing on 155-for-267 passing. … Kennett dominated the time of possession, 27:59 to 20:01. … The Tribe was penalized 11 times for 95 yards.