Missouri prep football semi-finals
By Cedric Williams
For the St. Louis American
It’s semifinal weekend in the Missouri state high school football playoffs. Which for us fans means we’re in store for a couple of the most fun days of the entire sports year. And for several local teams, the excitement and intensity is magnified as they find themselves only one win away from the ultimate, next week’s Show-Me Bowl state championships at the Edward Jones Dome.
Here’s an inside look at this weekend’s semifinal action:
Class 6 Semifinal Fri., Nov. 18 Hazelwood C. (8-3) at Kirkwood (9-1)
7 p.m.
Kirkwood has had one goal on its mind since losing in the final seconds of last year’s semifinals at Hazelwood East. Get to the championship game. Anything else is unacceptable. And the Pioneers have been on path with Friday’s destiny game all season led by their three player-of-the-year candidates, QB Marcus Harris, WR Jeremy Maclin, and DE Willie Dyson. As well as TE Mike McNeil and RB Jocelyn Jones, whose 21 TDs led the Suburban West Conference and rank sixth best in the area.
Hazelwood Central, the sexy top pick in most area preseason polls, was only 3-3 at midseason and on the verge of one of its most disappointing campaigns ever. But the Hawks have regrouped and won five straight, including a 13-10 nailbiter at Lafayette. Central’s turnaround coincided almost exactly with the emergence of QB Marvin McNutt and RB Kelvin Austin. It should also be noted, the road warrior Hawks have lost only one road game all year (at Tennessee state power Melrose). that includes road wins at Jefferson City, Hazelwood East, and Riverview.
Class 6 Semifinal Fri., Nov. 18 Rockhurst (10-1) at DeSmet (9-2)
7 p.m.
Rockhurst has been the top-ranked team in the state all season. And although the score didn’t indicate it, the Hawklets manhandled No. 2-ranked Liberty 19-12 in last week’s quarterfinals. The Hawklets have been considered the favorites towin the Class 6 state title from the beginning of the season.
DeSmet, the cinderellas of the Class 6 playoffs, hope the breaks continue to fall its way. But even if they don’t, the Spartans can turn to two of the area’s best gamebreakers in RB Munir Prince and DE Paddy Mullen. Both are headed to Notre Dame next year and hope to close their brilliant careers with a date at the Dome. Prince scored two touchdowns in the Spartans’ quarterfinal victory over Columbia Rock Bridge while senior quarterback Tommy Corwin threw for 317 yards. Freshman sensation Devin King also scored on an interception return.
Class 5 Semifinal Fri., Nov. 18 McCluer North (8-2) at Webster Groves
(10-0) 7 p.m.
This North County/South County grudge-match is becoming an annual occurrence. At least it seems that way with these teams combining to win the last three Class 5 city championship games (McCluer North last year and Webster the previous two). This will also mark the second time in the last four years that these teams have battled for the Show-Me Bowl berth.
Top-ranked Webster is coming off its two toughest games of the year, 14-10 & 9-7 wins at Francis Howell and Eureka respectively. Prior to those contests the Statesmen had scored at least 35 points in every game. The Webster offense is led by QB duo Justin Taylor and Mike Whittier and bruising RB Robert Swapshire. The Statesmen also feature the area’s best defensive player in behemoth LB Adrian Clayborn.
In the preseason, most pundits predicted a Webster Groves versus Kansas City-area power Raymore-Peculiar thriller in the title game. But don’t tell that to McCluer North. The Stars plan to throw a wrench in those plans. And they’re more than equipped to do it. Especially on defense, where save for two baffling blowout losses to Hazelwood East and Pattonville, McCluer North is allowing just over 10 points.a game. On offense, the Stars are led by QB Ben Hendrix and the area’s best deep threat wideout in senior Norris Johnson, who led the Suburban North Conference with 804 receiving yards and leads the area with a whopping 33.8 yds./catch average.
Class 4 Semifinal Sat., Nov. 19 Duchesne (10-2) at Affton (11-1)
1:30 p.m.
Have you been sleepin’ on Affton? No need to apologize, most people have.
But the Cougars want you to know a couple of things. First of all, their 11-1 record is not a fluke. And second, if not for one bad half against Suburban East Conference rival Ladue (24 measly sub-par minutes), Affton could be undefeated. The Cougars, who shared the league title with Ladue and Clayton, are big and mean on both sides of the ball. Defensively, since that
Week 3 loss at Ladue, Affton has posted three shutouts and allowed just over a touchdown a game. On offense the Cougars feature a brilliant one-two punch in speedy QB D.J. Ford and brawny RB Sherman Golden. The two combined for 231 yards and two touchdowns apiece in Monday’s 27-7 quarterfinal win at Farmington.
Duchesne, another of the area’s unsung teams, was the runaway champ of the GAC North this year, with its only losses coming to small school powers Lutheran North & MICDS. The Pioneers currently boast a nine-game win streak, in which they’ve outscored opponents 248-94. Saturday’s game will mark the fourth time Duchesne has advanced to the state semifinals, but they’ve never made it to the title game. Is this the year?
Class 3 Semifinal Sat., Nov. 19 Mountain Grove (11-1) at MICDS
(12-0) 1:30 p.m.
There hasn’t been a more dominant team in the state of Missouri than the current MICDS Rams (who boast a state best 26-game winning streak) since the Greatest Show on Turf St. Louis Rams debuted earlier in millenium. That said, these Rams show the staying power that the Greatest Show Rams didn’t because they never make mistakes.
Legendary coach Ron Holtmann retired after MICDS won its third state title last year. But new coach Matt Irvin has picked up right where Holtmann left off, as the Rams are just one win away from the Show-Me Bowl.
Small Schools player-of-the year candidate Ted Watt had 2 TDs in Monday’s quarterfinal win over Ste. Genevieve. Quarterback John Engler ranks among the area’s best with 1,395 passing yards and 15 TDs. Mountain Grove might go down as the state’s best team not to make the Show-Me Bowl if it can’t somehow end MICDS’ magic carpet ride winning streak.
Class 2 Semifinal Sat., Nov. 19 Montgomery County (11-1) at Cardinal
Ritter (9-3) 1:30 p.m.
The most entertaining matchup of the weekend might be this showdown of big-play teams. Few area teams can boast the big-play ability of Cardinal Ritter. Evidenced by the Lions 29-18 quarterfinal victory over Crystal City last Monday. Ritter basically blew Crystal City right off the field with two long TD passes by QB Quentin Davie and two dazzling long kick returns for
TDs by brilliant RB Mark Williams. Davie, who might be the single most competive prep player alive, threw for 227 yards in the game and likes to look for speedy wideouts Antonio Gully and DeAndre Gilmore. Gully also ranks as one of the area’s best defensive backs and is tied with two others for the area lead with nine interceptions.
But few teams in the state can match the absolutely electric offense that Montgomery County has produced this season. The Wildcats average over 400 yards a game and are the top scoring team in the state at 43.2 points a game. QB Eric Czerniewski, quite possibly the best passer in the state, has thrown for 3,583 yards and 48 TDs this season. And his top two targets were both 1,000-yard receivers. Ben Longstreet has caught 67 passes for 1,181 yards and 22 TDs, while Trey Hoffman has 73 catches for 1,148 yards and 13 TDs. Expect the scoreboard to be lit up all day, when these teams laced ’em up Saturday afternoon.
