This is the final week of the regular season in high school football around the metro area. After this weekend, teams on both sides of the river will start preparing for postseason action. It will be exciting.
On tap this weekend are two big non-conference games, one involving top small schools and the other featuring two undefeated large schools.
On Friday night, John Burroughs will visit Maplewood in a battle of state-championship contenders in their respective classes. John Burroughs is ranked No. 1 in Class 3 while Maplewood is a prime challenger in Class 2.
Both teams have an electric performer on offense and a dominant player on defense. John Burroughs features senior tailback Ezekiel Elliott, who has rushed for 1,139 yards and has scored 28 touchdowns. Maplewood counters with dual-threat quarterback Kahlid Hagens, who has passed for 1,560 yards and rushed for 747 yards. He has accounted for 26 touchdowns. On defense, John Burroughs is led by senior Christian Bledsoe while Mapelwood is led by standout lineman Antar Thompson.
The CBC Cadets are seeking another undefeated regular season, but they must defeat another unbeaten team in Francis Howell to do so. CBC has been a dominant team all season, averaging 42 points while giving up only seven points a game. Senior tailback Jonathan Parker has scored eight touchdowns in the past two weeks. Howell is having another strong season after advancing to the Class 6 state semifinals last year. They are led by tailback Donte Harrell, who has rushed for 965 yards and 20 touchdowns.
*Soldan’s Emmanuel Vaughn is one of the area’s most unique players. The 6’4” 210-pound Vaughn has been a standout at wide receiver and defensive end for the Tigers. On offense, Vaughn has 45 receptions for 807 yards and 13 touchdowns. On defense, he leads the area with 20 quarterback sacks. Vaughn had a typical game last Friday night in the Tigers’ 26-8 victory at Gateway Tech. He had four receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown. On defense, he had 10 tackles, three sacks and two fumble recoveries. That’s a dominant performance.
*Vianney junior tailback Markel Smith enjoyed another huge performance last Friday night. Smith rushed for 403 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Golden Griffins past Farmington 62-47.
*We still have nine area teams that are undefeated heading into the last week of the season. They are CBC, Kirkwood, Lafayette, Francis Howell, Miller Career Academy, John Burroughs, St. Dominic, Sullivan and Jerseyville.
*Parkway North running backs Johnathan Little and Roderick Hoskins were quite a dynamic duo in the Vikings’ 56-7 victory over Seckman last Friday night. Hoskins rushed for 256 yards on 10 carries and scored four touchdowns. Little rushed for 251 yards on eight carries and four touchdowns. One of those scores was a 90-yard kickoff return.
Top Games of the Week
Francis Howell at CBC, Friday, 7 p.m.
John Burroughs at Maplewood, Friday, 7 p.m.
Parkway South at Eureka, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Summit at Parkway Central, Friday, 7 p.m.
Borgia at Sullivan, Friday, 7 p.m.
Priory at St. Dominic, Friday, 7 p.m.
DeSmet vs. Vashon at Gateway Tech, Thur, 6:30 p.m.
McCluer at Hazelwood Central, Saturday, 1 p.m.
St. Mary’s at Lutheran North, Saturday, 1 p.m.
(You can watch Earl Austin Jr. talking high school football on Friday nights on The Prep Zone on KTVI-Fox 2 with host Maurice Drummond at 10:20 p.m.).
