The 44th
Annual MSHSAA Show-Me Bowl State Football Championships took over
the Edward Jones Dome last weekend, and once again proved to be the
ultimate high school football experience for all that came down to
see it.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The 12 best teams in the state converged on the Dome, for six games in two days, and when it was over, there was no doubt left as to who were the most deserving state champions this year.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Unfortunately, none of the four STL teams at the Dome were able to bring home state titles, each losing in close ballgames against teams that seemed to have mastered the concept of power football.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The STL teams, CBC, Kirkwood, MICDS and John Burroughs all seemed to have an edge in speed and skill, but just could not compete on the offensive and defensive lines with the eventual championship teams from Kansas City and Springfield.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Nevertheless, anyone that came down to the Dome last weekend would have to agree that the Show-Me Bowl experience was an enjoyable one.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>For those that weren’t able to make it down, here’s a quick recap of some of the spectacular action you missed. “font-family: Verdana;”>Â
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>MEET THE NEW CHAMPS “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>: Class 1 — Valle Catholic Warriors (14-1), Class 2 – Lamar Tigers (14-1), Class 3 – Logan-Rogersville Wildcats (14-1), Class 4 – Webb City Cardinals (15-0), Class 5 – Staley Falcons (14-0), Class 6 – Blue Springs South Jaguars (12-2).  “font-family: Verdana;”>Â
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>BEST GAME “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>: Class 3 Championship – Webb City 56 MICDS 42.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>What an unbelievable game! With 4 minutes left, it was tied 42 all, with hometown MICDS having just completed a two-TD comeback, thanks to QB Thomas Militello’s fourth & fifth TD passes of the game.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>And that last TD, a 39-yarder to dynamic WR Foster Bundy, was one of those OMG, did I just see that kind of moments, when Bundy somehow reeled in a diving catch while being surrounded in triple-coverage.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Militello probably shouldn’t have even thrown the pass. Yet, Bundy was able to haul it in to tie the score.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>But the boys from Webbie are something else. And QB Breckin Williams proved it once again, by breaking loose for a 76-yard TD run that gave the Cardinals three 100-yard rushers in the game, and the final lead either team would have, which allowed Webb to claim its 10th state championship.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>A number of Show-Me Bowl records were set in the game, including the combined 98 points scored, which was the most ever in a MSHSAA state championship contest.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>BEST PLAYER “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>: Staley RB Morgan Steward.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Mizzou fans that hadn’t seen Steward up close & personal, are now just salivating over this 4-star recruit, who ran up, down, and all around Kirkwood for 205 yards & a key TD in Staley’s 35-21 win in the Class 5 championship game.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>A 6’1, 215-pound bundle of power, speed, & quickness, Steward is set to be the big RB Mizzou fans have coveted for years.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>And he’ll be landing in black & gold just in time for the Tigers’ new venture into the SEC – a land where little scat backs tend to get swallowed up, but big bruisers like Steward seem to flourish. “font-family: Verdana;”>Â
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Rivals.com has Steward rated the sixth-best player in Missouri, and the 22nd best RB in the country, and he looked every bit like it and more, as he carried Staley to its first state championship in school history.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>BEST PLAYER (LOCAL) “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>: MICDS QB Thomas Militello.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The 6’4, 220-pound signal-caller turned a lot of heads locally this season, when he piled up nearly 3000 passing yards & 40 TDs heading into Friday’s Class 4 championship game.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>But he might have done his best work in the championship game, when he completed a Show-Me Bowl record 36 passes-on-46 attempts for 415 yards and five touchdowns.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>An Ivy League-recruit, who’s headed to Dartmouth next year, Militello might have earned himself the STL-area Player of the Year award with his performance. It’s just too bad it came in a losing effort and against a juggernaut like Webb City. “font-family: Verdana;”>Â
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>BEST MOMENT “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>: When John Burrough’s Ezekiel Elliott, the STL-area leader in TDs (42), scored to give his team a 14-13 lead late in Saturday’s Class 3 championship game against Logan-Rogersville.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Burroughs had fallen behind Logan-Rogersville 13-7, and had some trouble establishing its usually explosive offense.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>But that’s when Elliott stepped up his game and nearly carried the Bombers to the state championship.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The 6’0, 190-pound junior finished the game with 21 carries for 150 yards and two TDs, but it was his unfortunate moment later that coast Burroughs its shot at the state title. “font-family: Verdana;”>Â
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>WORST MOMENT “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>: Watching Elliott cry his eyes out on the shoulders of teammate & QB Davey Holmes, after the RB’s final-minute fumble kept Burroughs from tying the score late against Logan-Rogersville.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Elliott had just broken free on a brilliant run from the 15-yard line, that seemed headed for the endzone, when a defender no one saw initially, leveled a hit on Elliott that jarred the ball loose and was recovered by Logan-Rogersville’s Dylan Cole. Â
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>From there, the Wildcats ran out the clock to claim their first state championship ever, while Elliott was nearly inconsolable on the sidelines and during the trophy presentations.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Fortunately, the young man will be back for his senior season in 2012, and will be considered one of the best players in St. Louis next year.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>He’ll get a chance next year to right what had to seem like the greatest wrong of his young life.
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>BEST TEAM “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>: Webb City Cardinals.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>With all due respect to the big boys from Blue Springs South and Staley, I have to go with Webb City as the best team in the state this year, regardless of classification.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The Cardinals are just unbelievable with their ground game, which averaged more than 315 yards and 40 points a game this season.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Against MICDS, which had a defense led by Mizzou-bound LB Michael Scherer, Webbie ran for 478 yards and scored eight rushing TDs. And I just believe they could’ve done that against any opponent they faced this season.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>In my opinion, not even the big boys in Classes 5 or 6, could’ve stopped Webbie this year. The Cardinals are just that doggone good. “font-family: Verdana;”>Â
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>BEST TEAM (LOCAL) “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>: CBC Cadets.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Unbeaten until the title game, and averaging 44 points/game, CBC should finish the year as the top-ranked team in St. Louis, despite its Show-Me Bowl loss to Blue Springs South.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>QB Dalton Demos threw for nearly 2800 yards and 33 TDs this year, while RBs Antonio Brown and Jonathan Parker combined for nearly 2500 rushing yards and 25 TDs.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The Cadet offense was just unbelievable, and we all saw what that defense could do in the Class 6 STL city championship game against SLUH, when CBC forced turnover after turnover and scored 38 points in the first quarter of an eventual 66-28 win over the Jr. Billikens.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Class 5 city champ Kirkwood was quite good, as was Metro East champ East St. Louis, and a whole bunch of others, but IMHO (that’s in my humble opinion, for those that are behind the new lingo), the CBC Cadets were the best team in the area this year. “font-family: Verdana;”>Â
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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>WHAT IT ALL MEANS “font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>:
That the
cycle has come full circle again, and the KC-area teams are
flat-out better than our boys here in the STL.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>We saw this trend begin a bit in the early 00’s, when KC powers Rockhurst, Blue Springs, Blue Springs South, and Raymore-Peculiar, dominated the Show-Me Bowl experience and took turns winning all the state titles.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Then, Hazelwood Central and Webster Groves kind of flipped the script and combined to win three titles in championship game appearances over a span of just a few years.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>But this year, the KC teams – powered by some incredible offensive and defensive line play – really swung the balance of power back to the western side of the state, with two KC teams winning, along with three Springfield/Joplin-area teams.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>And next year could be more of the same, as many of the top players on KC’s top teams will be back again next year.Â
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>CBC loses a lot next year, but Kirkwood will have a bunch of guys back, as will Webster Groves, Hazelwood East, and McCluer North. Lafayette and SLUH are always talented, while Ft. Zumwalt West, Maplewood, Cardinal Ritter, and Miller Career Academy figure to have strong squads again next year as well.Â
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>So our boys will certainly be back next year, with as good a shot as any at claiming some of that MSHSAA championship hardware. And you know East St. Louis, O’Fallon, Cahokia, and a host of others will be back for another run at a title on Ill-side next year, so the football fun will be at its peak once again next year.Â
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Let’s just hope our boys are able to keep some of that championship hardware here in town and not all out west like in Missouri, or all up north like in Illinois, next year.Â
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>I don’t want to speak for everybody else, but if you’re a high school football junkie like me, you probably feeling a little like Bart Scott, CAN’T WAIT!Â
