This week, we spotlight four prep football matchups we believe are worth seeing this weekend. The listing includes one of our favorite annual happenings, the Southwestern Conference showdown between East St. Louis and Edwardsville.
It’s like the old cliche says, you can throw the records out when these two teams get together. Something about seeing each other’s uniforms brings out the best in both the Flyers and the Tigers.
But our choice for the game of the week is back on the Missouri side, where Metro Catholic Conference rivals, DeSmet and CBC will hook up in a matchup of unbeaten teams. Here’s an inside look:
#1 Fri., Sept. 18 DeSmet (3-0) at CBC (3-0) 7 p.m.
It’s only Week 4, but we might already be able to call this matchup the Metro Catholic Conference Game of the Year. It certainly looks like it’s going to decide the league championship this year, with both teams already owning wins over SLUH and Chaminade.
Third-ranked DeSmet has been just brilliant on defense this season. The Spartans have already posted two shutouts and have allowed just one TD all year, and that score came at garbage time last week in a 35-7 win over SLUH.
On offense, DeSmet is led by SMU-bound quarterback Stephen Kaiser, and features several talented playmakers including sophomore wide receiver Durron Neal and senior running back David Hill.
CBC has an exciting little RB of its own in 5’6, 165-pound Josiah Stanfield. “JoJo” as his teammates call him, might be a lil’ man, but he makes big plays. Especially when he gets his wiggle going and starts making defenders miss. He went off for 220 yards and a TD in last week’s win over Chaminade, and comes into Week 4 the area leader in rushing, with 639 yards and nine TDs.
#2 Fri., Sept. 18 East St. Louis (1-2) at Edwardsville (2-1) 7 p.m.
East Side really put it on Alton last week. The Flyers led 41-7 in the first quarter, pulled their starters in the second quarter, and still won the game 77-7. Looks like East Side needed to take out some of those frustrations for the two losses in Ohio. This week will likely be a tougher challenge for the Flyers.
Edwardsville is coming off a loss to Belleville East last week. Bruising junior RB/LB Rodney Coe must have a big night for the Tigers, if they’re going to hang with East Side for more than a half.
#3 Thurs., Sept. 17 Webster Groves (2-0) at Parkway Central (3-0) 7 p.m.
This special Thursday night showdown might be the best matchup of the weekend. It’ll pit the explosive Webster Groves offense, which is averaging 42 points a game, against the big-hitting Parkway Central defense, which is allowing less than a touchdown a game.
Webster QB Derrick Dilworth, the Suburban South Conference’s top-rated passer, is a nifty little lefty, with big-play capability every time he drops back to throw. Parkway Central is led by the area’s best defensive player in senior LB Lee Ward. Last week, the 6’2, 240-pounder, who doubles as Central’s starting RB, scored the game-winning TD and posted a game-high 12 tackles, three QB pressures, and two forced fumbles.
#4 Sat., Sept. 19 Festus (2-1) at Normandy (2-1) 1 p.m.
This matchup of non-conference foes, might be the most entertaining contest of the weekend, with two high-scoring offenses pitted against one another. Normandy is a fun team to watch, mostly because of its very talented stable of two-way players, which include seniors Arthur Penny III, Denzel Pernell, and Jared Williams.
QB Terrell Whitfield is a talented sophomore and new starter on varsity, but he needs to develop better touch on his passes. He’s got a great arm, but misses the mark too much, evidenced by his 0 TD passes and 5 INTs this season.
QB Shawn Crump is the man on offense for Festus. The Tigers run a hybrid version of the spread offense, which basically boils down to Crump throwing or running it himself on nearly every play. It’s quite a workload for the 6′, 190-pounder, but his more than 650 yards of total offense, five passing TDs, and four rushing scores suggests he’s able to handle it. Other feature players for Festus, include the Ruffin brothers, Jordan and Xavier, a couple of standout seniors who start on both offense and defense.
Other games of note
Thurs., Sept. 17
Parkway W. at Francis Howell 6 p.m.
Eureka at Parkway N. 7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 18 Kirkwood at Lafayette 7 p.m.
Collinsville at O’Fallon 7 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 19
Pattonville at McCluer N. 1 p.m.
Hazelwood W. at Hazelwood E. 1 p.m.
Northwest Academy at Sumner 1:30 p.m.
