The momentum generated by the success of the University of Missouri football program continues to reap positive dividends in terms of recruiting. After winning its bowl game and dominating fashion and finishing in the top five in the final national polls, the Tigers got even more good news on the local recruiting front.
On Monday night, Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel got a verbal commitment from DeSmet High standout Wes Kemp. A 6’4” 215-pound wide receiver, Kemp has originally committed to Wisconsin, but he changed his mind and pledged to attend Mizzou, where he will join DeSmet teammate Robert Steeples and Parkway West quarterback Blaine Gabbert as top St. Louis area players who are headed to Columbia. As an added bonus, the Tigers will also gain the services of former DeSmet star Munir Prince, who is transferring to Mizzou after spending the past two years at Notre Dame. Prince will sit out the 2008 season, then he will have two seasons of eligibility. He will play defensive back at Mizzou.
As a senior, Kemp was one of the leaders for the Spartans, who advanced to the Class 6 state semifinals. He had 30 receptions for 681 yards and nine touchdowns. Kemp will also be remembered for his record-setting performance against Hazelwood Central in the 2005 Class 6 Show-Me Bowl, which DeSmet won in a shootout. Kemp and Steeples were sophomore starters along with Prince, who was a senior on DeSmet’s state-championship team.
*I will be having a book signing for my new basketball book “The PHL in the STL” on Saturday at Afro World (7276 Natural Bridge) from 3-5 p.m. Come on down at buy your copy of the book and enjoy a little conversation about the great days of the Public High League. You can also pick up your copy at the St. Louis American, Johnny Mac’s Sporting Goods (Florissant and Sunset Hills) and on-line at www.earlaustinjr.com. As I wrote last week, a DVD in also in the works on PHL basketball history.
I am also taking preliminary nominations for the top Public High League football players in history for a future publication. If you wish to nominate a former PHL football player in history, drop me a email at eaustin@stlamerican.com or call me at (314) 289-5412. So, let me hear from all of you football people now.
*The upcoming Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Basketball Shootout will feature a pair of rematches from holiday tournament championship games that were played last week. The first game between Normandy at Cardinal Ritter will feature the two teams that played for the championship of the Normandy Holiday Tournament, won by Normandy 62-59. They will play at 1:30 p.m. In the 3 p.m. contest, McCluer North will play Gateway Tech in a rematch of the Carbondale Tournament championship game, which McCluer North won 69-60. The third game will feature a girls clash between McCluer South-Berkeley and Metro at 4:30 p.m. while the annual “Border War” battle between East St. Louis and Vashon concludes the event at 6 p.m. The four-game Shootout will be held on Monday, Jan. 21 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. It is presented by the St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation. You can purchase tickets in advance at the participating schools.
*Former St. Louis area girls prep basketball standouts Brittany Dodson and Theresa Davis are both in the staring lineup and doing quite well as freshmen at Morgan State University. The 5’6” Dodson is one of the team’s leaders in scoring and minutes played while the 6’1” Davis is one of Morgan State’s top rebounders. Both players bring winning pedigrees to Morgan State. Dodson was a standout on two state championship teams at Metro while Davis was the starting center for Incarnate Word’s Class 5 state-championship team as a junior in 2006.
*Last weekend, I witness a battle of metro-east heavyweights when O’Fallon took on Edwardsville in boys basketball. Both teams entered the contest undefeated with a combined record of 26-0. Edwardsville came away with a 64-56 victory to keep its unbeaten record intact. I was quite impressed with the Tigers. They have excellent balance. Their top player is 6’7” shooter Anthony Campbell, but I really loved the play of their senior point guard Brandon Hogg. He really controlled the action and looked unflappable at all times during this intense game, which was played in front of more than 3,300 fans. Junior guard Ismiah Roundtree was also excellent with hiis quickness and aggressiveness. Edwardsville also has a star of the future in 6’5” sophomore William Triggs.
*Congratulations to former Saint Louis University basketball player Corey Frazier, who picked up his 100th victory as a head coach last week for Maplewood. Frazier reached the milestone last Friday in the Blue Devils’ 68-22 victory over Hancock. Frazier is one of the growing number of former Billikens who have become head coaches at the high school level. Former SLU star Erwin Claggett is the head coach at McCluer High while Justin Tatum is in his first year as the head coach at Soldan High. Former SLU defensive stopper John Redden is also Frazier’s assistant at Maplewood.
