What to watch in week two
Opening week was hot
By Cedric Williams
Special to the American
With overtime thrillers and heart-stopping finishes all over the area, Week 1 of the prep football season proved as exciting as the pundits predicted. Throw in a couple of huge upsets, and last week was easily one of the best
opening weekends ever. This weekend, we expect much of the same with high-quality matchups on both sides of the river and in all areas of the city and county. Here’s an inside look at the best games of Week 2:
#1 Fri., Sept. 8, SLUH (1-0) at Althoff (2-0) 7 p.m.
Possibly the area’s best intrastate rivalry, SLUH and Althoff always put on a show when they get together. Althoff junior RB Jason Ford might be the best back in the area. As a freshman in ’04, Ford rushed for 1,702 yards and 16 TDs. And last year, he ran for 1,391 yards & 20 TDs. This year, he’s already amassed 372 yards & 4TDs in wins over Triad and Belleville West. SLUH has a great runner of its own in junior Ronnie Wingo. Last week, he
blazed through Parkway South for 164 yards & two TDs in the Jr. Bills’ 26-14 win.
#2 Fri., Sept. 8, Belleville East (2-0) at Edwardsville (2-0), 7
p.m.
Belleville East pulled off the upset of the weekend last week, when it upended then area No. 5 Webster Groves 43-42, thanks to a gutsy last minute two-point conversion call by coach Tim Funk. QB Jacob Powell was the star for the Lancers. He scored the game-winning two-pointer, but also dazzled the crowd by throwing for 2 TDs, rushing for another, and even throwing two other two-pointers. Teammates Donovan Sanford, Jamon Bester, and Jamon Wallace also helped Belleville East rally from a 42-21 deficit in the game’s final 3 minutes & 22 seconds. Third-ranked Edwardsville, on the other hand, absolutely cruised to its second win of the season with a 62-8 romp over Chicago Corliss. QB Joe Allaria threw three TD passes & ran for a fourth score, while teammate Darryl Hendricks added three TDs of his own for the Tigers.
#3 Fri., Sept. 8, Parkway Central (1-0) at Oakville (1-0), 7 p.m.
Some people think Oakville has the best defense in the area. That unit will get its first real test of the season when the Tigers host Parkway Central Friday night. The Oakville D, which returns 9 starters from last year’s standout unit, are led by DE John Hopkins, LB Alex Hrebec, and S Dwayne Pickens. On offense the Tigers feature James Jones and Justin Schoemel, who each scored 2 TDs in last week’s 35-0 win over Vianney. Parkway also pitched a shuout last week, blanking Warrenton 28-0. RB Jordan Myles led the way, rushing 18 times for 172 yards and 2 TDs. WR/KR Jay Parker is also an exciting player to watch.
#4 Sat., Sept. 9, McCluer North (1-0) at Hazelwood West (1-0), 1
p.m.
Top-ranked McCluer North got its chance to avenge its worst loss of last season, to rival Pattonville, in its first game of this season. And boy did they ever. The Stars bushwhacked the Pirates 44-6 last Saturday. Senior RBs Quartize Jackson & Donald Woods each had two TDs to lead McCluer North. QB Ben Hendrix and WR Norris Johnson were both all-state selections last year. Hazelwood West christened its new season with a convincing 33-15 win over McCluer. Senior LaMark Brown led the way, rushing for 108 yards & a TD and added 10 tackles, an INT, and a 40-yard fumble return for a TD. Keep an eye out for sophomore RB/LB Adebayo Oladapo. He also plays both ways, and had a TD run, two QB sacks, and a forced fumble for the Wildcats.
Other games of note:
Fri., Sept. 8 Vashon at Gateway Tech 6:30
p.m.
Webster Groves at Rockwood Summit 7 p. m.
Parkway South at Pattonville
7 p. m.
Cardinal Ritter at Kennedy
7 p.m.
DeSmet at Lafayette
7 p.m.
Ladue at Duchesne
7 p.m.
Ft. Zumwalt West at Francis Howell 7
p.m.
Sat., Sept. 9 McCluer at Hazelwood Central 1 p.m.
Cahokia at Gary (IN) Roosevelt
5:30 p.m.