It was another great year of high school sports in the St. Louis Metropolitan area in 2008. As we head into the new year, it’s take to take our annual look back at some of 2008’s most memorable moments in high school sports.
High Flyers: It was a magical year of athletes at East St. Louis High as the Flyers won three state championships in the calendar year. In the spring, the boys and girls track teams swept the IHSA Class AA state titles. The girls were led by the magnificent Ronecia Nash, who won state titles in the 100, 200-meter dashes and the 110-meter high hurdles. The boys followed next week by winning the state title, which was their second in the past four years. The girls’ basketball team won the Southwestern Conference title behind the tremendous talent of center Teandrea Smith. In the fall, the Flyers football team has a season for the ages in winning the Class 7A state championship, their first in 17 years. Coach Darren Sunkett and his talented team had one of the best squads in the nation by season’s end. The last time a school from the East Side won three state titles in a year was in 1982 when Lincoln won state championships in boys basketball, boys track and girls track. And for good measure, the city celebrated a gold medal as former Flyerette great Dawn Harper won the gold medal in the 100-meter high hurdles at the Summer Olymics in Beijing, China.
The Catch: The Hazelwood East Spartans won the Class 5 state championship in football on the last play of the game. Quarterback Eric Brown’s 29-yard “Hail-Mary” pass was grabbed from a crowd by senior receiver Tarrell Downing as time expired to give East a 39-34 victory over Raytown South, capping off a spectacular Show-Me Bowl by both teams.
Triple Crown: Normandy High distance runner Darwin Price was the individual star of the Class 4 state track and field championships in Jefferson City last May. Price became the first large-school athlete to win the 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs at the state championships. Price, who is also a world-class amateur boxer, is a freshman at Grambling State.
Alishea the Great: The McCluer South-Berkeley track capped a sensational career by winning the sprint triple (100, 200, 400) for the fourth consecutive year. She finished her record-setting career with 12 individual state championships, as well as three more state titles with the Bulldogs relays. Usery is now a freshman at the University of Florida.
Soaring Hawks: The Hazelwood Central football team completed a championship weekend for the Suburban North by upsetting highly-regarded Blue Springs South 25-20 to win the Class 6 Show-Me Bowl. The Hawks defense dominated the game with its team speed in forcing five turnovers while diminutive senior tailback Maurice Scott provided offensive spark with 205 yards of all-purpose offense and two touchdowns.
The Undefeated: Juniors Ryan Mango of Whitfield and Esmond Ford of Affton wrestled their way to individual state championships and undefeated seasons in the process. Mango won the Class 1 state title at 119 pounds and finished the season with a 45-0 record. He also led the Warriors to the team title as well. Ford, the son of Affton coach Devon Ford, won the Class 3 state title at 130 pounds with a final record of 43-0.
All St. Louis Final: Webster Groves and McCluer North met for the Class 5 state basketball final, making it an all-St. Louis affair. The Statesmen played a near-flawless game in upending the Stars 71-62 to win their first state title since 1996 and deny McCluer North a repeat state championship. The Statesmen were led by senior stars Drew Hanlen, Zack Redel and emerging young sophomore standout Derrick Dilworth.
The Comeback: In another All-St. Louis state championship game, Maplewood-Richmond Heights trailed Lutheran North by 19 points in the Class 3 finals. An improbable comeback was completed when junior guard Bryant Allen scored on a running layup with four seconds left to give the Blue Devils a heart-stopping 56-55 victory and the school’s first state championship in basketball.
Bulldogs Double: McCluer South-Berkeley reigned supreme in boys and girls track in winning the Class 3 state titles. The MSB girls won as expected as they dominated the competition with 78 points. The boys were a bit of a surprise and Rod Marshall’s team scrapped up enough points on sheer determination to take home another state championship.
52 Pick Up: Chaminade sophomore basketball sensation Bradley Beal got the 2008-09 season off to a rousing beginning with a 52-point performance against CBC in the third-place game of the Pattonville Tournament. The 6’3” Beal scored 26 points in the fourth quarter, including a shot from beyond half-court to send the game into overtime. Beal is already receiving recruiting interest from the likes of Kansas, North Carolina, Missouri, Purdue and Illinois.
