Hazelwood East at McCluer North and 20 others to watch
By Cedric Williams
For the St. Louis American
Along with offering our thoughts on the area’s top prep football teams and
players, one of our favorite things to do at the start of every season is to
project what we believe will be the best games of the season. Our process is
simple – we painstakingly examine every game on every area team’s schedule
and, based on the quality of the combatants, tradition, rivalry, atmosphere,
and conference & playoff implications, we rank each game on the schedule.
This season, the Top 20 list includes at least one game from each
week of the season, including a season best four this weekend and four more
from the final weekend, when we expect several teams will be playing for
both a conference & district title.
#20 (tie) Thur., Aug. 31, Parkway South at SLUH 7 p.m.
This kickoff weekend showdown, which goes down tonight and happens to be one
of my favorite ways to start a new season, will feature two of the area’s
fastest RBs in Parkway’s Brandon Deloney and SLUH’s Ronnie Wingo.
#20 (tie) Fri., Oct. 27, Lutheran North at Cardinal Ritter 7 p.m.
Last year, both these teams made the playoffs, with Ritter advancing to the
state semifinals for the first time ever. This year, as new district foes,
only one gets in and they’ll decide who in this Week 8 showdown.
#19 Fri., Sept. 8, Parkway Central at Oakville, 7 p.m.
Oakville wants to make an early statement that they are a team to be reckoned with in ’06.
A Week 2 match-up with the perennial power Colts gives them that opportunity.
#18 Fri., Sept. 1, Hazelwood Central at O’Fallon 7 p.m.
The annual meeting of these traditional area powers is quickly becoming one
of the area’s best intrastate rivalries.
#17 Fri, Sept. 1, Vashon v. Roosevelt at Gateway 6:30 p.m.
Last season, Roosevelt and Vashon shared the PHL title. This year, they just
might settle the race in this Week 1 battle.
#16 Fri., Sept. 22, E. St. Louis at Alton 7 p.m.
The Redbirds have had East Side’s number at home, having won the last two meetings in Alton.
#15 Fri., Sept. 15, Eureka at Webster Groves 7 p.m.
Webster is a clear favorite to win the Suburban South this year, but in Week
3 Eureka’s smash ’em & bash ’em running game figures to be a huge matchup
problem for the smallish Statesmen defense.
#14 Sat., Oct. 7, Jefferson City at Hazelwood Central 7 p.m.
Two of the state’s most frequent Show-Me Bowl participants will meet in this
Week 6 contest.
#13 Fri., Oct. 20, Edwardsville at O’Fallon 7 p.m.
This regular season finale might have significant Southwestern Conference
and playoff implications.
#12 Sat., Nov. 4, Hazelwood West at Hazelwood Central 1 p.m.
Count me among the believers in the very dangerous Hazelwood West Wildcats, who will meet the Hawks in this district playoff matchup.
#11 Sat., Nov. 4, John Burroughs at MICDS 1 p.m.
In another outstanding regular season finale matchup, these ABC League
rivals will likely battle for the district championship.
#10 Sat., Oct. 14, MICDS at Lutheran North 1 p.m.
The ABC League championship will likely be the prize when it heads to Lutheran North in
Week 7.
#9 Fri., Sept. 8, SLUH at Althoff 7 p.m.
This battle of intrastate rivals has produced game of the year-caliber
performances by both teams in each of the last two seasons.
#8 Thur., Aug. 31, Columbia Rock Bridge at DeSmet 7 p.m.
This special Thursday night contest is a rematch of last year’s Class 6
state quarterfinals won by DeSmet.
#7 Fri., Nov. 3.,Webster Groves at Parkway Central 7 p.m.
Undefeated and ranked among the best in the state, Central saw it all come
crashing down in last year’s season finale against Webster.
#6 Fri., Oct. 13, Cahokia at Althoff 7 p.m.
Our pick as the small schools game of the year, the Comanches and the
Crusaders will settle the South Seven Conference championship in Week 7.
#5 Thur., Nov. 23, Kirkwood at Webster Groves, noon
We might see the season’s best QB matchup on Turkey Day, when Marcus Harris
leads Kirkwood to Moss Field to take on Mike Whittier and Webster Groves.
#4 Sat., Oct. 14, Hazelwood Central at Hazelwood East 1 p.m.
Should preseason No. 1 McCluer North slip up somewhere, this year’s Battle
of the Hazelwoods would be essentially the Suburban North Conference
championship game.
#3 Sat., Sept. 23, Hazelwood Central at McCluer North 1 p.m.
Most preseason polls have these teams ranked No. 1 & 2 in the area. Some say
McCluer North’s the best team, others like Hazelwood Central.
#2 Fri., Oct. 16, Edwardsville at E. St. Louis 7 p.m.
The Metro East Game of the Year, this Week 6 contest will pit two of the
area’s top QBs (Edwardsville’s Joe Allaria and East Side’s Derrick Johnson)
and two of the area’s most creative coaches (Edwardsville’s Tim Dougherty
and East Side’s Darren Sunkett) against one another.
#1 Sat., Nov. 4, Hazelwood East at McCluer North 1 p.m.
Our preseason pick as the area’s Game of the Year, it’ll all be on the line when
these Suburban North powers meet in the regular season finale. Both teams
might be undefeated and poised for a state title run.