Blog

By Jim Wieners

Hazelwood East hopes to continue the North County dominance in the fourth annual Fort Zumwalt North Girls Basketball Invitational, in O‘Fallon, Mo.

Hazelwood East won the last two tournament titles in a row and is one of five from North County that will travel to Fort Zumwalt North for the fourth consecutive yeas. North Technical, who won the tournament in the tournament’s inaugural season and won the consolation title last season, Hazelwood West, who took second twice in three years and third in between, McCluer, who took third in the inaugural season, and Riverview Gardens are the five North County teams.

Seeking to end the North County stranglehold include host Zumwalt North, Orchard Farm and Lutheran-St. Charles County. Zumwalt North, the original Fort Zumwalt High, took second two years ago and fourth last year while Orchard Farm is making their fourth consecutive tourney appearance taking the consolation title two years ago and finished seventh last year. Meanwhile Lutheran-St. Charles County, the defending Class Three Girls State Champion who defeated North Tech in the state semifinals, returns to Fort Zumwalt North after finishing third in last year’s tournament.

Seedings are pairings were not available as of 10:37 p.m. Dec. 9, but the tourney is likely to be played Dec. 16, 18 and 20. Two gyms will be used at the same time and games will likely to be played each day at 5 p.m. and 6:30.

Meanwhile, Hazelwood East was playing this week in the Nerinx Hall Invitational, in Webster Groves, which started Dec. 9 and ends Thursday, Dec. 12, with games at 4 p.m. (consolation final), 5:30 (third place) and 7 p.m. (championship). Two other North County high schools, McCluer South-Berkeley and Normandy, also competed.

East, Hazelwood West and McCluer will also compete during the Christmas holidays at the Duchesne Tournament. The schedule is not available but will likely be played right after the Fort Zumwalt North Tournament, beginning no earlier than Dec. 21 and ending no later than Dec. 30. In late January or early February McCluer will be in the Parkway Tournament and North Tech will be in the Eldon Tournament.

TRINTY SEVENTH AT LUTHERAN-ST. CHALRES COUNTY — For the second year in a row Trinity Catholic took seventh place last week at the Lutheran High-St. Charles County Cougar Classic in St. Peters. Trinity defeated Wright City, 38-36 in overtime in the seventh-place game after losing to St. Charles West, 74-16, and Carnahan High of the Future, 59-42. It was the second year in a row the Titans defeated Wright City in the Cougar Classic seventh-place game and last year’s win was the only win of the season.

INCARNATE WORD RANKED THIRD NATIONALLY PRESEASON — After completing a 31-0 season in winning their fifth state title, their first in Class Four and their first undefeated title, Incarnate Word Academy got a pre-season ranking of third nationally by USA Today prior to this season and after one game so far the Red Knights were victorious, 52-32 at Quincy (Ill.) Notre Dame Nov. 29. After playing at Parkway North Wednesday, Dec. 11, IWA hosts St/ Dominic Thursday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. and visits MICDS, Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. before going to the Visitation Christmas Tournament Dec 21, 22, 26, 27.