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Prep Year In Review, 2007-2008 MS-Berkeley Track, Incarnate Word Soccer Win State Team Titles Again
BY JIM WIENERS
It took almost the entire 2007-08 school year but in the end two North St. Louis County high schools continue their dominance in sports teams they seem to specialize in.
For McCluer South-Berkeley the Track & Field teams carry their success from the old Berkeley High years. In Boys Track & Field the Bulldogs won the Class Three title, their 15th overall but their first as McCluer South-Berkeley after 14 titles at Berkeley High. The Girls Track & Field won their second straight Class Three State title and, including the Berkeley High years the Bulldog Ladies have now have eight state titles.
McCluer South-Berkeley took third in Class Three Girls Basketball, their first state trophy in that sport.
For Incarnate Word Academy the Girls Soccer team wrapped up the 2007-08 school year by winning their eighth state title, a Missouri State High School Activities Association record.
IWA, on May 31, won 1-0 over a St. Joseph’s Academy team that has six titles and had threatened to tie IWA for most state titles until a first-half Blake Miller goal ended that threat.
The IWA Soccer title was the third sport in 2007-08 that resulted in taking home a state trophy. IWA Girls Basketball got to within one game of getting their third state title but in Class Five Championship game was won in a rout by Columbia-Rock Bridge. IWA Girls Volleyball currently holds the MSHSAA record for most state titles with 11 but last November the Red Knights settled for a fourth-place trophy, only their second ever.
None of the Florissant Valley area high schools won state team titles but did gain state trophies. Hazelwood Central took home two state trophies, both late in the 2007-08 school year. Hazelwood Central was third in Class Four Boys Track & Field and, one week later, took fourth in Class Two Girls Soccer.
Lutheran North took home two second place state trophies, both were very close. Lutheran North lost by one point in the Class Three Boys Basketball title game, 56-55, to Maplewood-Richmond Heights. Lutheran North finished five points behind MS-Berkeley, 54-49, in taking home second in Class Three Boys Track & Field.
McCluer North, in Class Five Boys Basketball, Hazelwood East, in Class Four Boys Track & Field, and North County Tech, in Class Two Girls Track & Field, each took home second place state trophies. McCluer North was unable to repeat as Class Five Boys Basketball champions as the Stars fell in the title game last March to Webster Groves, 71-62.
Hazelwood East Boys Track & Field, a five-time state champion, fell 21 points shy of winning their first state title since 2002, as Raytown South won with 76 points while East took second with 55 but was 12 better than third-place Hazelwood Central (43). North County Tech Girls Track & Field took home the school’s first state trophy as they finished second in Class Two with 43 points but was 34 behind state champion Penney (77).
No area high school took home a football trophy but a Suburban North Conference high school did. Pattonville was a Class Six Semifinalist losing to eventual state runner-up Mehlville, 19-13.
