Football post-season field doubles, 8-man final comes to Jones Dome

BY JIM WIENERS
In April 2007 Missouri State High School Activities Association member schools that have football teams voted to double the number of teams from each district to qualify for post-season championships. So the top two from each will qualify for post-season play. As a result pre-season scrimmages or Jamborees will be on Aug. 22-23 while the 2008 football season begins Aug. 29-30 instead of Sept. 4-6.

District games, played in a round-robin format,begin in week eight, which is Oct. 16-18 and end in week 10, which is Oct. 30-Nov. 1 The only exception is in one Class Five District and four Eight-Man Districts where there are five teams instead of four and district play begins in Week Six, Oct. 2-4. Fortunately none of the Florissant Valley area schools play Eight-Man Football and none of the teams is in a five team Class Five District which three of those teams may have to find a school in another state or take a bye week.

Classes One-Five post-season qualifiers will play in a Regional Round Nov. 5 and schools that are to host games and do not have lights may have to find a neutral site or agree to play during school time. Since there are 11 districts in Class Five as many as six teams may have to have Regional byes or play in games but the decision is not official at press time.

Class Six post-season qualifiers will open with a Sectional Round on Nov. 7 but may play Nov. 8 if the host school does not have a lighted field. Eight-man teams advance from Districts to Quarterfinals, Nov. 8

Regional Winners in Classes One-Five will play in the Sectional Round on Nov. 10 and the host Schools without lights on their fields may have to find a neutral site if the two schools do not agree on playing during a school date. Last year, however, Lutheran North brought in portable lights for a Class Three Sectional game.

Quarterfinal games for Classes One-Five will be Nov. 15 while the Class Six Quarterfinals will be Nov. 14 or Nov. 15 if the host site is lightless. Semifinal games in eight-man is Nov. 15, Semifinals in Classes Five-Six will be Nov. 21 or Nov. 22 if the host school does have lights on their field. Semifinals in Classes One-Four will be Nov. 22.

The Show-Me Bowl at the Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, will open Nov. 28 between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. with the eight-man title game followed by title games in Classes One, Three and Five. It Closes Nov. 29 with title games in Classes Two, Four and Six.

PREP SOCCER CHANGES — Girls Soccer will be a three-class sport next spring, 2009, with Class Three Sectionals on May 26, Class One-Two Quarterfinals are May 28 and Class Three Quarterfinals are May 30. Semifinals-Finals are June 5-6 at the Anheuser-Busch Center, Fenton.

Boys Soccer will have Class Three Sectionals on Nov. 11, Class One-Two Quarterfinals are Nov. 13 and Class Three Quarterfinals are Nov. 15. Semifinals-Finals are Nov. 21-21 at the A-B Center.

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