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Hazelwood Central Hosts Class 6, Dist. 2 Football Battle With SLUH
District Football continues Saturday, Nov. 1
By Jim Wieners
After whitewashing away their first-round opponent in Class Six, District Two Football the Hazelwood Central Hawks will put their 10-0 record, and number one ranking by Missouri Sports Writers and Sportscasters, on the line against the 7-2 St. Louis University High Junior Billikens, also after a one-sided shutout, in a Saturday (Nov. 1), 1 p.m. semifinal at Hazelwood Central.
The winner will advance to the Class Six, District Two Final against 10-0 and top-seeded CBC or 4-6 Francis Howell North Nov. 7 (or Nov. 8 if at Hazelwood Central). Friday (Oct. 31) at 7 p.m. CBC, a 52-8 winner Oct. 24 over DeSmet, hosts Francis Howell Central, who won 21-19 Oct. 24 at Ritenour.
SLUH has only lost to Chaminade, 13-6 Sept. 12, and to CBC, 49-16 Oct. 3, is the only Metro Catholic Conference team to score against CBC and won 38-35 Oct. 17 at previously unbeaten Kirkwood. The Junior Billikens are very young, according to SLUH head coach Gary Kornfeld. However the senior-laden offensive line has been the reason for success.
“The credit goes to the offensive line,” Kornfeld said after the Junior Billikens 42-0 rout Oct. 24 at home over Hazelwood West. “Sitting at 7-2 is quite an accomplishment.” Hazelwood Central head coach Van Vanatta said after the Hawks 65-0 home beat down Oct. 25 of Francis Howell Central that the Junior Bills are very big, very physical and much disciplined and “we got our work cut out for us.”
SLUH had their hands full with 2-8 Hazelwood West until late in the first half. Junior Billiken quarter Mitchell Batschelett scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak with 1:48 to go to increase the SLUH lead to 14-0 and with 3.6 seconds left and both teams each calling a time out Jacob Cox was attempting to kick a 37-yard field goal. However, Batschelett, who was the holder, took the snap and threw to Bryan Edwards, who got to the pile on to complete a 20-yard touchdown play as time expired to end the first half.
While West had the wind knocked out of their sails at halftime, trailing 21-0, SLUH, who had two Andre Colvin touchdowns, doubled the lead in the second half and Kornfeld told the Junior Billikens at halftime to shut down the Wildcats.
The next day Hazelwood Central blew the game wide open against 2-8 Francis Howell Central in the second quarter by scoring 35 points, after scoring 14 in the first as the Hawks led 49-0 at halftime. The 65 points were a season high for the Hawks who had their third consecutive shut out, the fourth this season.
“We executed in all aspects of the game,” Vanatta said. “Offense (eight players contributed in scoring including two touchdown passes and two touchdown runs by Mike Glass), defense (four takeaways leading to three Hawk touchdowns including a third-quarter Lee Robinson fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown) and special teams.”
McCluer North Visits Webster After Defeating Chaminade
McCluer North will be playing in the Class Five, District Two semifinal Friday, 7 p.m. at top-seeded 6-1 Webster Groves, who had a first-round bye and had won six in a row after losing their season opener 58-12 Aug. 22 at Francis Howell. The winner will play Nov 7 or 8, time to be determined against the winner of the Nov. 1 game between Ladue, a 54-20 winner Oct. 25 over McCluer at SLUH, or Pattonville, a 21-8 home winner over Hazelwood East. McCluer North (7-3) won 47-28 at Chaminade as Ryyan Wilkins ran for three touchdowns and DeMonte Morris ran for a touchdown while passing for another
Trinity Catholic, Lutheran North Meet Again
In a Class Two, District Five semifinal Saturday at 1 p.m. Trinity Catholic visits 9-1 Lutheran North for the second time in four weeks after Lutheran North won 47-6 on Oct. 11. The winner plays Nov. 7 or 8 against the winner of Friday’s 7 p.m. Brentwood at Hermann game. Trinity improved to 4-6 with an 8-0 shut out, Oct. 24, at Maplewood-Richmond Heights on a fourth-quarter, six-yard touchdown run by Darrios Rainey and a Khalil Smith to Kayland Reece two-point pass. Lutheran North won by forfeit over Principia.
