Top-Ranked Haz. Central Visits

Class 6, District 2 Top-Seed CBC

By Jim Wieners

Hazelwood Central was ranked first in Missouri Class Six prior to the beginning of District Playoffs by 15 Sports Writers and Sportscasters but according to seeding points CBC got seeded first in Class Six, District Two while Hazelwood Central ended up seeded second.

As a result CBC will host Hazelwood Central Friday night (Nov. 7) at 7 p.m. in a battle of 11-0 teams in a state equivalent of a Quarterfinal. The winner plays in the State Semifinal Nov. 14 (Nov. 15 if at Hazelwood Central) but home field will be determined by the outcome of the District One final, Lafayette at Kirkwood, Friday, 7 p.m. Lafayette, with a win, hosts the District Two winner while a Kirkwood win has CBC or Hazelwood Central hosting the Semifinal and the Semifinal winner has two weeks to prepare for the Nov. 29 Final in St. Louis.

Seeding points are complicated calculations determined by team records and strength of schedule based on averages by points per win (20), loss (10) and overtime loss (15) by each team and opponents. Margins of win or loss up to plus or minus 13 points averaged out are also included but bonus points, used for playing against higher classes, are not because Class Six is the highest class. CBC has 48.69 seeding points while Hazelwood Central has 45.94.

CBC has five shutouts including three against Metro Catholic Conference rivals has scored no fewer than 40 points in any game and has allowed no more than 26, both at Columbia-Rock Bridge on Oct. 17, so Hazelwood Central head coach Van Vanatta said “We‘ll be ready.” CBC has scored over 51 points per game while allowing an average of just over eight. In District Two CBC defeated DeSmet 52-7, thanks to two Blake Charlton to Mike Million touchdown passes and Kaleb Allen scoring runs while Charlton threw for two more touchdowns in a 45-0 Cadet shutout of Francis Howell North as Tre Bryant and Caleb Taylor each scored twice running.

On a per game basis Hazelwood Central has scored over 36 points while allowing about 10.5 and has four shutouts. Most recently Hazelwood Central won at home Nov. 1 over St. Louis University High, 23-14. Quarterback Mike Glass, who threw for three touchdowns (not two) against Francis Howell Central, threw for two more against SLUH, the first in the second quarter to Xavier Sneed giving the Hawks a 17-0 lead and the second, an insurance pass to Jordan Croft, came in the fourth quarter after SLUH cut the Hawk lead to 17-14 after three. Glass has 17 touchdown passes while only three passes were intercepted.

“Mike Glass stepped up and made the plays,” Vanatta said. Glass is a “cool breeze, don’t break.”

SLUH scored 14 unanswered points to break a three game Hawk shut out streak. Both teams scored a touchdown each on a return of a blocked punt. “They (SLUH) came out to play,” Vanatta said.

Class 2, District 5-LN Hosts Hermann

Lutheran North, the top seed in Class Two, District Five, will host second-seeded Hermann High Saturday, (Nov. 8) 1 p.m. in the District title game and the winner will play in the Nov. 14, 7 p.m. Quarterfinal against Bowling Green High or Palmyra High. Lutheran North, with a win, will play at Bowling Green High or Palmyra High while Hermann, with a win, hosts Bowling Green High or visits Palmyra High.

The Nov. 14 winner plays Nov. 21 (Nov. 22 if at Lutheran North) in the Semifinal against one of four teams.

After winning by forfeit over Principia Lutheran North (10-1) shuts out Trinity Catholic 35-0 on Nov. 1. Five players scored for Lutheran North and three of them caught touchdown passes from Justin Baker.

Class 4, Dist. 3-Jennings at St. Char/ West

In the Class Four, District Three Final Jennings will play Friday, 7 p.m. at St. Charles West in a battle of 9-2 teams with the winner facing Westminster Christian Academy or St. Francis Borgia Nor. 14 or 15 in the Quarterfinals. The winner plays Nov 21 or 22 in the State Semifinals. In District 3 Jennings, whose only losses are to Ladue and Affton, defeated Mary Institute Country Day School, 26-8, and Clayton, 26-7, while St. Charles West, on a 9-game winning and Cape Girardeau Central, defeated Riverview Gardens, 39-14, and St. Charles High, 48-14.

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