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Football District With Trinity Catholic, Lutheran North Has One Less Team
By Jim Wieners
Usually in Prep Football in Missouri each District in Classes One-Four (eight districts per class) and Class Six (four districts) have eight teams per district but sometimes circumstances may see some of those districts with less than eight teams, thus resulting in a first-round bye.
Such is the case in Class Two, District Five for this season. The district is reduced to seven teams when in last June, according to published reports, Maplewood-Richmond Heights announced this season they will not have football because of lack of interest. In a March statement, also according to published reports, Maplewood-RH had only eight players expressing interests and Missouri recommends a minimum of 23.
Class Two, District Five is not the only district that lost a football team. Class Two, District Two lost College Prep (at Madison), a St. Louis Public School that closed at the end of the 2014-15 school year after a brief three-year existence. In Class One, District 2 lost a team before the start of the 2014 season while District 4 lost Sedalia Sacred Heart, who moved to eight-man football.
The loss of Maplewood-RH had no affect on this years schedules for district rivals Trinity Catholic and Lutheran North but M-RHs rivals in the Suburban Central Conference American Division — Affton, Jennings, Normandy Collaborative and McCluer South-Berkeley — each may have found a replacement to avoid a bye. Last year Trinity ended Maplewood football for now as the Titans won 8-0 at M-RH in the first round of Class Two, District Five while Lutheran North got an unexpected first-round bye before districts began when the Crusaders were awarded a forfeit win.
Lutheran North eliminated Trinity 35-0 in the Class Two, District Five Semifinals and then Crusaders would go on to defeat Hermamn 48-12 for the district title before ending their season with a 14-7 State Quarterfinal loss at Palmyra. In games last year Lutheran North outscored Trinity 82-6.
Trinity Catholic and Lutheran North and both teams open the season at home with familiar non-conference foes. Trinity opens Aug. 21 with a 7 p.m. game against Wright City while Lutheran North kicks off the season Aug. 22 with a 1 p.m. against Clayton. This will be the fourth consecutive year for Trinity opening against Wright City and the Titans have defeated the Wildcats three straight times while Lutheran North and Clayton have been opening the season since around 2007.
TRINITY CATHOLIC was 4-7 last year overall and was 2-2 in the Archdiocesan Athletic Association Small Division after two straight 3-7 seasons. Trinity’s last winning season was 6-4 in 2011.
LUTHERAN NORTH was 11-2 last year and shared the Metro League title, and 4-1 records each, with Class Four Quarterfinalist Westminster Christian and Class Three State Runner Up John Burroughs.
