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Randy Wieners’ Prep Sports Roundup: High School Football Begins
Hazelwood District and McCluer North
Football Open 2018 On The Road
By Jim Wieners
All three high schools in the Hazelwood School District as well McCluer North High, from the Ferguson-Florissant School, will open the 2016 Football season with road games.
On Aug. 24 at 7 p.m., Hazelwood Central visits DeSmet Jesuit, Hazelwood West heads south to Oakville and McCluer North goes into Illinois to battle Edwardsville. Meanwhile, Hazelwood East opens Aug. 25 with a 1 p.m. game (pending on heat) at University City.
HAZELWOOD CENTRAL — coming off their sixth straight conference title, the last four in the Suburban XII North after two in the Suburban North — is coming off a 10-2 season and their fourth straight Class Six, District Two runner up finish to 2017 State Champion CBC. DeSmet was 1-9 last year with two losses to the Hawks and the Spartans’ only win was Oct. 13 against Jefferson City Helias Catholic.
Hazelwood Central alum Carey Davis, who played on the Super Bowl XLIII Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, takes over as the Hawk head coach for Brent Chojnacki, who takes a similar position at Francis Howell High, after Chojnacki took over for now Columbia-Rock Bridge coach Van Vanatta. It is the second time in Hazelwood Central history that there were three head football coaches in three years (Bob Stouffer — Hazelwood 1971-Central 1978, Mike Unger — 1979 and Steve Miller — 1980-1981).
HAZELWOOD EAST is coming off their 41st consecutive year of finishing .500 or better, was 7-4 and Class Five, District Two Runner Up to Class Five Runner Up Pattonville. This will be the fifth consecutive year the Spartans played U. City with East winning over the Lions in three of their previous four tames. Last year U. City finished 2-8, with wins over Clayton and Jennings.
HAZELWOOD WEST was 5-4 last year with two of those losses against Rockwood-Marquette. Oakville finished 3-7 last year. The East-West game last year was cancelled to unrests in the St. Louis area.
McCLUER NORTH was winless in 10 games last year and ends a string of season-openers against Jefferson City (10 years). Edwardsville won nine in a row after and 0-3 start but lost the Illinois Class 8A Semifinals to state runner up Wilmette-Loyola Academy. The Tigers finished second (7-1) to East St. Louis in the Southwestern Conference.
McCLUER opens the 2018 season at home Aug. 24 with a 4:15 home game against Jennings. It will be the seventh time since 2008 that the Comets take on the Warriors. McCluer, 2-8 last year, saw their five-game win streak since 2008 end against Jennings in their only win before losing nine straight.
TRINITY CATHOLIC opens Aug. 25 in Norman Park Ga., for an 8 p.m. game against Colquitt County. After a 9-1 season and a Class Two, District Two Runner Up finish to state semifinalist Lutheran North, Terrance Curry takes over as head coach for Corey Patterson, who is now an assistant coach to Lovie Smith at the University of Illinois. Colquitt County was a Georgia Class 7A State Runner Up.
LUTHERAN NORTH heads to LaGrange Park, Ill., Aug 24 for a 7 p.m. game against Nazareth Academy Lutheran North was a Class Two Semifinalist and was 12-1, losing only to seven time state champion Lamar. Nazareth Academy was 12-2 and a Class 6A Runner Up to Prairie Ridge.
RIVERVIEW GARDENS opens in Belleville, Ill., for a 7 p.m. game against Belleville West. Riverview was 8-4 last year and was a Class Four, District Three Runner Up to state semifinalist Parkway Central. Belleville West finished 804 last year but not qualifying for the first round of the Illinois Class 7A Playoffs.
McCLUER SOUTH-BERKELEY opens at home Aug. 25 against Mary Institute-Country Day School in a 1 p.m. game McCluer South-Berkeley was 10-1 and a Class Three quarterfinalist losing last year to Blair Oaks. MICDS finished 903 and was a Class Four, District Two runner up to Ladue Horton-Watkins
WEEK TWO — Hazelwood Central hosts Webster Groves Aug. 30 at 4:30. On Aug. 31 Hazelwood West hosts Soldan International Studies and McCluer North hosts Sikeston at 4:15,; McCluer South-Berkeley visits Sumner at 6 p.m. while at 7 p.m. Hazelwood East is at Lafayette, McCluer is at St. Charles High and Riverview Gardens is at Poplar Bluff. On Sept. 1 in East St. Louis Ill., Lutheran North plays Homewood-Flossmoor at 5 p.m. and Trinity Catholic battles East St. Louis at 8 p.m.
