Blog

BY JIM WIENERS

When Hazelwood East and Hazelwood Central meet in high school varsity football the two teams usually have winning, if not unbeaten, records. However this Saturday at 2 p.m. (or an earlier time if the schools decide after press time) Hazelwood Central, who will host the Suburban North Conference opener for both teams, is off to a 2-0 start while Hazelwood East is off to a rare 0-2 start, perhaps their first winless start ever after two games.

Hazelwood Central almost lost their Aug. 29 opener at University City.

However, senior quarterback Kerry Gibson threw what Hawk head coach Richard Nixon said was a “now screen (pass) to the fastest guy in St. Louis (senior Spencer Davis)” for a 60-yard touchdown with 1:11 left in the fourth quarter to win 14-12. Both teams scored two touchdowns each, U. City in the first quarter and Central in the fourth, but Hawk senior Ryan Crandall was two for two on extra points while the Lions failed to convert their two attempts.

“We never looked past week one,” Nixon said about the U. City game but “we played sloppy. We try to get better one week at a time” and the Hawks improved last Friday in Columbia with a 31-14 win at Rock Bridge and junior Tra Brown scored two touchdowns on 15 carries for 140 yards.

Hazelwood East opened the season Aug. 28 with a 37-27 loss at CBC. Despite two touchdowns from seniors Hasson Hamilton and Walter Powell CBC pulled off the upset thanks to Josiah Stanfield, who ran the ball 29 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns.

Last Saturday at East DeSmet won the battle of Spartans, 38-0, as the Metro Catholic Conference is 2-0 against East. “DeSmet came out and got us,” said East head coach Mike Jones as Steve Kaiser threw two touchdown passes and ran for another while David Hill ran for two more scores.

“It was ugly,” Jones said about the shutout by DeSmet. As far as the season is concerned “We got to get back to the drawing board.” East returns home to play Hazelwood West, Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. while Central visits Ritenour, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.

ELSEWHERE IN THE SUBURBAN NORTH — Friday McCluer hosts Riverview Gardens at 4 p.m., and Pattonville hosts Ritenour at 7 p.m. while Saturday McCluer North hosts Columbia-Rock Bridge at 1 p.m. and Hazelwood West visits Soldan-International Studies at 1:30. On Sept. 18 McCluer visits Jennings for a 4 p.m. game while on Sept. 19 McCluer North hosts Pattonville at 1 p.m. while Riverview visits Soldan at 12 noon.

Hazelwood West opened with two Suburban North wins, 28-7 at home Aug. 29 over Pattonville and 35-6 last Friday at Ritenour. Ryan Ward had four touchdowns against Pattonville while Najal Cheeks scored twice against Ritenour, who won Aug 28 at McCluer, 14-10. McCluer North lost their Aug 28 opener at Jefferson City, 44-20 then rebounded last Saturday with a 27-0 home win over McCluer for the red, blue and silver ball as Galen Brown threw three touchdown passes, two to Anthony Kirkwood.

Riverview Gardens won Aug. 28 at Jackson, 34-16 and defeated Pattonville last Saturday at home, 24-14. In two games Lavon Meeks connected on 45 out of 68 passes for 538 yards and five touchdowns.