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Hazelwood Showdown: Central at East, Not a District Football Game
By Jim Wieners
Hazelwood Central versus Hazelwood East in High School Football can be called “The Game,” a Showdown, a heated rivalry, etc. But for at least the next two seasons — including this Saturday, 1 p.m., at East — it will not be called a Missouri State High School Activities Association district football game.
The last two years the Central-East winner knocked off the loser from returning to the state Class Six championship game. East won in 2004 over 2003 runner-up Central, who won in 2005 over 2004 runner up East. This year East (6-0, 4-0 Suburban North Conference) moves back to Class Five, after being there in 2002-2003, and already has a District Two win (1-0 +13), a 49-0 shutout at Wentzville-Holt, while Central (5-1, 2-1) begins Class Six, District Four play Oct. 20 at Pattonville.
“It’s a rivalry game for both sides,” said East head coach Corey Johnson, whose Spartans have an eight-game winning streak dating back to last year after losing Oct 22, 2005 to Central, 35-21. East leads the overall series with Central, 20-18 (last year’s article incorrectly wrote the series record) but Johnson said for this Saturday’s game “We must go out and have to play well and don’t make any mistakes.” In last Friday’s road win at Holt Thomas Merriweather and William Anderson each ran in for three touchdowns.
“It’s just a rivalry game,” said Central head coach John Pukala, who also said that East is unhappy the Hawks knocked the Spartans out of the Class Six postseason playoffs but, he adds; “Our kids will be ready to go.” Last Saturday Hazelwood Central pulled off a 31-28 win over visiting Jefferson City, a former 10-time state champion. After each ran for a touchdown earlier in the game, quarterback Marvin McNutt and
running back DeVion Moore hooked up for an 11-yard touchdown pass, on fourth down and seven yards to go, with 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter to win the game.
CLASS FIVE, DISTRICT TWO — Troy-Buchanan at McCluer, Wentzville Holt at McCluer North, both Saturday 1 p.m. — While Wentzville-Holt (0-1 -13) and Troy Buchanan are winless (each 0-6 overall) McCluer North is unbeaten (6-0 overall and SNC, 1-0 +13 district) after a 30-14 win at McCluer, thanks to two Quartize Jackson touchdown runs. While trailing the season series 30-6 McCluer (1-5, 0-1 -13) managed to score their first points against McCluer North and took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter after at least five straight shutout losses (no information before 2001 was available).
OUTSIDE DISTRICTS — Trinity Catholic visits St. Mary’s Friday, 7 p.m. in an Archdiocesan Athletic Association game while Saturday in non-conference games Hazelwood West hosts Francis Howell Central at 1 p.m. while Riverview Gardens has a 1:30 game against Sumner at Soldan. Trinity (3-3, 2-2 AAA) is coming off a 31-7 home loss to Westminster Christian Academy, Hazelwood West (2-4, 2-2 SNC) got four Lamark Brown Touchdowns in a 31-10 home win over Ritenour while Riverview (3-3, 2-2 SNC) got three touchdowns (two passing, one running) and three two-point conversions (two passing one running) from A.J. Steward in a 54-16 rout last Friday over Normandy.
CONFERENCE FINALES BEFORE DISTRICTS — Lutheran North, in their final ABC League game (5-1, 4-1 ABC), hosts Mary Institute/Country Day School Saturday at 2 p.m., while McCluer South-Berkeley, in their final Suburban East Conference game (1-4, 0-4 (SEC) visits Clayton Saturday at 12 noon.
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