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Show-Me Bowl Notebook: Hazelwood Central Football Moves Into MSHSAA Elite in Titles Won
By Jim Wieners
Hazelwood Central football appears to be moving in among the elite of Missouri State High School Activities Association.
Last Friday’s appearance in the Show-Me Bowl was the 14th for the Hawks, most by any MSHSAA member with a football team. That is more than Jefferson City High, which has won 10 state titles, more than Ste. Genevieve Valle, which has won nine titles including five straight (1988-92), and more than Kansas City-Rockhurst, which has won eight titles in 13 Show-Me Bowl appearances including four over Hazelwood Central, and has made 24 playoff appearances to 19 for Hazelwood Central.
Hazelwood Central has won 43 playoff victories, 14 playoff losses and a playoff tie-Hazelwood High against Kansas City Southwest 6-6 in the 1972 Class 4A final. The playoff victories by the Hawks are fifth behind Jefferson City (63), Webb City (54), Rockhurst (52) and Valle (44).
Hazelwood Central’s five titles, including Hazelwood High’s co-championship with KC-Southwest, makes them among 14 high schools that have won or shared five or more titles. Hazelwood Central, Lutheran North and 2009 Eight-Man Champion Mound City are among eight schools that have won five titles. The top six teams in titles are Jefferson City (10), Valle (nine), John Burroughs (eight), Rockhurst (eight), Webb City (eight) and Cass-Midway (six).
For the second year in a row Hazelwood Central (13-1) won state after qualifying for state as district runner up behind McCluer North (Class Six, District Four). They were the only district runner up this year to win state. Last year Central and Class Three champion Cassville were district runner up.
“Hazelwood Central is all for the new playoff system,” said Central head coach Rich Nixon referring to the fact that the top two teams from each district qualify for state. “You need more teams in the playoffs.”
Hazelwood Central, Cassville and Mound City are repeat state champions from last year.
FORMER CENTRAL ASSISTANT COACHES WEBSTER TO CLASS FIVE TITLE — Cliff Ice, who assisted Ryan in the 1996 title season for Hazelwood Central, is the current head coach at Webster Groves, who just won the Class Five State title last Saturday at the Edward Jones Dome 31-14 over Fort Osage. It was Webster’s fourth state title and the second for Ice who helped the Statesmen won in Class Five 2002 but was second to Park Hill in 2003. Webster also won in 1979 and 1988.
“I will always be a Hawk at heart,” said Ice who stays in contact with some of the Hazelwood Central coaches and athletic director John Pukala.
CLOSE CALLS AGAINST UNIVERSITY CITY — Hazelwood Central and Webster Groves had close calls against University City, a Class Four, District Five champion and Sectional qualifier. On Sept. 5 at U. City Central overcame a 12-0 three-quarter deficit to pull of a 14-12 victory with a Kerry Gibson to Spencer Davis 60-yard pass with 1:11 left. On Oct. 9 on the artificial field of Oakville High due to a muddy Moss field Webster Groves won 23-21 but had to withstand a late U. City rally as the Lions outscored Webster, 20-2, late after spotting the Statesmen a 21-0 second-quarter lead.
NOTABLES: Bowling Green, who defeated Lutheran North, 45-15 in the Regionals, and Trinity Catholic, 41-0 in the Sectionals, went to their first state title game last Saturday in Class Three before falling to Cassville, 24-7. All but one of the seven Show-Me Bowl games were decided by 11 points or more with the only exception being Penny over Valle, 21-17 in Class One. St. Louis sent three teams to the Show-Me Bowl as Hazelwood Central and Webster Groves won and Brentwood lost, 35-0 to Maryville in Class Two.
