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Jim Wieners Wish List-Some Holiday Wishes Already Granted, Others Still Waiting
By Jim Wieners
First of all: Best wishes to all this holiday season, and hopes for the best in 2010.
However some holiday wishes were granted earlier in 2009 and the most recent wish granted was to the Hazelwood Central High School Football team last month in repeating as Class Six State Champions. It was the first back-to-back in Class Six Football by any school, especially in the Hazelwood School District. And it was the first back-to-back for the Suburban North Conference since McCluer won Class 4A in 1968-1969.
Trinity Catholic Football gained their first post-season appearance last October and finished as a Class Three Sectional Qualifier. That came 40 years after Mercy High, one of Trinity’s predecessors, was a Class 3A runner up.
North County Technical got their wish last May when Marquis White became the school’s first state championship athlete. White won two Class Three Track titles in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
Hazelwood Central still would like to win state in Class Five Basketball after last season when the girls team was third in state and the boys team fell in the quarterfinals. Trinity would still like to win state especially after taking home four runner up trophies since 2003, three in Boys Soccer and one in Girls Soccer. And White, who is a senior this year, would like to do it again, maybe add more, in May, 2010.
This year the writer of this article, last weekend at the Troy-Peoples Bank Basketball Invitational and the Ritenour Wrestling Invitational, asked some of the high school coaches what their holiday wishes would be for their teams, and here are some of the responses.
RANDY REED, McCLUER NORTH BOYS BASKETBALL — “Just to play the best they can and let the chips fall where they may.”
JAKE LAPINSKI, McCLUER NORTH WRESTLING — “They would show up with the attitude of being able to focus solely on during the holiday season (when classes are not in session).”
RON BANKS, HAZELWOOD EAST BOYS BASKETBALL — “Victories against quality teams.”
WILLIAM HENRICKS, HAZELWOOD EAST WRESTLING — “For my entire team to pick it up and work hard in holiday practices.”
ROBERT WALLACE, RIVERVIEW GARDENS BOYS BASKETBALL — “Play a full 32-minute game.”
ANDRE JOHNSON, RIVERVIEW GARDENS WRESTLING — “That we get more participants.” So far Riverview has 12, Johnson said he wants 22 or 23
FRANK CUSUMANO, TRINTY CATHOLIC WRESTLING ASSISTANT (father of head coach Rick Cusumano and not to be confused with a KSDK sports reporter by the same name) — “I would like to see them place in the top six at state.” A top four finish in state would mean getting a trophy.
NOW HERE ARE SOME OF THIS REPORTER’S HOIDAY WISHES.
TO McCLUER NORTH FOOTBALL COACH JIM SCHOTTMUELLER — Coaching a state championship team before retiring.
TO HAZELWOOD WEST FOOTBALL COACH KEITH HERRING — A state post-season appearance.
AND TO NORTH COUNTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL — Full membership in the Missouri State High School Activities Association. (Currently a MSHSAA Affiliate Registered School).
