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Lutheran North Athletics Director Mike Russell Returns To Coaching Football, Starts At Clayton
By Jim Wieners
Lutheran North Athletics Director Mike Russell, who has been coaching baseball and until 12 years ago was coaching football, is returning to the football sidelines as head coach, and he will debut his return Aug. 27, 7 p.m., at Clayton.
As head coach at Lutheran North for 22 years (1977-1998) Russell coached the Crusaders to 13 playoff appearances, four state titles (1981, 1988, 1989 and 1990), state runner up (1993) and a semifinalist finish (1998). His successor, Jim Manion, coached Lutheran North to the 1999 Class 2A State title.
Last year Lutheran North was 3-8 overall, 2-3 in the ABC League but qualified for the Class Three Regionals as district runner up before losing 45-15 to eventual state runner up Bowling Green. Clayton was 1-9 last year, 0-5 in the Suburban East Conference, losing their last nine games after winning their only game of the year, 23-20 over Lutheran North.
TRINITY VISITS AAA RIVAL KENNEDY — On Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. Trinity Catholic opens the season with an Archdiocesan Athletic Association game at John F. Kennedy High. Last year Trinity was 8-4 overall, 4-2 in the AAA, Class Three, District Five Champion and Sectional Qualifier before losing 41-0 to Bowling Green. Trinity was 1-1 against Washington-St. Francis Borgia losing 10-7 a week before districts while winning 28-7 in the regional round.
Kennedy was 2-8, 1-5 in the AAA and last year Trinity routed Kennedy, 55-6.
Prior to last year only one of Trinity’s predecessors, Mercy High, qualified for state in 1969 as a Class 3A runner up.
RIVERVIEW VISITS CHAMINADE — Riverview Gardens opens the season Aug. 27 with a 7 p.m. game against Chaminade College Prep. Riverview was 6-4 last year, 4-3 in the Suburban North Conference.
Chaminade was 2-2 in the Metro Catholic Conference, 9-4 overall but is 0-2 versus Webster Groves including a 30-7 loss in the final week of district play and 34-29 on the final play of the quarterfinal game. Chaminade running back Rob Standard scored 40 touchdowns.
McCLUER SOUTH-BERKELEY MEETS CARNAHAN — McCluer South-Berkeley opens the season Aug. 28 with a 1 p.m. game against Carnahan High School of the Future, St. Louis. McCluer South-Berkeley was 3-7 overall, 1-4 in the Suburban East Conference. Carnahan, looking for their first-ever win, was 0-8 overall, 0-3 in PHL FB II last year and after two years of existence was 0-16 overall, 0-6 in PHL FB II.
RITENOUR HOSTS VIANNEY – NO WAGON WHEEL GAME WITH NORMANDY — Ritenour, a Suburban North Conference School, hosts St. John Vianney Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. Last year Ritenour was 2-8 overall, 1-6 in the Suburban North. Vianney was 4-6 overall and 1-3 in the Metro Catholic Conference.
The Wagon Wheel rivalry between Ritenour and Normandy is over for the time being, since Normandy has moved from the Suburban North Conference to the Suburban East Conference even though there were opportunities to play it as a non-conference game. Ritenour has scheduled Vianney, Fox and Fort Zumwalt North for non-conference games while Normandy has scheduled two Illinois schools, Troy-Triad and Quincy, for non-conference, non-district games.
The last Wagon Wheel game was played on Sept. 3, 2005 as Ritenour won at Normandy, 13-6.
