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Holiday Wishes Granted Nearly 3 Months Ago To River City Rascals Baseball Team
Annual Holiday Wish List
By Jim Wieners
Nearly three months ago, Sept. 19, the River City Rascals, an independent minor league baseball team, completed their 12th year of existence in O’Fallon, Mo., by winning their first Frontier League Championship.
The Rascals were 57-38 during the season and finished second in the Frontier League West Division, six and one-half games behind the Southern Illinois Miners. The Rascals overcame a 0-2 deficit against Southern Illinois and won the best-of-five playoff series three games to two, including a 3-0 win in 10 innings in game five in Marion, Ill.
With no day off the Rascals rebounded from a game one loss in the Frontier League Championship Series against the Traverse City, Mich., Beach Bums and won the next three games, the last two in a Sept. 19 doubleheader after a Sept. 18 rainout, to win the title.
So the River City Rascals actually got their Christmas Holiday wish in September.
Another wish would be to win it again in 2011 as they try to become only the third team in 18-year Frontier League history to win back-to-back titles. The other two teams with back to back titles are the Richmond, Ind., Roosters (now Traverse City) in 2001-2002 and the Windy City Thunderbolts (Crestwood, Ill.) in 2007-2008.
Other Holiday Wishes:
TO HAZELWOOD CENTRAL FOOTBALL–A win over Kansas City Rockhurst in the state championship game. An undefeated state title would also be helpful regardless of opponent.
TO McCLUER NORTH FOOTBALL COACH JIM SCHOTTMUELLER–Having a team win the state title, maybe an undefeated title, before retiring.
TO TRINITY CATHOLIC SOCCER TEAMS–A state title before athletic director/head coach Vince Drake retires.
TO LUTHERAN NORTH ATHLETIC DIRECTOR MIKE RUSSELL, who retuns to coaching football–Having Football compete for titles in ABC League and/or State.
TO NORTH COUNTY TECH GIRLS BASKETBALL–Competing in the Class Three State Tournament
TO THE MISSOURI STATE HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL SCHOOLS–Tweaking the state qualifying process in districts, disqualify teams with losing records unless they are district champions and replace them with teams that finish with winning record but third or fourth in districts.
TO NORTH COUNTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL–Become a full-time member of the Missouri State High School Activities Association.
TO HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLERS FROM OUR AREA HIGH SCHOOLS–Winning state individual or team state titles.
AND TO ALL READERS OF THE INDEPENDENT NEWS–Best wishes for a happy holiday season and may 2011 be better than 2010.
