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Several Key Games in Prep Football Openers: DeSmet Hosts Central, Then Visits East; McCluer North Hosts Jefferson City
Trey Hill of Hazelwood East returning quarterback.
Galen Brown McCluer North returning quarterback in the Suburban North Conference.
By Jim Wieners
After two straight years of falling one game short of making a trip to the Edward Jones Dome — St. Louis — and having to settle for taking home the Class Six Semifinalist Trophy, DeSmet Jesuit High has plans for getting to the Dome during the Thanksgiving Day weekend.
Also, DeSmet is seeking to find a way or two to defeat Hazelwood Central. Aug. 26 will be the night DeSmet looks forward to since Nov. 20, 2010 and since Aug. 28, 2010. The Spartans host Hazelwood Central at 7 p.m., the third time in less than a calendar year. Last year Hazelwood Central rallied from a 19-14 deficit to win the 2010 opener, 20-19, and then the Hawks won the rematch in the Class Six Semifinals in holding off DeSmet, 20-14.
HAZELWOOD CENTRAL (13-1) will not only have to rebuild, with nearly all key players graduated last May, but will also have a new head coach. Van Vanatta, who was defensive coordinator, succeeds Rich Nixon, who stepped down for family reasons. DeSmet (8-5) will rely on their scoring from senior Durron Neal, who led the Spartans in scoring with 23 touchdowns including 10 in rushing bur also passed for eight touchdowns including one in the semifinals against Hazelwood Central.
After hosting Central DeSmet visits Hazelwood East’s Gorzynski Field on Sept. 3 at 1 p.m. DeSmet rolled to victory in the last two meetings in the battle of the Spartans.
HAZELWOOD EAST (6-6) looks to senior quarterback Trey Hill, 22 touchdown passes, for second year coach Brian Simmons but many of Hill’s offensive help have graduated. East will open the season at Gorzynski Field Aug. 27, 1 p.m. against Pattonville (7-4), which will be the designated home team due to renovations at Pattonville Stadium. Central will host Pattonville in the Hawks’ home opener Sept. 3 at 1 p.m.
McCLUER NORTH, McCLUER HIGH — McCluer North will open the season at home Aug 27, 1 p.m. against Jefferson City (6-5) while McCluer High opens Aug. 26, 7 p.m. at Moss Field against Class Five Runner Up Webster Groves (13-1). On Sept. 3 McCluer North will host McCluer at 1 p.m. for possession of the red, blue and silver ball.
Jefferson City holds a dominating 5-0 advantage over McCluer North, the largest win margin was in the Class 5A Championship in 1988 (53-0) while the smallest margin was two years ago (44-20). McCluer North (7-3), who will play a 10-game schedule with the addition of Farmington on Sept. 23, will look to multi-talented senior quarterback Galen Brown, who passed for 16 touchdowns while running for 11 more. McCluer was 2-8 last year but a post-game altercation took place in the Comets’ season-ending 47-42 win at Riverview Gardens.
HAZELWOOD WEST’s NEW COACH GETS EARLY-SEASON TESTS — For the second consecutive year Hazelwood West has a new football coach as Duane Hawthorne succeeds Cordez Vaughn who was 1-9 last year. Hawthorne will be tested early as the Wildcats open at home Aug. 27, 1 p.m., against Illinois Class 7A Semifinalist Belleville East (10-3) then on Sept. 2, the Wildcats travel to Western Missouri for a 7 p.m. game against Missouri Class Four Semifinalist Harrisonville (12-2).
In 2009 at University City Hawthorne took the Lions to a 6-6 record but four of the losses were by a combined margin of seven points including losses to two State Champions, Class Six Hazelwood Central (14-12) and Class Five Webster Groves (23-20).
ELSEWHERE IN WEEK ONE — On Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. Trinity Catholic (6-4) hosts John. F. Kennedy while on Aug. 27 Lutheran North (5-6) hosts Clayton (8-4) and Riverview Gardens (2-9) host Chaminade (8-3) at 1 p.m. and McCluer South-Berkeley (5-5) meets Carnahan (2-7) scheduled to be played 1:30 at Roosevelt. WEEK TWO — On Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. Trinity Catholic visits Archdiocesan Athletic Association Champion St. Dominic (8-2) and Chaminade host Public High League Champion Roosevelt (9-3). On Sept. 3 at 1 p.m. Lutheran North visits Westminster Christian Academy (2-8) and Riverview hosts Columbia Rock Bridge (4-6) while at 1:30 McCluer South-Berkeley meets Cleveland NJROTC (1-9) at Southwest.
