Blog

By Jim Wieners

When High School Football begins District playoffs in late October McCluer North and Lutheran North will not compete against past district rivals because of drops in school enrollments.

McCluer North, with an enrollment of 1,717 according to the Missouri State High School Activities Association, is ranked 38th largest high school and only the largest 32 high schools compete in Class Six Football. That includes four all-boys Catholic High Schools whose adjusted enrollments have than ranked in the top eight.

McCluer North will compete in Class Five, District Two, a seven-team district with Ferguson-Florissant School District rival McCluer (1,323), two other Suburban North Conference rivals, Hazelwood East (1,436) and Riverview Gardens (1,394), Turkey Day rivals Kirkwood and Webster Groves and Metro Catholic Conference member Chaminade College Prep.

In a bracket format with seeding based on win-loss records and strength of schedule the top-seeded team will get a bye when district play begins in week 10.

Lutheran North, with an adjusted enrollment of 423 (35 percent larger than the actual enrollment), will be competing in Class Two, District Two in week 10. The eight-team district features Metro (formerly ABC) League rival Principia, three Public High League teams — Carnahan High of the Future, Cleveland Naval Junior ROTC and Northwest Academy of Transportation and Law — two neighboring rivals from near South St. Louis County, Brentwood and Maplewood-Richmond Heights, and Herculaneum, a Jefferson County town. Northwest Academy, enrollment 298, will compete as a cooperative with Beaumont, whose enrollment drops to 118.

Hazelwood West, whose enrollment of 2,258 is ranked ninth by MSHSAA and the largest public high school in the St. Louis area, and Hazelwood Central, ranked 14th by MSHSAA in enrollment (2,049) will compete in Class Six, District Two and there are only four districts in Class Six. Also competing against West and Central in District Two are Suburban North rivals Pattonville and Ritenour, three all-boys Catholic high schools from the Metro Catholic Conference — CBC, DeSmet and St. Louis University High — and Francis Howell North, from St. Charles County.

Trinity Catholic, adjusted enrollment of 465 (35 percent higher than actual enrolment), and McCluer South-Berkeley, enrollment 589, will remain as rivals in Class Three Football and will compete in District Five.

The other six teams in District Five include two of Trinity’s newest rivals from the Archdiocesan Athletic Association, Duchesne (St. Charles) and Christian (O’Fallon) plus a third team from St. Charles County, Orchard Farm, former State and Public High League powerhouse Sumner as well as Wright City (Warren County) and Winfield (Lincoln County).

District Football playoffs are three rounds each and are bracketed like other district sports. The District Football champions advance to the state quarterfinal round except for Class Six where the district winner advances to the semifinals.

Trinity Catholic will drop from Class Four to Class Three, since their adjusted enrollment of 465 fits in the Class Three enrollment range of 237-545. Trinity will compete against Lutheran North and North Tech (full-time enrollment of 521) in Class Three.

Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood East, Hazelwood West, McCluer North, McCluer, Pattonville, Ritenour and Riverview Gardens will continue to compete in Class Five Basketball. Normandy dropped from Class Five to Class Four and competes against McCluer South-Berkeley and Jennings.