Blog

By Jim Wieners

Five weeks of High School Football before District playoffs sees Hazelwood Central, McCluer, Hazelwood East and McCluer North hit the road this weekend in Suburban North Conference competition.

On Friday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. Hazelwood Central visits Ritenour High Moore Field while McCluer High visits the newly remodeled Pattonville Stadium. On Saturday, Sept. 22 1 p.m. Hazelwood East heads to Riverview Gardens’ Meyerkord Field while McCluer North heads to Hazelwood West.

Other games on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. include Trinity Catholic hosting John F. Kennedy and Lutheran North visiting Lutheran South while on Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. McCluer South-Berkeley hosts Affton.

HAZELWOOD CENTRAL-RITENOUR — Hazelwood Central has rebounded from a 0-2 start with non-conference losses to 2-2 with a pair of Suburban North Conference wins as the Hawks defeated McCluer North, 28-13 and Hazelwood West. David Simmons led the Hawks over McCluer North with two touchdown passes, two to Jerome Gould while Dorian Williams scored twice against Hazelwood West.

Ritenour won twice the last two weeks, defeating Hazelwood West, 32-0, and McCluer North, 34-29, with two touchdowns in the final 3:06 as the Huskies recovered and on-side kick in between two touchdowns that won the game. Terrence Hollins-White threw six touchdown passes the last two games, including four against McCluer North. Ritenour has never beaten Hazelwood Central.

McCLUER-PATTONVILLE — After losing the season-opener McCluer has won the last three games including a pair of teams nicknamed Rams, 34-24 in a Suburban North Conference game at Riverview Gardens and 42-6 in a non-conference game at Ladue. The Comets are the only team in the Suburban North to go 2-0 in non-conference games and both of those teams are in the Suburban East Conference. Pattonville is winless through four games after losing at Hazelwood East, 40-0, and to Riverview Gardens, 32-22.

HAZELWOOD EAST-RIVERVIEW GARDENS — It is going to be a showdown between these two neighboring Northeast County rivals after splitting the last two weeks. Last year the Spartans won a high scoring game over the Rams, 64-44 and Riverview head coach Ken Walker said “we had a great game against them last year,” despite going winless and it was a “testament of character last  year.”

East had a home shutout of Pattonville as Ahmad Huddleston scored four touchdowns the lost 41-32 at Jefferson City despite rallying in the fourth quarter to trail by two (34-32) and getting two touchdowns each from Jimmy Jones and Dallas Vaughn. Riverview Gardens split the last two weeks despite the efforts of John Gould who threw two touchdown passes against McCluer and two more at Pattonville, a game in which the Rams led 20-0 in the first half and had to hold off a late Pirate rally.

Three weeks ago Riverview led Normandy, 14-13 with 4:00 left in the third quarter when thunderstorms halted the game. According to Riverview athletic officials Normandy does no plan to finish the game.

McCLUER NORTH-HAZELWOOD WEST — Both teams are seeking their first win and both lost to Hazelwood Central and Ritenour. “We should be playing better,” said McCluer North head coach Jim Schottmueller and “there is no such thing as rebuilding.” Demetrius Robinson threw two Stars touchdown passes to Harry Ballard against Hazelwood Central while Bryan Westmoreland ran for three Star touchdowns against Ritenour. Hazelwood West has scored only six points in four games.