Blog

By Jim Wieners

Two Metro Catholic Conference high school teams are headed to a Class Six, District Two title showdown, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9 with the winner to take on a Kansas City area high school in a Nov. 16 State Semifinal.

DeSmet visits CBC for the Class Six, District Two title and a chance to play Blue Springs or Rockhurst in the Semifinal.  DeSmet, with a win, will host the semifinal while a CBC win sends the Cadets to Blue Springs or Rockhurst. In an Oct. 5 game at 8-3 DeSmet 11-0 CBC, Class Six Runner Up last year, was a 49-12 winner.

DeSmet advanced to the Class Six, District Two final with a 40-30 win Nov. 3 at Hazelwood Central, the second time the Spartans defeated the Hawks. On Sept. 1 in a game moved to DeSmet from Hazelwood Central because of remnants of Hurricane Isaac the Spartans won 21-0 but the Hawks (8-3) had won eight in a row prior to the rematch.

After both teams scored on their first drives of the game — on a cold, cloudy day — DeSmet got the first of two Alex Wiese field goals and Conner Harrison threw the first of two touchdown passes, this one to Chris Klages, before the Hawks countered with touchdowns runs by David Simmons and Dorian Williams gave the Hawks a 21-17 lead with 1:25 left in the first half.

The final 15 seconds of the first half was wild after Wiese’s second field goal trimmed the Hawk lead to one but Hazelwood Central got to deep into DeSmet territory with two seconds left and no time out. After the clock was restarted after the first down marker was set the Hawks was able to snap the ball but a false start penalty moved them back five yards with no time left. However high school rules allowed for the Hawks to have an un-timed down not allowed in the NFL and Cody Ford connected on a 32-yard field goal and the Hawks went to the locker room with a 24-20 lead.

In the third quarter Darrius Adams, who threw to Matthew Quarells for the game’s first score, ran a quarterback keeper to increase the Hawk lead to 30-20 despite the missed extra point. DeSmet took over the game from there as Harrison, in a roll out to the sideline, threw to Alec Bausch with 2:41 left in the third quarter then with 7:37 left in the fourth quarter Harrison rolled left from one yard out and in the end zone to put the Spartans up for good 33-30 despite the missed extra point. While the Hawks attempted to regain the lead an Adams pass ended up in the hands of Dedrick Cromartie and his second touchdown, a 70-yard interception return with 4:17 left, sapped the Hawks hopes and sealed the Spartan win.

One night earlier, Nov. 2, CBC ended Ritenour’s dream season with 54-35 win. CBC took a 27-0 halftime lead on three Tyler Creath first-quarter touchdown passes and the first of three Jonathan Parker touchdown runs. However Ritenour (7-4) scored 35 points in the second half, 28 in the fourth quarter as Devin Alexander scored three Husky touchdowns but the Cadets, with two Parker touchdowns, scored 27 in the fourth.

As a result the Suburban North Conference will not have a team in the State Quarterfinals for the first time since 1979 when no team qualified. On Oct. 31 in Class Five, District Two Hazelwood East (6-5) lost at Kirkwood 33-12 despite two Ahmad Huddleston touchdowns while McCluer (8-3), who had two Nate Miller touchdowns and a 21-7 halftime lead, lost 28-21 to Webster Groves at Ritenour. That same night Lutheran North (4-7) lost 60-28 in Class Two, District Two at Maplewood-Richmond Heights.

Meanwhile McCluer South-Berkeley in Class Three, District Five won at O’Fallon Christian, 52-22 on Oct. 31 while at Duchesne on Nov. 5 the Bulldogs lost 18-14 and finished 8-4.