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BY JIM WIENERS

While McCluer North is going for their second straight Class Five Boys Basketball title Hazelwood Central is the defending Suburban North Conference Boys Basketball champion.

Last year Hazelwood Central went to McCluer North on Feb. 15 and came home with a 66-46 win. McCluer North, who was 5-2 in the Suburban North, rebounded to win six straight games, finished with a 26-3 season and their school’s first state boys hoop title. However, Hazelwood Central, who was 7-0 in Suburban North games, was a 49-43 loser in a Class Five District game Feb. 21, 2007 to Riverview Gardens at Hazelwood East and Hazelwood Central finished 23-4.

So it was back to work for Hazelwood Central and the Hawks opened the season with eight straight wins before losing two straight in the Meramec Holiday Festival. The Hawks opened 2008 with a 78-32 rout Jan. 2 over visiting St. Charles High, who is in their first year after the retirement of legendary coach Gary Wacker. On March 3, 2007 St. Charles won their last game for Wacker in a Class Four Quarterfinal game, 55-45 over Westminster Christian Academy.

Meanwhile Hazelwood Central, who returns to action Friday, 7 p.m. at home against Ritenour, gets to avenge their first loss of the season Tuesday when St. Charles West pays a visit to the Hazelwood Central Field House. It was St. Charles West who dealt Hazelwood Central their first loss of the season, Dec. 27, 2007 as SC West won 73-66 in the Meramec Holiday Festival quarterfinal game. While Central would lose again a day later in the Meramec Holiday Festival, to DeSmet in the fifth-place semifinals, SCW won the Meramec tournament and denied hopes for an undefeated season for Webster Groves, who will host the Hawks on Jan. 30.

SC West and Webster go into Jan. 7 with identical 13-1 records.

Hazelwood Central, through 11 games, is led by Marcus Johnson, who averages 8.9 points per game, 46 assists and 27 steals, and Leldon Love, who has 41 rebounds.

Two players, Chris Babbitt and Mike Anderson, each have blocked five shots.
Hazelwood Central hosts McCluer North, Feb. 14.

McCluer High is off to a 7-3 start and was playing in the CBC-D.C. Wilcutt Invitational Jan. 7 against Ladue and Jan. 8 against St. Charles West. Friday McCluer will be playing at 4:30 (for fifth place), 6 p.m., for third place, or 7:30 for the tourney title.

McCLUER, who was 2-1 at the Pattonville, was 1-2 at the Collinsville, Ill., Schnucks Holiday Classic but in between tournaments the Comets had won three straight including a 74-64 over visiting Jennings (10-3 prior to Jan. 8). McCluer opened 2008 with a 60-58 Suburban North win at Riverview Gardens, who will host Class Five, District Seven starting in mid-February. McCluer host McCluer Jan. 29 and visits Hazelwood Central, Feb. 1.

Leading the way for McCluer, prior to Jan 7, include Lonnie Boga, who is averaging 18 points per game, almost 10 rebounds per game and has blocked 18 shots, and Andre Martin, who has 42 assists and 35 steals.

McCLUER SOUTH-BERKELEY is off to a 14-1 start and the Bulldogs played at Chaminade Jan. 8 in a rematch of a Dec. 29 game won by Chaminade, 75-66, in their tournament championship. MS-Berkeley won their second tournament of the season last week by breezing through three games of the Clopton Tournament (over Clopton, 66-34, Montgomery County, 79-44, and Orchard Farm, 67-32). Berkeley has played only one Suburban East Conference game, winning 64-33 Dec. 7 at Affton.

MS-Berkeley hosts Madison, Ill., Friday at 4 p.m. and resumes Suburban East play Jan. 17 at Clayton.
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