MY COLUMN - Mike McMurran Sports Editor
March is here, and that can mean only one thing: BASKETBALL! High school and college hoop tournaments are in full swing. First of all, hats off to Wade Bouslog and Charlie Elmendorf, who have led Duchesne’s boys girls basketball squads to district titles. Deadline requirements for this fine weekly are less than conducive for coverage of the high school state tournament. Well, that is not exactly true; deadline for this week’s edition was 8 a.m. Thursday morning. Both Duchesne squads played Wednesday evening – both against St. Francis Borgia from Washington, MO, both at Hannibal High School. The boys’ game was scheduled to begin at 8:15, which meant it would end, shall we say at the earliest 9:30. In reality more like 9:45. If Bob Barton and I had attended, by the time the interviewing was wrapped up, it would have been 10:30 before we would have been on the road home – getting home around midnight; that I could live with. However, staying up until 1 or so to write the story, and then getting up the next morning at 5 for clarinet lessons (for Maggie, not me) could present problems. My priorities must remain with my day job. And as you might imagine, showing up at Jennings Junior High School, with less than a full night’s sleep, is looking for a disaster.
That being said, I think you will find this week’s article on the Extreme Ice racing competition, which was held last Sunday at Family Arena both interesting and informational. Not only that, but FCN is the only publication that covered the event. Why? Because that’s the type of weekly we are.
Back to basketball: if either the boys or girls won on Wednesday, you can bet your bottom dollar Bob and I will be at Hazelwood Central on Saturday to cover the state quarterfinals. A win there and Bob and I will take a road trip to cover the final four in Columbia the weekend of March 9-10.
This weekend, if you like basketball, the place to be is clearly Savvis Center. Starting Thursday the Missouri Valley Conference will hold their annual men’s basketball tournament in downtown St. Louis. I have been attending the tournament for a number of years now, dating back to when it was played in the Arena, or Checkerdome, or what ever that building was called at the time. I can remember when they had a giant black curtain dividing the building into two, giving the illusion of a smaller venue – and a larger crowd. The tournament then became part of ESPN’s “Championship Week,” which meant Monday night’s title game was televised nationally. Personally the past four tournaments have been the most exciting, thanks to a former student of mine by the name of Darren Brooks. Darren played for SIU and pretty much rewrote their record book, having twice won the conference MVP award and Defensive Player of the Year Award.
This year promises to be the best tournament of all, and 2003’s record attendance of 62,000 is almost certain to fall. This year the Valley has 6 teams ranked in the top 42 of the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI): Missouri State (21), Wichita State (24), Northern Iowa (31) Creighton (32), Southern Illinois (40) and Bradley (42).
In a weekly press release, Valley Commissioner Doug Elgin said, “Having the championship game live on CBS puts us in an elite group of conferences. It’s been an unbelievable year for us. We think we have a realistic chance of selling out the tournament,” he added.
Tournament action begins Thursday evening, when number 8 seed Drake (12-18) takes on number 9 Indiana State (12-15) in a 6:05 tip off, followed by number 7 Evansville (9-18) and 10 Illinois State (9-18) at 8:35. The top four seeds went to Wichita St. (23-7), SIU (19-10), Missouri St. (20-7) and Creighton (19-8). One would be foolish to rule out the 5 and 6 seeds Bradley (18-9) and Northern Iowa (22-8).
I am proud to say once again I have a former student in the tournament. Travis Wallace who was in my freshman English class back in the late 90’s will come off the bench for Illinois State. And speaking of Northern Iowa, remember the year they were a number 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament and bested number 3 see Missouri for one of the biggest upsets in tournament history? Well, it seems a St. Charles County resident was a member of that NIU squad. Eric Schaefer, and his lovely wife Kelli now call St. Charles County home (Eric was on the team, not Kelli). Their daughters, McKenna and Chloe are in 5th grade and kindergarten at ASH.
Odds are they will be watching Friday night’s game against Missouri State from the NIU suite. Should State top Northern Iowa, and that is not a gimme, it would likely set up a SIU – Missouri State contest on Saturday afternoon at 4:05. If that game does happen, you can bet the noise level at Savvis Center will blow the roof off the place.
No matter what happens, The Valley is looking at a win/win situation.
And that would be it, and I could say to Family Almus that I wrote an entire article without mentioning a member of my family, were it not for Maggie McMurran scoring her first two points in basketball. As a matter of fact she was tied for the leading scorer, along with Grace Schwendemann, as the Falcons of ASH feel to ICD by a score of 12-4.
See ya next week.
THE BEILSTENS:
A Roller And Ice Hockey Family
By Louis J. Launer
Special to the First Capitol News
As the National Hockey League will supply players to compete internationally at either the Olympic Games or the World Hockey Championships, there are a few minor league players that if they are lucky, can participate in international competition.
But it might not necessarily be the sport of ice hockey.
Missouri River Otters forward J.P. Beilsten has used a stick and puck and slightly different skates in another competition—roller hockey.
Several ice hockey players either got their start or play roller hockey during times of the year when ice isn’t around. Roller hockey had some of its origins from those who played street hockey in school or church parking lots, or in some cases, the streets. The competition is the same. It is still a rough and tumble sport. Whether it is on ice or on a hard floor surface, players are prone to hit or be hit and get the puck into the net at any cost.
Beilsten has played for Team USA in the 2003 Pan American Games. J.P. currently plays for one of the top rated professional roller hockey teams, Tour Beemers, and he recently won double gold medals for Team USA in the World Roller Hockey Championships and the World Games. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will most likely be representing his country in the 2007 Pan American Games scheduled for middle July. Approximately 5,500 athletes from 42 countries competing in 28 sports, including roller hockey, will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Beilsten as an off-and-on River Otter during his ice hockey career. Injuries and other factors with the team has had Beilsten on the team and off the team. The St. Louis native is not only a fan favorite, but well known in roller hockey. His father, Ron Beilsten, coaches roller hockey for Lindenwood University. The elder Beilsten is in his third season behind the bench with the Lions’ roller hockey team. In his first two seasons Beilsten has a combined record of 55-1-0 and back-to-back NCRHA National Championships.
This year, the Lindenwood Men’s Roller Hockey team has accumulated a 21-0 record in the NCRHA Winternationals, just finishing up that season in mid-February. In March, Lindenwood will host the regional tournament and in April, Lindenwood likely will qualify for the national tournament.
“We have a very excellent roller hockey program,” said Lindenwood University President Dennis Spellmann. “For many years it has been a cornerstone of our athletic department. We’re happy to have great personnel coaching our team.”
Before coaching at Lindenwood, Beilsten was an assistant coach for the St. Louis Vipers in the RHI. His coaching credits also include working with McCluer High School’s club hockey team in the Mid-States Club Hockey Association.
Here’s a little bit of trivia that many forgot,” the elder Beilsten said. “The last hockey game played at the St. Louis Arena was a Vipers game.” The St. Louis Arena was closed in 1994 and imploded in 1999.
Beilsten began coaching the Vipers in 1993. The Vipers followed the Blues in moving to Savvis Center in 1995. Roller Hockey International played their seasons during the summer months when there was no ice in the arenas and the venues were more available. The Vipers lasted until 1999 when RHI folded. Also ironically, the Vipers were the last RHI champions.
Ron Beilstein also believes that those who can skate in ice hockey can also skate in roller hockey.
“People need to stop the roller and ice conflict,” he said. “What is done in ice hockey is also done in roller hockey. The intensity, the play and preparation is the same. There are some great ice hockey players who are remarkable roller hockey players and many roller hockey players have turned to ice hockey.”
His son, J.P. Beilsten, is one of those players who play both ice and roller hockey. He remains on the River Otters roster in the United Hockey League.
J.P. is also involved with Lindenwood’s roller hockey program. J.P. is in his second season behind the bench as an assistant with the junior varsity squad at Lindenwood. In 2005, he helped guide the junior varsity squad to the B Division National Championship.
The Beilsten family is well attended at the Family Arena when the River Otters play hockey. It’s not just father, son. The aunts and uncles along with other family members also attend many games at Family Arena. They also attend many Lindenwood University roller hockey games and encourage those who are fans of hockey to attend as many local games as you can. You never know if you will find a noted personality playing on either a future ice hockey game or a roller hockey game in the Pan American Games.
RAGE DEFENSIVE CAPTAIN PROUDLY ACCEPTS AWARD AS ‘OUTSTANDING ALUMNI’
By Mike Thompson
For Rage defensive back Clarence ‘CJ’ Jones the choice was simple. Driven even as a youngster to “do the right thing, to make those around me proud and to be able to face myself day after day, I knew that I couldn’t be a part of the bad stuff going on around me. I saw guys getting involved with things that could only take them further and further away from the right road in life, things that eventually would lead to desperation, jail time or even death.” Reflecting back on that time, Jones can only shake his head and “thank God that there was something like the Matthews-Dickey Boys and Girls Club to rescue me, to keep me focused and get me involved with positive influence. I’m so proud to have been a part of it for so many years.”
In accepting an award proclaiming him an ‘Outstanding Alumni’ Jones, on Saturday night, looked back on those days when as a youth from ages 8 to 14 he “played all sports, not just football, and was afforded the opportunity to do things that I otherwise would not have been able to do. I traveled with various teams around the country and was making new friends every summer, kids like myself who were looking to stay straight and listen to their coaches and mentors, their parents and their teachers at school. It was that kind of surrounding that allows me to be standing where I am today.”
Clarence ‘CJ’ Jones exemplifies the type of football player Rage Head Football Coach Mike Wyatt talks about all the time. In any interview given, Wyatt will brag that “our team is not just made up of good football players, but good people as well. I look for the kind of player who has respect for the game, for himself and his teammates. That’s the kind of person who will end up playing football for the RvierCity Rage.” Jones readily agrees, saying “I learned at an early age to show respect for my coaches and that education went a long way with me, into the classroom, into my personal life, and again, much of that is due to the influence of the Matthews-Dickey Boys and Girls Club. This award tonight is like a chance to come home again.”
A standout at both Parkway-Central High School and the University of Missouri, ‘CJ’ has been a mainstay in the defensive scheme of Coach Wyatt for the past two seasons and looks forward to the 2006 Rage campaign, one he says should finish up some unresolved issues from last year.
“I really felt we were the best team in the entire NIFL last season, and to get taken out by Cincinnati in the first round of the playoffs, well let’s just that was a feeling I don’t intend to take on again. Every player, every coach on this team is focused and ready, and with Savvis Center looming ahead I’d say a championship is all that will erase that feeling from 2005. I’m ready to do my part to see that happen.”
Back to Saturday night for a moment….Clarence ‘CJ’ Jones was back in the circle of influence that started him on the road to success both on and off the field. At the Anheuser-Busch Banquet Center in front of some 200 people, Clarence was given a plaque that he says meant more to him than any football award he has ever received. Matthews-Dickey Boys and Girls Club has been a constant in the lives of inner-city and metro St. Louis youth since the early 1960’s. The organization has helped and encouraged youth with sports programs of all sorts, offered leadership classes, after school mentoring and even taken on life-skills classes like cooking and computers. And for Jones, it was the positive force that gives him the desire to reach out today to youngsters just like himself back then.
“I see myself in so many of the young guys who are part of the program today. Young kids who are learning from teachers and coaches who really care about them, who help them stay out of trouble, make the right choices and keep them under the umbrella of positive influence. I know for myself, it allowed me to take pride in what I was doing and gave me something I could rely on. I got to travel to Kentucky and Philadelphia with the baseball team, to Florida with the football program. To be able to shake hands tonight with Mr. Matthews and my employer Mr. Elliott and know they both had an influence on my life today, well, let’s just say I’m proud.”
Rage Majority Owner Tye Elliott was in attendance Saturday night and has reason to be proud of Jones on two counts. “Clarence ‘CJ’ Jones is an outstanding young man,” said Elliott, the State Sales Coordinator for AFLAC Insurance Company, “not only has he found success on the football field, but he’s made a key contribution to AFLAC in becoming a successful Financial Consultant for the firm.” A lot of pressure for certain when your two jobs are given to one employer, but Elliott smiled and said “I’m sure Clarence is up to the challenge. He’s met ever one so far.”
St. Charles West Hockey Team
Bound for Savvis Center
Will play for Wickenheiser Cup Title March 8
First Capitol News Staff Report
After getting crushed by the Francis Howell Central Spartans in the first round of the Mid-States Club Hockey Association Challenge Cup playoffs, they wound up in the consolation Wickenheiser tournament and the team’s run through that tournament has also been nailbiting.
The playoff rounds have been a two-game series. Their first opponent in the Wickenheiser tournament two weeks ago was Whitfield from west St. Louis County. The Whitfield Warriors were a rough and tough team, playing a style of hockey that involved punches and pushes. Both teams ran on emotion in both games. SCW took the first game, 8-7 and won the second game, 8-1.
Having had to play two physical teams in their first two playoff series did take its toll as SCW took on Northwest of House Springs. The Warriors discovered that once you get further into the tournament that the games don’t get any easier. They took the first game, 5-4 at North County on Presidents’ Day and the following day at the Fenton Forum, won, 5-3. It was clearly evident that in the second game against Northwest, the Warriors had trouble with their defense who kept missing their assignments to check Northwest’s forwards.
This past weekend, the Warriors took on a more local rival, Wentzville Holt, winning both games and now are on the way to go to Savvis Center for the Wickenheiser Cup Finals, a one game championship, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8.
Although they have had their lumps this season, this year’s St. Charles West Warriors hockey team is focused. No one in the MSCHA expected St. Charles West to accomplish anything this year. After a month, St. Charles West started turning heads. The Warriors began their season on a tear and played as if they were one of the typical established teams in St. Louis County.
St. Charles West has a hockey tradition going back 28 years. The team disappeared during the 1980s. The club was resurrected in the early 1990s, hopefully not to go away again.
Traditionally in the MSCHA, long-time established teams played a grind-down, physical game. St. Charles West this season is playing a slightly different game that not only are other teams surprised to see, but they wonder why they didn’t take the Warriors more serious in the original game plan.
“We have speed in all positions,” said SCW head coach Shawn Lewinski. “We have players who can hold onto the puck and pass it cleanly.”
Lewinski’s team this year can adjust to almost any opposition. This appears to be one factor to SCW’s undefeated season from the beginning of November through mid-December – 10 games. The team is halfway through the season and is aware that the games are not going to get any easier.
“Our second half of the season was tough and our players knew that,” Lewinski said. We have taught the players to play as a team since the beginning. They are doing a fantastic job doing what they are supposed to do. This team can adjust to the kind of game that the opposition decides to do.”
Unlike the professional leagues, high school hockey has officials that make sure that rules are enforced consistently. Checking from behind is one of the most common penalties enforced by referees in high school and amateur ranks. The rule has existed in high school hockey for decades. The rule exists not just to minimize injuries. It does keep players from attempting to commit other flagrant penalties, including any intent to injure.
“That is one positive thing this league does,” Lewinski said. “We don’t want to see any player take any aggression out on anyone else. The consequences are too high for the player and for the team.”
The Warriors continue a St. Charles high school hockey history that 25 years ago, saw a 1980-81 club gain third place in the Blues Challenge Cup tournament. The Warriors’ appearance this year at Savvis hopefully will rekindle the interest in high school hockey throughout St. Charles.
