St. Charles vs Jennings - First Capitol News Photo by RJ Barton
MY COLUMN - Mike McMurran First Capitol News Sports Editor
It is my favorite time of the year, the start of the high school football season. However, there is something far, far more important than the high school football season that I would like to share with you, it deals with the best birthday gift I ever received. I know it will sound as if I am speaking in clichés, but it really does seem like it happened just yesterday.
Ten years ago this September 15, the creator of the universe blessed me with the most special birthday I could possibly imagine. My wife Lynn was a week overdue with our first child. I make mention of this because that is the reason we were sleeping in separate beds. On Friday morning, September 15, 1995 Lynn woke me up (at 4:30 a.m.) and informed me “today is the day, no doubt about it.” Less than ten hours later, Margaret Kurtz McMurran was born. Yes, this Thursday, my favorite daughter will be ten years old. Maggie has grown into quite a young lady. Naturally her friends are the center of her life – she will be celebrating with Elizabeth Francis, Tori Kruse, Bailey Lemke, Hannah Pruess and Elizabeth Watson at NASCAR Speedway at the Mills. Speaking as a proud father, Maggie makes just about straight A’s in school (she clearly gets that from her mom), and is very much involved in music. In addition to her year round performing with Just Kids (Patt Holt Singers), she recently began taking clarinet lessons. She plays soccer year round and is a rather decent pitcher in softball. Have I mentioned yet that she “is my favorite daughter?” Anyway, happy birthday Margo – I love you very much.
Too bad Sandy Fisher, who works Maggie’s mom, will have to read this column to know of Maggie’s birthday. Regular readers of this column have been found in the strangest places.
Tough luck for Corey Nesslage and his St. Charles High Pirates. They were defeated by Jennings and their new head coach, Ryan Wallace in the season opener for both teams. Regular readers of this column are aware that as Bob Barton and I cover the high school scene, we are anything other than objective – we want the local teams to win. The Jennings/St. Charles game was no different – with one exception. As long as I am reminiscing (see paragraph #2), allow me to go back to the year 1992, when Lynn and I were first married and moved into our home in beautiful Country Club Hills, MO. The first three years of our marriage Lynn and I were childless. Living directly behind us was nice family with four boys: Scotty, Wayne, James and Michael. The longer we lived there the more frequently the boys would visit – often times around lunch and dinner time. The fact is they were very well behaved, thus always welcome in our home. James and Michael were very young, may 2 and 3 years old. More times than not they could be spotted in their back yard playing football, baseball, basketball – all in their diapers. Well, I managed to secure an old football helmet and shoulder pads and gave it to the boys to play with. So now they were outfitted in helmet, should pads – and of course their diapers.
In 1996 Lynn and I (and of course Maggie) moved to St. Charles, but I stayed in touch with the boys. When their daddy died I invited them to spend the day at our house and go swimming. When I started teaching at Jennings Junior High I ran into their mother and she greeted me with a big hug. Anyway, the 4th and final touchdown in Friday’s game was scored by none other than Mike Heard. I am certain his daddy was looking down from heaven smiling, and I am equally certain I jumped for joy on the sidelines. No one has said anything to me about my behavior, but just in case someone saw me I wanted to explain. Knowing Corey, I am sure he would understand.
Prayers and condolences to the family of Bob Groff. Bob was a teacher and coach for over 20 years in the Zumwalt school district, from where he retired. I think it is safe to say that most high school coaches, on both sides of the river, either knew Bob, or knew of him. I knew of him, through his former students. Dea Hoover, formerly of Vandalia, MO remembered him as her former P.E. teacher. In the most recent edition of this weekly, in an interview with Ryan Wallace, Groff was mentioned as one his mentors in football.
Next week we will begin honoring high school athlete of the week. To nominate a student, contact me at 314.280.9189 or mcmurran@charter.net.
PIRATES' HOME OPENER NOT VERY SPECIAL
Special teams allow three touchdowns and a safety as Jennings wins 29-7
By: Mike McMurran
Sports Editor
It wasn’t so much that Jennings scored on the first play from scrimmage that broke St. Charles’ spirit Friday evening. “Defensively I was pleased with the way we played,” said first year coach Corey Nesslage. “After the first quarter our defense really settled down and played a solid game.” Jennings senior quarterback Robert Thompson opened the game with a 70-yard bomb to receiver Al Carlisle 17 seconds into the game. The PAT was no good. Things got worse for the Pirates before they got better as the visiting Warriors blocked the Pirates first punt into the end zone for a safety and the Pirates trailed 8-0 less than two minutes into the game.
Jennings first year head coach Ryan Wallace said the first play was one of team design. “I talked to the players about how they wanted to start the game; dive, sweep, I wanted their input. Maybe I need to listen to them more often, it was their idea to go long on the first play,” Wallace offered.
Both teams’ offense sputtered pretty much the remainder of the first half, as neither was able to effectively move the ball. Then the ugly special teams play of the Pirates raised its head once again. With 4:44 remaining in the half, Jennings returned St. Charles punt 30 yards for a touchdown and a 15-0 lead.
As bad as St. Charles special team play was, Jennings was not much better. In the final minute of the first half, with Jennings in punt formation, the snap went over the punter head and the Pirates recovered. St. Charles took over on the Jennings 28 yard line with 17 seconds remaining in the first half. They needed only one play, a 28 yard pass from Mike Brown to Jake Bethman to cash in on Jennings mistake. After Bryan Lewis PAT, the score stood at Jennings 15, St. Charles 7. Just when it looked as though things were going the Pirates’ way – you guessed it, the ugly special teams play cost the Pirates.
On the following kickoff Nesslage told his kicker “to squib the ball, and he did. But they were still able to run it back.” Whatever momentum the Pirates had “didn’t last long,” Nesslage said. Halftime score: Jennings 21 St. Charles 7.
In defense of the Pirates special team play, Wallace offered “I told the guys before the season that with all of our speed we should score a touchdown every game on the special team. I guess we are ahead of that pace.” Nesslage would have none of it. “I did not have this team prepared and I take full blame for that,” said the former Pirate quarterback. “We are going to spend some time evaluating the personnel on the special teams and spend even more time on it.”
In the second half neither team could generate much offense. Jennings managed to return another punt for a touchdown when Mike Heard went 50 yard for the score.
Defensively we played really well after the first quarter; we finally started to tackle,” said Nesslage. I have no problem with the defense, especially when they were on the field for what seemed like 90 percent of the time and usually with a short field.”
Jennings closed out the scoring in the 4th quarter when the Pirates were called for intention grounding in the end zone, resulting in a safety.
St. Charles will open Gateway Athletic Conference play Friday night when they host Timberland in a 7 p.m. kickoff.
So much for that 11-game HAAC winning streak.
LINDENWOOD STUNNED IN OPENER
First of all, it’s important to be clear on two things: a) a Lindenwood football team which opened the season ranked 7th nationally will offer no excuses for losing its opener at Culver-Stockton, and b) one of the Heart’s most stunning upsets ever had as much to do with how well Culver’s coaches and players performed, as it did to do with how poorly LU’s did.
Still, if not biblical in proportions, Saturday afternoon’s ambush of the Lions in Canton, Mo., certainly qualifies as a huge upset, one which could have far-reaching ramifications for both teams. Taking the game to the visitors from the opening kickoff, young head coach Christian Guenther’s Culver team made his coaching debut one to remember, knocking off the defending HAAC champs, 23-6.
The oldest cliche in the upset business is, “The longer you let the underdog stay in the game, the more dangerous they become”. The Lions executed this plan to perfection on Saturday, failing to score on two early trips to the red zone, before handing the Wildcats nine unanswered points without Culver’s offense stepping on the field early in the second quarter. Just like that, a team with only the most optimistic of hopes was up 9-0, and the blood was in the water.
First, sophomore quarterback Gerry Connell was forced into an intentional grounding penalty in his own end zone, after being sacked on the previous play, making it 2-0 in favor of Culver on the first play of the second period. Then, after LU recovered the ensuing free kick at the C-SC 33-yard line, sophomore Brent Hodgkiss threw an interception on 4th-and-8 which was promptly returned for a TD by Wildcat junior Shannon Benton.
“In no way did we play or coach well enough to win this football game,” said head coach Patrick Ross. “But those two mistakes in the second quarter gave their team the belief they could win, and after that, it didn’t seem nearly as hot on their sideline as it did on ours. Excuses are for losers, and we will not make them - we simply got outcoached and outplayed.”
“It was just one of those days for us where everything that could go wrong, did,” said Ross. “Give all the credit for that to Culver, because they deserve more than people saying it was just because we didn’t show up. We’ll be back, and we still believe this team is a championship caliber group of people who will have the heart to pursue all of the goals we have for this season. Starting next week.”
The Lions will have to regroup and refocus in a hurry - up next is a trip to the Chicago suburbs to play Olivet Nazarene, a 7-3 team last season which won its’ opener over Anderson (Ind.) by a count of 33-18 on Saturday. Game time is set for 6:00 pm in Bourbonnais, Ill.
RASCALS SEASON ENDS 10 GAMES BELOW .500
By Louis J. Launer
River City Rascals batting coach Jack Clark could sum up the 2005 season with one word – “brutal.”
In the final week of the Frontier League season, the Kalamazoo Kings swept the Rascals taking the Frontier League West Division title and home advantage in the playoffs. A fourth inning grand slam by Nick Rogers helped defeat the Rascals, 7-3 in the first game of the series. Rascals’ pitcher Brian Keating struck out seven batters while giving up six hits and four walks.
It didn’t get any better for the Rascals in the second game. Six runs were scored in the second inning alone and gave Kalamazoo a 12-4 win. The final game of the series featured Rascals’ pitcher Arron Ledbetter, one of the team’s winning pitchers. Ledbetter walked three in the first inning and Kalamazoo swept the series with a 3-0 win. Ledbetter had a 10-0 record midway through the season. One win and five losses in the second half was part of the Rascals’ slide from first place at the all-star break. Ledbetter would salvage his last start of 2005 with a win over the Gateway Grizzlies. In last Sunday’s second game of their series against Gateway, Ledbetter struck out 10 Gateway batters and allowed only 7 hits in the Rascals’ 11-1 victory. Ledbetter finished the season with a 12-5 record. Fans will only hope if Ledbetter will return next season on the Rascals’ pitching staff.
On an afternoon game on Labor Day, which was the final day of the Frontier League regular season, the Grizzlies opened up the scoring after an error by Rascals’ first baseman Mike Madrid. The 1-0 Grizzlies lead lasted until the 4th inning, which Rick Saunders and Kirk McConnell scored after singling and doubling, respectively, to open the inning. But the Rascals couldn’t keep the lead in the sixth inning as the Grizzlies scored 5 runs en route to a 9-4 victory.
The Rascals finished the season in 4th place in the Frontier League’s Western Division with a 42-52 record and ten games behind West Division champion Kalamazoo, nine away from Rockford and five games behind third place finisher Gateway.
RAGE MAKE IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY
By Mike Thompson
One of the greatest joys any professional sports franchise can experience is the joy of giving back to the community it serves. Ask anyone in the front office, the community relations department or the public relations department of the Cardinals, the Rams, or the St. Louis Steamers about community and charity involvement and you’ll heartwarming stories of families who’s lives have been impacted by the generous donations of those teams, the seriously ill youngsters who have been given a new lease on life through foundation donations, or the happy smiles on the faces of children who might not otherwise have realized a Christmas wish come true. Even as I write this article, the New Orleans Saints coaches and players, along with the entire organization, labors diligently to find ways to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Go to the Saint’s web site at NFL.com, and the first thing you’ll see is the information and number for the American Red Cross Help-Line and it’s website link as well.
When Rage majority owners Tye Elliott, Scott Wilson and Jerry Lakin formed GST Sports, Inc. and assumed ownership of the team in December of 2004, they realized that along with putting a quality product on the football field, the team and the entire organization needed to look for ways to make a positive impact in the community as well. “It’s one of the reasons sports teams are important”, said Elliott last week, “and it’s definitely one of the true rewards of owning a football team. To see the influence our team could have on a family in need or a youngster needing help, even if it was in the smallest of ways, made this first season a complete success in my mind. It also helped keep the game of football in perspective for many of us.”
The Rage wasted no time in becoming involved. Within a week of assuming ownership of the team, the owners pledged to donate over $2,000 worth of toys to the WIL-FM “Stuff the Studio” Toy Drive, headed up by the station’s morning personality ‘Cornbread.’ And just over a month later, Rage players and cheerleaders joined the station to help raise money for the annual “Country Cares For Kids” radiothon, which raised over $550,000 for St. Jude’s Research Hospital.
If you attended any Rage home game this past season, you couldn’t help but notice the Heroes and Legends Silent Auction table set up in the outer foyer of the Family Arena. Sports memorabilia from legends like Stan the Man, Ozzie, Dan Dierdorf, and others were bid on by fans of the Rage before and during all 8 home games. Items were ‘reserved’ at a certain price, and any high bid over that amount was donated to the Rage specified charity of the evening.
The Shriners Hospital received nearly $800 and various other monetary donations were made throughout the year to the Moolah Shrine Temple. One of the more rewarding nights of the season for the team occurred on April 9th at Family Arena when The Rage defeated the Montgomery Maulers by the score of 90-39. Not only did that win register victory number 200 in the career of Rage Head Football Coach Mike Wyatt, but close to $1,700 was raised and donated to two worthy causes. One was the Boy Scouts of America, receiving $500 from the team. Then there is the story of St. Charles high school student Kieth McCoy, who was paralyzed in an automobile accident. Rage Account Executive Jay Carter and Owner Tye Elliott went to the school to ask what the team could do to help then attended a school Pep Rally and got the students involved in a fund raising ticket program that untimely raised nearly $1,200 for Keith and his family. Keith also had a chance to attend the game with his family and friends and was introduced to the fans at halftime.
Another young man who benefited from Rage donations was Armin Memisevic, who experienced a very rare skin disease. The Heroes and Legends Auction generated $500 for Armin and his family. A stellar Rage fan, Armin was also introduced to the crowd at halftime of the Rage Lincoln game on June 3rd, not only receiving a great reception, but enjoying the game from the V.I.P Suites and taking in another Rage home victory. At a home game the following week, the youngster was thrilled to talk with former NFL star Mike Jones, who signed autographs throughout much of the second half. Ram’s fans will never forget the guy who made ‘The Tackle’ in Super Bowl 34.
Throughout the season, various donations were made to The Backstoppers and several other charitable entities. And The Rage made a point of donating tickets throughout the year to local military outlets and other non-profit organizations. This past Wednesday, at a silent auction and dinner for the Missouri KIDS, the Rage promotional baskets filled with season ticket vouchers and autographed footballs raised $1,000 for the non-profit organization dedicated to helping youngsters who have suffered disabling accidents as athletes in the high school system.
All in all, a successful and satisfying first year for the team involved in the community. And lest anyone think this article is a self imposed pat on the back, so to speak, please understand that, if anything, it’s the reflection of a year’s worth of gratitude to the various organizations and individuals from a football team and it’s staff and owners who are both humbled and honored to have been even a small part of the big picture. It’s the bright picture of smiles on the faces of people we’ve been allowed to help. To all of them, from us, a warm heartfelt ‘thank you’......We’re smiling, too!!
