FEATURED STORIES
Jaguars feed off one another in weight room and on field
Francis Howell has shaken losing attitude
Missouri courts Howell North long snapper Hurrell
COACHES POLL
Team...............................Points
Fort Zumwalt West (6)......36
Francis Howell (1)..............31
Holt....................................25
Francis Howell Central.......18
Francis Howell North..........16
Timberland.........................15
Troy Buchanan.....................6
Points based on 6-5-4-3-2-1 voting by each coach, excluding his team.
First-place votes in parenthesis.
CONFERENCE HOT READS
Heads above the rest
The cup runneth over for Class 6 semifinalist Fort Zumwalt West, the consensus pick among coaches as the team to beat. The Jaguars are the league's only team that has been relatively unaffected by graduation loss to its key position players, and the returning talent is just as evident on offense as it is on defense. From top to bottom, this could very well be coach Paul Day's best squad yet.
Budding rivalry
Francis Howell won the battle for the GAC South last season, beating Fort Zumwalt West 41-33 in the regular-season meeting. But the Jaguars laughed last, exacting revenge 34-28 in the Class 6 quarterfinals. The combined score in those games: Howell 69, FZW 67. With a plethora of returning talent, West would seem to have the upper hand. Fortunately for the Vikings and the rest of the conference teams, football isn't played on paper.
Welcome to the fraternity
After leading GAC North school Warrenton to the Edward Jones Dome for the Class 4 championship in 2010, coach Ken Moore will try his hand at getting Class 5 school and GAC South member Holt to the promised land. He hopes to employ a similar three-year plan that helped him bring success to Warrenton, which just a few seasons earlier compiled back-to-back winless seasons.
TEAM CAPSULES
FORT ZUMWALT WEST
Coach: Paul Day, 12th year
2010: The Jaguars went 10-3 overall, 5-1 in conference play, and lost to Class 6 champion Rockhurst in the semifinals.
Returning starters: 6 offense, 7 defense.
Players to watch: QB Drew Hare (sr., 6-2, 205), RB Ray Harris (sr., 5-9, 195), WR Kyle Echols (sr., 6-1, 180), LB Demetrius Bernard (jr., 5-10, 240), DB T.J. Fine (sr., 5-11, 180), OL Ben Saint (jr., 6-2, 345), S Brett Uhlemeyer (sr., 6-3, 200), DL Tanner Day (sr., 5-10, 220).
About the Jaguars: Following a big season, and with lots of talent coming back, expectations are high at West, the preseason No. 1 team in the STLhighschoolsports.com rankings. ... Many key players return from a team that had one of the area's top offenses a year ago and averaged 39.5 points per game. ... Hare, who has committed to Northern Illinois, completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,201 yards and 24 TDs. He rushed for 1,071 yards and 12 scores. ... As a junior, Harris racked up 2,010 total yards (1,438 rushing, 572 receiving) with 27 TDs, and enters his fourth year as the starting running back. ... Echols caught 65 passes for 1,123 yards and nine TDs. ... Fine led area defensive backs with nine interceptions. ... As a sophomore, Bernard led West with 117 tackles and tied for the team lead with five sacks.
HOLT
Coach: Ken Moore, first year.
2010: The Indians went 6-5 overall, 4-2 in conference play, and lost to Kirkwood in the first round of the Class 5 playoffs.
Returning starters: 5 offense, 5 defense.
Players to watch: RB Tray Mitchell (jr., 5-11, 170), S Travion Vaughn (sr., 6-0, 175), LB Clint Koons (jr., 6-0, 210), LB Mark Cushing (jr., 6-0, 210), C Dylan Skinner (sr., 6-1, 230).
About the Indians: Moore is in his first year after guiding Warrenton to a runner-up finish in Class 4 last season. He takes over for Chris Shields, who left for the same position at Joplin. ... Mitchell averaged 6.4 yards per carry in a backup role behind productive RB Terrence Tate, who graduated, and finished as the team's second-leading receiver with 270 yards and four TDs through the air. ... Vaughn was the Indians' third-leading tackler (46). He participated in several national football combines over the summer. ... The quarterback position was being contested during early practices. A week before Game 1, a starter had not been named.
FRANCIS HOWELL
Coach: Bryan Koch, fifth year.
2010: The Vikings went 10-2 overall and won the GAC South at 6-0. They reached the Class 6 playoffs for a third straight season, losing to Fort Zumwalt West in the quarterfinals.
Returning starters: 6 offense, 3 defense.
Players to watch: QB Eric Siebenshuh (sr., 6-4, 205), RB Paul Steward (sr., 5-11, 195), WR Corey King (sr., 5-11, 185), DE Josh Brown (sr., 6-3, 220), CB Jarett Strode (sr., 5-11, 180), LB Tim Thomas (sr., 6-0, 205).
About the Vikings: Howell must replace some key players, including QB Brett Graves, top RB Justin Schuh and playmaking WR Keith Brown. ... Siebenshuh, who last year filled in for an injured Graves in a playoff win over Jefferson City, completed eight of 17 passes for 197 yards, with one TD and one interception. ... King has earned a reputation as a clutch performer, catching 59 passes for 799 yards with nine TDs as a junior. ... Josh Brown had 70 tackles and a team-high 14 sacks as a junior, and he had nine sacks as a sophomore. ... Versatile junior Zac Perkins accounted for 64 points last year as a placekicker. He holds several school records.
FRANCIS HOWELL CENTRAL
Coach: Todd Berck, sixth year.
2010: The Spartans went 4-6 overall and 3-3 in conference play.
Returning starters: 6 offense, 6 defense.
Players to watch: QB Chip Miller (sr., 6-4, 190), WR/CB Jayden Lumpa (sr., 5-7, 165), TE Derrick Puni (jr., 6-4, 215), RB/S Josh Wade (sr., 5-10, 180), RB Desmond Young (jr., 5-9, 175), C Joe McDevitt (jr., 6-4, 240), DL Daulton Daies (sr., 5-8, 260), DL Andrew Huevelman (sr., 5-11, 225), LB Brett Davis (sr., 6-0, 190), LB Jonathan Cherry (sr., 5-11, 185).
About the Spartans: Central is entering its second season in transition from a spread offense to the triple option. ... Ball security and a lack of quality depth in the defensive secondary were problem spots last year. ... Miller returns for his third year as starting QB. He threw for 898 yards in 2010, with one more interception (8) than touchdowns. ... Lumpa returns as the leading receiver. He had a team-high 367 yards and seven TDs, averaged a whopping 24.5 yards per catch. ... Wade and Young - who got a combined four carries last season - replace graduated Kaleb Cooper and Emmanuel Rivera, who averaged 7.0 and 6.7 yards per carry, respectively.
FRANCIS HOWELL NORTH
Coach: John Brune, 10th year.
2010: The Knights went 3-7 overall and 1-5 in conference play.
Returning starters: 3 offense, 3 defense.
Players to watch: RB/LB Terron Givans (sr., 5-11, 175), RB/DB Davon McClelland (sr., 5-7, 160), QB/DB Justin Hayden (soph., 6-0, 160), QB/DB Philip Snipes (sr., 5-10, 150), OL/DL Jake Hurrell (sr., 6-3, 215), WR/DB Caleb Lavezzi (sr., 5-10, 160), FB/LB Alex Walker (sr., 5-10, 185), TE/LB Justin Marsh (sr., 6-1, 160).
About the Knights: North graduated its two top playmakers in QB Clint Toedtmann (1,517 passing, 841 rushing) and WR Andre Wooten (541 receiving). ... Brune expects big production from the RB tandem of Givans and McClelland. Givans averaged 8.2 yards on 46 carries last season, and McClelland was second in team rushing with 503 yards (5.8 avg.). ... North averaged 23 points per game but allowed 33. ... Hayden and Snipes were battling in preseason practices for the QB spot. ... Mizzou recruit Hurrell is among the region's top long snapper prospects. ... The Knights have not reached the playoffs since 1994.
TIMBERLAND
Coach: Craig Collins, 10th season.
2010: The Wolves went 4-6 overall and 2-4 in conference play.
Returning starters: 4 offense, 1 defense.
Players to watch: QB Ryan Bainbridge (jr., 6-0, 205), WR Tyler Shumaker (sr., 6-1, 175), WR Ben Steinkamp (sr., 5-11, 170), OL Nate Christo (sr., 6-1, 250), TB Lucas Jordan (jr., 5-10, 170), LB Austin Grubbs (jr., 6-2, 215), DB Dane Willman (sr., 5-7, 160), LB Trey Pflueger (jr., 6-3, 215), DE John Hummel (jr., 6-4, 240).
About the Wolves: Timberland is looking to bounce back from its first losing season since 2005. ... Bainbridge completed 51 percent of his passes for 1,484 yards, with 15 touchdowns against 11 INTs as a sophomore. ... Shumaker and Steinkamp return as the most productive receivers, last year combining for 63 catches, 1,094 yards and 11 TDs. ... Collins is switching to a 3-4 defense in hopes of stopping the run better. ...Grubbs and Hummel will be key in implementing the new defensive scheme. ... Pflueger is a transfer from Fort Zumwalt West who last year received limited playing time on offense, defense and special teams.
TROY BUCHANAN
Coach: Par Pitts, second year.
2010: The Trojans went 0-10 overall and 0-6 in conference play.
Returning starters: 6 offense, 7 defense.
Players to watch: QB/DB Ben Chaney (jr., 6-2, 195), RB Devon Fuller (soph., 6-2, 185), RB/DB Ronnie Smith (jr., 5-10, 175), TE K.C. Moorman (sr., 6-3, 210), OL D.J. Dunn (6-2, 175), DL Johnny Pulliam (soph., 6-3, 250), DE Terry Pebbles (sr., 6-2, 190), LB Justin Sutphin (soph., 6-2, 210), CB Robert Noll (jr., 6-1, 175).
About the Trojans: Troy endured a winless campaign for a third time in five seasons and has just five wins since 2006. ... Chaney was the starting QB in 2009 but played defense exclusively last year. ... Smith, who started at cornerback last season, also is making the switch back to offense. ... Dunn is Troy's top returning lineman. ... Pitts says it's important for morale that players start seeing a return on their investment. ... The Trojans eclipsed 14 points just once last season and allowed a conference-worst 37 points per game.
