Hazelwood Central and De Smet Poised For Season-Opening Showdown

Hazelwood Central Hawks (0-0)  at  De Smet Spartans (0-0)

Friday, August 26, 2011 – 7 p.m. – Pierre LaBarge Stadium

The 2011 prep football season will kickoff Friday night with one fantastic nonconference matchup between two of the area’s top traditional powerhouses in Hazelwood Central and .

The Hawks come into this season off one of the most impressive three-year runs for any program in area history—three straight state championship game appearances, with two championship titles.

DeSmet comes into 2011 ranked No. 2 in the area and No. 3 in the state, after an 8-5 season last year that ended with a heart-breaking loss to Hazelwood Central in the state semifinals.

Back to lead the Spartans on the field this year is sensational senior wide receiver Durron Neal.

Last year, the St. Louis area’s top playmaker played six different positions for the Spartans, and totaled a whopping 2,785 yards of total offense and scored a combined 31 touchdowns.

Over the summer, , after being named the fourth-best receiver prospect in the country by Rivals.com.

Other prime performers for DeSmet include junior quarterback Connor Harrison, senior wide receiver/defensive back KeVonn Mabon, and senior linebacker Jamie Placht.

For Hazelwood Central, this year's squad is a completely new-look group.

Gone are star linebackers Cortland Dunlap and A.J. Chappelle, as are many of the speedy backs and receivers the Hawks are so widely known to produce.  

Even the architect and mastermind of that championship crew, former head coach Rich Nixon, is no longer coaching high school. He’s working as an assistant at Lindenwood University now.

All that means Central’s new coach Van Vanatta is under major pressure to keep the program right where it’s been the last three years—on top of the heap locally and consistently ranked among the best in the state.

Leading the new-look Hawks on the field this year will be converted defensive back Sean Wills, a 5’8 speedster with a cannon for an arm.

Joining him in the Hawk backfield will be hard-running tailbacks Carl Hendricks, a senior, and junior Dorian Williams.

While on defense, Central will be led by junior linebacker Melvin Morrow and sophomore lineman Brittan McLaughlin.

Kickoff for Friday night’s showdown is set for 7 p.m.

If you can't make it to the game, check back here for results Friday night and the story behind the game on Saturday.