最新杏吧原创

Webster Groves senior defensive end and tight end Charlie Osdieck was well aware of his team's opening day struggles.

So were his teammates.

That's because Statesmen coach Connor White brought up the subject up numerous times during the days leading up to Friday's home contest against Francis Howell North.

"He wanted to add to our fire," Osdieck said. "Knowing about it made us want to break that streak even more."

The properly motivated Statesmen snapped an eight-game losing streak in openers with a 22-8 home win.

Webster Groves' previous curtain-raising triumph was a 34-27 victory at Hazelwood West on Aug. 18, 2017.

The players were well aware of the losing string, thanks to White, who is hoping to return the program to its previous glory days.

"As a staff, we felt like the kids needed to understand that this was going to be a huge opportunity, something we haven't been able to do in a long time," White said.

The Statesmen got the message.

And they reacted accordingly.

Junior running back King Mitchell rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns to lead the way. His 2-yard TD run late in first quarter set the tone. Junior quarterback Henry Rycenga hit LaTwan Crews with a 30-yard scoring strike late in the third period to put the game away.

Osdieck was the ringleader of a gang-attack defense that held Francis Howell North to just 117 yards of total offense. Howell North averted the shutout on a short pass with 42 seconds left.

Webster Groves took a major step forward in an attempt to post its first winning season since the 2014 team went 7-3.

The Statesmen have won four state titles (1979, 1988, 2002, 2009) but have been working through struggles for more than a decade. They dropped 21 successive games from Nov. 1, 2019, to Oct. 15, 2022, and went 6-34 from 2021-2024 before bouncing back with a 4-7 mark last season.

The minor progression in 2025 seemed to lite a fire under this group, which is hoping to flip the narrative surrounding its team.

"I wanted them to know they could help re-write history," White said.

Webster Groves is idle this week, which made the win Friday even more important.

"That would be a lot of time to think about another loss," Osdieck said.

The Statesmen have been working hard in the offseason led by the 12 seniors, who were simply not going to settle for another opening-day setback.

"We were ready, we knew what we had to do," Osdieck said. "Come out and show this season was going to be different."

"It was time to start the year on the right track for once."

White said Osdieck has emerged as the leader of a much-improved defense, which flexed its muscles in a big way on Friday.

"He's the heartbeat of this team," White noted.

Osdieck and junior linebacker Noah Banks led the way against Francis Howell North with five tackles each. Freshman linebacker Morgan Smith picked off a pass and junior Leo Travers recovered a fumble.

Osdieck said the good times could keep rolling if his team continues to show the improvement it displayed from last season to this year.

And this time around, the goal is not just to win three or four games.

"I say a .500 (record) is the floor," Osdieck said. "But there's a higher ceiling for us there."

Hazelwood West turns heads with rivalry win

Ross Williams is used to winning.

And the new Hazelwood West coach doesn't plan on settling for anything less.

Williams has had coaching stops at Missouri State University and Arkansas Pine Bluff. He recently served as the offensive line coach at Kirkwood High.

"It was always my dream to be a head coach and now I'm there," Williams said. "I feel with all my experiences, I'm ready."

So were his Wildcats.

Hazelwood West jumped out early and held on to defeat rival Hazelwood East 21-13 on Saturday.

East had won 10 of the previous 12 games between the old Suburban North Conference rivals.

But this one belonged to the Wildcats thanks to a quick start.

"It wasn't perfect, there's a lot we've got to work on," Williams said. "I came in here, looked at the roster and immediately knew this was a roster I could win with. So far, so good."

Senior Emanuel Gray caught a pair of early touchdowns to get the ball rolling. He also intercepted a pass.

Nick Ball, a senior linebacker, led the defensive charge with three tackles for losses and a pair of sacks.

Hazelwood West is 6-35 over the last four seasons including a dismal 2022 campaign in which it lost all 10 games and was outscored 487-30.

Williams feels he has the players to turn things around.

"I wouldn't feel comfortable taking this job if I didn't feel like these guys weren't winners," Williams said. "There's a long way to go, but this was a good start."

Flyers comeback falls short

East 最新杏吧原创 turned in another late rally before falling to American Heritage of Plantation, Florida, 35-28 in overtime on Friday night.

The Flyers scored three times in a five-minute span in the fourth quarter to rally from a 28-7 deficit.

The 11-time Illinois state champs scored 28 points in the fourth period to stun four-time defending state champion Mount Carmel of Chicago 42-23 on Aug. 22.

This time around, the comeback fell just short.

Senior quarterback Reece Shanklin ran for one score and threw for two others including a 41-yard TD toss to Ronnie Gomiller with 4 minutes and 53 seconds left in regulation.

American Heritage, which has won seven Florida state championships, scored on its first OT possession. The Flyers came up short.

East 最新杏吧原创 was without standout running back Myson Johnson-Cook, who was injured in the season opener.

The Flyers (1-1) will host Gainesville, Georgia (0-1), at 7 p.m. Friday.

O'Fallon comes up big

Senior quarterback Gunner Hoffman scored on a 1-yard run on the final play of the game to rally the Panthers to a 27-26 win over Francis Howell in Weldon Spring on Friday.

O'Fallon (1-1) tallied 20 points over the final 8:06, with Luka Friedenberg scoring on runs of 4 and 10 yards.

Hoffman connected on 18 of 26 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns.

It is believed to be the first meeting between the teams.