Class 1, District 2 Quarterfinal: Grandview Eagles at Veritas Christian Eagles
Welp, we don’t know about the status of Christian Volner, and we know that Grandview’s other upperclassman backfield star Brock Poole has had a banged-up campaign. But in a strange way, the Eagles might have lucked out in the district draw by not beating Crystal City in Week 9. For one thing, we didn’t know that the clash at the Sunken Place could vault either team above C1D2’s threshold for missing the #4 vs #5 quarterfinal, which is Grandview’s best shot at a playoff win after an 0-9 regular season.
In addition, Grandview’s Injury Report is still too full to take on a high-octane team like Principia and expect to succeed. Allow the healthier Crystal City Hornets run and leap after Principia QB Tristan Coon’s passes. Meanwhile, the Birds of Prey should hope to improve on their 40-22 defeat to Veritas Christian Academy that occurred when the wounded (GHS) Eagles had a JV lineup for a contingent. Veritas Christian Academy wasn’t very good in Week 9, getting hog-tied by a Lutheran South lineup which lost to 3-6 Priory by three TDs this midseason. Recall that Veritas is only 3-4, and that Week 10’s host (VCA) Eagles needed some extra weekends off to help produce that three-win mark. Grandview would prefer to take its own week off and then face Veritas. Nevertheless, we’ll take the trade-off of Veritas’ recent fatigue. PREDICTION: VERITAS CHRISTIAN 20, EAGLES 14
Class 4, District 1 Quarterfinal: Windsor Owls at Hillsboro Hawks
Windsor’s get-well whitewash of Confluence Prep, combined with Hillsboro’s absurd loss to Poplar Bluff, seems to cast Week 10’s quarterfinal at Leon Hall in a new light. Could the Owls catch the Hawks at the right time? It’s regrettable that Windsor’s chances don’t really improve that much against a Hillsboro squad for which the defense is feeling better than the offense for a change. Up against an HHS lineup that was as weak defensively as Hillsboro’s 2024 postseason effort, Windsor could hope to control the ball all night, and snag turnovers to offset the labored defense that WHS has been playing. But once the Owls have to punt, the attrition that has taken a toll on Windsor’s defense will loom large as the Hawks gallop for TDs. PREDICTION: HAWKS 42, ALBINO BIRDS 14
Class 4, District 1 Quarterfinal: DeSoto Dragons at North County Raiders
Oh, lordy, here come the North County Raiders again. The 6-3 Raiders have rebounded from a poor start to win four of their last five games, netting impressive back-to-back triumphs over St. Clair and Ste. Genevieve. North County’s offense looked so hapless early this year, with-or-without starting QB Braydee McClure, that The Geek didn’t think Bonne Terre wasn’t going to manufacture 12 points against the Festus Tigers defense. But the Buccaneers scored a surprising 31 in defeat, going on to finish the season vibing like last year’s dangerous NorCo Squad that gave Highway A serious trouble. Head coach Wyatt Compton has a plan, and it’s working, with those late-blooming Bonne Terre Buccaneers standing at .667 with a #4 seed.
Media focus will center on DeSoto quarterback Cannon Kisner’s chance to bother North County, or even hurt the Varsity Raiders via explosive rushes. DeSoto came within two touchdowns of North County with similar lineups toiling for both teams last postseason, and surely, Kisner’s record-setting skills are good enough to help the Dragons produce more than a puny six points this time.
But it’s more critical how Levi Huck’s defense performs against North County, a team with a new head coach who can’t scheme his way around a hefty opposing point-total. North County needs to score 30+ points to consistently win with the lineup that the Raiders have right now. If the Dragons’ senior wrestler and linebacking star, who’s ranked seventh in the STL Metro in total tackles, leads a defensive effort that takes turnovers away from McClure’s offense, Kisner’s job gets easier, and the Dragons will try to dial-up their QB for big TDs instead of just controlling the ball. Kisner’s explosiveness is the trump card when DeSoto wins the turnover battle.
Joachim Junction has come away from the last three seasons feeling as though merely five wins could have been six, seven, or eight victories if DeSoto’s turnovers, penalties, and other mishaps hadn’t come at all the worst times. The Dragons, as at least 10-point underdogs to the Buccaneers once again, should throw caution to the wind on defense, and utilize a disruptive game plan to try to create sacks, takeaways and short fields for Cannon to pop off on. The alternative, conservative plan of containing NCHS won’t get it done. PREDICTION: NORTH COUNTY 31, DRAGONS 20
P.S. The following funny PA call took place during DeSoto’s Senior Night win over Herky:
“No one is allowed to enter the stadium at any time. Thank you.”
Class 3, District 2 Quarterfinal: Lutheran South Lancers at Herculaneum Blackcats
Herky often draws opponents in Round 1 who seem tailor-made to take it right on the chin from the Blackcats. There is of course the consideration of how that might sound to the 2-7 Lutheran South Lancers, who we don’t want reading this preview and getting mad.
It’s not that the Lancers are a terrible team – they’ve just surrendered a gazillion rushing yards, starting in summer against Windsor and MICDS, and continuing versus teams such as John Burroughs later. Portageville’s 54-13 defeat of Lutheran South from this October 16 gives Herculaneum a blueprint for its next postseason win, potentially the fifth in six postseasons. PREDICTION: BLACKCATS 48, LUTHERAN SOUTH 12
Photo Credit: Herculaneum High School Facebook