The high school football playoffs are now fully underway. This week is the Class 3 District 1 Semifinals, the next step in the quest for a MO State Championship. Both Central Park Hills and Ste. Genevieve have advanced from the Quarterfinals, and will now square up against each other in a Week 5 rematch. Each team is sporting an excellent record, but in battle, only one will survive.
Last week, number-two seed Central Park Hills dominated number-seven seed Fredericktown 69-15 in their opening-round game. The Rebels couldn’t have looked any better as they racked up 10 trips to the endzone in a variety of ways, including three scores coming from special teams. Quarterback Casen Murphy has his team locked and loaded, having put up an incredible 9-1 regular season record while receiver Jobe Bryant continues to set school records every time he touches the ball.
On the other side of the bracket, number-three seed Ste Genevieve dominated number-six seed Dexter 56-17. The Dragons have also turned in an outstanding regular-season performance with an 8-2 record. Quarterback Aiden Boyer has a slew of weapons at his disposal including his own wheels. His main target, Wyatt Springkamper, is a threat to score on every play.
These two teams are both capable of big plays. Central has really been explosive offensively, scoring at least 40 points seven times in the regular season, with 459 points of total offense. Ste. Gen has also been able to tally high point totals in their wins, including 83 points in week 2 alone, netting them 394 points in all. Defensively, however, Central has been better, allowing only 153 points, while Ste. Gen has given up 279.
In 2022, there have been four common opponents between Park Hills and Ste. Gen, all with similar outcomes. Both the Rebels and the Dragons easily disposed of Dexter, Fredericktown and Potosi, and were defeated by Valle Catholic. The Dragons were dominated by the Warriors in their 63-7 loss, but the Rebels were actually winning until a late-stage comeback by Valle earned them the victory 40-30.
However, what really tells the tale of this match-up is the history between these two schools. In the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2015, Park Hills has been victorious 10 times, including this season’s meeting. Way back in Week 5, Park Hills wrecked the Dragons 45-3. In that game, the Dragons held it close initially, trailing only 7-3 after the first quarter. However, the Rebels went nuts in the second quarter, scoring 31 points while blanking the Dragons, putting the game effectively out of reach by halftime.
Now with the season on the line, This Friday, November 4th, the number-two seed Central Park Hills Rebels will battle the number-three seed Ste. Genevieve Dragons to see who will take on the winner of Kennet vs. Valle Catholic in the finals. Given their first meeting result, the edge would seem to go to Park Hills this time around. However, this is playoff football and anything can happen, as both teams will be prepared for an all-out war.
Good luck gentlemen!
