Gateway Tech Trumps Sumner 23-9

 

Sumner’s Darnell Wallace is brought down by Gatewat Tech defenders during their State District football matchup at Southwest

By LONNEL COLE
St.Louis Argus Contributor

There was to be no upset here.
Unlike the Class 3, District 4 field where heavy favorite Miller Career Academy was upset by Imagine College Prep charter school 26-20 in overtime to get bounced from the playoffs, the Gateway Tech Jaguars held true to form by turning back the surging Bulldogs 23-9 to take the Class 4, District 4 title last Saturday afternoon at Southwest Field Field.
In previous seasons, when only the district champion advanced to the playoffs, this post-season the runner-up also moves on as a wild-card road team. Thus, while Gateway Tech will be playing host to Affton, Sumner will take on Ladue at Kirkwood, as playoff action got underway Wednesday night as the Argus went to press.
“I like the fact that two teams in the playoffs (are) from the PHL,” said Gateway Tech coach Melvin Walls. “I think it creates more interest.”
There was certainly more interest than more for the Gateway-Sumner contests, as a few dozen players and fans from Ladue and Affton were at the game awaiting their first-round playoff opponent. The Ladue Rams had captured the Class 4, District 3 championship, which gave them the loser from Gateway-Sumner, while Affton as District 3 runner-up got the winner of the game at Southwest.
As it turned out, however, the game’s outcome was determined in the first half when all of the scoring took place. The Jaguars struck first on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Darris Johnson to Julian Davis with just over nine minutes remaining in the opening quarter to cap about a 60-yard drive. Davis also added the extra point kick for a 7-0 Jaguars lead.
Following about a 70-yard kickoff return by Sumner’s Jerkeem Jones, Sumner eventually punched in three points on a 25-yard field by Gary Henderson to trim the margin to 7-3 to close the first-quarter scoring.
But, Gateway added to its margin with a safety on defense for two points, then a 1-yard touchdown run by Davis, followed by his kick before Sumner finally countered with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Jerkeem Jones to Cordaral Segrest to cut the deficit to 16-9, Gateway.
“He’s a good kid,” said Walls of the opposing quarterback Jones. “I would have to say he’s the best quarterback I’ve seen in the PHL this season.”
“He (Jones) has developed into a very good passer,” said Sumner coach Sorrell Harvey. “He throws a beautiful deep ball now.”
But, just as Sumner closed the gap, Gateway Tech blew it open again on a 79-yard dash for a score by super sophomore Anthony Pierson. As fast and talented as Pierson is, however, Sumner defender Darren Manning noted that Pierson was able to exploit a major miscue by the defense.
“The reason he was able to show that breakaway speed was because we had just had 10 people on the field,” explained Manning, a standout senior linebacker. “One tackle who was supposed to be out there on the field wasn’t there. He (Pierson) ran up the middle where that tackle was supposed to be. Once he got to the hole, he was fast enough to outrun everybody. I mean, he’s a good back. We just had people out of position to make a play.”
In the second half, both teams made enough key plays on defense to kill potential scoring drives.
“We had our chances. We were just kind of flat,” said Harvey.
One of the big keys to Gateway’s win was its pass rush. Sumner’s fast, elusive quarterback, Jones, was sacked five times, including once by defensive tackle Marquis Gray at the buzzer to end the first half.
“He’s very quick,” said Gray. “But we were able to get through the line and get good penetration.”
With the victory Gateway Tech not only won the district crown, but also claimed a share of the Public High League title with Career Academy at 4-1.
“That’s what makes us really mad that we didn’t win the PHL,” said Manning, whose Sumner club finished with a 6-2 league mark, as league teams didn’t play an equal amount of games because of an expanded conference this season.
“We fought hard,” said Sumner’s Gary Henderson, who came up with a sack on defense and a big first-down catch on offense in the Gateway loss.
“We just didn’t perform as well as we should have. We didn’t take advantage of what their defense gave us.”
   
 

Sports Shorts

Tuna Talks

By CHARLES “TUNA” EDWARDS
St. Louis Argus Sports Editor

The family of Aaron O’Neal will attend the Senior Day ceremony on the field before Missouri plays Kansas state this Saturday in Columbia,Mo. Aaron was a redshirt freshman linebacker from Parkway North, he collapsed and died during a voluntary workout on July 12, 2005.
The school has the nerve to say he died of Viral Meningitis , give me a break they threw O’Neal in the back of a pickup truck like they use to do slaves down south in the old day while they were picking cotton.
In memory of Aaron O’Neal ,eight seniors have worn his jersey number this season . Safety William Moore is set to have that honor against Kansas State. And to think parents are still sending their kids up to Missouri after what happened to Aaron O’Neal.
Missouri quarterback Chase Daniels had been strutting around like he was all world until the Tigers lost to Oklahoma SAtate and Texas, he had his own web site and was cocky as heck, now look at him he will not even make the first team QB in the big 12 this season.
By the way some of you friendly Negro’s in St. Louis that suck up to coach Gary Pinkel , why don’t you help him to recruit better players out of State, my , my.my don’t forget to take him some fried chicken while your kissing his you know what.
BULGER
Rams quarterback Marc Bulger may not be the best QB in the league or even in his division but the man has now help, no blocking no backup running backs , and when Steven Jackson is hurt he does not even have a quality running game .
I wish the fans in St. Louis would learn the game of football.
 

Cardinals, Warner Rout Rams 34-13

(Up) Arizona Cardinal running back Tim Hightower is stopped short of the goal line by the Rams Chris Draft during their NFL contest at the Edward Jones Dome. (Down) St. Louis Rams wide receiver Torry Holt goes up to snare a Marc Bulger pass for a three yard touchdown reception late in game won by the Cardinals 34-13

By ERIC M. WILSON
St. Louis Argus Contributor

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner returned to the city whose football team he led to a Super Bowl victory in 1999 and had a “Greatest Show On Turf” flashback, going 22-for-33 for 343 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in leading the Cardinals to a 34-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome.
After missing numerous scoring opportunities in the first quarter, the Cardinals exploded in the second quarter for 24 unanswered points, 229 rushing yards and a 24-7 half-time lead, which the Rams did not recover from.
Rookie running back Tim Hightower started in place of All-Pro running back Edgerrin James and had the biggest game of his short pro career, rushing 22 times for 109 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown run, that proved to be the backbreaker for the Rams as the score put the Cardinals up 17-7 with just under two minutes remaining in the first half. Hightower’s run was the longest rush by a Cardinal in more than three years.
The Rams defense who played brilliantly on the first Cardinal possession of the contest, stopping their attempt to score on fourth and goal from the Rams 2, suddenly imploded. They could not stop the Cardinal ground game, they could not tackle, and left Warner well-protected enough where he was able to throw the deep ball at will. He was sacked only once. The Cardinal offense gained 510 total yards in the game.
But, the real catalyst was the Cardinals’ defense who put the team’s first points on the board, a 40-yard interception return by free safety Antrel Rolle. On the Rams next possession, Cardinals strong safety Adrian Wilson blitzed and stripped the ball from quarterback Marc Bulger. That set up a Neil Rackers field goal and the Cardinals led 10-7.
Hightower’s score, followed by a Warner pass to wide receiver Jerheme Urban that bounced off Rams cornerback Jonathan Wade’s hands before it reached Urban, resulting in a 56-yard touchdown gave the Cardinals their half-time advantage.
Rams quarterback Marc Bulger completed 16 of 33 attempts against Arizona for 186 yards and three turnovers. Seven-time Pro Bowler Torry Holt didn’t have a single pass thrown to him in the first half. But, in the second half, he had 10 thrown his way, catching six for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Running back Steven Jackson decided to play after testing his injured right thigh muscle during pre-game warm-ups, however he was ineffective, gaining only 17 yards on seven carries and dropping what would have been a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
The only shining moment of the game for the Rams came on their first score when wide receiver Derek Stanley’s first NFL career catch resulted in an 80-yard touchdown reception.
The Cardinals victory (5-3) gave the team a winning record at the season’s midway point for the first time since 1984, when they were the St. Louis Cardinals. It also extended their lead in the NFC West to three games.
 
   

Local Athlete Been Selected
To Play In All-American Bowl

Tight end Sheldon Richardson of the Gateway Institute of Technology in St. Louis has been selected to play in the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, the nation’s premier high school football all-star football game. Richardson will join an elite group of student-athletes selected to play in the ninth annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday, January 3, 2009 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. This classic East vs. West match-up will be televised live on NBC at 1:00 PM EST and will feature the nation’s top 90 high school football players.
“Sheldon Richardson is a talented athlete whose exemplary displays of leadership and teamwork have made him a standout at Gateway High School,” said Colonel David Lee, Director of Strategic Communications, Marketing and Outreach for the U.S. Army Accessions Command. “On January 3, Richardson will have the opportunity to showcase his talents live on NBC and in more than 170 countries around the world. We are proud to be the title partner of a program that, like the Army, provides young Americans like Richardson with experiences that strengthen them and help them succeed in life as leaders.”
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is the nation’s premier high school football game, serving as the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Reggie Bush, Vince Young, Adrian Peterson and Brady Quinn all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. “Sheldon Richardson is a talented tight end who can block and catch. He is valuable asset in the passing game because of his speed and route-running ability. His size will make him a reliable option in the short-to-intermediate passing game,” said Tom Lemming, one of the nation’s leading experts on college football recruiting.
Richardson, a standout tight end at Gateway High School was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, which consists of SportsLink’s network of regional directors throughout the country, Rivals.com and Tom Lemming. As a U.S. Army All-American, Richardson is eligible for the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, Walter Payton Trophy and the Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard U.S. Army Awards.
As part of being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Gateway High School Head Coach Melvin Walls is invited, compliments of the U.S. Army, to attend the U.S. Army Coaches Academy, an elite two-day learning experience featuring NFL and NCAA coaches, and to participate in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl game week activities.
   
Back To Home Page