Weekend Preview

High School football in the state of Missouri has finally returned.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> With fall approaching, Friday night lights and Saturday afternoons will be monopolized by every team in the state. There will be thrillers all across the St. Louis Metropolitan area that will take place this weekend, and some players are seeking have a breakout game.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <strong>Lutheran North vs. St. Mary’s</strong> These two powerhouse teams are loaded with division 1 talent, but only one team will come out on top. Leading the Crusaders will be senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="37531" first="Brian" last="Brown"]. Throughout the summer, he has shown a lot of athleticism and leadership. The Southern Illinois commit has patience in the pocket and has accuracy in his throws. It’ll be exciting to see what he’ll do under the lights along with<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Caldra Wilford and Kevin Jacobs . On the St. Mary’s side, they have dangerous weapons on offense. Two players that will break out are [player_tooltip player_id="37523" first="Kevin" last="Coleman"] and running back [player_tooltip player_id="37601" first="De’Shawn" last="Fuller"]. Coleman is a route technician. He knows how to make people miss and has great concentration when looking the ball in. It’s going to be one matchup to witness between one of the best receivers in the area against one of the best corners in the area. Fuller is one of the fastest running backs in the city. He knows how to maneuver through traffic, is disciplined, and he can get busy in the open field. The senior running back is ready to turn up this year.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <strong>Pattonville vs. Ritenour</strong> The two rivals have played each other in the spring; now they will play for real this fall. Both teams are stacked with talent. Pattonville running back, [player_tooltip player_id="172669" first="Charles" last="Johnson Jr"]. is looking to run through defenders again this season. In the spring, he nearly broke seven hundred yards rushing. Johnson may try to cause more damage this year in the conference. He’s quick to get to the outside, and he is extremely elusive.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> For Ritenour, Junior [player_tooltip player_id="178567" first="Elijah" last="Fry"] and sophomore Billy Hall are looking to lead this Husky’s team on both sides of the ball. Since Griffin graduated in 2021, Fry stepped up to be the all time rusher for the offense. He is able to maneuver through the trenches and knows how to lower his shoulder when running down hill. Hall, on the defensive side, will hold it down in the secondary. He has great pursuit to the ball and great coverage. <strong>Lift for Life vs. Duchesne</strong> This is another big game that has two evenly matched teams going head-to-head under the lights. Both teams are blessed with talented quarterbacks that knows how to lead their offense.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> On the Lift for Life side, quarterback Carlos Turner is looking to keep proving people wrong. The senior quarterback is accurate in his throws and is a fast learner of the game. Junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="103396" first="Josh" last="Baker-Mays"] has made himself at home as a Pioneer. The Westminster transfer has a great arm, and he never misses his target. Baker-Mays is also able to outrun defenders with his legs and knows how to make them miss. Baker-Mays will be one of the athletes to watch this season.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <strong>Cahokia vs. Cardinal Ritter</strong> The 618 vs. 314 rivalry is always a sight to see. The Cardinal Ritter Lions are looking forward to another winning season. Star safety Marvin Burks Jr.  is looking to represent the Lou on Friday night, along with All-State athlete [player_tooltip player_id="37670" first="Alonzo" last="Smith"]. Teams should be expecting these two playmakers to be everywhere on the field. Both of these prospects are extremely athletic and can adapt to any position. Burks is a lockdown safety that has great instincts and knows how to track the ball. Smith can be put anywhere and he will make a play. He is a very solid quarterback that is versatile. He has an arm, and knows how to move as well. Smith is also a ball magnet on the defensive side.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> For Cahokia, the Comanches have Jimeque Harvey. He is an all around athlete on offense that can run and catch the ball. Last season, he had at least 200 yards on both rushing and receiving. It’s going to be exciting to see what he can do against the Lions on Friday night.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <strong>Hazelwood Central vs. Hazelwood East</strong> This rivalry goes way back to ancient times. These two teams battle each other for bragging rights on who is the best. Central had a great run in the spring, and is looking forward to keep running up the score on opponents this fall. They have a powerhouse offense lead by the dynamic running back duo Lionell Banks and [player_tooltip player_id="103085" first="Jamarion" last="Price"]. Both players rushed for about a thousand yards combined last season. Both running backs run extremely hard and are very elusive.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> For East, receiver TJ Parker is looking to make his mark on the field. He stood out in the 7-on-7 competitions, now it’s time to show out for the season. The athletic senior has great hands and is fast in the open field. Deobre’a Baker is another player for the Spartans that is looking to compete against Central. He is a hard hitter on defense. Whoever has the ball, Baker is there to make a stop. Junior running back Andrew Flowers is looking to make a lot of plays this season. With his athleticism, he is able to play anywhere on the field and dominate. He’s fast, and he is very physical. &nbsp;