St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 63

TTniDlS'PflST-DlSPATCri SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1989 E5 DEC 31989 HIGH SCHOOL REPORT Flyers, Spartans: Who Else? Champs Dominate '89 All-Metro Team OFFENSE FIRST TEAM OFFENSE Pos. Player, School Height Weight Class Kenneth Dunn, East St. Louis 5-11 180 Renaldo Gallagher, Hazelwood East 5-7 135 Sr. Kaylan Kennel, Belleville East 6-3 288 Sr. Eric Harris, Sumner 6-2 238 Sr.

Decarlo Buckner, East St. Louis 5-9 185 Sr. Nathanael Magre, Webster Groves 6-0 196' Sr. Richard Huddleston, East St. Louis 6-1 260 Sr.

Rollie Nevilles, East St. Louis 5-11 185 Sr. Billy Greenwald, Highland 6-0 205 Sr. Joe Fiorino, Vianney 5-11 184 Sr. OB RB RB RB.

Terrell Fletcher, Hazelwood East 5-8 185 Jr. FIRST TEAM DEFENSE Pos. Player, School Height Weight Class DL James Gregory, Sumner 6-5 300 Sr. DL Jason Sims, Lafayette 6-5 230. Sr.

DL Cedric Howard, East St. Louis 6-0 240 Sr. DL Rob Meyerkord; Hazelwood East 6-1 200 Sr. LB Dana Howard, East St. Louis 6-3 230 Sr.

LB Larry Williams, Webster Groves 6-0 190 Sr. LB Ronald Burton, Hazelwood East 5-11 185 Sr. LB Keith LeFlore, Parkway Central 6-0 205 Jr. DB Franklin West, Hazelwood East 5-11 170 Sr. DB Ronnie Wingo, Sumner 5-11 169 Jr.

DB Deon Dean, East St. Louis 6-0 1 65 Sr. KICKING SPECIALISTS Pos. Player, School Height Weight Class Rick Mullen, St. Mary's 1 6-5 190 Jr.

PK Jeff Sauer, Clayton 6-1 185 Sr. SECOND TEAM Post-Dispatch Photo Front, from left: Terrell Fletcher (Hazelwood thanael Magre (Webster Groves), Erie-Harris East), Renaldo Gallagher (Hazelwood East), (Sumner), Jeff Sauer (Clayton), Kaylan Kennel Joe Fiorino (Vianney). Back, from left: Na- (Belleville East), Billy Greenwald (Highland). DEFENSE DEFENSE DL Jason Stevens, McCluer North, Kevin Fauntleroy, Lutheran North; Derek Marshall, Althoff, Scott Hauser, La' fayette, Sr. LB Darnell Clark, Hazelwood East, Matt Gomric, Althoff, Steve Prozorowski, Lafayette, Mike Brink, CBC, Sr.

DB Davichion Washington, Aff-ton, Tony Ashford, McCluer North, Jeremy Ragan, Francis Howell, Sr. Burton Roberts, Country Day, Sr. OFFENSE Jason Huelsing, Mehlville, Michael Martin, Lutheran North, Sr. David Squires, McCluer North, Jason Kimball, Parkway Central, Sr. Aaron Carter, Sumner, Brad McAllister, Hazelwood West, Sr.

Steve Eveland, Lafayette, Sr. QB Chris Wright, CBC, Sr. RB Butler Bynote, Vashon, Armandos Fisher, Althoff, Glen Washington, Sumner, Sr. PK Brian Leahy, St. Louis U.

High, Sr. THIRD TEAM DEFENSE DL Donald Cannon, Beaumont, Bryan Turken, John Burroughs, Jon Ruff, Belleville East, Brian Frazier, Festus, Jr. LB Jerry Terry, Lutheran North, Alvin Mack, Affton, George Ackles, Vashon, Ray I- 1 -WW r. OFFENSE Jim Abernathy, Althoff, Jeff Sauer, Clayton, Sr. Joe Johnson, Jennings, Matt Dowil, Union, Jr.

Jim Stiebel, Althoff, Steve Youngblood, Lutheran North, Sr. Jim Hoag, Webster Groves, Sr. QB David Whisler, Hazelwood East, Jr. RB Chris Caldwell, Lafayette, Arlee Conners, Lindbergh, Terrance Randolph, Webster Groves, Sr. PK Keith Schwartz, Althoff, Sr.

i (Si Mr i) mond Dampier, Sumner, Jr. ro nnD AUku i ft ld uanunu muiuii, Donald Harris, DuBourg, By Mike Eisenbath Post-Dispatch Suburban Sports Editor To the victors go the spoils, and the victors are being spoiled rotten this year. No, the East St. Louis Flyers and Hazelwood East Spartans aren't rotten guys. Actually, they are exemplary young men on and off the football field.

They even could be considered role models for their high school classmates, for they are living examples that through hard work and dedication, talent can be expanded into achievement. Achievement: The Flyers won the Illinois Class 6A football championship and the Spartans won the Missouri 5A title, the pinnacles of success Jn their respective states. Achievement: Flyers and Spartans are spread all over the Post-Dispatch All-Metro first team. "Our job as coaches is to get the most out of the players," East St. Louis coach Bob Shannon said.

Shannon and his assistants apparently got the most out of his Magnificent Seven. Seven Flyers on the first team that is an incredible honor, a record-setting achievement. Vet no one will argue its merit, since East St. Louis finished 14-0 and ranked No. 1 in the nation.

The seven East St. Louis first-teamers completed a magnificent three varsity seasons. All three teams advanced to the state championship game, with this season's title the peak of their glory. They had a combined 40-2 record and never lost a regular-season game. Shannon said: "The thing I'll always remember about these guys is that they played great the first game, they played great the last game and they played good in between.

We had our adversity and plenty of young players to work in, but those guys worked to make sure they didn't stumble." Shannon said he considers Richard "Gee" Huddleston a major-college prospect at center. "That's why I moved him to center, so he could show people he can do it," Shannon said. Guard Decarlo Buckner, at 5 feet 9 and 185 pounds, needs to get bigger if he wants to play in college, but he was a devastating high school blocker. Shannon has called Kenneth Dunn the best wide receiver he has coached. Dunn combined natural ability, good speed and gifted hands with hard work and good attitude this season.

The result was an area-leading 1,180 yards on 58 catches. Dunn, Buckner and Huddleston join Flyers quarterback Rollie Nevilles on the All-Metro first team offense. Nevilles, 5-1 1 was another reason the Flyers racked up a state record 5,748 yards, as he passed for 1,875 yards and 20 touchdowns. He threw 196 times and was intercepted just 10 times. "If Rollie was 6-3, he would be one of the top quarterbacks in America," Shannon said.

"I know a lot of big colleges won't mess with him because of his size, but he's going to make somebody a doggone good quarterback." Shannon thinks all three of his defensive players who made the All-Metro first team lineman Cedric Howard, linebacker Dana Howard and defensive back Deon Dean can play at the major-college level, although Dean may have to settle for a junior college his first two years in order to get his grades in shape. Howard perhaps is the best football snane Day, Latayette, sr. Craig Inman, Columbia, Sr. HONORABLE MENTION Wl '1: ft KGfflJ VlllilMlllrf Jl IIW OFFENSE Darryl Meeks, Parkwav South, Kinton Joshua, Lindbergh, Paul Merriwether, Riverview Gardens, Rick Mullen, St. Mary's, Larry Hanes, Roosevelt, Sr.

Jeff Dovle, Fox, Brian Nelson. Viannev. Tim Loeh. Hiahland. Norman Boyce, Vashon, Sr.

Chip Grace, Burroughs, Mike Afentoullis, Clayton, Jonathon ruipnus, Menivwe, lony HODinson, McCluer North, Jim Gerdes, CBC, Sr. John Shively, Vianney, David Lane, McCluer North, Brad rnizner, mgniano, Arte Miooieton, Sumner, soph. QB Chuck Calhoun, Lutheran North, Eric Reedus, Parkway Central, Post-Dispatch Photo Front: Larry Williams (Webster Groves). Mid- wood East), Ronnie Wingo (Sumner). Back, die, from left: Keith LeFlore (Parkway Central), from left: Jason Sims (Lafayette), Rick Mullen Franklin West (Hazelwood East), Rob Meyer- (St.

Mary's), James Gregory (Sumner). East St. kord (Hazelwood East), Ronald Burton (Hazel- Louis players are pictured are Page 1 onawn iviciviuiien, Menivme, miko uiszowKa, union, Rolando Merriweather, Clayton, Bernie Ysursa, Althoff, Sr. RB Chris Moore, East St. Louis, Antwuon Harlan, Parkway eiuiai, csan oimun, rriory, ueren Airerman, Borgia, mil Lochmoeller, Burroughs, Davichion Washington, Affton, Larry Williams, Webster Groves, William Tolen, Lutheran North, Brian neasant, nosary, unaa Brown, McCluer North, Ja Mes Ammons, Troy, Antoine Esters, O'Fallon, Scott Germain, Columbia, Don Harris, DuBourg, Louis Johnson, Sumner, Soph.

PK Jay McClain, Festus, Brian Woodrick, McCluer North, Sr. DEFENSE DL Andrew Lofton, Mehlville John Mitchell, Mehlville, Mark Portwood, Hillsboro, Ed Lunders, Parkway North, John Helle-busch, Borgia, Pat PriesmeyeMianney, Gerald Martin, Lutheran North, Tom Christian, McCluer North, Jon Cates, Cahokia, Dave Stukenberg, Mascoutah, Marijan Juric, St. Louis U. High, Mike Clark, CBC, Sr. LB Bruce Bellinger, Mehlville, Dwight Howdeshell, Eureka, Kamid-Mosby, Clayton, Mike Tabor, DeSmet, Billy Kohm, Oakville, Steve Benskin, Fort Zumwalt North, Rob Crews, Hazelwood Central, Shane Clark, Fort Zumwalt South, Jeff Hasenstab, Belleville West, Ty Llndhorst, Dupof John Gula, Althoff, Steve Gomric, Althoff, Martin-Jon Cloyd, Cardinal Ritter, Sr.

DB Derron Gurley, Mehlville, Rick Shelton, Eureka Ryan Smith, Clayton, Andy Bailey, Parkway West, Jacob Stallworth, Parkway Central, Eric Pulido, Marquette, Nick Fuller, St. Louis U. High, Sr. Lance Anders, Mehlville, Jason Stevens, McCluer North, Michael Cole, Roosevelt, Jr. Flore, Howard and Burton could be one of the area's all-time best.

They were good enough to keep such outstanding linebackers as Hazelwood East's Darnell Clark, Lafayette's Steve Prozorowski and CBC's Mike Brink off the first team. l-i- Being named to the area's defensive all-star team provides a special thrill for two of the players. Williams and Sumner defensive lineman James Gregory are brothers. "We talked about 1t last year, how neat It would be to be on this together," Williams said. "He made it last year, and I was surprised I didn't.

This year, I thought I would make it but wondered if he would because he missed a few games. So it's really a nice surprise we get to end our high school careers together with the best players around." player to emerge from the Flyers program in the last two decades, Shannon said. That may be fitting, since the 1989 team will be remembered as one of the best East St. Louis teams In at least 20 years, ranking right up with the 1979 and '85 state champs. "That would be really Interesting to have those three teams play each other," Shannon said.

"AH three were excellent football teams. After we won the championship, the kids said, 'Now maybe coach will stop talking about that '85 team." Around Hazelwood East, they may never stop talking about this season's Spartans and their Fantastic Five. The Spartans won their first state football championship, and their five All-Metro first-teamers can claim sig-. nificant responsibility. Receiver Renaldo Gallagher had more than 1,000 yards and was one of the area's most exciting players.

Running back Terrell Fletcher rushed for 1,480 yards and 22 TDs, and he is one of just four first-team juniors. Defensive lineman Rob Meyerkord, linebacker Ronald Burton and defensive back Franklin West represent a vastly underrated defensive unit. Offense always tends to hog the spotlight, and this year's offensive stars in the area certainly do shine. Quarterback Nevilles; running backs Billy Greenwald, Joe Fiorino and Fletcher; and receivers Dunn and Gallagher totaled 9,681 yards and 140 touchdowns. One hundred and forty TDs! But the defense shouldn't take a back seat.

The first-team linebacker corps alone Webster Groves' Larry Williams, Parkway Central's Keith Le Peodlff lnlpllsi St. Louisan Builds Shootout At Kiel Into A City Tradition By Mike Eisenbath Post-Dispatch Suburban Sports Editor Ki eith Pickett turned 40 on Dec. 9, 1988. He often had told his wife, Maggie, that he didn't want any kfuss made, no surprise birthday party or hooDla. He was managing special events for the Seven-Up Bottling Co, He and Randy Albrecht, basketball coach at Meramec Community College, thought pooling three good local high school games into a tripleheader attraction would provide a welcome spotlight.

Rensing went to the Seven-Up national headquarters, which at the time was in St. Louis, and solicited publicity and organization help. Pickett, who loves'to organize special events almost as much as he loves basketball, was a willing helper. "I wasn't the event director those first three years, and I wasn't the creator," Pickett said. "My biggest recommendation was that if we were going to do it, we should do it right from the beginning." In the first three Shootout years, all the games already had been scheduled for local teams and simply were shifted to Kiel.

That didn't mean the games weren't top caliber. Quincy's 67-61 victory over DeSmet was a thrilling highlight to the 1981 Shootout, which attracted more than 7,500 fans. The games were good the next two years, but attendance dropped to 4,600 and 3,100. Pickett, Rensing and local basketball recruiting expert Rick Ball looked for a way to lift the interest to a more noteworthy level. Pickett knew of the national prominence of DeMatha Catholic High, from the Washington, D.C., area, and its longtime coach, Morgan Wooten.

Pickett thought that would be an attractive draw. So the national concept was born. In '84, DeMatha and All-America center Danny Ferry beat DeSmet 76-58. Qulncy returned for an exciting one-point victory over Collinsville, and Provldence-St. Mel with All-America center Lowell Hamilton edged Soldan.

1 The ShootouHias continued to evolve since then, including a recent revolving door of sponsors. But each year's premise remains the same: Pickett tries to bring in some of the most highly touted national teams and players, then matches them against area teams. The local flavor Is vital, Pickett says, because he wants to help promote local basketball as much as Interest in the sport in general. The Shootout has many advantages over other national high school basketball events. It comes early in the season, before any others, so it catches the first wave of basketball Interest.

Since It doesn't have a tournament format, teams don't have to give up participation in a local tourney or miss multiple days from school. Pickett hopes that, in some small way or even in big ways, the Shootout has helped promote local basketball and the good will of the area. "We wanted to create an event in St. Louis that all of St. Louis could be proud of," he said.

"We wanted to attract attention to local basketball and to the city. I hope the whole area regards the Shootout as something special." Pickett grew up in a small town, Council Grove, Kan. Football was more popular there, but Pickett nurtured a deep affection for Kansas State basketball. He saw his first game against St. Louis University when he was about 10.

Although he wasn't a particularly talented player, he loved the game. The love for the game never left during his subsequent travels. He went to school at K-State Ironically again, so did Rick Ball. He was stationed at Scott Air Force Base after college, when he met his wife. While working in Kansas City, he had more basketball than he could Imagine the Kings in the National Basketball Association, the heart of the Big Eight Conference, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics postseason tournament.

He and Maggie even followed some of the top local high school teams, even though they knew no one at those schools. When Pickett came to St. Louis in 1976 with Seven-Up, the St. Louis U. Bllllkens weren't enjoying much success.

But It was basketball, and Pickett joined the stats crew. He now is a fixture in local basketball, Go to a high school game during the season and there is a good chance you will bump into him. A private person, Pickett wanted to keep the event private. "He's always pulling surprises, though, so I wanted to get him somehow," Maggie Pickett said. The birthday attracted hoopla pardon the pun.

On Dec. 8, Pickett busily was handling his duties as the event director of the 7UPKMOX Shootout, since renamed the Coca-ColaKMOX Shootout and set for its ninth-annual series of high school basketball games Thursday at Kiel Auditorium. Pickett's son Adam, then 8, walked onto the floor with a birthday cake, and the sellout crowd of almost 10,000 people sang "Happy Birthday" to Pickett. Surprise! "Keith always has said he doesn't want to be the star of the Shootout," Maggie said. "He Just wants to promote good basketball, then sit back behind the scenes and let the teams be the stars." Through the first eight years of Shootouts, the teams, players and games certainly have attracted glorious attention.

Alonzo Mourning, Kenny Anderson, LaPhonso Ellis, Danny Ferry, Stanley Robinson, Bruce Douglas, Anthony Bonner St. Louis basketball fans have found a treat two weeks after each Thanksgiving. Pickett may not want to be the star of the show. But if St. Louis has enjoyed the Shootout this, week's event probably will be a sellout for the fourth consecutive year then it has Pickett to thank.

"When It started," he said, "we just wanted to put on some good high school basketball. In fact, the first year, all the newspapers wouldn't call It the Shootout; they just called it a high school basketball tripleheader. "Now I like to think we can call it a St. Louis sports tradition." Gary Renting conceived the idea of the Shootout. 3 Ted DarganPost-Dispatch Keith Pickett event director of the Shootout Pickett and his family could have moved elsewhere often during the last few years.

Seven-Up moved ItS' headquarters to Dallas, but he stayed and found a job with Contel. When it seemed he would have to transfer within Contel late last year, he left that company and looked for a similar job in corporate communications until he Joined Mallinckrodt in May. Pickett said he never considered leaving St. LouiS'He and his family with sons Adam, 9, and Kyle, 4 love the area. And Maggie's family roots are deep.

"But the Shootout was a reason, too," Maggie said'J'It's like one of our children now.