The championship hardware just keeps piling up for the Hazelwood West girls volleyball program. Two weeks ago, the Wildcats clinched their third straight Suburban North Conference championship with a win over McCluer North High School. Then last week, West made it four straight district championships, with a straight-set win over rival Hazelwood Central in the Missouri Class 4 District 6 championship game at McCluer High School. “This is awesome,” West coach Michael Vaughn said. “I’m so happy for the girls. It’s been a fun year, and we’re excited to be district champs again.” Senior Sara …

McCluer North senior quarterback Galen Brown threw for three scores and ran for another on Saturday to lead the Stars to an easy 41-8 win over Hazelwood West in a Suburban North Conference contest at North. The Stars (8-1 overall and 6-0 in league play) won their eighth successive game. They face Ritenour at 7 p.m. Friday in a league affair that will decide both the conference and district championships. North scored twice in the first 4:19 to take a 14-0 lead against the Wildcats (1-8, 1-5). The Stars led 27-0 at the break and never looked back. Brown hit on 12 of 16 passes for 168 yards. He…

A meeting of two teams on opposite sides of the district football playoff race highlights this week’s Hazelwood-Florissant area high school sports action, as Hazelwood West heads to McCluer North for a big ballgame for both schools, at 2 p.m., on Saturday. The Stars won last week’s district opener against Hazelwood Central, 21-10, thanks to quarterback Galen Brown’s 130 total yards and two touchdowns, while the Wildcats lost at home to undefeated Ritenour, 56-8. This week, McCluer North (7-1) can clinch itself a spot in the state playoffs, while Hazelwood West (1-7) would be officially …

Hazelwood West volleyball is continuing its winning streak. The Wildcats seem to be on a hot streak that can't be cooled. The team (10-7, 5-0) remained unbeaten in conference play with a hard-fought 25-23, 25-15 win over Pattonville on Tuesday. Sara Gregor led the attack with 10 kills. Missy Long added five kills. Amanda Molinari had 10 assists. McCluer North (2-10, 2-2) broke a seven-match losing streak with a 25-21, 25-17 win over McCluer (8-7, 2-3) on Wednesday. The Comets have slowed somewhat after winning their first four matches. Hazelwood Central (2-13, 2-3) broke a five-game skid with…

The Pattonville High School softball team has had its share of ups and downs this season. Unfortunately for the Pirates, there have been too many downs. "We just aren't playing consistently," coach Doug McGhee said. "There are games where we really look good. Then we'll look bad the next time." Still, the Pirates are capable of turning in a strong effort at any time. That gives McGhee and his players high hopes for the post season. "I think we can win our district if we're playing like we're capable of playing," he said. Pattonville will compete in the Class 4 District 6 Tournament at McCluer…

The McCluer North football team appears to have benefited from its painful 32-point season-opening loss to Jefferson City last month. The Stars reeled off their third successive win on Saturday afternoon stunning previously unbeaten Lafayette 27-0 in a non-conference contest at McCluer North.      "Everybody contributed and chipped in," said veteran coach Jim Schottmueller. "Great team effort." The Stars' defense shut down the Lancers, who entered the game ranked seventh in the Class 6 state poll. Lafayette totaled 80 points in marching out to a 3-0 record. But North (3-1) put the clamps down…

Jason Sellers is more than pleased with his Hazelwood West soccer team and its impressive 5-1 start to the season. But there is another reason Sellers is all smiles these days. "Not only are we winning, but we're getting better each match," the veteran coach said. "That's important." The Wildcats have posted five successive shutouts after a season-opening 3-1 loss to Southern Boone. They have outscored the opposition 16-0 during the run. Senior goalkeepers Nick Ehlers and Matt Leinberger have combined for the clean sheets. Ehlers leads the way with three solo blankings. "Nick has become a …

It didn't take long for the McCluer North softball squad to form an identity for the 2011 season. "So far, they've decided they want to be a come-from-behind team," coach Patrick Dougherty said. "They just don't give up." North, which is off to a 4-2 start, has recorded a pair of thrilling, last-second victories. The Stars scored four times in the seventh innning to knock off DeSoto, 9-8. They also rallied from an early 4-0 deficit to beat Villa Duchesne, 5-4, last Wednesday. Senior pitcher Rachel Franck struck out 15 batters in the win over Villa Duchesne. That effort surprised even …