Friday Fast Break – HSSC – October 28, 2022

Francis Howell will play for its first-ever state softball title while Westminster begins final-four action today. It was a tremendous week of district play on the volleyball court with the quarterfinals set for this weekend while the football playoffs are here and start Friday.

Let’s get caught up with all the action in this week’s edition of the Friday Fast Break.

Howell raced out to a 7-0 lead after three innings and never looked back as Lorin Boutte tossed a one-hitter and added 13 strikeouts as the Vikings advanced to the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 4 softball championship game with a 10-0 victory over Liberty. Howell scored three times in the first inning and added four more runs in the third to get the early lead. Howell scattered 15 hits on the afternoon as six players each had a pair of hits while Addison Clark ripped her sixth homer of the year. The Vikings improved to 28-6 on the year and will take on Blue Springs South in the title game at 12:45 p.m. on the stadium field at Killian Softball Complex in Springfield, Mo.

In other action in Springfield, Marquette fell in the semifinals to Blue Springs South 11-2 and then dropped the third-place game to Liberty 3-1 to earn fourth place in Class 4. Washington saw their efforts to remain the Class 3 title holders as the Blue Jays fell to Helias 5-1 in the semifinals. Washington earned the third-place trophy with a 10-0 victory over Warrenton Thursday afternoon.

Westminster opens play in the Class 3 semifinals Friday as the Wildcats will take on Fatima at noon, hoping to advance to the title game Saturday at 12:15 p.m.

It was an outstanding week of district action on the volleyball courts as many of the area’s top teams have advanced to the quarterfinal round that will be played Saturday.

In Class 5, one of the most anticipated district finals took place as Lafayette avenged an earlier loss this season to Eureka as the Lancers defeated the Wildcats 3-1 to move on to the quarterfinals. After falling to Eureka 25-23 in the first set, the Lancers won the next three sets 25-17, 25-22, and 25-23. Maya Witherspoon and Caitlyn Little each had 14 kills while Alyssa Nelson handed out 45 assists to pace Lafayette in the victory.

In Class 4, Westminster kept its hopes alive of defending its championship as the Wildcats defeated Parkway West 3-1 in the district final. The Longhorns won the first set 25-16, but Westminster stormed back by taking the next three sets by scores of 25-17, 25-22, and 25-19. Emma Fairchild paced the Wildcats attack with 12 kills while Lexi Frazier gave out 18 assists as Westminster will move on and play St. Pius X of Festus Saturday.

Here is the quarterfinal schedule for Saturday as the winners will move on to the state semifinals next weekend at the Show-Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Class 5:

• Jackson at Lafayette – 1 p.m.
• St. Joseph’s Academy at St. Dominic – 1 p.m.

Class 4:

• St. Pius X at Westminster – 3 p.m.
• Incarnate Word at Parkway Central – 1 p.m.

Class 3:

• Ste. Genevieve at Ursuline – 3 p.m.
• Lutheran St. Charles at Blair Oaks – 1 p.m.

Class 2:

• Saxony Lutheran at Jefferson R7 – 1 p.m.

 

District football action starts Friday with many outstanding matchups set for this weekend. In Class 6, Kirkwood will host Lindbergh in a rematch of a game that saw the Pioneers win over the Flyers earlier this month. SLUH will travel to Seckman in another outstanding early-round contest.

In Class 5, Ladue will host Parkway West with Eureka waiting in the wings to take on the winner next week while Fort Zumwalt West and Fort Zumwalt South will battle Friday with the winner moving on to play Howell next week.

Below is a complete listing of the first-round district games. All games are Friday unless listed differently.

Class 6:

• Vianney at CBC – 6 p.m.
• Lindbergh at Kirkwood – 7 p.m.
• Northwest at Marquette – 7 p.m.
• SLUH at Seckman – 7 p.m.
• Hazelwood West at Troy – 7 p.m.
• De Smet at Ritenour – 6 p.m.
• Hazelwood Central at Pattonville – 7 p.m.

Class 5:

• Fox at Poplar Bluff – 7 p.m.
• Webster Groves at Oakville – 7 p.m.
• Mehlville at Cape Central – 7 p.m.
• Parkway West at Ladue – 7 p.m.
• Chaminade at MICDS – Saturday – 1 p.m.
• Parkway South at Lafayette – 7 p.m.
• Riverview at Howell North – 7 p.m.
• Fort Zumwalt South at Fort Zumwalt West – 7 p.m.
• Howell Central at Fort Zumwalt North – 7 p.m.
• Washington at Timberland – 7 p.m.
• Liberty at Helias – 7 p.m.

Class 4:

• DeSoto at North County – 7 p.m.
• Sikeston at Festus – 7 p.m.
• Windsor at Gateway – 6 p.m.
• Pacific at Summit – 7 p.m.
• Affton at Union – 7 p.m.
• Clayton at Jennings – 6 p.m.
• Confluence at Vashon – Saturday – 1 p.m.
• Soldan at Parkway North – 7 p.m.
• McCluer North at McCluer – Saturday – 1 p.m.
• St. Charles at Fort Zumwalt East – 7 p.m.

Class 3:

• Roosevelt at Lutheran South – 7 p.m.
• Bishop DuBourg at University City – Saturday – 1 p.m.
• Bayless at Herculaneum – 7 p.m.
• Wright Coty at Normandy – Saturday – Noon
• Orchard Farm at Lutheran North – 6 p.m.
• St. James at Principia – 7 p.m.
• Salem at Sullivan – 7 p.m.
• Westminster at Owensville – 7 p.m.

Class 2:

• John Burroughs at Jefferson R7 – 7 p.m.
• East Prairie at Lift for Life – 7 p.m.
• Kelly at Priory – Saturday – 1 p.m.
• California at Borgia – 7 p.m.

Class 1:

• Grandview at St. Pius X – 7 p.m.
• Louisiana at Crystal City – 7 p.m.