“If I had one thing to ask for I guess it would be to have a successful football season.” - Frank Davis - 9/2/71
The 1971 Season
GAC Football Begins
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 18, 1971
New Conference Out West
By Doug Grow
The St. Charles County athletes who have survived the summer are pretty excited about the upcoming football season.
Players and followers of high school football at Wentzville, Francis Howell, Fort Zumwalt and Duchesne will be getting their first taste of conference football, Gateway Athletic Conference football.
“We’re really enthused about the conference. Before, the season would last nine games and when it was over, you’d say, ‘that’s nice’ and that was the end,” said Wentzville coach Jim Cheves. “Now we’ll have something to be playing for.”
And again, “We’re really enthused.” Perhaps too enthused.
Tim Kelley was Wentzville’s No. 2 quarterback. In his excitement to get ready for the upcoming season during Wentzville’s summer training camp, he tore some ligaments in his knee. Scratch No. 2.
It’s bad to lose your No. 2 quarterback before the season starts, but it’s not catastrophic. Or it wasn’t until Cheves got a call the other night from his No. 1 quarterback, Eddie Jones.
Instead of thinking about his job at a Wentzville steel works, Jones had been thinking about football. His thought process was interrupted by two broken knuckles. Scratch No. 1.
“Now I’m just trying to find somebody who can hand the ball off. I don’t care who it is,” said Cheves.
Duchesne High coach Frank Barrow is shedding few tears for Cheves. He’s too busy worrying about his own over-zealous athletes.
In preparing for the season, several of Barro’s players gathered on a sandlot to play some touch football. If they tackle in the fall like they touch in the summer…
In a “touch” game, Bob Kaemerer, a 6-foot, 190 pound tackle, suffered a broken lumbar vertebrae. Scratch a tackle who opened holes for an offense that scored 31 points a game last year. That offense led Duchesne to a -3 record and an eleventh-place ranking in the Post-Dispatch small-school area poll.
But Tom Hallemeier, all-Independent guard last year is back, and so is his brother Dave, all 260 pounds of him. They’ll be opening holes for a backfield led by senior quarterback Steve McClintock.
Perhaps the most interesting game of the GAC season will take place on Oct. 15. That’s when offensive-minded Duchesne will run smack into the Francis Howell High Defense, a defense that allowed just 27 points all last year.
“We’re going to try and have a better defense this year,” said Howell coach Frank Davis.
Davis will build his “improved defense” around Kevin Oberdick, a member of the Post-Dispatch second-team South All-District team last year, and linebacker Rick Miget, who was named to the All-Independent team.
Last year, Howell finished the season with a 7-1 record and the eighth-ranking in the area small-school poll. Conference coaches don’t think Howell will slip much this season.
“Fort Zumwalt’s a big school and it should have a lot of athletes,” said Bob Fisher, who moved to Fort Zumwalt this year after eight seasons in Boonville.
Unfortunately for Fisher, potential can’t throw a block. Last year Fort Zumwalt lost eight of nine games and was shut out five times.
“We’ll start low, with the freshmen,” Fisher said. “We’ll build a program here, but it might take some time.”
A couple of the top upperclassmen who’ll greet Fisher are quarterback Gary Wofford, running back Mike Buford and linemen Tom Runyan and the Neiwendorp twins, Scott and Clark.
Orchard Farm will have a full year to get acquainted with the GAC. It will play a junior varsity schedule this year, then join the conference next season.
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St. Charles Journal, September 2, 1971
Davis Concerned Over FH Top Billing
By Mike Gothberg
What does a high school football coach ask for when he has almost everything? The moon? An undefeated season? A five-year, no-cut contract?
Frank Davis, fourth year head coach at Francis Howell has, this year, just about everything a coach could want. For starters, he has a team coming off its best year ever which featured winning seven of eight games. He has 27 returning lettermen from a team that blanked five opponents. He has a top ranking for conference play. What else could a man desire?
“If I had one thing to ask for,” the Masters Degree holding former Alabamian, “I guess it would be to have a successful football season.”
You must note that Davis didn’t request a “winning season” or an “undefeated season.” All he wanted was a “successful season.” That’s the type of man he is, the type of individual that won St. Charles County “coach of the year” honors in ’70.
“A winning or losing record is a small indication of the true success of a team or its coach,” noted Davis. “I think if we can teach the kids to be leaders, to somehow rub the coaches’ personalities off on the players and to develop them into gentlemen, then you have a successful season. There’s more wrapped up in the game than just winning a football game.”
Don’t get Davis wrong, he’s full of that winning desire. “We’re gonna try to better last season’s record and to win that (Gateway Athletic Conference) title, but it’s not going to be easy.”
By everyone’s predictions, Francis Howell is the team to beat as the GAC makes its first appearance. But Davis isn’t any happier as the favorite, something Francis Howell is not accustomed to being. “I wish everyone hadn’t picked us to do as well as we did last year,” he said. “I believe we caught people thinking they were going to be playing a bunch of farmers last year. It was a simple case of taking our opposition too lightly.”
After successive 2-5 seasons, Howell sprang to a new defense (using its 11 best players on defense) and subsequently, won seven of eight games. Of those wins, five came on shutouts while the other was a six-pointer over Winsor of Imperial, 13-6. “We’ll stay with our eleven best hitters on defense again this year,” warned Davis. “It worked well for us last year but right now, we’re looking for 11 good men for to do it.”
Farmers, Francis Howell proved they were not, and 1971 will be the year to prove once and for all they can play this game. “Sure, we’ll have to win again this year,” said Davis, “just to prove last year wasn’t a fluke.”
Howell will open the season in Owensville Sept. 11 and test itself twice over before meeting Wentzville Oct. 1 in the opener of the GAC race. Eureka is sandwiched between Duchesne, another “big” game for the Vikes who close out with the GAC competition with Fort Zumwalt Nov. 11.
“I’ll have to pick Duchesne as the team to beat in the league,” noted Davis, who is the secretary-treasurer of the circuit. “The pioneers have a lot of tradition and some fine ball players. After that, it’ll be a dogfight for second place between the three remaining schools.”
He added, “Wentzville will have a lot of speed, something we’re always lacking while Zumwalt could be a strong contender. My first meeting with (coach Bob) Fisher impressed me. The man must know the game, he’s been a head coach for a couple of years. You can’t count out anyone in the race.”
Although inter-league play is important, Davis believes the real test of the GAC will come from outside competition. “You’ve got to be representative of the league in other games. We may have a rugged schedule amongst ourselves but if we lose all outside games, the league will fold.
That outside competition will come from Priory and Lutheran North. “Priory ran up 21 points against us last year,” remembered Davis. “A couple of their TD’s were results of our mistakes. Against North, we just outplayed them. They weren’t ready for the game.”
Passing, both offensively and defensively, has always been somewhat of a problem to the Vikes. That is until this Fall. “We’re going to throw more this year,” Davis announced. “Before, the receivers didn’t know where to be when the ball was passed. But with the additional experience, we’ll be more receptive to the airways.”
One of the main characters in the new Vike offensive look will be senior quarterback Steve Smith. Last year, the 205 pounder completed only 37 of 102 passing attempts. He totaled 486 yards amassed in his third second varsity year. “He can throw the ball,” said Davis, “it’s just a case of having the ends hang on to it.
St. Charles Daily Banner News, unknown date
Howell’s Defensive Play Lacking as Vikes Prepare for Opener
Getting to the top is easy. That’s generally agreed. But staying there is another question and for the Francis Howell Vikings, the upcoming season will be one which may answer many questions. One of those questions will be: Can a team that allowed just 27 points in eight games find happiness and as much success the following year minus a good portion of that defensive unit? [FHHS had 29 returning letterman.]
Another is: Can a team that is only in its fourth [third] year of varsity competition step into the role of the favorite and play up to that billing?
These two questions will be answered partially Saturday evening when coach Frank Davis’ club travels to Owensville to instigate the 1971 schoolboy campaign.
Last year, Coach Davis utilized the theory of playing the eleven best on defense. Again, his philosophy is carried over to the current campaign, but Davis is worried. “We’re not hitting at all so far. Before, we felt we had the hitters and didn’t have to worry too much about it in practice. But this year, the boys simply aren’t hitting like they should and we’re going to have to go hard this week to just be prepared for Owensville.”
Previewing Owensville, Davis feels it’ll be similar to last year’s game plan. “They have a new coach who moved up from assistant but should stick to pretty much the same plans they went against us last year.” Included in that brand of play were short passes and ball possession-type offensive drives.
Will the ’71 Vikings be as stingy on defense as their counterparts? Davis isn’t sure. “We’ve had to switch a few people around and our secondary is a little rugged. We’re hoping the youngsters can step in and do the job.”
“Last year our offense was miserable. I think we only scored 120 points. We had to let the defense set us up with excellent field position, good punting and that type of ball,” said Davis. “But our offense should be improved,” he said. Steve Smith will be directing the offensive thrust this year with Dale Stevener, Dennis Auping and either Bruce Smith or Dennis Sherman working in the backfield.
“Our ends have shown great potential,” he said. “Although they’re not exceptionally fast and don’t have the greatest hands, they do know where their positions are on the different passes. It takes experience which they’re gaining.
Last year, Owensville, working in the Four Rivers Conference, finished sixth in the seven-team set up. They won one game in nine weekend outing. They do, however, have excellent speed in Randy Schweer who is clocked at 10.2 in the 100. Tom Bloemke, a second-year quarterback, will be leading the offense.
Regardless of last year, the current campaign is decided on this year’s performances, not on past records. Howell will open Saturday night at 7 PM. It will be decided then and there whether this year’s unit is as powerful as the “Doomsday Defense” of a year past.
St. Charles Daily Banner News, September 10, 1971
Howell pins conference hopes on youngsters
Four years ago, there was no Francis Howell varsity football team.
One year ago, there was no Gateway Athletic Conference.
But today both are alive and well and ready to begin what coach Frank Davis hopes will be a happy union.
Davis’ Vikings are on of the favorites in the newly-formed GAC, which inaugurates its first conference football season this fall.
Duchesne, Fort Zumwalt and Wentzville make up the rest of the conference, with Orchard Farm scheduled to be included next year.
Orchard Farm, in its first year of football, is competing on the junior varsity level this year.
Coming of a 7-1 1970 season, Howell’s Vikings would appear to be the choice for the GAC crown, but Davis foresees no easy season. “I think it (the conference race) is going to be a toss-up. You can’t really count anybody out,” he said.
Before worrying about conference play, however, Davis must concentrate on three non-conference foes, the first of which will be Owensville Saturday night.
“I really don’t know much about them,” Davis said. “We look for them to run some sort of even-man defense, but other than that it’s really hard to say.”
This year, though, with bigger but slower backs, the team may change, taking advantage of their own strengths.
“And we probably will be just a little bigger in the backfield,” he said.
Defensively, the 1971 Vikings will be hard-pressed to surpass last year’s showing. The 1970 Howell defense allowed a miserly 3.4 points per game. In eight games, the sturdy Viking defense recorded six shutouts and gave up a total of only 27 points.
But a good portion of the defensive crew is gone this year, and a newcomer expected to help take up some of the slack, Mark Rankin, has been sidelined for the year with a broken arm.
Rankin, who was scheduled to play both offense and defense, broke his arm for the fourth time this week in practice. A sophomore, his injury will be “a big loss” to the team, Davis said.
The Viking coach also expressed some displeasure with his team’s performance in practice sessions so far this year.
“We’ve been slow and sluggish,” he said. “We hadn’t been really pleased with the kids until Wednesday’s practice. I’m hoping though, that the challenge of the game will get them up.”
Howell’s first conference match is Oct. 1 against Fort Zumwalt [Wentzville], a team the Vikings shut out 32-0 last year. [FHHS did not play Wentzville in 1970.]
Davis sees the Panthers (who were 1-9 last year) as a title contender. “If they can survive their tough non-conference foes before they play us, they could really be tough,” Davis said.
But Duchesne appears still to be Howell’s number one threat for the conference crown. Wentzville, 2-4 last year in an abbreviated campaign, could be a threat, but Duchesne and Howell remain the favorites.
Win, lose or draw, though Davis is happy to be a part of a conference. “We’re just happy we’re in the league,” he said. “The newness of the conference may wear off, but it does help stir interest.”
Davis noted that to maintain high interest, the conference teams still must do well against non-conference foes.
And, for Howell, the first of those non-conference foes will be met Saturday might at Owensville. The game begins at 7PM.
St. Charles Daily Banner News, September 13, 1971
Howell opens with 33-0 win
Though it was the first game of the new high school football season, it might have seemed like a wake to Owensville.
Owens who, you ask? Owensville – a little school down in the bootheel of Missouri that plays in the Four Rivers Conference against such well know powerhouses as Washington and Union. [Owensville is about ½ way between Herman and Cuba on state highway 19.]
Anyway, it was Owensville that attempted to provide the competition as the Francis Howell Vikings rolled over their hosts 33-0.
Howell had all the ingredients mixed in: Tow better-than-average quarterbacks who doubled as defensive backs, a receiver who had a knack for not being any closer than 10’ of the nearest defender, a hellacious defense that sacked Owensville’s quarterback three times, and even pretty cheerleaders.
These young ladies watched in glee as senior quarterback Steve Smith found Dennis Auping all alone in the end zone early in the second quarter and lobbed a TD pass to him.
Smith had the cheerleaders bouncing again in the third quarter when while playing in the defensive backfield, he intercepted on of Tom Bloemke’s passes and hightailed it into the end zone for Howell’s second TD.
In the third quarter, it was Howell’s offensive line that had the cheerleaders waving their pompoms joyfully, as they time and time again opened holes for the running backs.
The offensive line opened such fine holes that the running game carried Howell to Owensville’s 23-yard line, where Smith again penetrated the almost-non-existent pass defense to hit Auping, again all alone, for his second touchdown pass. When Owensville blocked the point after attempt, Howell kicked off carrying a 20-0 lead.
On the first play from scrimmage after that kickoff, Smith again bandit, swiping another Bloemke pass. The results were not so pleasant this time, however, as Smith injured himself on the play. So out went Smith and in came Junior Terry Kasper to take over at quarterback.
Kasper also took over Smith’s defensive duties, and moments later, nabbed a third Bloemke aerial to let the Howell offensive unit take over again. Kasper then moved the Vikes to within the Owensville ten. From there, running back Dale Stevener scattered across for yet another six points. The kick was no good, but it hardly mattered since Howell had built a 26-0 lead.
But they didn’t let up. In the fourth quarter Dennis Auping, the lonely receiver, who also doubted on defense, recovered an Owensville fumble on the 23-yard line and ran for a touchdown. Stevener’s point after attempt was good this time, giving the Vikes their 33-0 bulge, and enabling them to just run out the clock.
Howell’s defense can feel justified in patting itself on the back. In all, they picked off 5 passes, enabling the offense to take over, often in fine field position. They dumped quarterback Bloemke three times, and stifled Owensville’s running game.
Blanks Fired As Grid Seasons Opens
By Mike Gothberg
Frank Davis, head coach at Francis Howell High School, earlier this season said a “true indications of how strong the recently organized Gateway Athletic Conference is o be will come in outside league play. For the league members, the kickoff las weekend bagged two of three victories for the GAC.
But that one loss nearly offset an otherwise perfect conference beginning. Duchesne’s highly regarded Pioneers, coming into the ’71 season with three straight 7-3 ledgers, saw every piece of pre-season work go down the drain in its worst football defeat ever, 47-0, to Rosary.
Elsewhere, Wentzville and Francis Howell were doing their parts in making the GA Premiere showing a success. Both clubs scored shutout wins; Howell blanking Owensville, 33-0, while the Indians clubbed Warrenton, 34-0.
Smith Passing Dominates
Steve Smith, Howell’s excellent senior quarterback, passed for two touchdowns and scored another on a pass interception, as Howell opened the current campaign with a 33-0 rout at Owensville.
Slightly more than two minutes into the second quarter, Smith hit Dennis Auping with a 17-yard strike to jump off to the 7-0 lead. In the third period, Smith scored on a 16-yard pass interception before hitting Auping again on a scoring pattern. This time the Smith-Auping combo went 22 yards through the air for the score.
In the fourth period, workhorse Dale Stevener danced home from 4 yards out and Auping recovered a fumble and rambled back 12-yards to close out the scoring.
Howell gained 179 yards rushing and another 97 in the air but were assessed with 115 yards in penalties, a point coach Davis didn’t take lightly.
“There’s no excuse for that many errors,” said Davis, named St. Charles County coach of the year in 1970. “We hope to correct that by Saturday.”
This Saturday, the Vikes again open Priory’s home season. “It’s getting to the point that we’re Priory’s traditional opener.” Last year, it was Priory that stood between Howell and a perfect record.
“Things don’t look a lot brighter,” warned Davis. “They’ve got a fine team with almost everyone back from last year. They’re well coached and you can’t fool them. We’ve got to get head-up on them and outplay them.
And that might be a chore for the Vikes who will likely enter the game without the services of QB Smith. During the Owensville win Smith tore ligaments in his foot and is a doubtful starter as is Rob Grace, out with a sprained knee.
“I was pleased with our offense but we’re going to have to start hitting on defense.” said Davis. “(Kevin) Oberdick played a fine game; he was in their backfield all night long. And Big John Smith had another good game. But the defense can still get a lot better. And it’ll have to.”
St. Charles Journal, September 16, 1971
Cal’s Corner
By Calvin Hertes
Priory 20 – Francis Howell 8. With two QB’s injured the Vikes are in big trouble. Priory was the only team to beat Howell last year and it seems another repeat. Steve Smith is out with ankle troubles and Terry Kasper, if playable, is nursing a tender shoulder.
St. Charles Daily Banner News, September 16, 1971
Howell minus quarterback
On the practice fields of Francis Howell High School, the Vikings have undertaken the less-than-obvious task of preparing to meet one of its toughest opponents without the services of the regular quarterback.
Frank Davis’ Vikings will meet Priory at 2 PM Saturday but will have to do without Steve Smith, the number one signal-caller.
Smith suffered a torn tendon in last Saturday’s game with Owensville and will miss the remainder of the season. Junior quarterback Terry Kasper will start at quarterback for the Vikings.
With that fact in mind, the outlook for Saturday’s clash with Priory is very bleak. “It’s terrible,” said Davis. “Priory is probably on of our strongest opponents. They’ve got good coaching, good size and they’re quick. They’ve got just about everything. And they only graduated a bout two kids, I think. It’s mostly the same team we faced last year”
Davis said the Vikings will look to their running game to carry their offense Saturday, since “we really have no one that can throw the ball.”
In addition, one of Howell’s better receivers, wingback Bruce Smith, Steve’s brother, is also sidelined with an injury. That puts much of the responsibility for the passing game on the shoulders of Denny Auping, who caught two touchdown passes against Owensville. The loss of Smith also hurts the Vikes defense. Against Owensville, Smith intercepted two passes, running one of them back for a touchdown. “What really makes it bad is that the person that would normally replace Smith on defense, his brother Bruce, is also out,” Davis said.
Davis said he planned to work on his defensive backs this week to strengthen that position. The coach said he would also have the team work on its offense in preparation for the Priory encounter.
Looking to the game itself, Davis said Priory runs about four or five different formations,
“They’ll use a slot, the pro set, maybe a little out of the I, and sometimes they’ll run from a single wing when they’re near the goal. We haven’t seen them this year, so we’re just going from films and what we know from last year.”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 17, 1971
Prep Picks
Howell over Priory by 2.
St. Charles Daily Banner News, September 20, 1971
Howell blunders give Priory 14-10 triumph
By Darrell Shoults
The time: about 4PM Saturday, September 18.
The place: the football field at St. Louis Priory.
The event: The Priory vs Francis Howell Football game.
The speakers: disgruntled Howell football players. Listen to what these gentlemen have to say:
“Screw ups cost us this game.”
And another: “We gave ‘em this ballgame.”
And one more: “What a mess!”
These, among other non-printable explicatives, reflected the feelings of depression that overcame the members of Francis Howell’s Vikings as they watched their cohorts blunder their way to a 14-10 loss.
The blunders included having 12 men on the field on the punt-return squad, fumbling a punt on their own 31 which Priory recovered for a first down, and most damagingly, fumbling on Priory’s one-yard line with a minute left in the game.
The last mess-up came at the end of a 47-yard drive late in the fourth quarter. With Howell trailing 14-10, quarterback Terry Kasper repeatedly send fullback Dale Stevener into the line.
Largely through Stevener’s efforts, Howell soon found themselves on Priory’s one, in a position to score that final TD that would have insured victory.
But as they say, the fates are fickle, and the fumble that followed gave Priory possession with exactly 1:01 on the clock. All Priory had to do to win was to fool around and waste that minute, and that they did.
Howell’s troubles went back a lot farther than that.
Howell opened the game with a series of running plays that failed to produce a first down and had to punt. Priory returned the punt to their own 24, where the offense took over.
And take over they did.
Maybe Priory quarterback Mike McNeal wanted to get back to a comfortable seat on the bench. Maybe he just wanted to score.
At any rate, he didn’t stay on the field long.
It McNeal just one play to hit flanker John Riley, all alone at field, with a perfect pass. Riley turned and outsprinted the Viking defenders for a touchdown. Rudy Buettenmuller’s kick was good, and McNeal and his offensive playmates were back on their bench with a 7-0 lead.
Howell was luck the next time Priory got the ball. This time McNeal kept the team on the play for 16 plays, moving them from their own 39 to Howell’s 11. There, Howell defensive back Jim Richeson [Richeson is a Priory player # 23. Maybe FH #23 Bill Winkle?] was penalized for interfering with receiver Mike Switzer giving Priory a first down on Howell’s six-yard line.
Then Howell took over. On the next play, McNeal handed off to fullback Sam Merenda, who promptly dropped the ball. Howell’s Tom Gallagher pounced on the loose ball, giving the Vikes possession, and preventing a priory TD.
The next Howell series proved as futile as did the first two. They managed two first downs on running plays by Stevener, Kasper, Denny Auping and Jim Spink, but tow incomplete passes from their own 19 forced Howell to punt.
Again, Howell got lucky – or maybe that should be again Priory got sloppy. Priory returned the kick to their own 42, but on the first play from scrimmage they fumbled again and again Howell recovered.
The offense didn’t let this fine field position go to waste. Kasper called a series of running plays that moved the team down to Priory’s six-yard line. From there, Kasper gave the ball to Spink, who bulled his way across the goal line for Howell’s first and only TD. Stevener made good the extra point attempt, and the teams left the field at halftime knotted 7-7.
put Howell ahead for the first time, 10-7. Stevener’s kick climaxed a drive that was made possible when Dennis Sherman intercepted a McNeal pass and ran it back to Priory’s 36.
When play resumed, the two squads knocked each other about without accomplishing anything for most of the third period. Then, with 4:57 remaining, Stevener booted a 25-yard field goal to.
Any glory that Howell might have felt following Stevener’s kick was short lived. Spunky Priory running back Tom Ellinwood took Stevener’s kick on his own 13, and scampered over, under and around, and through the Howell Kickoff tea for an 87-yard TD. Buetenmuller’s extra point attempt was good and Howell found themselves trailing again 14-10, which turned out to be the final score thanks to that final fatal fumble on the one.
Besides a few costly mistakes, Howell’s troubles stemmed from the passing of Priory quarterback McNeal. Though he threw one interception, McNeal hit seven of 13 passes for yards, finding receivers that seemed to be making a shambles of the Howell defensive secondary.
One of these receivers, Riley -the one that caught that TD pass is in the first period-caught three passes for 113 yards.
Riley had only one comment about the game: “It was too close for comfort.”
St. Charles Daily Banner News, September 1971
Worst over for Howell
The worst is over, believes Francis Howell coach Frank Davis, as his Vikings prepare to meet Pacific High School Friday night.
The worst, according to Davis, was St. Louis Priory. Priory beat the Vikings last Saturday, 14-10.
“Priory is the toughest team I’ve seen this year,” said Davis. “Pacific is nowhere near as tough.”
To prepare for the Friday night encounter, Davis will have the Vikings doing two things: working to correct certain mistakes they made against Priory and setting the offense to be able to take advantage of certain weaknesses in Pacific’s 6-3 defense.
The mistakes involve some missed blocking assignments that were revealed in game films that Davis and his staff have been studying. The weaknesses in Pacific Defense are – well, they’re there.
“We know what those weaknesses are,” said Davis, grinning slyly, “but we’re not about to put that in the paper,”
Against Priory, the Vikings based their offense on the running of Dale Stevener and Denny Auping, with quarterback Terry Kasper doing very little throwing. Davis said this will change.
“we’ll be able to throw more this time.” Said the Howell coach. “Terry’s not hurt any more. Last week he could hardly raise his arm.”
Kasper will no doubt be doing some of his throwing to Auping, who against Owensville two weeks ago caught two touchdown passes from Steve Smith before the senior quarterback was injured.
The general outlook for the game is good, said Davis. The team’s morale is good. “You sometimes learn more from a loss than you do from a win,” said Davis. “This seems to be the case here.”
The game will be the first Friday might game for the Vikings and will be their first contest of the year on their home field out on Highway 94. Kickoff is at 8PM.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 1971
St. Charles Daily Banner News, September 27, 1971
Pacific Falls to Howell, 18-8
Francis Howell's Vikings used their powerful running game to beat Pacific, 18-8, Friday night.
Pacific scored first, when Rick Gibson ran for a touchdown from the two yard line. Gibson then ran for the two point conversion giving Pacific a 8-0 lead.
That was all Pacific was to get. Before the period was up Howell had pulled to 8-6. The Vikes scored when back Dennis Auping bulled across from the one. The conversion, however, failed.
The Vikes had to wait until the fourth period to score again. Then, running back Dale Stevener ran 24 yards to give the Vikes a 12-8 lead. As had happened before, the conversion attempt failed.
But Howell hadn't finished yet. Moments later, running back Jim Spink scampered 48 yards to ice the game away for the Vikes. This time, the Vikings attempted the normal point-after kick. However, it was no more value than their two previous conversion attempts, as the Pacific defense succeeded in blocking Stevener's kick.
The Vikings, now 2-1, were coming from a 14-10 loss at the hands of Priory last Saturday.
St. Charles Journal, September 1971
Vikings Rally in 4th to Beat Pacific, 19-8
Francis Howell gifted Pacific to the first eight points but the Vikings cemented the locks after that as they surged for a two touchdown rally in the final quarter to sink Pacific for an 18-8 win on the loser's field Friday night.
The victory lifted the injury-riddled Vikings back to the winning ways and was their second win in three starts for the season. The Vikes of Coach Frank Davis return to the home lot this week, not only for their annual homecoming festivities but also to open action in the Gateway Conference against powerful Wentzville. (Actually it was Wentzville's homecoming at SOBY Field.)
Howell was startled in the opening minutes against Pacific when the Vikes fumbled the kickoff and Pacific covered the ball. Four plays later, Rick Gibson slammed over from two yards out then came back to leg across the two-point conversion to give Pacific an 8-0 jump.
Howell came back in the first quarter as Dennis Auping raced over from one yard out. However Dale Stevener's attempted run for two was no good and Pacific held it's 8-6 lead. Although both teams had scoring threats perking after that and Howell twice had to ward off Pacific drives, the scoring action was silent until the final 12 minute period.
Then Stevener scored from two yards away to send Howell into the lead. Terry Kasper's attempted two-point run was no good. Later in the quarter, Jim Spink applied the clincher when he raced 48 yards for Howell's third touchdown. The PAT kick was blocked, but the Vikings had their victory. Pacific now has a 1-2 record for the season.
St. Charles Daily Banner News, September 30, 1971
Vikings, Indians ready for 1st GAC Match
The Vikings of Francis Howell and the Indians of Wentzville are preparing for an important game.
The two will be squaring off Friday, and the importance of the game lies in the fact that it's the first conference game for the two teams. Both Howell and Wentzville compete in the Gateway Athletic Conference.
Howell coach Frank Davis said after Wednesday's practice that the game is important because "one loss in our conference can make all the difference. It's important to win all the games."
"Besides," he continued, "we built up something of a tradition last year. In our conference (finishing first). We got some recognition from the papers and we'd like to keep that up."
Davis considers Wentzville as tough as any they will face this year. The Indians have twice beaten Howell [JV 1968 & varsity 1969], giving Davis an idea of what they will be doing Friday evening.
"I expect a ground game," said Davis. "Their team is a lot like ours. They won't put the ball in the air unless they have to."
"We have to contain their running game," Davis continued, "but they all have the same problem, coping with our four-back offense."
That offense will be going up against a rough 6-2 defensive alignment, one that's designed to smother a ground attack.
"They've used the 6-2 defense against us in the last couple of years and it's my guess that they'll go with what the films show and use it again," Davis explained. Wentzville used their 6-2 and 5-3 defenses in their victory Saturday over St. Louis Priory.
Wentzville bases their running game on a star fullback, Frank Alexander. Alexander's running was described by one of Howell's student managers as "running scared," but a 9.8 100 yard dash is hard to argue with. alexander has been frightened into running for 6 touchdowns so far this year.
Davis noted optimistically that senior quarterback Steve Smith might not be sidelined for the entire season as was feared earlier. Smith suffered a torn tendon in the Vikings season opener against Owensville and has been delegated to the sidelines ever since. First reports indicated that the quarterback would be out for the season, but Davis says that might not be.
"Steve will be getting his cast off in a couple of weeks," Davis said. "Then we'll just have to see. We'll tape up his leg and see what happens."
The Vikings, with junior Terry Kasper at the helm, will be shooting for their second straight home [road] victory, having beaten Pacific 18-8 last weekend.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Wentzville coach Jim Cheves was readying his undefeated Indians for the game, which he described as "in a word, tough."
'We're going to go with what's been working for us so far," Cheves said Wednesday. "We're going to run right at 'em."
The Friday night league opener looks to be a real defensive donnybrook, with both teams employing more or less the same type of running attack. The outcome of any game like that hinges on how well one defense can smear up the other's game plan.
Friday night is a near toss-up, neither team having a clear-cut advantage over the other. Both have a strong ground attack and both enjoy stingy, rough defensive lines.
Wentzville is 3-0 for the season and hungry for more. Francis Howell, on the other hand, is bent on repeating as the first in the conference this year. So there is little doubt that both Cheves and Davis are going to have their troops as physically and mentally "up" for the opener as they can.
It figures to be a squeaky-close game and the fur will hit the fan at 8 p.m. at Wentzville.
St. Charles Journal, September 30, 1971
Ball Control Key to GAC Opener
By Mike Gothberg
An injury-riddled weary band of Vikings travel tomorrow night into what could be the "Valley of the Dead" as the Gateway Athletic Conference swings into action. And what a beginning.
Slated to inaugurate the GAC is Wentzville and Francis Howell, the top two choices in pre-season picks. But right now, neither coach figures he'll be fielding his best club.
Where they once rode tall and proud, the Vikes of Francis Howell enter tomorrow's 8 p.m. kick-off in a very unfamiliar position: as underdogs.
But all things being equal, the Vikes could just as easily waltz away with the first GAC football victory ever and a direct line to the league title. All things being equal, that is.
For coach Frank Davis, his troubles lie with an injury list long enough to make the strongest coach cry. Besides returning letterman QB Steve Smith, the Vike sideline will be filled with civie-dressed John Smith (230 pounds), Rob Grace (175 pounds), Bill Winkle (broken hand) and running back Bruce Smith.
And that, my friend, is a nice chunk out of the Vikes' applauded defense.
Coach Frank Davis believes the success of Friday night's game will come from "the defensive unit. When you put a good offensive club against an equally find defensive unit, the offense usually wins. They (Wentzville) have an excellent offensive club, so we'll have to be that much better."
Davis, who's club blanked five opponents last year, is slightly worried about this year's squad. He says, "Pacific rushed for more yardage (217) against us than any team has in the past two years. They also ran 63 plays as opposed to our 40."
In comparing the two teams, Wentzville, on paper, definitely has the advantage. In the first three games, the Indians have amassed 78 points while allowing a slim six points against their unit. According to Cheeves, that lone score came against the offense.
The Indians also have the leading rusher in the area, Frank Alexander. The speedy junior back has gained 383 yards and scored five times. Rick Womack has added 18 points for Cheeves and gained 235 yards on 31 carries.
The best for Howell is workhorse Dale Stevener, 257 yards gained and two touchdowns. Dennis Auping leads the scoring with 24 tallies while Stevener has 19.
The only comparison in actual play comes when glancing at the results of the Priory games. Howell lost a tough 14-10 decision after fumbling on the three-yard line with less than 30 seconds remaining. On the other hand, Wentzville capitalized on three fumbles Saturday, winning 12-6.
Both coaches agreed Howell should have won its game while Wentzville, which dontrolled the entire fourth period, was the better team against the Rebels.
Coach Davis notes that "the team that controls the ball tomorrow will be the winner." And Cheeves agrees, but adds, "We controlled it against Priory and can can do it again against Howell."
Wentzville, though not suffering from injuries, is the recipient of bad news. This veing Homecoming week, coach Cheeves said, "Several fo the team have decided to take part in the celebration. I gave them a choice, the game or the activities. They chose not playing so you'll see several of the on the bench."
Although he wouldn't identify the individuals, he did say, "It'll be some awfully big names."
In its first year of competition, the GAC title may be on the line the very first night. Says Davis, "I'd just as soon play it now. It'll prove something to the team. One thing that I've noticed about us this week is that we're getting a lot of second effort from the backs. I don't forsee any radical changes in our offense, though. We'll play our ballgame."
the same goes for Cheeves. He says, "The boys that play should really be up for this one. We want the crown very badly.'
Although tomorrow's winner is definitely in the driver's seat toward the title, while the loser is likely to be counted out, it's still anyone's race.
Game time tomorrow in Wentzville is 8 p.m. Coach Cheeves warns those planning to attend, "There's no telling how big the crowd is going to be. I don't know where we'll put them. I'd say get here very, very early."
If there's one guarantee to tag with the game, then it would be that this game has the makings of being the hardest fought game of the last five years. And that's saying something considering the caliber of ball these teams play.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 1, 1971
St. Charles Daily Banner News, October 4, 1971
Vikings Rally to Win 1st GAC Battle, 27-22
By Darrell Shoults
"...and the beautiful queen sat upon her throne high above the battlefield and watch the marauding Vikings destroy her loyal legions."
Sounds like a fairy tail, doesn't it? Well, for the most, it's true.
The Vikings didn't come in long ships; they arrived in yellow buses labeled "Francis Howell School District."
The queen was not an Anglo-Saxon princess and didn't watch from the battlements of a Medieval fortress; she was Homecoming queen Nancy Bend and sat on the 50 yard line at Soby Field in Wentzville.
Her loyal forces weren't knights in shining armor; there were the Indians, Wentzville's prep football team.
And they weren't crushed by maces and crossbows; they were the victim of Howell's second-half heroics, as the Vikings rolled to a 27-22 victory.
The Viking victory puts them in the driver's seat at the Gateway Athletic Conference, as Wentzville, along with Howell, was considered to be top picks for the GAC title. As Howell center Lennie Wildschuetz put it, "Now we're gonna do it!'"
Howell lived up [to] it's reputation as a second half ball team, having left the field at halftime tied 7-7.
Howell's Denny Auping scored first, bulling across from the 11 yard line, climaxing a four-play drive that was made possible when Howell recovered a fumble on Wentzville's 24 yard line.
The Indians came back when Alexander Pranced to a 32 yard TD in the second quarter.
Wentzville jumped to a 14-7 lead early in the third quarter on a Don Medley-to-Jim King touchdown pass, but then the Vikings took over.
Actually, the Vikes were more of a fourth quarter team than anything else. In the final period, Howell scored three times; twice on runs by fullback Dale Stevener and once on a nifty reverse with Jim Spink going for the TD, to run up a 27-14 margin. Wentzville pulled within five when running back Frank Alexander scampered for his second TD of the evening and Medley hit Tight end Gus Elzie for the two-point conversion. The play came with only 26 seconds left in the game, which enabled Howell to hang on to his five point victory.
Why the second half heroics?
Howell coach Frank Davis explained that, "We were a little slow in recognizing what their defense was doing. When we talked to the boys at halftime, they told us what they were doing, and we made adjustments." One of these adjustments was sending back Jim Spink to the outside.
"We figured we could run to the outside, so we did," Davis said. "They were keying on Stevener, so we used Jim (Spink)."
One play that the Vikes used Spink on was a sharp reverse in the fourth period. Quarterback Terry Kasper took the snap, and handed off the back Denny Auping. Auping made like he was heading for the outside; Spink cut across from the opposite direction. Auping gave the ball to Spink and faked like he still had it. Spink ran around the startled Wentzville defense for a 21 yard touchdown. This play knotted the score at 14-14.
"The reverse is something we don't show too often," said Howell assistant coach George Hill. "It's one of our big plays. We like to surprise them with it."
Wentzville's big plays came in the person of Frank Alexander, with whom Hill was impressed. "You've almost got to give them two touchdowns when Alexander's in there."
"When he runs he's really great," added Davis. The facts bore him out.
Alexander carried for two of the the Indians touchdowns, scoring both times from a good distance out. His first carry tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter, when Alexander danced around the Howell defense to score from thirty-two yards out.
Late in the fourth quarter, Alexander scored on a draw play from 39 yards out. "That play fooled us," said Davis. "We weren't looking for a draw at all." Alexander's two TD dashes give him a season total of 7.
The game proceeded along the lines that Davis had predicted. Both teams stuck to a predominately ground game, with Wentzville going to the pass late in the game. Medley had tried to pass earlier, but was dumped three times by Howell's Tom Gallagher. The small 5'7" end sacked Medley three times in the first half, and Stevener added a fourth dumping in the third quarter.
"In the past weeks, our pass rush has really been pathetic," said Davis. "Our staff has been working the boys pretty hard on the rush, and now it looks like it's paid off."
Davis got into the act himself in the third quarter, when he was penalized for being outside the 30 yard marker (coaches must remain inside the thirty-yard lines). The 15 yard mark off put the ball on Howell's 13 yard line, and on the very next play, Medley hit King for a TD.
"I kind of got mixed up, and forgot just where I was," explained Davis. The coach said he thought offensive pass interference should have been called on the previous play, and was protesting to that effect. He was told by the ref to get back inside the 30, and then was penalized for not returning quick enough.
Though Davis was angry then, he was in good spirits after the game. He saw the victory as giving Howell a good shot at the GAC title. "It definitely gives us a good chance. We have to watch Fort Zumwalt. They're tough."
St. Charles Journal, October, 1971
Mistakes Costly in GAC Opener as Howell Upsets Indians, 27-22
By Mike Gothberg
Frank Davis and Jim Cheeves, opposing Friday night head coaches, had agreed on one thing prior to the action; defense was the name of the game.
Afterwards, as most of the overflow Wentzville Homecoming crowd had deserted the field and Francis Howell has sewed up a hard-fought 27-22 victory, Davis again pointed to the defense. "I had thought it would be a battle of the defenses and ball control. And, as it turned out, that's the way the game went."
But those few words hardly told the story as the Gateway Athletic Conference kicked off it's first pennant race. George A. Patton could have used the game in his slogans: "Blood and Guts."
Both were put to the test in the hard-fought, but relatively penalty-free, match. Jim Spink, Howell's dedicated running back, played the final 32 minutes of action with a badly bleeding right finger, two missing caps from his teeth and a gashed right elbow.
How did the injuries affect the senior? "I guess it wasn't my night," he said as the game ended. "but I got a score and we won, that's what counts."
For awhile in Wentzville, it appeared, however, neither team would score as the first period ended as it began, in a scoreless tie. As Davis said, ball control was the name of the game but it was Wentzville that was owner of the pigskin during the opening 12 minutes. The Indians reeled off 14 offensive plays as opposed to the Vikes' six possessions.
Mistakes, not part of the game plan as told by both coaches yet an always present threat, took their toll in the second period. And from the tension and electrifying action it came as little surprise, too.
Rob Schaffer scooped up a Wentzville fumble, one of five they were to drop during the night, giving FH first and ten on the Indian 25. Two plays later, Dennis Auping got his fifth TD of the year, a 12 yarder around left end. Dale Stevener added the conversion and Howell sat atop a 7-0 lead with 9:35 remaining in the half.
Mistake #2 gave the Indians their score six minutes later as Dave Crider (Wentzville) took a lateral from Terry Kasper (FH) to the Howell 36. Three plays later, speedster Frank Alexander swept downfield on a 36-yard scoring jaunt and suddenly, the game was back in a tie.
"The mistakes definitely hurt both teams," said Davis. "I'm sure the coaches in the stands saw nothing to impress them."
After the two clubs traded fumbles, midway through the third stanza, Alexander took a 14-yard pass from Joe Medly in for six points and a lead. The score: a result of a fumble; mistake #3.
Early in the 4th period, Spink (Mr. Injury) made up for some of the wounds inflicted as he took a hand-off on a reverse and scooted 20 yards to knot the game back at 14 all. A pass from Kasper to Stevener, good for 24 yards, set up the score.
Less than two minutes later, Howell jumped on another loose ball (fumble: mistake #4) and, true to the game's flow, Stevener capitalized on the error two plays later. The overpowering senior fullback carried over from the seven to give the Vikes their lead. He added the conversion as FH went on top, 21-14.
Six minutes later Howell's Ricky [Rich] Lee speared a Wentzville pass (mistake #5) and again, it was Stevener who scored, this time on a 10-yard run.
Wentzville, hoping to offset the upset and save the Homecoming game, fired one final time, with 36 seconds showing, as Alexander scampered in from the 39 yard line. A pass to Gus Elzie closed the gap to 27-22. but that's where it stabilized as Howell hung on to the onside kick and the win.
Alexander, the leading rusher in the county, maintained his mark with three TD's (county high of 8) and 105 yards. Spink picked up 38 for the Vikes while Stevener rushed for 59 yards and two TD's.
St. Charles Daily Banner News, October 7, 1971
Howell Hopes for Celebration
By Darrell Shoults
Break out the party hats and noisemakers, they're having an anniversary. The Francis Howell football team is four years old.
Though that statement may not be chronologically correct, it was four years ago that Francis Howell inaugurated it's varsity football program. They opened their gridiron competition against Eureka High School and Eureka is returning to Howell Friday night to meet the Vikings.
"We're really looking forward to this game," said Viking coach Frank Davis. "You could say it's kind of an anniversary. Most of the seniors on our team remember that game, I'm sure."
Davis remembers it too. "Our boys were scared stiff. Eureka beat us, I remember."
Since then, times have changed. Howell is riding on a 3-1 season, while Eureka is floundering at 0-3. However, Davis warned that Eureka's record could be misleading.
"They've always been a respectable football team. I know we respect them," said Davis. "They've played some tough teams, like Lafayette, Lutheran South and Union." Davis expects a close, tightly contested game.
Davis expects to be looking at a combination of running and passing Friday night."I think they'll run the ball at us," he said, "but I also think they'll throw the ball some too. I think they'll look at what Priory did to us and use the pass."
The Vikings, according to Davis, are ready to stop a passing attach, using a number of different defenses. "We use a little zone coverage, a little man-to-man: in fact, a little of a lot of things," Davis explained.
"From the line of scrimmage, all our defenses look the same. When the ball is snapped, then we go into a certain defenses. But we like to disguise them at the line."
From an offensive point-of-view, Davis said the Vikings will throw the ball more than they have been doing. "We've got to balance out our offense a little. The other teams have been keying on our running game too much."
Davis says he'll have two quarterbacks to provide this passing attack. Senior Steve Smith, out since the opening game with a leg injury, will be able to play Friday on an alternate basis. The other passer is Junior Terry Kasper, in whom Davis expressed confidence. "Terry's got a good arm, not as good as Steve's, but he can throw the ball."
For this passing attack to be successful, Kasper and smith will have to beat Eureka's three-deep zone pass defense. A three-deep zone is a situation in which the defensive unit sends three men deep, dividing the field into thirds (sideline to hash mark, hashmark to hashmark and hashmark to sideline). This type of defense is especially good against the long pass. Pro football fans will recognize the defense as being more or less the same as that used by the Cleveland Browns (but not nearly so sophisticated).
On top of everything else, this weekend is homecoming for the Vikings. A whole line of pretty pom pom girls are ready to provide a diversion for the fans, and there will of course be the Homecoming queen and her court, but to Davis, the only thing of real consequence is the game.
"We enjoy our homecomings," he said. "Last year our Homecoming was against Marquette, and our boys played a whale of a game. We won 17-0. Homecoming is fun, but we've got to think of the game first. That is what it all revolves around, really."
Kick-off time is 8:00 p.m. The game will be played at C&H park, which is locate on Central School Road off Highway 94.
St. Charles Daily Banner News, October, 1971
Howell Vikings Steamroll Powerless Eureka 21-0
By Darrell Shoults
Did you ever watch a steamroller at work? It moves along, rolling over anything and everything in it's path. All you hear is a steady chug, chug, chug.
And if you watch that steamroller, and listened, you'll hear a crunch as it demolishes the things it rolls over.
Such was the case Friday when the Francis Howell Vikings put the chug of a steamroller offense and the crunch of a punishing defense together to defeat the Eureka Wildcats, 21-0.
Fueled by homecoming spirit and the old fashioned will to win, the Vikes dominated the game from their first series of downs. the steamroller driver, junior quarterback Terry Kasper, shifted into three forward gears - otherwise known as running backs Dale Stevener, Denny Auping, and Jim Spink - as he stayed with a predominantly ground game to post Howell's fourth victory and third in a row.
Howell's fans heard the chug, chug early in the first quarter, as Howell used a mere five plays and a face mask penalty by Eureka to push across their first touchdown, a 26 yard romp by first gear, Denny Auping. Chug Chug. Stevener's extra point attempt was good, and chug, chug. It's 7-0.
However, football is not exactly like construction work. You have to give up the ball each time you score, so a good defense is a prerequisite. It's then when the crunch comes through - the crunch of a defensive player meeting a running back and demolishing him.
The running back who was most often on the receiving end of this crunch was Eureka's Rich Frazee. Frazee repeatedly attempted to run around end, and was repeatedly dumped by one or more Howell defenders. Crunch!
The most resounding crunch was heard late in the fourth quarter, when the Wildcats had a third and eight from their own 40. Frazee took the handoff and was immediately knocked for a loop by Howell's Kevin Oberdick. The stunning tackle brought joy to the Howell bench and Coach Frank Davis rejoiced: "No. 23, Meet Kevin Oberdick!"
Oberdick provided a crunch of a slightly different nature when he intercepted a Jerry Halderich pass to set up Howell's third TD in the fourth quarter. The spunky defensive back snatched the pass and returned to Eureka's 46, and the steamroller chugged onto the field once more.
On the first play following, Kasper did something a bit unusual and perhaps a bit unexpected. The Howell quarterback sent Dale Stevener down the right sideline and hit him with a bullet pass that the big running back took, rolled down the sideline, faked Eureka's Randy McMahon, and strolled into the end zone. The following extra point made it 21-0 and insured a Howell victory. The TD pass was Kasper's first of the season.
The steamroller tried one more time in the closing moments of the game. Unable to move, the Wildcats punted from their 40. Spunky Jim Clark returned the punt Mel Gray style, picking up the key blocks, and was ready to rim off a touchdown dash, but was finally pushed out of bounds by the crunched runner Frazee, the last man between Clark and the end zone.
St. Charles Journal, October 14, 1971
Offense Battles Defense in GAC Tilt
Grid Topics Answered as Favorites Collide
By Mike Gothberg
Anyone who knows the game of football - or claims to know it - will tell you the defense overrules the offense. It goes without saying. Like "A winner never quits and a quitter never wins." or "It takes a man to give 100 percent."
Those are old football clichés dating back maybe to Knute Rockne and the Notre Dame "Flying Horsemen."
Coach Frank Davis, head football coach at Francis Howell, agrees with those clichés, adding of tomorrow's GAC Battle with Duchesne, "It looks as if it will be the test of a good defensive unit against a strong running and passing attack."
What head coach Frank Barrow wants to know, though, is "Who's defense, against what offense?"
Although the Vikings blanked Eureka in their Homecoming celebration last Friday night, Duchesne's spirited Pioneers were handing St. Francis Borgia, 25-22. It was Borgia's first loss of the season.
"We definitely played our best game of the year," admitted seventh year coach Barrow. "but we've been coming right along. We opened with our toughest games and our schedule hasn't been an easy one. But we hope that all will pay off."
The Vikings haven't had a snap of things, either. After opening with a ho-hum win over a ho-hum Owensville team, the Vikes lost to priory, 14-10. They then came back to stop Wentzville on the road and Pacific at home.
"It's a little discouraging when we stop and review that Priory game," says Davis. "We easily could be 4-0 right now." In that game, the Vikes fumbled away a win as Priory recovered on it's own three-yard line with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game.
For both teams, the past is only for memories for tomorrow's game is for all the marbles. Duchesne will be opening its GAC competition after posting a 2-2-1 outside ledger. Howell currently leads the loop, winners of their only decision.
"This is the game we've been lookin to," said Davis. "We've keyed for this game all year."
And coach Barrow agrees, saying it will definitely be one of the biggest games of the year. "They have a fine team and we feel we can play ball with them."
Just how important is tomorrow's game? Well, for Davis he eyes the GAC race this way, "If we win, it will eliminate two teams and the title will be decided in our final game with Fort Zumwalt."
Wentzville is 1-1 in league play and could, at best, finish with a 2-1 mark. Fort Zumwalt, with two to play, is 0-1 while Duchesne is 0-0.
By comparison, Howell is by far, the better offensive club, outscoring Duchesne, 128-78. On defense, last year's best area unit, the Vikes are continuing to be stingy with points, allowing just 44 in five games. The pioneers, having been blasted by Rosary, 47-0 have come back to give up just 56 in four games.
But the Pioneers have played the tougher schedule. Besides Rosary, Duchesne has met Lafayette and Lutheran North, Tieing one of two games. Duchesne enters the game on the heels of a two game winning streak while Howell comes into the match with a three-game skein on the line.
Four key players will be returning to Howell uniform tomorrow after sitting out most of the season. The highest hope Howell will have is based on senior QB Steve Smith who has played just three quarters this season. In the season opener before being injured, Smith completed six passes, good for two scores, intercepted two passes on defense, one for another score and balanced the Vikes' play.
Praised coach Davis, "He's definitely a team leader. The kids are glad to see him back. We were tempted to use him last week but felt it best to wait."
What Smith's appearance means, besides his own play, will be to allow Terry Kasper to return to his defensive backfield position.
Others returning will be Rob Grace, Bruce Smith and 245 pound "Big John" Smith. Says Davis, "We have often said, (Rick) Miget and Grace are the two best linebackers in the area. We can also put (Kevin Oberdick) OB back in his nose guard position, getting the most out of our defensive unit."
Duchesne's offensive unit has been sparkling lately, led by the running of junior John Prinster and passing of senior QB Steve McClintock. In the SFB hookup, Prinster went for a school record of 235 yards.
McClintock, on the other hand, has become one of the best QB's in the area, leading the county in yards passing as well as completions.
Coach Davis says of Prinster, "He's a pretty fair back. But according to our scouting report, he gained most of his yards on Borgia's 6-3 defense. He would hit the left side of his line. That, we feel, is our strongest point."
So, whether the adage is true or false, those who know the game will find out tomorrow. Only one thing appears sure at this point, though, tomorrow's 8 p.m. game will feature one exciting football game.
St. Charles Daily Banner News, October 14, 1971
GAC Contenders Ready to Battle
By Darrell Shoults
By far the most important game this weekend will be the Duchesne/Francis Howell contest Friday night. A winning, strong Francis Howell will be going against a much-improved Duchesne team in a game which will figure largely in deciding the outcome of league play in the Gateway Conference.
Friday night's game will be the league opener for Duchesne and they will be definitely be ready for it, according to Pioneer head coach Frank Barrow.
And the Vikings' Frank Davis knows it, too.
"They did a lot more against Borgia than we expected them to," he said. "We'll probably throw more," he said, "and we'll have Steve Smith back as quarterback."
In the last two games, Howell has been going with Terry Kasper at the hot spot.
"We've been hurt both ways," coach Davis said, noting that the Vikings had to pull Kasper off the defensive line [backfield] when Smith was injured.
You would have hardly noticed if Francis Howell was damaged by the move, though.
The Vikings ripped up a hard Eureka team last weekend 21-0.
Duchesne's Pioneers haven't been just lounging around either. They put down St. Francis Borgia, 25-22, in their last game, a contest which was important for the Pioneers in setting up for league play.
"We'll be going with a balanced attack," Barrow said.
"We've been working on our passing attack," he added, indicating he was not pleased with the way the Pioneers have been throwing the football this season.
Barrow's team gained less than 10 yards in the air against Borgia, against nearly 300 yards running.
It figures to be a tight game.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 14, 1971
St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 16, 1971
St. Charles Daily Banner News, October 18, 1971
GAC Leader Howell blasts Duchesne, 27-14
By Bill Morris
Francis Howell's Vikings have been likened to a steamroller in past games this season. Friday night, the team looked more like a Panzer Division.
The Vikings blasted Duchesne, 27-14. for their fourth victory in a row at C-H field Friday night. Francis Howell is now 2-0 in Gateway Athletic Conference play.
The game began with a different complexion than the final score shows, however.
Duchesne stopped the Vikings first series of plays and moved to midfield before handing over possession. Then Pioneers Leo Cullinan and Tom Hallemier paired up to stop another Viking offensive.
On their next series of plays, the Pioneers rolled back the Vikings defense with a good drive that saw John Prinster break loose for a fine run, setting up a touchdown by Doug Shumacker. The two point conversion was good, and suddenly the underdog Pioneers led 8-0. that was the way it was well into the second quarter.
Once more the Pioneer defense made the Vikings turn over the ball , and once more a fired-up Duchesne began marching downfield. Mike Schaefer, Tom Hallemier and John Prinster all combined to carry the Pioneers to Francis Howells 30 when a young man named Jim Clark took it upon himself to turn the ball game around.
He intercepted a Pioneer pass at about the 20 and took it all the way back for a touchdown. "That run hurt," Duchesne coach Frank Barro said later.
Indeed Duchesne never played really good football the rest of the evening. "We never really got anything going again until late in the fourth quarter," he added. The extra point kick was good and like that it was 8-7 Pioneers.
Instantly, the Viking defense toughened up. ON the next series, Kevin Oberdick, Tom Gallagher and Ray Hollenbeck stopped Duchesne, despite another fine second-and-third effort run by Pioneer Prinster.
At that point, Francis Howell took over and began to leave tank treads over Duchesne. Vikings Dale Stevener and Dennis Auping got three first downs between them and Stevener took it for the score with three minutes left in the half. The point conversion failed and it was 13-8 Francis Howell, at the half.
"We were worried about the third quarter," Viking coach Frank Davis said after the game. "We seem to always get beaten in the third, even when we win the game." No problem Friday night.
The Viking defense again halted Duchesne and on the next series of plays, Stevener again carried it over for a TD on a lovely 25 yard run, that never should have gotten off the ground. "We missed tackles all night," coach Barrow said. Under extreme pressure from the Duchesne line, quarterback Terry Kasper threw out to Stevener as a swarm of defenders closed in. Wherever the Pioneer covering was, it wasn't covering Stevener. And the score was 20-8, just like that.
Duchesne forgot about their passing game and went to John Prinster, who made good gains and two first downs, but was also shadowed by Rob Grace and Rick Miget. Lennis Wildshuetz dumped Prinster for a loss on fourth down, however, and the Duchesne drive died.
Duchesne began to come out of its shock in the fourth quarter, but it was painfully slow. Leo Cullinan and Doug Schumaker contributed good tackles for Duchesne, but Dennis Auping hammered the final nails into the Pioneers coffin when he went 82 yards for a touchdown after taking a short pass. The kick was good and it was 27-8.
Duchesne finally got together a drive in the closing minutes of the ball game and John Prinster carried for the final tally, making it 27-14 with two minutes to play.
"We moved the ball pretty well," coach Davis said after the game. "It was definitely a big game for us."
However Francis Howell lost the use of quarterback Steve Smith, possibly for the rest of the season in the game. "It hurts our pass offense with Steve gone," Davis said.
St. Charles Journal, October 18, 1971
Stevener Tallies 15 Points
Vikings throttle Pioneers, 27-14
By Mike Gothberg
Terry Kasper, Francis Howell's handyman quarterback stood in the middle of the C & H football field last Friday night and spoke the Vikings thoughts. He said, "I hope this shows some people we can beat the bigger schools."
And that the Vikes had only minutes earlier as Duchesne came calling for the first time. In the premiere collision, Francis Howell coasted to an impressive 27-14 decision.
Dale Stevener, another of Howell's journeymen, bulled his way for two touchdowns, added three conversions and the valiant Howell Defense shutout the Pioneers in the middle two periods for the win.
Said Kasper, who again had to come on in relief of the injured QB Steve Smith, "I'll tell you, earlier in the year when I had to go at QB, I wasn't too happy about it. But after tonight, will I enjoy it."
And rightly so. Kasper came on with the Vikes trailing 8-0 and fired an 82 yard touchdown bomb as he led his teammates to a fifth season win. The victory also assured Francis Howell a first Gateway Athletic Conference football title. It was Duchesne's first league appearance.
"It sure is easy to direct a team when you've got the runners we've got in our backfield," said Kasper. "A lot of people didn't think we could beat the larger schools. I guess we proved something here tonight. But you can't take anything away from them (Duchesne) for they were really hitting out there."
In the pressure packed first head-to-head meeting of these two schools, it was the Pioneers that got on the scoreboard first. A 19 yard pass from Steve McClintock to Doug Smucker gave coach Frank Barrow's crew its first period lead.
Duchesne had gotten possession on the Howell 25-yard line after senior Vike QB Steve Smith was thrown for a major loss, a play that sent the veteran signal-caller to the sidelines with a broken collarbone. Smith was making his first appearance in a Vike uniform since being injured in the team's season-opening win over Owensville.
Jimmy Clark, a 5'9" scamperback, intercepted a McClintock pass early in the second period and ran it back 70 yards for the Vikes' initial TD. Clark's interception sparked the then listless Vikings who tacked on 27 straight points before Duchesne could score. "Jimmy was beaten on a play earlier," noted winning coach Frank Davis. "His interception, with a fine broken-field runback, really helped us along."
Stevener bulled his way across the goal line late in the second period, culminating a nine-play, 67-yard march. Stevener missed his PAT kick and Howell went into the intermission atop a slim 13-8 margin.
"I told the boys at halftime that in every game we've played this year, we've been beaten in the third period," said coach Davis. "I don't know what it is, we're considered a second half ball club, but we have a let down every time."
Well, almost. During the third period, Howell's relentless defense allowed the Pioneers just 47 yards while Kasper went to work on Duchesne's defensive line. After the blue and white was forced to cough up the ball on downs, Jimmy Spink picked up six yards and Kasper rolled for 14. Stevener then got his number and the 195 pound senior crashed in from 23 yards out to give the Vikes a two-TD margin. This time, Stevener booted the PAT perfectly, Howell going on top 20-8.
Displaying that second half effort, FH ripped the Pioneers for 104 fourth period yards. Dennis Auping, taking a Kasper Flat pass for 82 yards, scored the final FH touchdown before the overflow crowd.
Duchesne managed a final score late in the game as John Prinster crossed over from the one-yard line but it was too late for a Duchesne rally.
"This was a mighty big game," said Davis. "Duchesne looked like a tired bunch of folks out there but it was surprising how they stayed in there. I thought they looked better in the second half."
The leading ground gainer in the game again was junior running back John Prinster of Duchesne. A 235 yard gainer last week, Prinster totaled 123 on 27 carries Friday. Converted back Tom Hallemeier scampered for 69 yards, all coming in the first half while sophomore Bob Roth picked up six yards for the Pioneers.
Stevener paced the Vikes attack with 96 yards while Auping had 72 and Spink 29 yards rushing.
The victory pushed the Vikings to 2-0 in league play with one came remaining; in two weeks with Fort Zumwalt. Zumwalt is 0-1 in league play while Wentzville is 1-1 and Duchesne is 0-1,
"I hate to say it about Zumwalt," said Davis, "since coach Bob Fisher is my friend, but I hope they get knocked off before we meet them. If they do, then the title's ours."
That ballgame is set for November 5. That's two weeks away and for right now, well Terry Kasper summed it up, "Man, it's a great feeling."
St. Charles Daily Banner News, October 20, 1971
No. 1 Howell Seeks Top Game
By Bill Morris
It's a little past the mid-season in football right now, with four weekends left to play.
And, as the Gateway Conference now stands the Francis Howell Vikings can do no worse than tie for the Championship.
Even so, head coach frank Davis is not all that pleased with the way his team has played.
"We're not playing as well as we could," he said. "Maybe I'm overestimating these boys, but I don't think we've had our one good game yet."
Last year and again at the beginning of this season, Davis said he would be happy if his team was around the .500 mark. Thus far, the Vikings are 5-1. "Offensively, we've done better," Davis said. "We've scored more points so far than last season's total. On the other hand our defense has allowed more points than last year."
"We've been lucky," Davis said about the season. "The other teams have been making mistakes," he added, again noting his Vikings have not been playing as well as he would like, even though they are winning.
And that raises an interesting point. Davis, like all coaches, likes to win, but he realizes there is something more important to be gained from it.
"I like to think these boys will carry what they learn in football into whatever endeavors they take up later in life," he said. "To help make them into the kind of men they should be."
"This is my coaching philosophy, if any," he said. "It's hard to tell this to the fans sometimes though." Davis said, "particularly when you're losing."
Davis said fans are sometimes peculiar in that aspect as well. "If you only play 22 kids all the time," he said, "they wan to know 'why isn't my son playing?' But when you use all of them, and maybe get hurt because of it, they want to know why you didn't use (one of the better players.)"
One thing that does rankle Davis is the attention payed to what he termed the "two per cent (of athletes) who go astray" by the press and the public.
"Like anything else, priests or doctors or whatever, you have a certain minor segment who go bad," Davis said. This "two per cent or so" Davis said, "seem to get an inordinate amount of publicity to the detriment of the rest
With three games remaining on the Vikings' schedule, one a conference game, it is doubtful the Vikings will change anything in a winning method. It seems probable Francis Howell will keep on winning, and learning the things that count.
St. Charles Daily Banner News, October 20, 1971
St. Charles Journal, October 21, 1971
St. Charles Daily Banner News, October 25, 1971
Warrenton defeated, 32-0
Kasper passes Howell to victory
By Darrell Shoults
When this writer first became concerned with the Francis Howell football team back in early September, everyone told me to keep an eye on senior quarterback Steve Smith.
He's a great passer, they said. "He can really throw the ball."
They were right. In Howell's first game of the year, Smith literally picked the Owensville secondary apart. Then, while playing on defense, Smith suffered a torn tendon. Enter junior Terry Kasper.
So I asked, how good is Kasper? Can he throw like Smith? The answers were, yeah, he can throw, but not like Steve. His arm isn't as strong. Etc., etc.
Until last Friday, I believed them. Kasper's a good quarterback, I thought, but not really a great passer. Guess what? I was wrong. Kasper showed me, the fans, and most of all the opposition Warrenton's Indians, that he is a fine pigskin slinger.
Kasper made believers out of all of us by hitting 5 of 6 attempted passes in leading the Vikings to a 32-0 rout of the visiting Indians. It was really the first time that Kasper had used the pass as a viable weapon. For the first time since Smith was injured, the Vikes had a two-attack offense.
Kasper threw two touchdown passes, raising his season total to three (an indication of how infrequently he had used the pass). In explaining why his team had gone to the pass, Viking coach Frank Davis said he thought the Indians had a very poor pass defense. He felt that since their linebackers had to cover the flat, they would be susceptible to the play action pass, such as was completed to Denny Auping for one Howell touchdown.
Davis had nothing but praise for Kasper ("He really got us some yardage") and for running back Dale (The Bull) Stevener. The big running back wreaked havoc among the Indian tacklers as he racked up 118 yards on 11 carries. Stevener scampered to two third period touchdowns, one being a spectacular 30 yard jaunt.
He wasn't quite as successful in his place-kicking, however. Stevener hit on only 2 of 4 PAT attempts. His first try, after an eight yard TD run by Auping, bounced off the uprights. Another sailed wide.
The Vikings scored in every quarter but the fourth, racking up a 12-0 lead before the first period was up. Auping scored first, flashing touchdown pass, hitting Jim Spink with a seven yard toss. Auping's two-point conversion attempt failed.
Faced with a fourth and four late in the second period, Kasper demonstrated his ability as a passer by hitting Jim Spink for the first down. On the very next play, he found Auping all alone and zipped a bullet to him that went for a 29 yard touchdown.
"We sent Denny (Auping) out the play before, and nobody was next to him," explained Davis. I figured someone on Warrenton would see him, but they didn't. So we came back and sent Denny out again." This time, Kasper hit him for the score.
Following Auping's TD reception came Stevener's two runs, and the Vikes found themselves with so comfortable a lead that Davis was able to send in his B-unit, the only time they've seen varsity action all year. With Jim Clark at quarterback, the second stringers put together one good drive in the waning moments of the game, but the clock ran out on them before they were able to score. This disappointed Davis (not to mention Clark and the rest of the B-unit!).
"I was really hoping they'd score," said the Viking coach. "The most points we've scored is 33 (against Owensville), and I was hoping they'd top that. But it was good that they were able to get to play."
With ony two games remaining, Howell is riding high on a 6-1 record, the best in St. Charles County. And in the Gateway Athletic Conference, the Vikes are in a commanding position and have to be an odds-on favorite to win. Each of the other teams-Wentzville, Duchesne, Fort Zumwalt- have one conference loss while Howell is undefeated in two games. They've beaten Wentzville and Duchesne and will meet Fort Zumwalt in two weeks in their season finale.
Again, Francis Howell failed to generate anything when they had the football and things looked exceedingly grim when they Crusaders sprang Gary Mantel for a 68 yard touchdown run, making it 12-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Vikings came out of their lethargy about midway in the second half and slammed the gate on the Crusaders.
Howell allowed just 26 points in 1970 but have given 70 tallies through eight games to date.
Fort Zumwalt, though, isn't talking about pride. It is much the same story for coach Bob Fisher's Panthers Friday night.
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