MICDS Puts 14-0 Record on the Line in Show Me Title Game Friday

Farmington...Teen age athletes love to write messages on their car windows in soap. The one on an MICDS car sprinting back to St. Louis from Farmington late in the fading afternoon Saturday sun said it all: “Finish.”

The 2010 Rams hardly finished what they set out to do a year ago, slinking off with a 5-5 record. One year later, this rambunctious bunch of Rams are nine wins better off, taking a perfect 14-0 record in the Class 4 championship game with mighty Webb City. The Rams beat up on Farmington in the semifinal showdown, 48-14. They had enough of a lead to force a running clock in portions of the third and fourth quarter.

A howling, 30 mile per hour wind forced Farmington into all kinds of uncomfortable situations.

This bunch of MICDS seniors dedicated themselves to doing much better this year. “You have no idea how hard we worked in the off season,” said center-linebacker Chris Hiemenz, moments before victory was officially declared.

This game might go down in the books as one of the best coaching clinics in modern prep times. Josh Smith mixed plays with the hand of Houdini the magician.  He used the old hook and ladder; he turned the Wildcat into a sneak; and called for a classy running back pass option and did just about everything but lead the band at halftime.

Only referee’s flags kept the flogging of the home black clad Knights from becoming a worse than it was.

MICDS quarterback Thomas Militello brought a Tom Brady NFL style performance to the turf field in Farmington, before a highly partisan home crowd.

Militello, who will ply his signal calling skills at an Ivy League school next year was a perfect 15 of 15 passing for 189 yards and two touchdowns (No’s 38 and 39 for the year). He spotted Foster Bundy for a 59 yarder with the wind at his back and found freshman Cole Sigmund for a 7 yarder.

It was a big day for runningback-linebacker Michael Scherer. He scored on a one-yard sneak out of the Wildcat and threw an option TD to Jack Howell for another in the third quarter. That sneak play, starting with a toss from Militello pretty much broke Farmington’s back with a 28-0 lead. Little was left in the tank for the Knights after that.

So when did Scherer decide he would play with reckless abandon, the themed chant for MICDS after each score? “I always think I play that way. Sometimes it just works out better than others,” he said.

Defensively, the Rams were demons. Todd Hearnes sacked Farmington QB Chase Busenbark three times; he was decked five times in the game. Peter Schlafly turned in another strong defensive effort, applying pressure on the quarterbacks and anyone who dared run the ball.

The Rams, make their first title game appearance since 2007 face the state’s top team, Webb City (14-0) Friday at 4:15 p.m.

Smith continues to quiz his team of their level of satisfaction after each big win and gets the same resounding "no sir."  A win over Webb City might change that outcome.

Altogether, the Rams ran off 50 plays for 397 yards. Jack Howell caught 9 balls for 29 yards. Foster Bundy caught 3 passes for 72 yards.

Hear comments from Denzell Conway, Michael Scherer and Josh Smith in wind abated interviews right after the game ended.