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Sports

Bombers Bury Imagine, 45-12, in Class 3 District 3 Play

Burroughs' Victory Sets Up Battle With Priory For District Crown.

The stage is set.

John Burroughs faces host Priory to determine the Class 3 District 3 football championship at 1 p.m. on Oct. 29. The two Metro League squads are assured of advancing to the state playoffs. Both schools enter with 2-0 district records after the host Bombers bombed Imagine College Prep, 45-12, while host Priory punished Confluence Prep Academy, 53-20, on Saturday.

John Burroughs, which has earned its second playoff berth in Class 3 in school history, enters the game with an 8-1 record while Priory is 6-3. The team that wins the district championship will play the District 4 runner-up at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2, with the site to be determined. The District 3 runner-up plays the District 4 winner at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2, with the site to be determined.

John Burroughs Coach Gus Frerotte said his players are ready for the challenge. John Burroughs finished second in the 2010 Class 3 state final. A key victory during last season's 13-1 run was defeating Priory, 28-12 in the final regular-season game. A ball-control style will be key for the winner this season, Frerotte said.

An ironic twist is Todd Small, who was John Burroughs head football coach last season, retired and took a part-job at Priory, where he coaches the wide receivers. "It's a big step for our school," Frerotte said. "We play up without a lot of kids. We have our share of good athletes. They come to play hard. They come to play every Saturday. I'd like to say Friday night, but it's Saturday. We do enough to give people fits. We have good players all around. We have to keep playing like we have been.

"I know Priory is going to give us a heckuva game. It's a great rivalry. It's a great challenge for us. And we have to go in and play good fundamental football."

John Burroughs senior quarterback Davey Holmes will have to be a factor. Versus Imagine, he completed six of 13 passes for 86 yards, with three to senior wide receiver Nathan Adams for 58 yards, including a two-point conversion. Junior wide receiver Peter Schnuck, on a flea flicker, and junior wide receiver Andrew Bartnett collaborated for a 31-yard touchdown.

Sophomore wide receiver Jake Wood scored on a four-yard plunge. Overall, the Bombers totaled 323 yards (189 rushing, 134 passing). Junior placekicker Rushil Sheth converted a 38-yard field goal and four of five extra points.

Defensively, Wood, Schnuck, both defensive backs, sophomore linebacker Trevor Bain, junior linebacker William Ruwitch and freshman defensive back Nathan Van Slyke recorded interceptions against Imagine, with the ones from Wood, Schnuck and Bain set up touchdowns.

But John Burroughs junior runningback Ezekiel Elliott will be Priory's primary concern. Elliott enters with 1,080 yards on 107 rushes and 25 touchdowns (21 on the ground). While playing just the first half against Imagine - a half in which the Bombers outscored the Bears, 45-6 - Elliott gained 100 yards on nine attempts and scored four touchdowns of one, nine, 21 and 37 yards behind the blocking of junior center Griff Palan, senior left guard Bear Kaminer, junior left tackle Jimmy Fort, junior right guard Solo Ceesay and junior right tackle  Christopher Hanrahan.

"I wanted to get it last week," Elliott said of reaching the 1,000-yard plateau. "It was exciting to get there. I think the (offensive) line for this."

Frerotte said Elliott's success often came while playing half of the games like against Imagine. "To be able to do that while playing half the day a lot of the time is incredible," Frerotte said.

Elliott, for one, is motivated this season to return to the Edward Jones Dome. In the fifth game of the season, he suffered a shoulder injury and didn't return until the state semifinals, where he saw limited action in that game and the state championship loss. "It was hard to watch from the sidelines," Elliott said. "This year I wanted to come back and help the team. I was really upset when I got hurt last year."

Bear Kaminer, John Burroughs' starting left offensive guard, starting linebacker on defense and a special teams player, refers to the team's theme of 'What Does It Take' as a way to motivate the 2011 squad. "We talked about what does it take to be No. 1," Kaminer said. "All season long, we emphasized this is a new team, a new season. We didn't want to say this is a continuation from last year. This is a new team. I definitely think we have a great shot (to return to the Edward Jones Dome). But we have a tough four weeks ahead of us."


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