National Signing Day: Ezekiel Elliott Signs Letter Of Intent With Ohio State Buckeyes

February 6 is the first day high school seniors can confirm their college choices. The University of Missouri, Ohio State and Oklahoma State are among the NCAA schools looking to St. Louis for recruits.

College coaches are getting their money's worth out of fax machines today. This is the first day high school seniors playing Football, Baseball Field Hockey, Soccer, Track and Field, Cross Country, Men's Water Polo can submit a signed letter of intent to play at the college level. Ezekiel Elliott, the John Burroughs running back who gave a verbal pledge to the Ohio State Buckeyes last spring, confirmed that decision late Wednesday afternoon in an announcement that was also carried on live local television. Ladue-Frontenac Patch was there for what was an emotional decision for the entire Elliott family Patch editors have been at schools throughout the St. Louis area as athletes celebrated the next step in their careers: We'll update this …

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The Baer Facts

The Passing of a Local Sports Icon Tommy James

He was a fixture at all local sports events, especially those at MICDS.

I lost a near and dear friend this week.  Thomas James Franklin James IV (we called him Tommy) passed away suddenly at age 43. He was found dead in his apartment. Tommy was a press box fixture around St. Louis and especially at Mary Institute Country Day, his alma mater. Tommy’s devotion to all things Rams was unparalleled. If the Rams were competing in anything, Tommy was there. He was the team statistician, historian, cheerleader and friend to everyone. He was the major domo of the press box. Just this spring, I was over at the Rams track covering a day-long district track meet. Tommy was official stats keeper for that meet. He was caught in the broiling early spring time heat, and forgot to wear a ball cap. He was so red and roasted, …

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Berry Chooses Butler

De Smet junior standout gives verbal pledge to the school which has played in the last two NCAA Basketball Championship games.

Nolan Berry won't graduate from De Smet until the spring of 2013, but the Spartan standout forward knows where he wants to be in the fall of the same year. De Smet varsity basketball coach Kevin Poelker confirmed Berry has made a verbal pledge to play at Butler University. The move was first reported by HighSchoolSports.net. Poelker said Berry made the decision in person Sunday during a trip to the Indianapolis campus after he also made a visit to Boston College. Patch previously reported Berry also had scholarship offers from the University of Missouri and Purdue, among others, and that he made unofficial visits to Stanford, Santa Clara and Notre Dame. The verbal pledge is non-binding until Berry signs an official letter intent. He could …

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Gregg Palermo

6:10 pm on Monday, September 26, 2011

We talked with Berry this afternoon. He told Patch that the visit to meet Butler's players was a big factor in his being able to make a decision now, even saying that a month ago he couldn't have seen himself making a decision. He also said "I don't see him leaving," of Butler head coach Brad Stevens. Stevens has become a hot commodity in the coaching business off of the team's run in the NCAA …   more ›

What People are Saying

What People Are Saying

University of Missouri's new basketball coach bringing some baggage.

When University of Missouri Athletic Director Mike Alden hired Frank Haith, basketball coach at the University of Miami, a great hue and cry arose from many Mizzou fans. Most were hoping for a name hire, one who could lead the Tigers to the Final Four. The dust settled after Alden described Haith as a man having “integrity” and “graduating seniors.” Now comes a story that Haith might have connections to a University of Miami booster, Nevin Shapiro, who gave one of Haith's players $10,000 to attend the school.  The buzz spreads far and wide. www.Thequad.blgs.nytimes.com reports that the scandal could have collateral damage at Mizzou unless the investigation can put him in the clear. Gary Parrish at www.cbssports.com said that since Haith …

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