HANNIBAL AT FORT ZUMWALT EAST
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Fort Zumwalt East High School, St. Peter's, Mo.
Records: Hannibal -- 8-2. Fort Zumwalt East -- 8-2.
Coaches: Hannibal -- Mark St. Clair (104-38 at Hannibal, 13th season). Fort Zumwalt East -- Scott Eacret (9-11 at Fort Zumwalt East, second season; 11-29 overall, fourth season).
Last meeting: First meeting.
As the fans see it: According to those registered for the "Are You Smarter Than The Sports Guys?" contest at www.whig.com/smarter, 64 percent favor Hannibal.
Another Fort Zumwalt school: Fort Zumwalt East is in only its second season of varsity football. The school opened with more than 600 freshmen and sophomores in August of 2007. The Lions were 1-9 last season and rose all the way to second in the Gateway Athletic Conference's North Division with a 6-1 league record this season. This is the school's first playoff appearance.
"There's a sense of excitement that hasn't been felt in these young halls and we're excited to be a part of it," Eacret told the Suburban Journal newspaper.
Scouting FZE: The Lions will go as quarterback Marvin Byrd III goes. Byrd has started all 20 of Fort Zumwalt East's games. This season, he's scored 21 touchdowns on the ground. He's passed for 1,620 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 1,119 yards.
"(Byrd) makes their team run," St. Clair said. "We have to find a way to get to the quarterback and make him do things that he doesn't want to do because he's extremely dangerous."
Hannibal will have to keep an eye on Brad Chapman. He's Byrd's favorite target, averaging 22 yards per catch, and also returns kicks. Chapman has caught 24 passes for 546 yards and four touchdowns.
Been here, done that: While the playoff experience is new to Fort Zumwalt East, it's old hat for Hannibal. It's the Pirates' 12th playoff appearance and sixth under St. Clair.
This is the second playoff trip in a row for Hannibal under the Missouri State High School Activities Association's revamped playoff system, which allows district runners-up to advance to the regional round. Hannibal was also the district runner-up last season and lost their opening playoff game at St. Charles West.
"Our kids have some experience," St. Clair said. "We've played an extremely tough schedule this year, and I think that will help us."
What's next: The winner of Wednesday's game will play the winner of the other regional game in the bracket between Warrenton (6-4) and Jefferson City Helias (10-0). If Hannibal and Helias both win, Helias will host Monday's regional game by virtue of its 42-17 victory over the Pirates in last Friday's district title game. Should Hannibal and Warrenton meet, Hannibal would host the sectional game.
— Don O'Brien
