Basketball Posters

It's always an exciting time for me when we work on the basketball posters, because it means the season is right around the corner.  I used the "8 is Enough"  line on the Girl's poster as a tribute to the TV show from back in the day.  Gotta give a nod to the Van Pattens!

The Boy's Poster is a take off from the poster for the movie "RED" which opened recently.

The Girls kick off the season tomorrow night at the Northwest Tournament, and the Boys follow with a game on Saturday in Jeff City.  The girls look to defend their conference championship and will take the court with a solid nucleus of returning starters.  If you like up-tempo, high pressure basketball, you're going to love watching this team play.  Lianna Doty is one of the best point guards in the state and is fun to watch.

The boys are ready for a breakout year.  Juniors could lead the way, and don't be surprised if a freshman makes some big noise this year.  

Coming soon. . . WRESTLING!!

Alumni Football

It was a beautiful November afternoon as the Kirkwood & Webster Alumni met for their annual Day-After-Turkey-

Day Football Game.  It was clear from the outset that "youth" and "numbers" would be critical, and the Pioneers held the edge in both catagories.  Matt Krapfl started things off with a 60 yard bomb to DeMarco Austin on the first play from scrimmage to put the Pioneers ahead, and they never looked back.  

Although there was a lot of laughter, several things were quickly apparent. . . 

1)  Young guys are faster than old guys

2)  Krapfl can still put the ball exactly where he wants to. 

3)  If it's Webster vs Kirkwood, it's still serious

Nice going guys.  Ice up and enjoy the weekend!

Frozen Turkey!

It was a great day for football. . . the kind where you sit in the living room by the fireplace in front of the TV with some good food. . . 

It wasn't quite as nice if you were forced to be outside in the rain and cold, but a surprising number of loyal fans showed up at Moss Field for the annual Turkey Day game.  Kirkwood fumbled the opening kickoff, and it was clear that hanging on to the ball would be a problem all day, as would footing, throwing, catching, kicking, and anything else associated with football.  (Instead of trainers, both teams might have been better off employing life-guards, as several tackles took players into some serious water hazzards.)  Webster took advantage of the turnover, scoring on a long run, and after several more possessions, it looked as though that might be all the scoring for the day.  

The Pioneers rallied, however, scoring both on the ground and in the air, but extra points made the difference as Webster escaped with a 14-12 victory, and reclaimed the Frisco Bell.  

Early in the 2nd half, the rain changed to snow, and made for a memorable afternoon.  If you were one of the hearty souls who stuck it out, KUDOS to you!  You're a true fan!

And here's a nod to both JV teams for gutting this one out.  It's tough to play when you can't feel your hands or your feet, and you're soaked to the skin, but you guys did it and provided us with an entertaining afternoon. . . 

Turkey Day is Underway!!

Dr. Holley and Coach Wade shared MC duties as another Turkey Day got underway at KHS.  You can't find better leadership or more enthusiasm for a school or it's students than you find in these two.  The Pioneer Spirit filled the gym as the band cranked out some tunes.  The cheerleaders went "Circ De Soleil" on us, defying gravity and flying all over the place.  It was a jaw-dropping performance, of tosses, catches, and tumbling.  WOW!

Then it was time for the senior's "American Bandstand" skit, in which they lovingly poke fun at the KHS Faculty and Staff.  The loudest ovation was reserved for the two students who play our beloved custodians, Bob and Andy.  I'm not lying when I tell you, these two are like Rock Stars when they walk the halls of KHS.  Kids love them because they love kids, love their jobs, and have the greatest positive attitudes.  

After the skit, Coach Irvin addressed the crowd, and noted the football team had some "unfinished business" to attend to on Thursday.  It should be a great day for football as the Pioneers battle to keep the Bell.  Coach Irvin did an outstanding job this year.  He's really so much more than a football coach, and I believe our school will reap great benefits in the years to come for having him as part of our school.  Nice going, buddy!

Next, it was the Pommies turn.  I've been anxiously awaiting this performance.  I have several pommies in my classes and several of them sat through class with ice bags on their necks and legs.  They were practicing before school, after school, and even at night!  I tried to pry some info out of them this week, but they were mum.  They finally said, "just be sure to watch the beginning, middle, and end."  They were right on.  They set the bar pretty high last year but topped it with a surprise entrance.  Everyone was looking at the door, when they suddenly started getting up from being scattered throughout the crowd.  Awesome!!!!

The cheerleaders finished things off with their amazing and technical "stomp" routine.  The kids all lined up and sang the Alma Mater and the afternoon came to a close. 

Be sure to return to KHS tomorrow evening for the "Chilli Cookoff", 2nd half of the senior skit and assembly, and finally the bonfire.  

Football will commence at high noon on Moss Field in Webster Groves.  What a great time to be a Pioneer!!!

Just Another Typical School Day. . .

I don't know what a typical day is at your high school, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. . . but here's what one is like at mine. . .

In the time-honored tradition of Turkey Day, students decorate the halls with themes and compete for recognition as "Best Hall".  This year was one of the better years in recent memory.  Every hall was outstanding, from the Freshmen's "Academy Awards", the Juniors "Wizard of Oz" (complete with real live Toto!), to the Band's wonderful "Alice in Wonderland", but the Seniors really showed how it's to be done with their timely tribute to "Grease", complete with a diner, classroom, drive in movie theatre (outside), carnival games, popcorn, and root beer floats!  Kids dress the part, and you can't help but smile, which makes for an unbelievably fun day.  

I thought it would be tough to get excited about Turkey Day after the tough loss to Webster in the State Semi-Finals this past Friday, but all it took was the effort of our amazing students, and the flame was rekindled. 

I really got a kick out of the cutout in the Freshmen hall, where students could put their heads and become two of the cast members from MTV "Jersey Shore". . .  Nice touch!!

 

All Good Things Must End. . .

It was a disappointing finish to an incredible year as the Pioneers fell to the Statesmen 28-0.  The Pioneers scored a big touchdown on a pass to Kendall Day near the end of the first half that would have made the score 14-7, but it was called back on a holding penalty, and the next play resulted in an interception, and the Pioneers never really recovered.

Still, it was an amazing accomplishment to just make this game a reality.  Who can forget the 4th and goal from the one yard line that the stingy Pioneer defense stopped to secure a thrilling win over Holt in the first game of the playoffs. . . and of course, the big interception to seal last week's win over Camdenton!  

Coach Irvin has done an amazing job in a short time, and the program will continue to grow under his leadership.  I'd like to say thanks to Coach Irvin, his outstanding staff, and this team for providing us with so many fond memories of a thrilling season.  Go Pioneers!!

Don't forget to head over to Moss Field in Webster for the Annual Turkey Day game this coming Thursday.  We will maintain possession of the bell, right JV? . . .

Pioneers win! Will host Webster on Friday!

Get the Turkey and dressing ready, because Thanksgiving comes early this year!  The Pioneers defense came up HUGE again, intercepting a pass in the end zone in the closing seconds to seal a 19-14 win over a storied Camdenton program.  The win propels the Pioneers into the state semi-finals as they will host Webster Groves on Friday night in the most meaningful "Turkey Day" in years!  The winner advances to the Dome and will compete for the state championship.  You may want to head over to the stadium sometime Wednesday to guarantee yourself a seat. 

Coach Irvin has us all believing that anything is possible!  GO PIONEERS!!!  

   

Pioneers Advance!!

The Pioneers made a statement that they must be taken seriously in the state playoff picture by thumping previously undefeated Ft. Zumwalt East by a score of 47-27.  In what was easily the most exciting and entertaining game of the season, the two teams traded big plays in route to a 27-20 halftime score in favor of the Pioneers.  Kirkwood scored on it's first possession of the 2nd half on an amazing juggling catch by Mike McHugh, and the rout was on.  The Pioneers never looked back.

The defense was once again stingy, and Kevin Bedford, seemed to be everywhere!!  If you're game planning for the Pioneers, you'd better figure out how to keep #5 from making the tackle. . . and good luck with that!

They now travel to Camdenton for a 1:00 pm game on Saturday.  If you had plans, change them!  The Pioneers are marching on!!  Congratulations Coach Irvin, your staff and your team!

We Are KIrkwood!

It takes a lot of things to make a great school. . . great facilities, dedicated custodians, tireless secretaries, the best administrators, and of course, great teachers and great students!  Today we recognized some outstanding students who were nominated by some outstanding teachers as kids who represent the "Spirit of Kirkwood".  We had fun taking their pictures today, and it's inspiring to see these people together.  CONGRATULATIONS!!

 

Kayla

I think I've got the best job in the world. . . and a big reason for that is that I get to meet amazing young people like Kayla.  I was fortunate enough to have Kayla in class last year.  She didn't immediately stand out, but as I found out later, that's because Kayla is really more about helping others than she is about having the spotlight shine on herself.  You don't learn that because Kayla is telling you, you learn it because you watch her do the things she does.  She's the one helping the kid in the wheelchair, or doing charity work with her church.  She "gets it", way more than I did when I was her age, that's for sure.  She makes me proud and hopeful.  

Oh, and did I mention that she is hard-working and really smart?  And need I say, adorable?