With each carry, Eureka senior running back Kevin Emmanuel moves the chains toward a district championship.
Sure, Emmanuel’s teammates will deserve plenty of credit with a victory over visiting MICDS in the Class 5 District 2 final on Friday night. But they’d all agree that “Kevo” is the locomotive that keeps the Wildcat train rolling.
Only Seckman senior quarterback Cole Ruble was as responsible for such a large percentage of his team’s offensive output as Emmanuel is for Eureka, 9-1 and the district’s top seed. The two standouts have jockeyed all season atop the St. Louis area leader board in rushing yards and touchdowns. Ruble’s season ended in a loss to Marquette in the Class 6 District 1 semifinals last week, but he still finished with staggering totals of 2,524 yards and 46 touchdowns.
In the Wildcats’ 32-7 win over No. 5 Parkway West (6-5) in the district semifinals on Nov. 4, Emmanuel smashed through the 2,000-yard barrier with 282 yards on 39 carries. He scored four of Eureka’s five touchdowns (senior quarterback Jace Peterson scored the other) and for the season he’s rushed for 2,164 yards and 31 TDs. In his three seasons, Emmanuel has amassed 3,981 yards on 694 carries to go with 57 touchdowns. Eureka head coach Jake Sumner said Emmanuel is closing in on the school’s single-season rushing record.
The last Eureka running back to top 2,000 yards was Hassan Haskins in 2017. After a record-breaking college career at Michigan, Haskins suits up these days for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.
Now “Kevo” is running in Haskins’ tracks.
“Kevin is a phenomenal football player,” Sumner said.
As valuable as Emmanuel will be against the second-seeded Rams (10-1), it’s the Wildcat defense that faces its biggest test of the season. MICDS has boosted its scoring over its last four games, trampling Chaminade 55-14 in the first round of districts before outgunning Lafayette 60-46 in the semifinals. The Lancers (7-4), who were the No. 3 seed, handed Eureka its only loss of the season, 20-13 on Oct. 7.
The Rams won state titles in 1996 and 2004 and have played in eight state championship games. The Wildcats have one final-four appearance in their history, finishing second to Kearney in Class 4 in 2002.
Senior running back Winston Moore, a burly specimen at 6-1, 185, leads MICDS in touchdowns with 31 and has rushed for 972 yards on 96 carries, a 10-yard average. The Rams’ leading rusher is Steven Hall, another senior, who has smashed opposing defenses for 1,562 yards on 124 carries, a 12.6 average per run – almost double Emmanuel’s (7.0).
“They’re really well coached and have a lot of talent,” Sumner said. “It’s going to be a fun game to be a part of. They have a great running attack with (those) two studs.”
An all-state wrestler, Eureka junior linebacker Ryan Thornhill leads the team with 73 tackles to go with five sacks.
“Ryan pound-for-pound is one of the toughest players on the field,” Sumner said. “He’s a tackling machine. He’s a sharp player and a great team leader and is always in the right place at the right time.”
Senior D-lineman Omarion Thomas leads the Wildcats with six sacks while Philandias Calvin, another senior in the trenches, frequently disrupts plays in the backfield. Junior defensive back Allen Brown leads Eureka with three interceptions and also had an 80-yard kickoff return for a TD against Hazelwood West this year. Senior linebacker Trenton Groff made a key interception in the win over Kirkwood and burly lineman Justin Selbert (6-4, 280), another senior, has been a run-stopper on defense and road grader on offense. Junior Aidan Crews is a hard-hitting rover at safety and helps lead the defense.
And that defense looks ready after limiting Parkway West to 120 yards total offense and one touchdown.
“It’s going to have to be a team effort on defense,” Sumner said. “This group has done a great job of coming in with a great attitude and finding ways to win football games.”
The MICDS/Eureka winner will play the District 1 champion in the Class 5 quarterfinals. Poplar Bluff (6-5) visits Cape Girardeau Central (8-3) in that final on Friday. The Mules upset top-seeded Jackson 21-20 in the district semifinals.
Sumner said he appreciates the challenge of preparing for a stadium full of excited fans on both sides, and that his players do, too.
“You put in all that work and dream and set a goal to play games like this,” he said. “To play for (a district title) is a big blessing at home. It’s a big moment and I’m excited to see their preparation.”