After the obligatory handshakes with vanquished Warrenton, members of the Festus football team sprinted toward their fans – but first flopped on the frozen ground to make snow angels.
Fitting that on the last day of November the Tigers and their faithful extended their holiday celebrations for another week with a thrilling 21-16 victory in the Class 4 semifinals. If the roughly 80-mile journey from Festus to Warrenton on Saturday morning wasn’t harrowing enough because of the season’s first snowstorm, late-game heroics kept everyone on a slippery slope until the end.
I was surprised how snow-covered I-70 was when I left St. Charles more than two hours before kickoff. Thankfully, there weren’t any traffic snarls as the lanes squeezed to two from Wentzville to Warrenton. Everyone seemed content to travel at a safe speed and I took the Warrenton exit with plenty of time to eat before I headed to the high school a few miles away.
When I got there, I went down to field level and saw someone operating a snow blower, sending ribbons of white powder into the air. Other members of the grounds crew were diligently pushing shovels along the yard lines in 5-yard increments. For a moment, in my mind, I heard John Facenda’s booming voice narrating an NFL Films saga from long ago. I can’t remember covering a “snow game” like this, especially one of this importance. The raw weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the many hardy fans who turned out for both teams. Warrenton hadn’t been in the state semifinals since 2010. Festus had to go back to the “Y2K” days of 2000 for its only trip.
While Festus (population 13,000) is slightly larger than Warrenton (9,200), my guess is the fans of both teams have more in common than not. Both communities are on the fringe of the St. Louis area. I wouldn’t say that places a chip on their shoulders; I’d say that’s the way they like it.
Jefferson County can point to more recent success on the field. Festus and Hillsboro are just 10 miles apart and have sent teams to a state championship game two years in a row. The blue bloods across the state are taking notice. County schools are becoming a breeding ground for college-level players, including the top-tier Division I.
I saw one of them play linebacker and running back for the Tigers. Senior Mason Schirmer single-handedly took over the game for a few plays that put Festus in command. The 6-2, 225 pound lefthanded pitcher will have choices to make about his future between football and baseball season. Does he play college baseball or football, or both? Or does he get drafted by a Major League Baseball team in June and go that route?
Schirmer was the winning pitcher when Festus won its first and only state baseball title in 2023. He’s one win away from achieving the same heights in football.
To do that, Festus has to beat Lutheran North in the state championship Friday at Faurot Field in Columbia. They’ll carry winning vibes from the Tiger girls cross country team, which won the Class 4 state title last month a few miles from Mizzou’s stadium. Remember, Hillsboro beat Lutheran North in the Class 4 football semifinals last year. Nobody at the time thought the Hawks could beat a private school that deep in the playoffs. I don’t think the Tiger players or their veteran, savvy coaches are intimidated by any team.
The last time Festus head coach AJ Ofodile was at Faurot Field was in 2019 as an assistant coach at Mizzou. Festus hired him in 2020 not only to coach football but also to reshape the bodies of Tiger athletes with weight training techniques he picked up as a college and NFL player. Smart move – just take a look at the athletic success across the board at Festus. Ofodile was head coach at Columbia Rock Bridge when the Bruins finished second in the state in 2013.
“The environment is going to be bigger than anything you’ve seen,” he said. “The last time I was (in the championship) with Rock Bridge, it was overwhelming. Back then it was in the (Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis) and that environment is different for kids. Also, we (Rock Bridge) used to play Hickman every year in the Providence Bowl at Faurot. You have to get your kids prepared for that venue.”
Essien Smith can play the good unselfish teammate – and he has for three years – but any quarterback wants the ball in his hands. Smith had to share snaps, series by series, with Jeremiah Cunningham in Smith’s first two seasons before Cunningham graduated. Seeing Smith mobbed by his teammates and smiling after beating Warrenton was a heartwarming moment on a cold day. Smith had been battling an ankle injury going into the game.
“Coach O has a great program and has led us to where we are now,” he said. “I can’t wait to go play at state.”
“We knew going into this game that Warrenton is big, deep and athletic, so we had to expand our offense, which included (Smith) running the ball more,” Ofodile said. “We crossed our fingers he’d be 100 percent and he was.”
So here we go again, back to Columbia in December for a chance to make history. Regardless of the outcome, our area will proudly remain at the forefront of continuing success at the state level.