MAC ON SPORTS: BOUCHARD’S TEAM IN MISSOURI FOOTBALL QUARTER-FINALS
J. Thomas McNamara
Fred Bouchard knows coaching.
Once a coach, always a coach.
When Bouchard resigned his District 61 administrative position to return to coaching, he said his love of coaching was why.
Now we know he not loves coaching football, but does it successfully as well which this writer never doubted.
His Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School (MICDS) team won the Class 4 District 3 football championship Nov. 14 to earn a spot in Saturday’s (Nov. 21st) quarterfinals against Hannibal.
Bouchard’s team advanced after turning away St. Dominic, 42-6.
Sophomore Steven Hall returned the opening kickoff 74 yards for a touchdown to jump-start the Rams to their 42-6 win.
MICDS (5-0) advanced to play Hannibal (8-2) in a state quarterfinal contest at 1 p.m. Saturday at Porter Stadium in Hannibal.
Hall’s scintillating run was just the start of a near-perfect afternoon for the Rams, who scored touchdowns on their first three possessions on the way to a 28-6 lead at the break.
And it was Hall’s special teams gem that got the ball rolling.
“That was an absolutely perfect start to the game, what more could you ask for?” Bouchard said. “It was so well executed by everyone.
“We bent a little (on defense), but boy did we hang on when we had to,” Bouchard said.
MICDS beat Hannibal 34-21 in a quarterfinal on Nov. 17, 2018. The Rams rallied for two touchdowns in the final 45 seconds to steal that contest on the way to a second-place finish at state.
Bouchard, who played at Palmyra High, just outside of Hannibal, is looking forward to another meeting.
“Two great programs,” he said. “We’ll be ready.”
Isn’t it interesting how the “Show-Me” state of Missouri can play football without major COVID-19 football outbreaks and their neighbors to the east in Illinois aren’t even allowed to play the sport. What science are their authorities reading that isn’t available to ours here. Just curious.
