State is routine for Harrisonville seniors - Wildcat group prepares for its fourth championship game, a trip that never gets old
"Greatness is often thrown around too casually to
describe good or above average. However, when you'll be
remembered, 'Greatness' will fit." -- Harrisonville
High School football coach Fred Bouchard
It's a simple message scribbled in the Harrisonville
High School locker room to a group of senior football
players who have a resume full of impressive statistics.
This talented class has a career record of 52-3, with
26 consecutive victories and four trips to the state championship
game. This group has won two state titles by a combined
77 points and is a win away from its second undefeated
season.
All of this success from 29 seniors who -- at practice
Monday -- still had to be reminded three times by Bouchard
what time they were going to leave for Tuesday's workout
at the Chiefs' indoor practice facility.
They're your typical high school kids, but on the football
field ...
"What these kids have accomplished has to be categorized
as a great achievement," said Bouchard, who will
lead the Wildcats, 13-0, into the Missouri Class 3 state
title game against Owensville, 8-5, at 3:15 p.m. Saturday
at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.
At Monday's practice, Bouchard watched film with his
team and discussed what he liked and didn't like about
his squad's performance last Saturday in its 28-21 overtime
victory over St. Pius X in a state semifinal.
As their coach spoke, many Harrisonville seniors were
relaxing against the wall. Others were sprawled on the
floor with footballs under their heads. They all sat there
like preparing for a state title game was just an old
routine.
"We have a plan for when we make it to state,"
Bouchard said. "We just get it out and dust it off
and change a few times and things like that."
Not since a 21-14 setback to Class 5 Belton on Sept.
1, 2005, have the Harrisonville Wildcats lost a football
game.
"We have the mentality now that when we get to state,
we aren't just there to enjoy it," said Harrisonville
linebacker Michael Keck, who orally committed to Missouri
earlier this season. "We go into it to win it."
Harrisonville is the first 11-man team to qualify for
the Missouri state championship four consecutive seasons
since 1993, when Valle Catholic qualified for its sixth
straight title game.
Of all the Harrisonville seniors, Zach Livingston and
Zach Zaroor haven't missed a game in their four-year careers,
and both hold the state record for most games played at
55. Keck also saw considerable action his freshman year
but has missed a few games because of injury.
In a 35-0 win over St. Genevieve in the 2003 state title
game their freshman year, Keck saw playing time at outside
linebacker, and Livingtston and Zaroor played on special
teams. Keck even had an interception and returned it 48
yards.
In the 2004 state title game, Harrisonville lost 45-42
in double overtime to Missouri Institute Country Day School.
Last year, the Wildcats beat that same MICDS team 42-0
for the state championship.
Even though he's been through the routine three times
already, Livingston anticipates the excitement he'll feel
when he runs onto the St. Louis Rams' field on Saturday.
"You run on the field during introductions and kind
of look up and just go, 'Oh, my gosh,' " Livingston
said. "Now, though, I think we start to snap back
into (reality) a lot more quickly."
Now, the Harrisonville seniors want to finish their careers
the way they started -- with a state championship. For
a team that has scored 30 or more points seven times this
season, it's a realistic goal.
"We have a chance to go from being really good or
great to being perfect this season," Zaroor said.
"That's a nice way to end our careers."
