Did Somebody Say Cadet Spirit?

The loss to Mehlville was definitely an experience Cadets and Fans alike would probably have loved to skip. However, one thing was abundantly apparent before, during and even after the game and that thing was that we CBC Fans definitely have the spirit!

With all of this Cadet Spirit everywhere, this week's CADET FAN-tastic Fan of the Week competition required a decision that was nearly impossible to make. Cadet Spirit was evident absolutely everywhere!

Cadet Spirit first showed itself in the form of the tailgate party hosted by the CBC Junior class Cadets known as The Burger KINGdom who with their grills, tents, and Grillmaster Extraordinaire came to represent. These young tailgaters came prepared and the music they played added so very much to the festive atmosphere that was created.

When the seniors of Grillin' N' Chillin' set up shop right across the parking lot from this spirited group, seemingly putting their sure win status in jeopardy, these aggressive fans suggested a burger cook-off to determine a winner. I will say this much for this crew, they definitely bode well for the future of CBC Cadet Spirit!!! Keep it coming guys, you make it so much more fun than it otherwise would be, and I know our Cadet Football Players appreciate your support.

The CBC Senior tailgate known by the moniker, Grillin' N' Chillin'

came to compete and to teach the juniors a thing or two about tailgating. In this experienced group of upper class tailgaters, a more quiet excitement was evident. Face paint and AWAY GAME football jerseys abounded demonstrating strong ties to many of the Varsity Football Cadets amongst this group of tailgaters. Also, as it was shared with me, that experience has taught this group how to tailgate effectively while not diminishing the beauty of the campus; a feat they accomplish by placing their grills in steel tubs to catch the ashes preventing them from marring the campus appearance or causing any damage due to stray sparks.

This group shared that they have been tailgating together since Sophomore year, and their experience definitely shows. These guys have already accomplished what many never will, they have created and continued a tradition that will be time-honored by future generations of Cadets as is evidenced in the Legacy being passed on to the underclass tailgaters.

Also feeling the rush of Cadet Spirit were the Varsity Football Parents who set up a tailgate of their own.

Some of the parents thought they had nabbed this week's Fan of the Week title, but the judges had no difficulty striking them from the competition as the Cadets in every class out-tailgated them with their extravagant, well-planned, and superbly executed events.

Varsity Football Parents, you will really have to ramp it up a notch or TEN if you plan to compete in this arena! The standard for tailgating set by the two groups profiled above is one you will have to work just a bit harder to achieve. In any event though, we applaud your efforts!

Up on the front parking lot [unfortunately unbeknownst to our photographer until too late to photograph] was a CBC Freshman tailgate party that was provided with the goal of encouraging the newest members of the CBC community to remain at school for the Varsity Home Football Game. By all accounts, this tailgate would most certainly have been a contender for this week's award as well had the judges been aware it was happening in a more timely manner. Our apologies to the Freshmen and we will make a point of checking you all out from here on out.

All of this tailgating before the game provided a perfect opportunity for us to show our love and support of our Cadets as they undertook the march from the locker room to the field.

THE BURGER KINGDOM, GRILLIN' N' CHILLIN' and the parents all had the opportunity to cheer on the Cadets and Coaches during their march from the locker room to the stadium.

With all of this Spirit evident before the game, and the spirit displayed throughout the game [see video in previous post], a selection for CADET FAN-tastic Fan of the Week was finally made......

This week's Fan of the Week is being shared by THE BURGER KINGDOM AND CHILLIN' N' GRILLIN' as their display of school spirit and dedication to the football team was so obviously apparent that choosing between the two became impossible!!

Varsity Football Cadets: "In case you didn't already know WE ARE HERE AND WE HAVE YOUR BACKS! IF YOU ARE EVER IN DOUBT ABOUT THIS FACT, JUST TAKE A QUICK LOOK AROUND BECAUSE CADET SPIRIT IS EVERYWHERE, AND IT IS HERE TO STAY....NO MATTER WHAT THE SCOREBOARD SAYS.

LET'S GO CADETS!!!

In Every Life, A Little Rain Must Fall...

and in the case of last night's game, make that a LOT of rain!

As expected, the Mehlville Varsity Panthers came after our Varsity Cadets with a mission. There is a lesson in everything, and the take-away here is that winning is more about what one believes one can do than what one actually knows one can do. It happens everyday... people do the impossible to realize their dream. Cadets, THIS is what you ALL must never forget....even when the score is lopsided as it was tonight. It is at this point, that each of you AND each of us, your fans, must dig most deeply and push ourselves to allow our belief in ourselves, each other, and our combined passion to take us to places our minds and bodies could never imagine; places that our combined CADET SPIRIT might be able to go!!!

That is exactly what Mehlville did tonight. The fact is that they are NOT a better team, but the impact of their most recent meetings with our team combined with the week they just survived, forced them to utilize resources we did not take advantage of tonight. Keep in mind that this was a team we were victorious over during the regular season as well as the post-season last year. This was a team that was ranked eighth during the 2007 pre-season in the Post-Dispatch Large Schools Rankings only to fall completely out of Grace following their defeat in their season opener. To add insult to injury, they subsequently had to endure witnessing CBC who was NOT ranked during the pre-season, defeat the number one ranked school and earn itself a fourth place slot on the very same ranking poll from which they had just been dropped. A psychic was not necessary to predict the frame of mind we would be facing tonight. Instead of assuming a posture of defeat, they came to FIGHT!

However, [and let me warn you, that I have on occasion been accused of being an optimist!], in this cloud, like in ALL clouds, there is a silver lining. Even though the final score was without question painful to behold, there were without question some strong performances by many Cadets tonight. There is a silver lining in the fact that the season is still young and with trials come strength of character and determination, invaluable tools in reaching one's objective whatever it may be. There is a silver lining in the fact that this was NOT DeSmet or another of the MCC opponents we have yet to face. There is a silver lining in that losing this way at this time has the potential to strengthen our resolve not to allow it to happen again.

So to the CBC Varsity Cadets, your fans would like to say:

"Keep your heads up, and if you know that you truly came to play AND played with all that you had when you got to Klemm Field, then we applaud your efforts. If this was NOT the case for any of you tonight, we know that you know NOW what you need to do from now on. Whatever the case may be, YOU ARE OUR CADETS, WE ARE PROUD OF YOU, WE LOVE YOU, AND WE KNOW YOU WILL NOT LET US DOWN!!!!"

When It Has All Been Said And Done,

THIS STILL IS OUR HOUSE!

Congrats Jack...Johnny Mac Athlete of the Week

More accolades for Jack's performance in season opener!!! View the Fox 2 interview here.

Frankly, Franco Is It!

Meet FRANCO, legally known as Alex Francescon, and commonly known as the CADET FAN-tastic Fan of the Week for week one of the 2007 CBC football season.

Franco, a junior at CBC, came to the Hazelwood East/CBC season opener to show his school spirit and his support of the team. He had no idea when he left home that he would be being secretly evaluated to become the very first ever CBC Cadet FAN-tastic Fan of the Week. Upon word of your selection getting around the stands, there was significant discussion indicating that you could very well have some competition for this honor in the weeks to come Franco, so enjoy it while it lasts! ;)

This kind of dedication to the team warrants acknowledgement and respect from each and every one of us who profess our loyalty to the Varsity Football Cadets. So to you Franco we say:

THANK YOU FOR SHOWING US ALL CADET SPIRIT IN THE FLESH!!!

Ready or Not....Here We Come!

Once again it is Thursday and the finishing touches are being put on the strategies necessary to continue the momentum with which the Cadets began the 2007 season last week againstHazelwood East. The stunning 24 to 21 victory over the Spartans gave the Varsity Cadets a huge vote of confidence in the potential of the 2007 team at large; which will hopefully translate into a win when we face Mehlville tomorrow night at Klemm Field in the first home game of the season.

Having originally been left off the Post-Dispatch's Pre-season Rankings for large schools, CBC gained some respect following the defeat of Hazelwood East which at the time enjoyed a number one spot on the poll. Here is the new pecking order as of September 5, 2007 according to the Post-Dispatch's latest rankings:

Post-Dispatch rankings
09/05/2007
Large SchoolsRank, team Record Pre-season Rank, Quick hit
1. Edwardsville 2-0 4 Undefeated, but against less than stellar competition.
2. DeSmet 1-0 6 Big statement against state's No. 5 team.
3. East St. Louis 1-1 2 Righted the ship after Week 1 loss.
4. CBC 1-0- Mea culpa for leaving the Cadets off preseason rankings. (For those who did not take Latin, "Mea culpa" loosely translated is "MY BAD!!!" As close to an apology as our Cadets are ever likely to receive....should we accept?)
5. Kirkwood 1-0 5 Holding steady with easy opening victory.
6. Hazelwood East 0-1 1 One loss is bad, but kudos for scheduling tough opponent.
7. Eureka 1-0 7 Holy Eureka! The Wildcats beat No. 8 Mehlville.
8. Cahokia 2-0 9 Has outscored opponents 100-13. We're watching.
9. Zumwalt West 1-0 10 Scored 48 points Friday. Can Jaguars keep it up?
10. Pattonville 1-0- Was victory over McCluer North a fluke?

Dropped out: McCluer North, Mehlville
On the bubble: McCluer North, Mehlville, Hazelwood Central, Parkway Central, Washington, Parkway West, Parkway South, Webster Groves, Howell Central.

Expected to be a contender in the pre-season, Mehlville, tomorrow's opponent has now been dropped completely from the rankings. Having recently been in that seat, hopefully our Cadets will NOT allow this tidbit to lead them to underestimate Mehlville's abilities and determination tomorrow night. We have a winning combination of talent, work ethic, and drive all coming together at just the right moment Cadets; so let it take us to where we are meant to be....

THE WINNER'S CIRCLE!

LET'S GO CADETS!!!!

P.S. Don't forget about our very first CBC 5TH QUARTER at Mike Duffy's Town & Country immediately following the game. Click link to the right in the "Celebrate Good Times...." section for directions from CBC.