Town and Country: Titletown; It’s a Great Day to Be a Wildcat
It’s a big night. We hope to see you there.
If your blood bleeds #255aa8, this Friday night is the biggest night of your calendar year. A few hours full of must-see sporting events rivaling that of June 15th, 2008 will take place all throughout the St. Louis county, including the highly anticipated return of Westminster’s newest tradition as well as the beginning of a new fight on ice.
Preparation for the night has been in the works since September the Sixth back in Two-Thousand and One when star player Brennan Orf first saw life in this world. When the phrase that someone was “born for” something to happen was first spoken, it never truly felt right until that fateful day. He was born with a frame designed to grab eight rebounds and sixteen points every time he steps on the hardwood.
In the following years, a boom around the Town and Country area was felt when a mass of future basketball playing Wildcat babies burst onto the scene around the time the Florida Marlins won their most recent World Series title. Momentum has been building as the young men have risen through ranks, earning them a coveted spot on one of the most prestigious newspaper covers in the city of St. Louis during their eighth grade season.
Fast forward to just ten fortnights ago, a new star was born. It was a device resurrected like that of the monster at the hands Dr. Frankenstein (shoutout Mrs. Arvesen), a tool that single-handedly turned around the football season in the fall. Born out the ashes of a youth hockey tournament in the spring of 2011, the Town and Country Cup has breathed new life into the Westminster community.
Westminster players hoist the Town and Country Cup after defeating Priory High School in football this fall.
The night begins with the Senior Night festivities before a 7:00 PM tip off. The regular season swan song to the lovely Madhouse off Maryville will be the setting of St. Louis’ most prized piece of hardware since the Stanley Cup made its first appearance back in June. The Town and Country Cup is rumored to be in the building come game time Friday night.
The last time these teams faced off, it looked like the 2015-2016 Men’s 8th Grade B Team Basketball facing off against Principia; it was quite frankly never even close. Casen “Chips ‘n Cheese” Lawrence came out firing and put an end to the competition before it had the chance to even start. A few other younger players made an impact off the bench including the teams feistiest scrapper, Matt Buchanan.
However, this Priory team is a different team than the one we saw off Mason Road just one month ago. They have won as many games in a row as times the Israelites marched around Jericho on that fateful seventh day. Two such wins have come against conference foes MICDS and Lutheran North, but they are far from being a Goliath despite the fact that they do have one on their roster.
With such precious hardware on the line, the Wildcat men will be as fired up as Kirk Cousins in the hallway following a big win over Jameis Winston in the Fall of 2015. By the final buzzer, the Town and Country Cup will stay on the south side of Interstate 64.
The next chapter in the story is something that is truly unique and adds more to the legend of what the night means for everyone in the community. The Great Wildcat Caravan of 2020 will depart from 800 Maryville Centre Drive and set their sights on 750 Casino Center Dr, Maryland Heights, MO 63043. For those of you wondering where this may be, I will let you in on a little secret.
In the 2016-2017 season, the Westminster hockey team won its first ever Wickenheiser Cup in front of the whole student body at the arena formerly known as the Scottrade Center. They did the same thing the following season. Last year, they were bounced from the postseason tournament in heartbreaking fashion. This year’s team has followed in the steps of the Israelites in the time of Moses, looking to go back to the Promised Land.
Jack Bystrom has been nothing less than a star player for the Wildcats this year. After netting two goals in his last game, how will he perform tonight?
Throughout the run in the Wickenheiser Cup playoffs, the march has picked up believers rapidly like Jeremy Lin in February of 2012. After defeating Fort Zumwalt East in the quarterfinal series, the team has been slated to play the top-seeded Oakville Tigers in the semifinal series.
Sorry to keep you waiting, but the answer to the secret is that the palace of Casino Center Drive is a shrine to the sport of hockey and is the home to each of the semifinal games, which will be played one week apart. Game 1 will start at 9:00 PM, making perfect timing to carpool with some friends and join the a great migration like that of the Warrior fans that randomly appeared in the 2015 NBA Finals.
The opponents have entered the postseason with a poor record but they have found ways to win in the playoffs. Averaging 1.5 goals per game, their strength comes from the back end. Should the Wildcats be able to find answers to the goalie, they could find themselves back home. The team has been hungry for a moment like this all year and has a Game 1 victory in their sights.
Senior leaders Ben Parres and Jack Bystrom alone have nearly the same amount of points as Oakville’s whole roster combined. Sprinkle in a second line comprised of Harry Ottsen, Caleb Bross, and Brandon Swenson, and the Wildcats have enough skill to make it a competitive few games. Freshman goalie Emily Griege will be strong and consistent between the pipes, always giving the team a good chance at winning like banging a drum to indicate what pitch is coming in the 2017 World Series.
As we sit just two days away from the 40th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice, Disney’s next big sports film will document the greatest day in Westminster sports history. From the wrestling mats in Columbia to the swimming pool in St. Peters to the gym in Town and Country to the ice in Maryland Heights. We are living out the dreams of all Wildcat superfans and we will not take it for granted. Let’s have ourselves a day! Roll Cats.
