Westplex Today Sports Page:   October 8, 2008

The winless Rams head to the practice field today to prepare for this Sunday's tilt with the Washington Redskins.  Yesterday the team parted ways with receiver Eddie Kennison, but quickly brought him back.  According to the "St Louis Post-Dispatch," Kennison was released but re-signed later in the day after the team received news about the health of receiver Dane Looker.  In a sense, its the third time around for Kennison with the Rams.  He was drafted by the team, traded away, signed earlier in the year as a street free agent, released yesterday and re-signed.  Kennison played in just two games for the Rams with no catches.  Head coach Jim Haslett doesn't expect wide receivers Drew Bennett or rookie Keenan Burton to return from their respective foot and knee injuries this week but is hopeful they'll return next week when the Rams host the Cowboys.  Kickoff for the Rams game against the 'Skins is noon on Sunday.

The League Championship Series in the Major League Baseball playoffs begin tomorrow night at 7:22 , when the Phillies host the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS.   The Phillies and Dodgers have met three times in the NLCS, with the Dodgers winning two of them.   The American League Championship Series begins at 7:37 in St. Petersburg Friday night, as the Rays host the Red Sox.   Tampa Bay is making its first visit to the ALCS in its first-ever playoff appearance this season, and the Rays had a 10-8 advantage over the Red Sox during the regular season.

A longtime Cardinal remains in critical condition following a car accident earlier this week in the Tampa , Florida area.  George Kissel was injured Monday evening when the car he was riding in was struck by another car.   Kissel and his wife were being driven by their daughter when the accident happened.   The 88-year-old has been with the Cardinals organization since 1940 and was a major league coach from 1969 to 1975 and now serves as a player development coordinator.  

The Big-12 Conference coaches expect the Missouri Tigers to finish in the middle of the league standings this season.  The coaches picked Mike Anderson's squad to finish seventh in the league in their annual coaches poll released yesterday.  Oklahoma was predicted to finish in the top spot for the first time in conference history followed in order by Texas, Baylor and Kansas tied for third with Texas A&M rounding out the top-five.  The Tigers wrapped up last season with a thud in the first round of the Big-12 Tournament, losing to Nebraska 61-56 in Kansas City and finishing the season at 16-16 overall.   You can hear all the Mizzou men’s basketball games this season on KFAV.

In high school football:   The Westplex teams that were ranked last week in the Missouri Sportswriters & Sportscasters Association poll remain state ranked.   Zumwalt West remains 3^rd in Class 6, but Wentzville Timberland moves up a spot to #2 in Class 5.   Union moves up a spot to #2 in Class 4, and Sullivan drops 3 spots to #10 in Class 3.   The top-ranked teams in the state are Blue Springs in Class 6, Raymore-Peculiar in Class 5, Kearney in Class 4, Monett in Class 3, Maplewood in Class 2, and Orrick in Class 1.

KWRE will feature the 2^nd ranked and undefeated Timberland Wolves as they host Warrenton Friday night.   Meanwhile, KFAV will feature the surprising Troy Trojans, who take a 4-2 record and a 4-game winning streak into their home game with 1-5 Francis Howell.   Both games begin at 7:00 , and the pre-game shows begin at 6:45 .

Among the top teams in the St. Louis area, the Post-Dispatch ranks Zumwalt West 2^nd and Wentzville Timberland 3^rd in the large-school top-10.   Union is 4^th and St. Charles West is 6^th in the small-school poll.   The top-ranked teams in the St. Louis area are East St. Louis among large schools, and Maplewood among small schools.

In girls softball:   Rain yesterday washed out most of the games that were scheduled.   District tournaments get in full swing today, and among the Westplex teams that have high hopes of advancing to the MSHSAA playoffs are Troy (20-6), Francis Howell (GAC South champ, 19-5), Howell Central (15-4), GAC North co-champs Zumwalt East (19-5) and Wentzville Timberland (18-8), Four Rivers champ Sullivan (15-4) and runner-up Union (18-4), EMO co-champs Bowling Green (19-3) and Clopton (13-8), Winfield (16-9), and Borgia (15-8).

The price of fame is sometimes very steep, especially for those athletes or entertainers who are harassed by stalkers.   A woman is facing misdemeanor charges for allegedly stalking Lakers forward Luke Walton at the team's practice facility and at his home.  The "Los Angeles Times" reports 34-year-old Stacy Beshear was arrested on September 18th and was released after her arraignment on September 22nd.  The "Times" reports Beshear allegedly followed Walton to the home of teammate Jordan Farmer on September 15th.  At one point, she drove side by side with him and acted like she was cocking a gun with a hand gesture.  A trial date has been set for November 6th, and if convicted, Beshear faces up to a year in prison.