We'll start with the thrills and chills of the Helias Crusaders' Where were you when the lights went out? 35-34 victory at Hannibal, as the field went dark with 2 1/2 minutes left. This wasn't a case of Pirate shenanigans or a failure to pay the light bill, a truck hit a power poll and caused a delay of nearly 30 minutes.

"That was an interesting experience," Helias coach Chris Hentges said. "We went from light to dark, just like that."

There was a kickoff return going on at the time, which could have been an ugly development with the high-speed collisions that often happen on that play. But there was also this:

"Evidently, our cheerleaders were doing some stunts on the sidelines," Hentges said, "and they had tossed one of our freshman cheerleaders up in the air when the lights went out. She was in the air.

"They caught her, but there were a lot of scared people up there."

An opening win for a new coach --- even though Hentges has been entrenched in the program for decades --- is always a significant boost.

"I think for a new coach and a new program --- and I don't care where you're at or who you are --- that it's important for the players to have that confidence," he said. "They're buying into what we've been working on all camp and have been successful. I think it goes a long way to get your program headed in the right direction.

"That doesn't mean that if you lose the first game or you lose a couple tough games, that you can't be successful. But winning always helps."

The win came with a hefty pricetag, however, as starting senior quarterback Daniel Rhea suffered a torn ACL in his left knee and is out for the season.

"That's a big blow," Hentges said. "He's such a good kid and a great team leader, but knowing Daniel, he's still going to be a leader, just in a different capacity. He's still going to play a big part in what we do."

At Blair Oaks, Ted LePage is back at the helm of the Falcons after a 13-year break, and what a way to re-boot.

A Happy Homecoming came early.

Playing in Liberty, Blair Oaks beat the defending Class 3 state champions, Maryville, a team that walloped Blair Oaks 49-20 in last year's semifinals. Senior quarterback Nolan Hair does what he does --- be great --- as he completed 16-of-29 passes for 217 yards and four touchdowns in the Falcons' 38-35 win.

LePage is one of the best offensive-minded high school coaches in the state, so you have to wonder --- with the talent he has to work with, back from an offense that averaged 45 points a game last season --- just how many points will they score this season?

Despite numerous attempts to reach LePage, he was unavailable for comment.

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THE JEFFERSON CITY JAYS DID NOT ENJOY the same experience of success, as they were throttled by powerhouse Kirkwood 37-0 before a big --- and disappointed --- crowd at Adkins Stadium.

The fans weren't the only ones who were disappointed --- to a man, you can count the players and coaches, as well.

"Sure, it was disappointing," first-year head coach Terry Walker said. "Kirkwood's team speed on defense pretty much paralyzed us, offensively. We were so inept on offense, it just put so much pressure on our defense and that's not a recipe for success.

"At the same time, defensively, we weren't fundamentally sound on our defensive front, where I thought we could control their running game and possibly make them one-dimensional. That just didn't happen."

The Pioneers sprinted 80 yards in four plays on the game's first possession to, as it turned out, score all the points they'd need.

"It was just one of those deals," Walker said, "that we have a lot of young guys playing, things started snowballing, the lights got bright and their eyes got big. Bad things tend to happen when those things occur.

"We just have to become much more fundamentally sound, and embrace that you have to play each play as hard as you possibly can. If we do that, we'll have success, because we have some kids who are athletically gifted."

The Jays practiced in full pads Saturday morning, but it could have been worse --- back in the day, some of Pete Adkins' teams practiced after a Friday night game, even road games, after less-than-inspiring efforts.

"When you're disappointed with your effort, as all of us are --- coaches and players alike --- you double-down," Walker said. "We practiced Saturday morning and it was not an easy practice. It wasn't a punishment thing, it was about accountability, it was about improving, and playing your best.

"We'll be fine. We've just got to put our nose to the grindstone and keep grinding away --- we have to improve from the head coach on down."

In his return to Blair Oaks, head coach Ted LePage and the Falcons scored an impressive 38-35 win over defending Class 3 state champion Maryville in Friday night's opener at Liberty.

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