The Bru Crew, Rock Bridge’s rowdy student cheering section, couldn’t wait for the conclusion of the girls basketball game between Rock Bridge and Hickman that was suspended Wednesday night because of a leaky roof at Hickman gym.

Parker Eshelman photo

Hickman’s Yvonne Anderson drives around Rock Bridge’s Amaya Williams during Wednesday’s game. Williams suffered an injury in the game after slipping on the wet floor.

A clever dress code suggested for the resumption of the game was already circulating through the Rock Bridge hallways: rain gear.

I hope the Cru kept their receipts, because this game might not end anytime soon - if ever.

Originally scheduled to be completed at 6 p.m. tomorrow, Rock Bridge officials informed Hickman that they wanted to back out of the makeup date because of a groin injury starting guard Amaya Williams suffered when she slipped on a wet spot right before Wednesday’s game was stopped.

Rock Bridge led 20-19 with 6:50 remaining in the third quarter when a leak was discovered in the roof. After a 50-minute delay, the game was suspended.

Game officials, coaches and athletic directors from both schools met after the gym was cleared to schedule the game’s conclusion. All parties agreed on Monday, but Rock Bridge had second thoughts the next day when the severity of Williams’ injury was discovered.

The 5-foot-7 freshman missed Friday’s win over Boonville and likely will miss Wednesday’s home game against Moberly. Williams is the Bruins’ third-leading scorer with an 8.9 average.

Rather than finish the game that everyone wants to see, administrators and coaches from both schools are expected to meet tomorrow morning to decide on another date to complete the game.

That day might not come.

According to Rock Bridge Athletic Director Steve Levingston and Hickman Athletic Director Doug Mirts, the only other potential open date before the seed meeting for the Class 5 District 10 tournament would be Feb. 5.

Hickman isn’t interested in that date because the Kewpies have tournament games in St. Louis on Thursday and Saturday this week and a rivalry game against Jefferson City on Feb. 6.

Rock Bridge isn’t thrilled about playing Feb. 5 either because the Bruins play undefeated Blair Oaks, the No. 1 team in Class 3, the same day Hickman plays Jefferson City.

If the game isn’t completed before the seed meeting on Feb. 10, maybe tickets should be sold to the seed meeting because that figures to be a knock-down drag-out for the No. 1 seed between the Rock Bridge and Hickman coaches.

There are some dates after the seed meeting that the game could be completed, but what would be the point? Unless both coaches agreed at the seed meeting to give the No. 1 seed to the team that emerges victorious, the conclusion would merely be an overblown scrimmage before the games count again in the district tournament that begins Feb. 19 in Jefferson City.

It’s a shame that the game couldn’t be completed Wednesday when an overflow crowd of 1,400 showed up to watch two 15-win teams battle for city bragging rights and the upper hand in the district tournament.

It would really be a shame if a meaningful conclusion to what had the makings of a classic basketball game isn’t reached.

● HE’S NO. 1: Coming off an impressive performance at the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl earlier this month in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Rock Bridge senior Aron White is now considered the top football recruit in the state and the No. 1 tight end prospect in the country.

Recruiting Web site Rivals.com recently updated its player rankings and the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Georgia recruit is now listed atop both categories. White opened the season as the state’s No. 4 recruit.

White overtook Harrisonville defensive end and Missouri recruit Michael Keck as the state’s No. 1 prospect. Rock Bridge quarterback Logan Gray, another Georgia recruit, slipped from second to fourth in the state rankings. He’s considered the No. 10 dual-threat quarterback recruit in the nation.

Despite a spectacular season, Rock Bridge running back and Northwestern recruit Scott Concannon only moved up one spot in the state rankings to 29th.

Jefferson City also has two players ranked among the state’s top 30: Defensive linemen Terrell Resonno and Richard Johnson were considered 12th and 16th, respectively.

● MAKE ROOM AT THE TABLE: With the Feb. 7 signing date looming, the list of Rock Bridge football players making their college decisions continues to grow.

Andrew Adams is the latest to make his college choice, deciding to accept a Division I-AA scholarship to play running back at Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau. The 6-foot, 230-pound track athlete started at linebacker the past three seasons and rushed for 231 yards and four touchdowns on only 27 carries this year as Concannon’s backup.

John Wacker, who verbally committed to Tulsa in December, is sticking with the Golden Hurricane but keeping his options open after Tulsa Coach Steve Kragthorpe accepted the head-coaching position at Louisville in early January.

Other Bruins on the verge include lineman Jason Reddy, receiver Brandon Gerau, cornerback Mukai Matsiga, outside linebacker Will Wesbury and lineman Clay Minchew.

Reddy visited Missouri Southern State in Joplin this weekend and is considering joining Adams at Southeast Missouri State. Gerau is being recruited as a safety at Missouri State, but the all-state outfielder is also considering some college offers to play baseball.

Matsiga visited Western Illinois this weekend and also is considering Southeast Missouri. Wesbury is at Missouri Western this weekend and Minchew is considering Central Missouri, Missouri Western and NAIA programs.

In other signing news:

● Rock Bridge senior Ben Martin signed a baseball scholarship to attend Allen County, Kan., Community College. Martin, a right-handed pitcher, compiled a 3-2 mark with a 4.35 ERA in 27 1/3 innings last season.

● After helping Hallsville to the Class 2 quarterfinals, Indians senior Audrey Crabtree plans to sign a softball scholarship on Friday to attend Indian Rivers Community College in Atumwa, Iowa.

● Kewpie killer Aubrey Moss of Jefferson City signed a softball scholarship to attend Lindenwood University in St. Charles. Moss compiled a 27-5 mark with a 0.68 ERA this season in leading the Jays to a second-place Class 4 finish.

● A GIFT FROM KANSAS: Just when the Division I quarterback well appeared to be drying up at Rock Bridge, a highly touted signal-caller from Kansas has moved to Columbia.

Jake Morse, from De Soto, Kan., enrolled at Rock Bridge this month and will be a senior next year. Listed at 6-1, 175 pounds, Morse was selected to the Lawrence Journal-World Super 25 All-Area Football team last season after throwing for 1,408 yards and 15 touchdowns. In his second season as starter, he completed 127 of 201 passes.

● STATE-RANKED SCANLONS: Rock Bridge boys Coach Jim Scanlon isn’t the only member of his family leading a successful basketball program.

Scanlon’s Bruins are 16-1 and ranked second in Class 5, which puts them just ahead of undefeated Raytown - the program coached by his brother, Mark. The two have combined for more than 800 wins, with Jim Scanlon opening the season with win No. 500 and Mark topping 300 this season.

In case you were wondering, Rock Bridge and Raytown would meet in the state semifinals at Mizzou Arena if the two teams advanced in the playoffs.

And then there’s Jim’s son Brennan. The 1997 Rock Bridge graduate is in his third season as the boys coach at Elsberry, the seventh-ranked team in Class 3.

● SOBOCO HOOPS: The Southern Boone Classic begins tomorrow in Ashland with four girls games followed by first-round boys games on Tuesday.

Blair Oaks is the top seed in the eight-team girls bracket. Linn, ranked fifth in Class 3, earned the top seed for the boys.

Action begins at 4:30 every day this week, with the championship games on Saturday.

● CATHOLIC SCHOOL SPORTS: It appears no sport will be left behind when the new Catholic high school opens in Columbia in 2009.

According to the school’s brochure, the new school - which is expected to have room for 250 students - will offer basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field, wrestling, baseball, football, softball and volleyball. The only Missouri State High School Activities Association sanctioned sport missing would be swimming and diving, and I would imagine that could easily be added to the curriculum.

The new school would open to ninth and 10th graders in the fall of 2009. Eleventh grade would be added in 2010, and 12th grade would start in 2011.

Correction: Tuesday, January 30, 2007

The college Hallsville senior Audrey Crabtree plans to sign a letter of intent with during a signing ceremony Friday was incorrectly identified in Sunday’s Tribune. Crabtree will play softball at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa.

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