BULLDOGS TAKE CRASH COURSE IN SAFETY

The skin on Shane Kistner's forehead was slit open. His skull was exposed to the shards of glass, the debris and to his two friends who were riding shotgun. His father didn't even recognize him at the hospital.

John O'Rourke had two teeth knocked out. He was covered in his friend's blood. He still has aches and pains.

Todd Friend's pants were stained crimson red from the numerous gashes and abrasions on his forehead. His eyes nearly swelled shut and it took him several days before he could even wear his contacts. He required at least 40 stitches.

But Kistner, O'Rourke and Friend all feel fortunate.

The Notre Dame trio, three of the best baseball players in the area, weren't wearing seatbelts when the truck Kistner was driving struck a traffic light pole recently.

But now, they'll tell anyone willing to listen just how important seatbelts are.

"Anything can happen in a split instant," O'Rourke said. "You just never know."

The three seniors were on their way to Notre Dame High when the accident occured on Route K near Steak'n Shake.

"We were in the right lane, coming up on a stop light and this lady in a tan car is in the left lane and is slightly in front of us," Kistner said. "She just swerves over right at us and I slammed on my brakes."

The driver in the car did not stop and never made contact with Kistner.

But Kistner's pickup truck slammed into the pole.

Passers-by immediately came to help. All three boys were conscious. O'Rourke, perhaps a bit dazed by the accident or a bit too stupefied by his love for the game of baseball, at first didn't want any medical attention.

"We got practice at five," he said at the time. He even wanted to walk to the nearby St. Francis Hospital, but medical personnel insisted he ride in the ambulance.

The trio can laugh nervously about it now, but they all know how close they came to dying that day.

"The firefighters on the scene said we were lucky to get out of there," O'Rourke said.

All three missed action on the field because of the injuries, but are all back playing now.

In the ultimate display of sportsmanship, several members of Cape Central's baseball team went to visit the three injured Bulldogs in the emergency room.

Last fall, Scott City lost a student athlete to an automobile accident. Jessica Arnzen, one of the most popular students at the high school, wasn't wearing her seatbelt, either. Arnzen's parents have been actively involved in a seatbelt campaign.

Add O'Rourke, Kistner and Friend to that list.

Season-long rally

Cape Central's tennis team, for the first time since 1979, finished its season with a perfect record.

The Tigers went 16-0 and will head into district play Wednesday with plenty of momentum. The district will be held at the Dwight Davis courts at Forest Park.

"This is a fantastic group of athletic kids," Central coach Bud Craven said. "They're very aggressive and want to win and they prove it by their play."

Central had its No. 1 doubles team of Mick Metzger and Trevor Blattner make it to state last year. Though Metzger has graduated, the Tigers are hoping for more qualifiers this year. Craven has high hopes for doubles partners Blattner and Andy Tansil, as well as Eric Daume and Andrew Eaton.

"I hope those two go to state," Craven said. "But there's a tough group in Poplar Bluff who will try to stop them."

Whitney will be back

Jackson standout sprinter Mario Whitney, who took third at state in the 100-meter dash last year as a sophomore, will be 100 percent for Saturday's district meet, Jackson coach Bob Sink said.

Sink said Whitney could've run in the conference meet Friday, but that they didn't want to take any chances with Whitney's hamstring that has been giving him problems recently.

Whitney competes in the 100, 200, long jump and runs a leg on the 4x100 team.