Indians to be honored at St. Louis banquet

The St. Vincent football program had a good time in St. Louis back on Nov. 27 when the Indians won the Class 1 state football championship.

The program will celebrate another big night in St. Louis on Sunday, when the St. Louis chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame honors St. Vincent as one of its programs of the year.

In addition, two St. Vincent players will be recognized for the first time in the 13 years of the NFF-College Hall of Fame's annual awards banquet. Danny Rellergert will be one of 12 high school scholar-athletes in the St. Louis metro region, and Chris Besand will be one of two to be honored as most inspirational/courageous players.

"It's a very classy, very special night," said St. Vincent coach Keith Winkler, who attended previously when the Indians were an honorable mention program of the year. "They work hard to make it special."

Executive director Bob Bunton said the athletes each receive a $1,000 scholarship and that St. Vincent will receive money as program of the year and for its state championship.

"It will go toward special projects, like anything that's not in the budget," Winkler said. "This year, we're looking a computer program."

Tickets for the event, which begins with cocktails at 5:45 p.m. and includes dinner at 6:45 p.m., are $45 per person or $400 for a table of 10. The master of ceremonies will be Rams play-by-play announcer Steve Savard. The featured speaker is retired Gen. Ed Rafalko, who played football at the U.S. Military Academy and will receive the Tom Lombardo Award.

For information, call Bunton at (636) 891-8011.