Things got back to normal this week on the prep sports scene as it was a busy time both on the court and on the ice. The Mid States Club Hockey Association playoffs got underway while many basketball teams hit the hardwood to continue their quest for conference championships.
Let’s get you caught up on this week’s edition of the Friday Fast Break!
The Missouri State High School Activities Association wrapped up the girls’ wrestling districts this past Monday with the District One finals at Lafayette High School. Northwest claimed the team title with 153 points while the host Lancers posted a team score of 148.5 points to earn the runner-up spot. Abigail Chandler paced the Lions with a runner-up finish in the 194 lb. class while Olivia Buckley grabbed third place in the 174 lb. division. Lafayette had three girls win their weight classes with Hannah Henderson taking the 100 lb. crown, Faith Cole won the 110 lb. class, and Seraphina Blackmon claimed the 149 lb. class.
Mid States Club Hockey Association playoffs finished the first round of their playoffs earlier this week as two teams moved on in the Challenge Cup Tournament. The highlight of the week was Fox High School needing at least a tie over Marquette in the final game of the opening round. The Warriors were able to earn a 2-2 tie with the Mustangs and moved on to the quarterfinals due to a tiebreaker. Fox joined Francis Howell in coming out of the first round as the Vikings finished the round-robin with a 2-1 mark.
On the hardwood, Collinsville defeated O’Fallon 58-46 in a key Southwestern Conference battle. This is the second time this season that the Kahoks have earned a victory over the Panthers. Collinsville grabbed a 40-34 lead after three quarters and used an 18-12 fourth stanza to pull away and get the win. Devin Davis led all scorers with 14 points while Jake Wilkerson added 12 markers in the win. The victory allows Collinsville to remain two games behind East St. Louis in the conference title chase.
The Eureka girls’ basketball team improved to 15-6 on the year with a 65-40 win at Kirkwood Tuesday evening. The Wildcats have quietly put together an outstanding year under head coach James Alsup, who won his 400th game earlier this season. In the win over the Pioneers, Maison Smith led the way for Eureka with 14 points with Bailey Boulay chipping in with 11 points.
This is going to be an extremely busy weekend as a few conference titles are being given out while the boys’ will hit the mats in their quest for a state title as the MSHSAA wrestling districts take place tonight and tomorrow. The Mid States Hockey playoffs start their quarterfinal rounds this weekend as well.
Down in Jefferson County, the JCAA small school girls’ title will be determined Saturday afternoon as Herculaneum looks to grab their third straight title as the Blackcats travel to Grandview in a 5 p.m. tip. The Blackcats are 3-0 in conference action and have not lost a league game in over three years. Herculaneum will need to take care of business Friday night at Crystal City to have a chance to win the outright title. The Blackcats are paced by Macey Pillard, who is leading the squad with 16.2 points per game and over 11 rebounds per contest. The Eagles come into the match-up with a 3-1 mark and are 13-5 on the year. Grandview is led by Anna Belle Wakeland who is leading the team in scoring with 13.9 points per game.
DeSmet and CBC will play their snowed-out game from last week on Saturday afternoon at the home of the Cadets. CBC needs to win to stay tied with Chaminade in the MCC while the Spartans must win to keep their league championship hopes alive. In another big game on the boys’ side, Chaminade plays host to Westminster in a 2 p.m. start. The Red Devils want to keep their seven-game winning streak intact while the Wildcats have not lost since the semifinal of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic on Dec. 29.
The MSHSAA boys’ wrestling districts begin Friday evening as teams from the four classes in the state look to click their tickets to the state championship meet next weekend. Valle Catholic will play host to one of the Class one districts while Sullivan and Mexico will host two of the Class Two district tournaments. The Class Three will be hosted by Farmington and Wentzville North Point with Northwest and Fort Zumwalt North hosting the Class Four tournament. The top four wrestlers in each weight class will advance to the state championships next weekend at Mizzou Arena.
Jim Powers has been covering prep sports in the St. Louis area for 15+ years and a part of the Missouri State High School Activities Association Championship Broadcasts for the past 11 years. Powers is also a part of the Fox 2 Verlo Mattress Prep Zone Friday nights at 10:10 during the football and basketball seasons. If you have a prep sports story, please contact Jim at japowers2421@yahoo.com. Follow Jim at @hssportscaravan
