A couple of weeks ago, we began our annual Prep Year in Review series by looking at the great teams in the area. This week, we conclude our high school coverage by looking at the great athletes by their individual sport. Here is a look at the St. Louis American 2025-26 Players of the Year, listed by sport.
The Top Honors
Our 2026 Male Athlete of the Year is Quentin Coleman, a senior guard who led Principia to its second consecutive state basketball championship. Our Co-Female Athletes of the Year are Bailey Hensgens, a track and field star from Incarnate Word Academy and Shaye Witherspoon, a volleyball hitter from Lafayette.
Players of the Year, by Sport
Football (Large Schools)
* Nick McClellan (CBC): – The outstanding senior quarterback was a true dual-threat weapon for the Cadets’ powerful offense that averaged 55 points per game. As a senior, he passed for 2,622 yards and 29 touchdowns with only 2 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,248 yards and 17 touchdowns while leading the Cadets to an 11-1 record and the Metro Catholic Conference championship. He is headed to Kansas State in the fall.
Football (Small Schools)
*Xavier Clark (St. Mary’s): The junior running back led the Dragons to a district championship and a berth in the Class 4 state semifinals. He rushed for 2,098 yards on 265 carries and scored 25 touchdowns. He also had 232 receiving yards for the season. He has already committed to the University of Missouri.
Boys Basketball
* Quentin Coleman (Principia): The 6-foot-4 senior guard led the Panthers to their second consecutive Class 3 state championship. He scored a career-high 50 points in the state championship game against Miller Career Academy. As a senior, he averaged 23 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 45% from 3-point range. He finished his stellar career ranked in the top 20 nationally in the senior class and is headed to the University of Illinois.
Girls Basketball
Dasia Scott (Principia): The 6-foot-2 junior forward led the Panthers to the Class 3 state championship, the first in the program’s history. She was a dominant force at both ends of the court, averaging 20 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks, as she led the Panthers to a 30-2 record. She has received multiple scholarship offers from Division I collegiate programs nationwide.
Volleyball
* Shaye Witherspoon (Lafayette): The 6-foot-3 junior outside hitter is the latest star player in the Lafayette High girls volleyball dynasty. As a junior, she led the Lancers to a 40-2 record and another Class 5 state championship. She averaged 5.9 kills a set, ranking second in the St. Louis area. She also had 94 blocks and 94 service aces. She has already committed to the collegiate powerhouse program at Nebraska.
Soccer
* Freddy Tate (Chaminade): A senior forward who was one of the top scorers for the Red Devils. He scored 16 goals and had 6 assists, including 7 game-winning goals.
* Xavier Clark (St. Mary’s): A two-sport standout who is also an excellent basketball player, Clark also excelled on the soccer pitch. He scored 22 goals and had 11 assists, leading the Dragons to a 17-7 record. He also recorded six game-winning goals.
Boys Wrestling
Colin Rutlin (CBC): A junior standout who won a state championship at 157 pounds. He finished the season with a 40-3 record.
* Pierre Walton (Althoff): The senior became a back-to-back state champion when he won the Class 1 state title at 165 pounds. He finished the year with a 44-1 record. He won a state title at East St. Louis as a junior.
Girls Wrestling
* Lexington Johnson (St. Charles West): A senior standout who won the Class 1 state championship at 170 pounds, Johnson finished the season with an outstanding 58-2 record.
Boys Track
*Moquez Bulliner (Belleville West): A stellar senior sprinter who was the Illinois Class 3A state champion in the 400-meter dash. He recorded a winning time of 47.2 seconds, the seventh fastest in state history. He led the Maroons to a second-place finish in the overall team standings.
Girls Track
*Bailey Hensgens (Incarnate Word Academy: The junior field event star has already established herself as one of the top combination jumpers in the history of St. Louis girls prep track and field. As a junior, she was a Class 4 state champion in the high jump, long jump and triple jump. On the track, she was also a state runner-up in the 200-meter dash.
Baseball
- Corde Gage (CBC): A dual-sport athlete, Gage also stands out on the Cadets’ football team. In baseball, he helped CBC earn a berth in the state championship game as a standout outfielder. He had a .404 batting average with 1 home run, 6triples, 30 runs batted in and 14 stolen bases.