Cardinal Ritter College Prep won its seventh state championship in boys basketball last weekend in Columbia.
The Lions defeated Kansas City Barstow 57-48 in a spirited Class 3 state championship game played last Saturday at the Mizzou Arena. Cardinal Ritter finished the season with a 26-5 record.
With just three minutes left in the game, the score was tied at 45-45 and everything was hanging in the balance. Down the stretch, the Lions’ defense took over as they outscored Barstow 12-3 to take home the state championship.
It was Ritter’s state championship No. 4 for head coach Marvin Neals, who suffered a stroke during the summer but was able to return to the bench for the 2014 season to oversee another state championship run. This season’s championship was keyed by speed, quickness and outstanding defense.
“I have always said our defense is the key to our success,” Neals said. “We have to play good defense, and we have to work together.”
Senior guard Sean Clancey enjoyed a tremendous weekend in Columbia in carrying the offensive load. The 6’3” Clancey had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead Ritter in the state finals. Junior forward Jah Kobe Womack came off the bench to score 11 points while senior forward Charles Jones added eight points.
Clancey was simply unbelievable in the Lions’ 74-55 victory over Strafford in the semifinals last Thursday. He erupted for a season high 39 points while grabbing 12 rebounds.
“This is the best feeling in the world right now,” Clancey said. “To know that when we come back into the school, 10, 20 years from now, that we’ll be seeing our names on the wall with all of the other state champions. It’s a great feeling.”
The Lions also got big efforts from junior point guard Jahmourie Robinson and defensive stalwarts Jeff Jones and Isaiah Williams.For Neals, the state championship is another milestone during a Hall of Fame career that has spanned five decades. He won his first state championship as an assistant coach for Vashon in 1971. A decade later, Neals guided Soldan to the Class 4A state championship in 1981.
After leading Soldan to a Class 3A runner-up finish in 1990, Neals left the game for 10 years, but returned to take over the Ritter program, where he also won state championships in 2003, ‘06, ‘10.
