Springfield, MO – The Vashon High boys basketball dynasty rolled to another state championship with another dominating performance in the biggest game of the season.
It was the 14th state championship in the storied history of Vashon’s program and the sixth for head coach Tony Irons, who led the Wolverines to state titles in 2016, ’17, ’19, “21 and ’22.
After a hard-fought victory over Father Tolton in the semifinals on Thursday, the Wolverines took no chances on Friday as they dismantled Park Hills Central 64-37 to win the Class 4 state championship at the Great Southern Bank Arena on the campus of Missouri State University. It was the 14th state championship in the storied history of Vashon’s program and the sixth for head coach Tony Irons, who led the Wolverines to state titles in 2016, ’17, ’19, “21 and ’22.
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As usual, Vashon relied on its smothering pressure defense to control the game as it held Park Hills Central to 31 percent shooting from the field while forcing 16 turnovers. By contrast, the Wolverines were on target as they shot 58 percent from the field and 45 percent from 3-point range.
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Sophomore guards Dierre Hill Jr. and Trey Williams Jr. led a balanced scoring attack with 12 points each. Senior forward Cameron Stovall added 10 points while senior forward Kennard Davis Jr. had nine points and four rebounds.
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*All-St. Louis Class 5 Boys Final
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The Class 5 state championship trophy will be coming back to St. Louis for certain as Cardinal Ritter and Ladue advanced to tonight’s state championship game at 6 p.m. Cardinal Ritter rallied from an 11-point second half deficit in the second half to defeat Pembroke Hill 58-54. Ladue defeated Jefferson City 69-56 in the other semifinal contest.
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Cardinal Ritter trailed 42-31 late in the third quarter before staging a big fourth quarter rally that was fueled by its pressure defense. Juniors Ryan Atkins and Nashawn Davis led the Lions with 15 points apiece while junior Derrick Rivers added 14 points.
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In the other semifinal, Ladue controlled the game from start to finish as they bolted to an 18-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. Junior guard Dwaye Foley Jr. led the Rams with 23 points while senior guard Jack Steinbach added 17 points.
