We are 10 days away from the beginning of another exciting season of college football, and a pair of former St. Louis area prep standouts have received preseason accolades.
Senior Kevin Coleman Jr. of Missouri and sophomore Ryan Wingo of Texas have both received preseason All-Conference recognition in the powerful Southeastern Conference. Both are very talented wide receivers.
Wingo, a former star at SLUH, was a Preseason Second Team selection. Coleman, a former star at St. Mary’s, was selected to the Preseason All-SEC Third Team.
Wingo entered Texas as one of the top recruits in the country last season and he delivered a strong debut season in helping the Longhorns to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
He finished with 29 receptions for 472 yards and two touchdowns. He was a big-play threat as he averaged 16.3 yards per reception. During his stellar four-year career at SLUH, Wingo had 129 receptions for 2,160 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Coleman comes to Mizzou after playing his junior season at Mississippi State. He was an All-SEC Third Team selection last season, when he caught 74 passes for 932 yards and six touchdowns. Coleman started his career at Jackson State, where he played for then-head coach Deion Sanders. He had 33 receptions for 510 yards and three touchdowns to earn Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Freshman of the Year honors. He transferred to Louisville for his sophomore year, where he caught 26 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns.
As a senior at St. Mary’s, Coleman scored 29 touchdowns to lead the Dragons to the Class 3 state championship.
High School Football practice began last week
Last Monday, high school football teams from around the St. Louis metro area began their official practice sessions. In a week, most schools will be participating in preseason jamborees on Aug. 22. The following weekend, the regular season will get underway. There are four area teams that won state championships last season. DeSmet and Lutheran North won state titles in Missouri while East St. Louis and Belleville Althof were state champions on the Illinois side.
Jermel Thomas Commits to SLU
Saint Louis University basketball coach Josh Schertz received a big commitment from standout point guard Jermel Thomas from Our Savior Lutheran in New York. The 6’3” Thomas is a four-star prospect who chose the Billikens over Big East Conference programs Providence and Seton Hall. Nicknamed “Magic Mel,” Thomas played for the Riverside Hawks during the summer grassroots season on the Under Armour Circuit. He averaged 11.2 points, 3.9 assists and 3.0 rebounds during the summer.
Hensgens and Willary bring home gold medals from AAU Nationals
Area track and field standouts Bailey Hensgens of Incarnate Word Academy and Aaliyah Willary of Pacific brought home gold medals in the high jump from the recent Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics in Humble, Texas.
Hensgens, a rising junior, won the high jump in the 15-16 age division with a clearance of 5 feet 7 inches. She also earned All-American recognition by finishing seventh in the long jump. Hensgens is a two-time state champion in the high jump at IWA.
Willary, a rising senior, won the high jump in the girls 17-18 age division by clearing 5’8’’. She finished second in the high jump to Hensgens at the Class 4 state championships in Jefferson City in May.
Area girls basketball standouts participating in Overtime Select
A group of top high school girls basketball players are in Atlanta to compete in the Overtime Select League. The OT Select is an eight-team league that features many of the top prep girls players in the country. Amaya Manuel of Lift for Life, Dasia Scott of Principia and Moriyah Douglass of John Burroughs are participants in the league.
Manuel is playing for the Venom Tears, who are coached by former Tennessee star and WNBA All-Star Chamique Holdsclaw. Scott and Douglass both play for the Drifty Dreamerz, who are coached by Vashon head coach John Albert.
Another Show-Me State player in the league is Park Hill South standout Addison Bjorn, who is ranked among the top 10 players in the country in the senior class. Another player with local ties is Texas prep standout Kamora Pruitt, who is the daughter of Tracy Harris and niece of Tara “Peaches” Harris, who were standout players at Gateway Tech.
The Overtime Select will wrap up this weekend with the tournament beginning on Friday night. The semifinals will be held on Saturday at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. (St. Louis time) with the championship game set for Sunday at 2 p.m. (St. Louis time).
The games are being broadcast on the Overtime Select Youtube page.
Tyran Frazier is headed to OTE
High level St. Louis basketball prospect Tyran Frazier will be continuing his high school career playing for Rod Wave Elite (RWE) in the Overtime Elite program. The 6’11” Frazier played his first two seasons at Hazelwood East, where he averaged 14.5 points and 12.3 rebounds as a sophomore. He was ranked among the top five players in the state of Missouri in the Class of 2027. Overtime Elite (OTE) is a professional league for players between the ages of 16 and 20. Athletes can play for an annual salary or they can maintain their college eligibility by playing for a scholarship.
Fraz and John John have New Podcast
Corey Frazier and John Albert are a pair of excellent basketball minds who are now co-hosting a new podcast titled “Gloves Off.” New episodes air on Sunday evenings. In addition to being outstanding basketball coaches, Fraz and John John also have strong opinions and they are never afraid to express them. In their first episode, they discussed the top 25 high school players from St. Louis over the past 25 years. It is some very entertaining banter. Check it out.
(Earl Austin Jr. is the host of the “Earl Austin Experience” on Saturday mornings from 9 to 11 a.m. on 590 KLIS, The Lou Information Station. If you listen to the show live, you can catch it via podcast on various platforms).