Four area high schools now stand at the forefront of Missouri prep basketball as respective winners of Missouri State High School Activities Association championships in Columbia, Mo.
Incarnate Word Academy and Lift for Life won girls’ titles, while the Vashon and Webster Groves boys hoisted championship trophies.
Very Vashon
Vashon was dominant in winning its fifth consecutive Class 5 state championship. The Wolverines defeated Potosi 90-30 in the semifinals, then followed up with an 81-45 victory over St. Joe Benton in the state championship game.
It was also the first state championship under the direction of first-year head coach Jimmy McKinney Jr., the former Vashon High star who took over for Tony Irons, who is now at Mineral Area College.
The Wolverines were led by senior guard Trey Williams Jr, who scored 19 points in both games in the Final Four. Sophomore guard Jimmy McKinney III, the coach’s son, averaged 13.5 points in the two games in Columbia while 6’6” senior Terron Garrett was excellent as he scored 17 points in the championship game. Vashon also got big contributions from brothers Dehrio and Dorea McCaskill and sophomore guard Leon Powell.
Word Up
The Incarnate Word girls’ basketball dynasty kept on rolling last weekend as it won its eighth consecutive state championship. The Red Knights defeated Staley 55-41 to win the Class 6 state championship. The Red Knights defeated fellow MWAA Conference school Cor Jesu in the semifinals.
The Red Knights’ stellar starting backcourt of Nevaeh Caffey and Peyton Hill concluded their careers as four-time state champions. Hill, an Eastern Michigan recruit, scored a team-high 16 points in the state championship game against Staley. Nevaeh Lucious, a 6’3” junior forward, had a big Final Four weekend as she averaged 15 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in the two Final Four games.
In addition to winning the state championship, the Red Knights also put themselves in the record books with their winning streak of 141 games, which set a new national mark for girls’ high school basketball. The streak spanned over five seasons.
Up-Lifting performance
Lift for Life defeated St. Teresa’s Academy 55-41 to win the Class 5 state championship. The Hawks are repeat champions after winning the Class 4 state title last season. The Hawks have won three state titles in five years in three different classes. They won the Class 3 state championship in 2021.
Sophomore guard Amaya Manuel was dominant in the state championship game with 21 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and two 3-pointers. The Hawks overwhelmed Fort Zumwalt South and St. Teresa’s with their speed and quickness. The quartet of Amaya and Cara Manuel, Zha Harris, and Diamond Polk all shined during the weekend in Columbia.
Stating their case
Webster Groves defeated Summit Christian Academy 67-56 to win the Class 5 state championship. The Statesmen won their sixth state championship, and fourth in the past eight seasons.
Sophomore star Scottie Adkinson put on a show in the Final Four as he scored 59 points in the two games. The 6’3” guard scored 30 points in the semifinals against Westminster Christian and followed up with 29 points against SCA in the championship game. Adkinson was also named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Missouri last week.
Earl’s World
Four other schools were present at the Final Four last weekend…Chaminade College Prep finished as runners-up in the Class 6 boys tournament….Westminster Christian’s boys finished third in the Class 5 tournament…Fort Zumwalt South’s girls finished third in the Class 5 tournament…The MICDS girls finished fourth in the Class 4 tournament…The Lindenwood University women’s basketball team advanced to the Super 16 of the WNIT. The Lions have defeated Tulsa and Tarleton State in the first two rounds of the tournament. Lindenwood is in its third year as a NCAA Division I program…St. Louisan Caleb Love is the area’s last hope to bring home the NCAA men’s basketball title. The 6’3” guard from CBC helped guide the Wildcats to the Sweet 16 with victories over Akron and Oregon. Love scored 20 of his game-high 29 points in the second half to lead Arizona over the Ducks 87-83 in the second round. Arizona will now face Cooper Flagg and Duke on March 27 in Newark, New Jersey.