Football
*The East St. Louis Flyers rolled to another Illinois Class 6A state championship with head coach Darren Sunkett picking up his 200th career victory. The Flyers defeated Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge 57-7 to win a 10th state championship. The Flyers had speed, talent at every position and incredible size on the offensive line, which was led by 6’7″ 350-pound Alabama recruit Miles McVay.
*The CBC Cadets won their fifth state championship and second in succession in dramatic style as they defeated Lee’s Summit North 35-28 in an overtime thriller for the Class 6 title. Senior Jeremiyah Love was the individual standout for the Cadets as he amassed 318 all-purpose yards and scored five touchdowns, including the game-winning score in overtime.
*The Francis Howell Vikings [14-0] won their first ever state championship by defeating Fort Osage 49-21 in the Class 5 Show-Me Bowl. Quarterback Adam Shipley rushed for 245 yards and scored two touchdowns. He also passed for 89 yards and two more scores. Running back Brady Hultman rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
*The St. Mary’s Dragons made it back-to-back state championships as they defeated fellow Archdiocesan Athletic Association school St. Dominic 42-0 in the Class 4 Show-Me Bowl. Senior running back John Roberts rushed for 89 yards and scored two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Chase Hendricks caught four passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns, including a punt return.
*Cardinal Ritter College Prep [14-0] made history by winning its first state championship with a convincing 46-7 victory over Reed’s Spring in the Class 3 Show-Me Bowl. Senior running back Marvin Burks Jr. rushed for 118 yards and scored four touchdowns while senior wide receiver Fredrick Moore caught eight passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns.
Boys Basketball
*The CBC Cadets won the Class 6 state championship in Springfield, led by the stellar trio of senior point guard Rob Martin, senior guard Larry Hughes Jr. and 7’2″ sophomore center John Bol. Martin was the St. Louis American Player of the Year in 2022 after averaging 20 points a game.
*Vashon High brought home another state championship as the Wolverines defeated Father Tolton 57-49 to win the Class 4 title. The Wolverines went back-to-back behind the effort of 6’6″ forward Kennard Davis Jr. The Wolverines also got excellent performances from 6’5″ forward Cameron Stovall and 6’5″ guard Jayden Nicholson.
Girls Basketball
*The Incarnate Word Academy dynasty continued as the Red Knights rolled to another state championship. IWA capped off a perfect 29-0 season by defeating Springfield Kickapoo 67-50 in the Class 6 state championship game. The Red Knights were led by senior guard Saniah Tyler, who scored a game-high 24 points. The University of Kentucky recruit was the St. Louis American Player of the Year in 2022.
*The John Burroughs Bombers made history by winning their first ever state championship last March. The Bombers defeated St. Joe Benton 54-40 to win the Class 4 state championship and finished the season with a 25-4 record. Leading the way was 5’8″ sophomore point guard Allie Turner, who scored 19 points in the championship game.Â
Boys Track and Field
*Principia won the Class 1 state championship in Jefferson City behind the exploits of star junior springer Issam Asinga. He won state championships in the 100- and 200-meter dashes while setting new state records in the process.
*Westminster Christian won its first ever state championship in boys track by winning the Class 3 state title in Jefferson City. The Wildcats won the state title on the strength of their athletes in the field events as Joseph Anderson won the triple jump.
Girls Track and Field
*Cardinal Ritter College Prep rolled to its second consecutive Class 5 state championship by outscoring its nearest competitor by nearly 40 points. The Lions were led by sophomore sprinting sensation Aniyah Brown, who won the 100 and 200-meter dashes as well as ran legs on the first place 4×100- and 4×200-meter relays.
*Parkway Central made history by winning its Class 4 state championship in Jefferson City. The Colts scored 78 points and rode a talented crew of sprinters to its first state championship led by seniors Kayelyn Tate, Nnenna Okpara and Skyye Lee. Lee was the state champion in the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles while Tate was the state champion in the 200.
*Westminster Christian’s girls joined its boys as first-time state champions as the Wildcats won the Class 3 state title. WCA was led by senior standout Brooke Moore, who won individual state titles in the long jump, triple jump, and 100-meter-high hurdles. She also earned an All-State medal in the 100-meter dash. Junior Sydney Burdine also brought home three all-state medals.
