The date of Wednesday, February 24 will go down in history as a great day in the annals of athletics at Lift for Life Academy.
On this day, both the Hawks’ boys and girls’ basketball teams won district championships for the first time in the school’s history. The girls got things started by defeating St. Pius X 52-32. Junior Taylor Brown led the way with 10 points and 10 rebounds while freshman La’Niya Starks had a team-high 11 points. Senior Na’Teonia Russell had seven points, nine rebounds and four assists.
After the girls’ impressive victory, the Hawks’ boys’ team followed up with a dramatic 23-22 victory over host DuBourg to win their first district championship. The Hawks trailed 22-16 midway through the fourth quarter, but outscored the Cavaliers 7-0 down the stretch to take home the championship trophy. The top player throughout the season for the Hawks has been 6’0” senior guard Rico Singleton.
Congratulations to the boys and girls at Lift for Life Academy on making this special history.
*Jayson Tatum to start in the All-Star Game
Congratulations to St. Louisan Jayson Tatum, who was recently selected as a starter in the upcoming NBA All-Star Game, which will be held in Atlanta this month. It will be Tatum’s second All-Star Game appearance and first as a starter. He was selected as a reserve, but was elevated to be a starter to replace Kevin Durant, who will be sidelined during the All-Star Break with a hamstring injury.
What this also means is that we will have two players from St. Louis starting in the All-Star Game for the first time as Tatum will join fellow Chaminade College Prep grad Bradley Beal in the lineup. The two former prep All-Americans hooked up in a great game on Sunday where Tatum’s Boston Celtics edged Beal’s Washington Wizards 111-110.
The two St. Louisans showed out in this game as Beal scored a game-high 46 points while Tatum scored 31 points, including the last six points in the final minute to give Boston the dramatic victory.
*Thank you Marv Williams
Special congratulations go out to Marv Williams, who is retiring after an excellent 40-year career as a basketball official in the St. Louis area. Williams worked his last game last Thursday night at McCluer North, which happens to be my alma mater.
Williams’ tremendous career also spans the years of my basketball career and the careers of my family members. Marv officiated my games at McCluer North in the early 1980’s, my sister Courtney’s games in the mid-80’s and my brother Richard’s games in the mid-1990’s. He also worked the games of my three nephews Robin, Austin and Sean, whose careers spanned from 2011-2020.
During his stellar career, Williams has worked at the high school, collegiate and junior college levels. He has worked numerous district and sectional contests as well as six Missouri State High School Activities Association state championship games.
Marv Williams was not only a terrific basketball official, but also a great man and a class act. He loves interacting with people and he never knew a stranger. Even when he’s calling a game, he still knows how to work the room and communicate with the fans; even during the most intense moments of a game where things can get really hostile. In the later years of his career, Marv has served as a great mentor to many of the young up and coming officials in the area.
If you played high school basketball in St. Louis between 1980 and 2020, the chances are great that you’ve had Marv Williams on at least one of your games. I cannot say enough good things about this gentleman. Congratulations again Marv on a wonderful career and the service that you have provided to the young people in our community.
