The fourth time was definitely the charm for head coach Brandon Wright and his Miller Career Academy boys basketball team.
The Phoenix had made three consecutive trips to the Class 4 district championship game, only to run into the mighty Vashon Wolverines. Vashon defeated the Phoenix each time en route to winning the Class 4 state championship.
Once again, Miller Career Academy was back in a district championship game last weekend. However, the Phoenix were dropped down into Class 3 and their opponent last Saturday was Soldan. The host Phoenix broke through and defeated Soldan 76-31 to win the district title and advance to the state sectionals.
The last time Miller Career Academy defeated Soldan in a district championship game was in 2009 when it advanced to the Final Four of the Class 3 state tournament in Columbia. The Phoenix are hoping to follow a similar path to the Final Four this season. The winner of their sectional game with Valley Park on Tuesday night will advance to the state quarterfinals on Saturday at Ste. Genevieve.
The Phoenix are currently 16-12 while playing against an incredibly tough schedule. Among the teams that they have played are Vashon, Chaminade, Logan-Rogersville and Nixa, who were all Final Four participants last season. The Phoenix also played Cardinal Ritter, East St. Louis, St. Mary’s, Columbia Battle and in the always strong Centralia Christmas Tournament in Southern Illinois.
Although the Phoenix may lack the height to match up with those strong teams, they do have outstanding speed and team quickness, which they take advantage of with tenacious pressure defense. They are tough and they don’t back down from anybody.
The top player for Career Academy is 6’0” senior guard CJ Nelson, who has been one of the area’s top scorers throughout the season. He has enjoyed some big scoring nights, including 50 points against Chaminade, 38 points against Lutheran North and 30 points in a victory over Cardinal Ritter.
CJ Nelson is the oldest of a family of three brothers on the team. The second one is junior point guard Calvin Nelson who is a quick floor leader who can score and play excellent defense. Joining the older two brothers is freshman guard Cam Nelson, who is an excellent offensive player who can make 3-pointers.
The Phoenix also feature a group of talented guards that include 5’9” senior Michael Dickerson, 5’10” junior Elijah Thomas and 5’10” freshman Braylon White. Dickerson is a veteran guard who is very shifty and can also shoot the ball from 3-point range. In the frontcourt, the Phoenix rely on 6’4” senior Marquise Molton, 5’11” junior Kieng Jackson and 6’3” freshman Jayke Haynes.
Large School District Tournaments are this week
The large schools take center stage this week with district tournaments in Missouri Classes 4, 5 and 6. Here are some big storylines as we approach this week’s boys and girls district tournaments. If you want to see all of the district tournament brackets, you can visit the website www.mshsaa.org.
- The Vashon Wolverines enter the postseason as the five-time Class 4 state champions. The Wolverines are the No. 1 seed in the Class 4, District 6 tournament at Vashon. The Wolverines are currently 20-3 and enter the postseason on a 12-game winning streak.
- Cardinal Ritter is having a strong bounce back season after being eliminated from the district playoffs in the first round last season. The Lions had won two consecutive state championships in 2024 and 2025. The Lions enter districts with a 17-9 record and on a nine-game winning streak. They are the No. 1 seed in the Class 6, District 1 tournament at SLUH.
- Metro Catholic Conference rivals Chaminade and DeSmet will once again be in the same Class 6 district tournament. Chaminade is the No. 1 seed while DeSmet is the No. 2 seed in District 2 at DeSmet. The teams split two meetings during the regular season with both team winning on each other’s home court.
Girls Storylines
- As always, the beginning of the girls’ postseason centers on the Incarnate Word Academy dynasty. The Red Knights have won five consecutive Class 6 state championships and are seeking No. 6. IWA is the No. 1 seed and host to District 3.
- Lift for Life enters the postseason as back to back state champions. The Hawks won the Class 4 state title in 2024 and the Class 5 championship in 2025. A potential three-peat will be a harder task as the Hawks are without its talented twin guard duo of juniors Amaya and Cara Manuel, who are out with season-ending injuries. The Hawks still have some talented players who were big contributors in the championship years. They are still an intriguing team to watch.
- Cardinal Ritter has been moved down to Class 4 after playing for a district championship in Class 5 this season. The Lions are the No. 1 seed in District 5 at Vashon. The Lions are just returning to full health after missing key players to injuries over the course of the season. When fully healthy, Cardinal Ritter is one of the most talented teams in the state.