The St. Mary’s Dragons have enjoyed a tremendous season under the leadership of head coach Bryan Turner.
The Dragons entered the week with a 20-1 record. After a 15-13 campaign last season, the Dragons have responded with their first 20-victory season since 2018. St. Mary’s also has a couple of tournament championships on their resume, with the big one being the Webster Winter Classic in early December.
St. Mary’s has been led by 6’0” junior guard Zyree Collins, who has been remarkable from the opening game of the season. The younger brother of former St. Mary’s and Saint Louis University standout point guard Yuri Collins, Zyree is currently averaging 31 points a game which leads the St. Louis metro area. Collins is also averaging five rebounds, four assists and three steals a game while shooting 49% from 3-point range.
Collins has been dominant in several big St. Mary’s wins this season. He scored 46 points against a strong John Burroughs team, and 46 points against Hazelwood East in the championship game of the Giants Jingle Bell Holiday Tournament in Farmington.
The Dragons have had several other players who have been strong contributors this year at both ends of the court. Senior guard Demetrius Griffin is averaging 11 points and nearly seven assists a game. Junior guard Ethan Smith is averaging nine points a game. Also, in the mix are 6’0” freshman Xavier Clark, 6’3” sophomore Gary Johnson, 6’2” senior Marquan Haynes and 5’7” sophomore Marvin Neals.
St. Mary’s will face one of its biggest challenges of the season this weekend when it heads to the boot heel to face Class 3 power New Madrid Central at the 6th Man Shootout in Charleston. New Madrid is the defending Class 3 state champions, which are led by the dynamic duo of 6’5” senior Jadis Jones and 6’0” senior guard B.J. Williamson.
*Carson Boyd commits to Illinois
Cardinal Ritter College Prep quarterback Carson Boyd has given a commitment to the University of Illinois. The 6’0” 170-pound junior made his announcement on his social media account over the weekend. He is one of the top prospects in the state of Missouri in the Class of 2025.
A three-star dual threat quarterback, Boyd chose Illinois over such schools as Missouri, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, Purdue, Louisville, and many other programs.
Boyd enjoyed a big junior season in helping lead Cardinal Ritter to a 14-0 record and the Class 5 state championship. As a junior, Boyd completed 128 of 161 pass attempts for 2,224 yards and 29 touchdowns and only one interception. He also rushed for 576 yards and six touchdowns.
*Keshon Gilbert stars at Iowa State
Former Vashon High standout guard Keshon Gilbert has been enjoying an excellent junior season for the Iowa State Cyclones.
The 6’4” Gilbert is currently averaging 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists a game while shooting 47 percent from the field for Iowa State, who is currently 16-4.
Last Saturday, Gilbert had 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in the Cyclones victory over No. 7 Kansas. He hit the key 3-pointer in the closing seconds that sealed the victory for Iowa State.
Gilbert was one of the top players for the Wolverines 2021 team that won the Class 4 state championship in convincing fashion.
*Standout weekend games
Boys
Park Hills Central at MICDS, Thursday, 7 p.m.
Cardinal Ritter at Father Tolton, Friday, 7:15 p.m.
Girls
Webster Winter Challenge, Friday (Semifinals), Championship Day (Saturday)
