The holiday tournament season gets going at full force this week with several of them getting underway today around the St. Louis metro area. Several tournaments were featured in last week’s American, and here is a look at some more excellent tournaments.
Coaches vs. Cancer features excellent field. The Coaches vs. Cancer Holiday Tournament features a very good field of teams, which will convene at the Meramec Community College. The top seeds in the tournament are No. 1 Webster Groves, followed by McCluer North, DeSmet, Kirkwood, Mehlville and Rockwood Marquette. The semifinals are set for Saturday night at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. with the championship game scheduled for Sunday night at 8 p.m.
Collinsville Tournament features top Illinois talent. Several top Metro East teams will be on hand at the Prairie Farms Collinsville Holiday Classic, which will begin on Thursday. Defending tournament champion Collinsville leads the field along with fellow Metro East teams East St. Louis, Belleville East, Edwardsville and O’Fallon. The tournament also features teams from around the state of Illinois, including Quincy, Springfield Southeast, Decatur Eisenhower and Lincoln (IL). The championship game is set for Saturday night 7:30 p.m.
Vashon wins Consolation title at City of Palms. The Vashon Wolverines participated in the prestigious City of Palms Classic last week in Fort Myers, FL. Playing in a national field, Vashon finished the tournament with a 3-1 record and won the consolation championship. After losing to No. 3 ranked University High (FL) in the first round, the Wolverines defeated Osceola (FL), xx and xx to win the consolation bracket.
Junior guard Cam’Ron Fletcher was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 19.5 points in the Wolverines’ four games. Junior guard Phillip Russell enjoyed a big performance with 28 points and five 3-pointers in the Wolverines victory over Osceola.
Sikeston headlines St. Dominic Tournament. Southeast Missouri powerhouse Sikeston has been coming north to play in the St. Dominic Tournament for many years. The Bulldogs have dominated the tournament and they enter come in as the No. 1 seed again this week. Sikeston figures to get a challenge from No. 2 seed Fort Zumwalt South. The championship get is set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Francis Howell Central received the No. 1 seed at the St. Dominic Girls Tournament. Lutheran St. Charles, Wentzville Holt and St. Charles West follow Howell Central as top seeds. The championship game is set for Saturday at 6 p.m. before the boys’ championship game.
Howell Central girls continue excellent run. The Francis Howell Central girls’ basketball team enjoyed a big postseason run in 2018 as it won a district title and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class 5 state tournament. The Spartans have picked right up where they left off as they have started the season at 6-1 en route to the top seed at the St. Dominic Christmas Tournament.
The Spartans are led by 5’9” senior guard Yani Curry, a Toledo signee who is averaging 14.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.1 steals while shooting 54 percent from the field. Curry scored 22 points in the Spartans big come-from-behind victory over Troy in a big Gateway Athletic Conference showdown last week. Curry gets plenty of support from guard Azaria Hulbert, who averages 11.3 points. Guard Lauren Elbert is a top shooter who averages 10 points and makes 43 percent of her 3-point attempts. Sophomore point guard Gracie Stugart averages six points and three assists a game.
