It is time to take our final look back at the 2017-18 high school season with our annual list of St. Louis American Prep Athletes of the Year in the different sports.
Football (Offense): Hassan Haskins (Eureka) – The standout running back had a tremendous senior season as he rushed for 2,197 yards and scored 34 touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to a 12-1 record and a berth in the Class 6 state semifinals. He will play football at the University of Michigan in the fall.
Football (Defense): Ronnie Perkins (Lutheran North) – The All-Star defensive tackle had a big senior year with 73 solo tackles, 15 quarterback sacks and 18 tackles for losses in leading the Crusaders to a 12-1 record and a berth in the Class 2 state semifinals. He will play at Oklahoma University in the fall.
Boys Basketball: Courtney Ramey (Webster Groves) – The standout point guard led the Statesmen to their second consecutive Class 5 state championship. He was also selected Mr. Show-Me Basketball in the state of Missouri. He is headed to the University of Texas.
E.J. Liddell (Belleville West) – The standout junior forward led the Maroons to the Illinois Class 4 state championship, which was the first in the school’s history. He was also selected as Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois. He will return as one of the top 50 prospects in the United States in the Class of 2019.
Girls Basketball: Sonya Morris (Incarnate Word) – The talented point guard led the Red Knights to their second consecutive Class 4 state championship. She was also selected Ms. Show-Me Basketball in the state of Missouri. Morris is headed to DePaul on a basketball scholarship.
Cross Country: Nassim Oufattole (Lafayette) – The senior standout earned All-State honors after finishing in sixth place at the Class 4 state championships, which was the best among St. Louis area runners. He was also an individual sectional champion.
Boys Soccer: Will Kelly (Priory) – The freshman forward led the Rebels to the Class 2 state championship. He scored 15 goals and had four assists on the season, including seven goals and three assists in his team’s successful run through the state tournament. He scored two goals in the state championship victory over Lincoln College Prep.
Girls Soccer: Jada Harvey (Hazelwood Central) – The talented forward scored 27 points and had 20 assists in leading the Hawks to a district championship and berth in the Class 4 sectionals. She has committed to Southeast Missouri State.
Kendall Battle (Pattonville) – A University of Cincinnati commit, Battle scored 21 points and had 13 assists to lead the Pirates to an 18-5 record. She is one of the top offensive players in the area.
Swimming/Diving: Hunter Grannum (MICDS) – The talented diver was the Class 1 individual state champion. At the state championships, he had the third highest score in the history of the state meet.
Softball: Micah Arps (Incarnate Word) – The senior standout led the Red Knights to the Class 3 state semifinals, hitting .451 with two home runs, 33 runs batted in and a team high 24 stolen bases.
Tennis: Janel Dean (Parkway North) – The senior standout was a two-time state qualifier and an individual Class 4 district champion. She also led the Vikings to their first district team championship since 2012.
Wrestling: Malik Johnson (CBC) – The standout performer concluded a stellar prep career as a four-time individual state champion. As a senior, he was 30-0 and won the state title at 126 pounds. He finished his career with a record of 141-11. Johnson is headed to the University of Missouri.
Girls’ Volleyball: Brooke Flowers (Metro) – The All-Public High League performer had 170 kills and 79 blocks to lead the Panthers to a 26-5 record and a district championship. She is headed to Saint Louis U. to play basketball.
Breyanna Howard (Miller Career Academy) – The standout senior outside hitter was the Public High League Player of the Year. She was among the area’s leaders in kills with 193 and a 3.94 per set average.
Boys’ Volleyball: Auston Bonte’ (Pattonville) – The senior outside hitter averaged five kills per set to lead the St. Louis metro area. He led the Pirates to a 20-11 record and a berth in the state quarterfinals. He is headed to Lewis University.
Baseball: Dexter Swims (McCluer North) – The talented outfielder was one of the area’s top hitters with a .569 batting average. He also had one home run, 25 runs batted in and 29 stolen bases in leading the Stars to the Suburban XII North Conference championship.
Boys’ Track and Field: Brandon Miller (John Burroughs): The sophomore phenom set a new state record in the 800-meter run with a time of 1 minute 49.55 seconds at the Class 3 state championships. He was also the state champion in the 1,600-meter run.
Girls’ Track and Field: Laqwasia Stepney (Belleville West) – Stepney was the Illinois Class 3 state champion in the long jump with an area best of 19 feet 4 ½ inches. She also earned All-State honors after finishing second in the 300-meter low hurdles and 100-meter high hurdles.
Lacrosse: Olivia Proctor (MICDS) – The talented junior forward led the Rams to a repeat state championship. She scored a team-high 66 goals, including a combined 10 goals in the Rams’ victory in the state semifinals and state championship game.
