Things looked bleak early with the Cardinal Ritter College Prep Lions when they came out of the gate with a 2-7 record under first-year coach Ryan Johnson.
What people may not have realized is that Johnson had put together a rugged non-conference schedule that really tested his players to the limit during the first month on the season. The Lions went on the road to face top teams from Chicago, Houston and Little Rock. When they finally came back to play in St. Louis, they had to face perennial power Vashon in their first home game.
The Lions competed well against all of the top competition, but it just didn’t translate into early season victories.
However, that has all changed in the past three weeks as the Lions have been on a serious roll with six consecutive wins and a big tournament championship. Cardinal Ritter broke through and won the inaugural Legends of Winter Roundball Classic at SLUH. The Lions are now 8-7.
In a field loaded with quality teams, the Lions defeated SLUH, Hazelwood Central, CBC and Soldan to come away with the championship. In the last three games, Ritter trailed each time, only to come back and take the victory and the championship. The challenging early-season schedule is clearly paying off for this battle-tested group.
The leader of the pack is senior guard Malek Davis, who was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the Legends of Winter Roundball Classic. A Drury University signee, the 5’10” Davis is averaging 15.4 points and 3.7 assists a game. The emergence of 6’6” junior forward Gary Clark has really been a big key for the Lions. Clark is averaging 13.2 points and 11 rebounds a game. Sophomore guard Mario Fleming is averaging 11.8 points and four rebounds while transitioning from being a post player to a perimeter player.
Cardinal Ritter is also starting to get big contributions from 6’0” freshman guard Luther Burden, who joined the team late after enjoying a spectacular season on the football field with the Lions. Burden hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer to give the Lions a 57-56 victory over CBC in the semifinals. Brandon Ellington, a 6’6” junior transfer from DeSmet, has been a big factor on the boards. He had 14 rebounds in the championship game against Soldan.
The schedule does not get any easier for Ritter as they will face Mid-Missouri power Father Tolton, CBC and Jennings in their next three games.
Yuri Collins returns
Standout point guard Yuri Collins of St. Mary’s is finally back in action after missing the first part of the season while recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. The 5’10” Saint Louis U. signee has come back in a big way for the Dragons with several sparkling performances.
In seven games, Collins is averaging 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 3.0 steals. In his first game back, Collins had 33 points and 7 assists in a victory over North Central (PA) in Akron, Ohio. He scored a team-high 23 points in a 58-55 loss to AAA rival Cardinal Ritter last Friday night.
Collins is the only returning starter from a St. Mary’s team that won a district championship and advanced to the Class 4 state quarterfinals last season. His return gives a young Dragons team an opportunity to win another district championship.
McCluer North girls are off and running
The McCluer North girls have been enjoying an impressive season with a 10-1 record heading into the 2019 portion of the season. The Stars won the championship of the Clayton Tournament and finished 3-1 at the Jerseyville Tournament over the holiday break. The Stars are led by 5’9” sophomore Samaya Johnson, who is averaging 14.2 points a game. Sophomore guard Michelle Owens is averaging 11.1 points and four steals a game. Owens is a state champion hurdler in track and field. Junior Kiera Sutton averages 7.5 points while sophomore Madeline Pinkston leads the Stars in rebounding.
On Tap This Weekend
Trinity at Chaminade, Friday, 7 p.m.
Vashon at East St. Louis, Friday, 7 p.m.
Denver Miller Tournament Championship at Kirkwood, Friday, 7 p.m.
Rotating 8 Tournament Championship at Whitfield, Friday, 8:30 p.m.
Lutheran North at Gateway STEM (girls), Friday, 6:15 p.m.
Ladue at Webster Groves (girls), Friday, 7 p.m.
