One team is parched from a 13-year drought, while the other is looking to take its first sip of boys playoff basketball.
St. Pius X last won a district championship in 2006. Lancers head coach Eric Lawrence was a senior at Festus High and led the Tigers in scoring with 17.6 points per game that year.
“Anytime a school’s gone 10-plus years without a title, it’s a big deal, but at the same time, it’s just a game,” Lawrence said. “The kids have worked hard and it means a lot to them. Some of them took a lot of beatings early in their careers.”
Jefferson won its first two boys district basketball games ever in this year’s tournament with victories over Woodland and Scott City. The Blue Jays have won 10 of their last 12 games under first-year head coach Sean Breeze.
The two Jefferson County Activities Association small-schools rivals meet for a third time this season in the Class 3 District 3 championship game at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night at Jefferson. The Lancers (20-7, No. 1 seed) are 2-0 against Jefferson (18-8, No. 2) this season. In the last meeting on Feb. 8, St. Pius won 43-42 when senior guard Jalen Thornton made a last-second jump shot.
Breeze said after the Blue Jays beat Woodland 78-36 in the first round of the district tournament, the focus immediately shifted to Scott City. Junior Jon Weik (19 points) and senior Easton Null (18) led Jefferson in scoring in its 58-43 win over the Rams on Tuesday night. Null poured in 33 points in the opening round.
“In the semifinals we played with good energy as well,” Breeze said. “(Jefferson High) will not lack for energy (Friday). I would anticipate both teams being fired up. The challenge will be to remain patient, especially early in the game.
“It’s a matter of going out and executing. Our defense has been really good and will have to be (Friday) and our offense has to have more flow to it than the last time.”
Four Lancers -- Kayden Cook (20 points), Eli Boyer (16), Josh Ruble (15) and Thornton (10) -- scored in double figures in their 70-57 win over Herculaneum in the first round. In the 38-32 victory against Arcadia Valley in the semifinals on Wednesday, St. Pius struggled to score inside for the first time since it lost junior Riley Naeger to a broken wrist for the season on Feb. 6. Naeger was leading the Lancers in scoring at the time.
“Eli Boyer and Josh Ruble got hot for us from the perimeter on a night our inside offense struggled,” Lawrence said. “We struggled getting to the basket. I told our boys, ‘this time of year there won’t be any iffy fouls. The refs are going to let you play.’”
Breeze said his team’s key matchup will be how well it handles the Lancers’ defensive pressure.
“We have to do a better job of executing on offense,” Breeze said. “We can’t lose their shooters. The last time we did and they burned us.”
Lawrence said St. Pius has to slow down the Jefferson offense and not let them run and up and down the floor. He understands that Null and Weik could score to their season averages, but if the Lancers can subdue the supporting cast, their chances of winning greatly increase .
“We’re going to win on the defensive end,” Lawrence said. “If we can slow Easton down and keep Cole Holdinghausen, Erik Eisenbeis and Jacob Bridges from getting going, they’re going to struggle.”
Class 5 District 1 boys
Feb. 26-28 at Jackson
Seeds: 1. Poplar Bluff; 2. Jackson; 3. Seckman; 4. Northwest
Feb. 26: Poplar Bluff vs. Northwest, 6 p.m.; Jackson vs. Seckman, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 28: Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Class 5 District 1 girls
Feb. 25-28 at Jackson
Seeds: 1. Jackson; 2. Poplar Bluff; 3. Northwest; 4. Seckman
Feb. 25: Jackson vs. Seckman, 6 p.m.; Poplar Bluff vs. Northwest, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 28: Championship, 6 p.m.
Class 4 District 3 boys
Feb. 23-March 1 at Hillsboro
Seeds: 1. Hillsboro; 2. Lutheran South; 3. Rockwood Summit; 4. Festus; 5. Windsor; 6. Pacific
Feb. 23: Festus vs. Windsor, 6 p.m.; Summit vs. Pacific, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 26: (Semifinals) Hillsboro vs. Festus/Windsor, 5:30 p.m.; Lutheran South vs. Summit/Pacific, 7 p.m.
March 1: Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 4 District 3 girls
Feb. 23-March 1 at Hillsboro
Seeds: 1. Festus; 2. Lutheran South; 3. Pacific; 4. Rockwood Summit; 5. Notre Dame St. Louis; 6. Hillsboro; 7. Windsor
Feb. 23: Pacific vs. Hillsboro, noon; Summit vs. Notre Dame, 3 p.m.; Lutheran South vs. Windsor, 4:30 p.m.
Feb. 25: (Semifinals) Festus vs. Summit/Notre Dame, 5:30 p.m.; Lutheran South/Windsor vs. Pacific/Hillsboro, 7 p.m.
March 1: Championship, 5:30 p.m.
Class 4 District 2 boys
Feb. 23-Feb. 28 at North County
Seeds: 1. Farmington; 2. Park Hills Central; 3. Potosi; 4. Ste. Genevieve; 5. De Soto; 6. North County
Feb. 23: Ste. Genevieve vs. De Soto, noon; Potosi vs. North County, 1:30 p.m.
Feb. 26: Farmington vs. Ste. Genevieve/De Soto, 6 p.m.; Park Hills Central vs. Potosi/North County, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 28: Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Class 4 District 2 girls
Feb. 23-28 at North County
Seeds: 1. Park Hills Central; 2. Ste. Genevieve; 3. North County; 4. Potosi; 5. Farmington; 6. De Soto
Feb. 23: Potosi vs. Farmington, 3 p.m.; North County vs. De Soto, 4:30 p.m.
Feb. 25: Park Hills Central vs. Potosi/Farmington, 6 p.m.; Ste. Genevieve vs. North County/De Soto, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 28: Championship, 6 p.m.
Class 3 District 3 boys
Feb. 16-22 at Jefferson
Seeds: 1. St. Pius X; 2. Jefferson; 3. Scott City; 4. West County; 5. Arcadia Valley; 6. Saxony Lutheran; 7. Woodland; 8. Herculaneum
Feb. 16: St. Pius 70, Herculaneum 57; Jefferson 78, Woodland 36; Scott City 70, Saxony Lutheran 58
Feb. 18: Arcadia Valley 60, West County 50
Feb.19: St. Pius X 38, Arcadia Valley 32; Jefferson 58, Scott City 43
Feb. 22: Jefferson vs. St. Pius X, championship, 7:30 p.m.
Class 3 District 3 girls
Feb. 16-22 at Jefferson
Seeds: 1. Saxony Lutheran; 2. West County; 3. Arcadia Valley; 4. Herculaneum; 5. Jefferson; 6. St. Pius X; 7. Woodland; 8. Scott City
Feb. 18: Herculaneum 47, Jefferson 44; Saxony Lutheran 78, Scott City 22; West County 63, Woodland 41; Arcadia Valley 53, St. Pius X 36
Feb. 20: Saxony Lutheran 50, Herculaneum 37; Arcadia Valley 85, West County 47
Feb. 22: Saxony Lutheran vs. Arcadia Valley, championship, 6 p.m.
Class 3 District 4 girls
Feb. 18-22 at St. James
Seeds: 1. St. James; 2. Steelville; 3. Belle; 4. Dixon; 5. Grandview; 6. Cuba; 7. Kingston; 8. Bourbon
Feb. 18: St. James 71, Bourbon 11; Dixon 60, Grandview 44; Steelville 59, Kingston 18; Belle 55, Cuba 54
Feb. 21: St. James vs. Dixon; Steelville vs. Belle
Feb. 22: Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 3 District 4 boys
Feb. 19-23 at St. James
Seeds: 1. Steelville; 2. St. James; 3. Dixon; 4. Bourbon; 5. Cuba; 6. Kingston; 7. Belle; 8. Grandview
Feb. 19: Steelville 86, Grandview 30; Cuba 61, Bourbon 53; St. James 75, Belle 50; Dixon 72, Kingston 39
Feb. 21: Steelville vs. Cuba; St. James vs. Dixon
Feb. 23: Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 2 District 4 boys
Feb. 18-22 at Crystal City
Seeds: 1. Brentwood; 2. Valle Catholic; 3. Crystal City; 4. Valley; 5. Transportation and Law; 6. Bismarck; 7. Crossroads College Prep
Feb. 18: Transportation 63, Valley 32; Valle Catholic 51, Crossroads 17; Crystal City 82, Bismarck, 56
Feb. 20: Brentwood 58, Transportation 57; Valle Catholic 59, Crystal City 48
Feb. 22: Brentwood vs. Valle Catholic, championship, 7:30 p.m.
Class 2 District 4 girls
Feb. 16-22 at Crystal City
Seeds: 1. Valle Catholic; 2. Crystal City; 3. Valley; 4. Crossroads College Prep; 5. Transportation and Law; 6. Brentwood; 7. Bismarck
Feb. 16: Crossroads 54, Transportation 43; Crystal City 45, Bismarck 15
Feb. 18: Valley 41, Brentwood 34
Feb. 19: Valle Catholic 61, Crossroads 31; Crystal City 58, Valley 28
Feb. 22: Crystal City vs. Valle Catholic, championship, 6 p.m.