Feb. 1, 2019.
That’s the last time the Herculaneum girls basketball team lost to another team in the small-schools division of the Jefferson County Activities Association. Grandview handed the Blackcats that loss and won the league title that year. Since then, Herculaneum has conquered the conference three times, 5-0 each season.
Seeking their fourth straight, the Blackcats will employ a rebuilt offense after the graduation of team stalwarts Paige Fowler in 2021 and Macey Pilliard last spring. A year ago, Pilliard led Herculaneum with 14.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game and was a first-team JCAA small-schools selection. The Blackcats also lost first-teamer Kyrsten Britton to graduation.
Riley Blair kicked off his 13th season as head coach Nov. 19, but not in the way he wanted as Herky lost to those other Blackcats from Fredericktown 61-34 in the Amped Lifestyle Shootout at the Farmington Civic Center.
Blair was named the JCAA small-schools coach of the year last season and needs 14 wins to reach 200 at Herky.
“Our goals are to have a winning season, win a conference championship and have a chance to win a district title,” Blair said.
Herculaneum is in Class 4 District 2 again this year, along with defending district champion Park Hills Central, which knocked out the Blackcats in the semifinals last season. Aided by an eight-game winning streak late in the campaign, Blair’s squad finished 15-12.
Senior guard Taylor Thompson is the only returning starter for the Blackcats. Thompson was a second-team small-schools pick after averaging 4.8 points and about 1.5 assists and steals per game.
Expect those numbers to rise as Blair again directs an up-tempo style on offense and constant pressure on defense.
“(Thompson) will be what makes us go on both sides of the floor,” Blair said. “The leadership and dedication she’s put in over the offseason is what we will rely on.”
Senior guards Maria Castillo-Orellana and Kristina Walker, senior forward Haley Smith, junior forward Amia Moore and sophomore forwards Jillian Jarvis and Abby Smith all will see time in the starting rotation. Seniors Carmen Weier (guard) and Breanna Thebeau (forward) and junior center Kendall Huber will come in off the bench,
Blair said Moore is one of the most athletic players he’s coached.
“She will definitely be a key player in our offense,” he said. “Her speed and athleticism (are) what makes her the player she is.”
Walker, meanwhile, is like a coach on the floor.
“She’s the girl who watches each opponent and has a vested interest in her own (game film) to help make our team more complete,” Blair said.
Blair said Jarvis, the daughter of Herculaneum boys basketball head coach Jason Jarvis, has worked hard in the offseason and that will pay off for her.
“She’s probably one of our smartest players on the floor,” Blair said.
Before Herculaneum hosts the 25th Black and Red Tournament Dec. 5-9, the Blackcats entertain St. Clair (0-1) Friday.
Wakeland returns for fourth season on varsity
Grandview senior Anna Belle Wakeland was selected as the JCAA small-schools most valuable player last season after she averaged 14.3 points and 12.3 assists per game and swatted away 94 shots. She’s scored 806 points in her previous three seasons in the middle of the Eagle offense. Besides reaching 1,000 career points this season, Wakeland has the opportunity for milestones in rebounds (500) and blocked shots (250).
Feeding Wakeland the ball in the post is her sister, sophomore point guard Catherine Wakeland. Catherine made the small-schools second team a year ago, averaging 12.4 points and 3.9 assists per game and knocking down a team-high 39 3-point baskets.
The other Grandview starters are seniors Savannah Patterson and Maggie Boker on the wings and junior center/forward Lexi Walker. Patterson averaged almost five points per game last season.
Head coach Tim Winkler, starting his third season in the job, said Italian exchange student Anna Sorianini, who played for her school back home, will be the Eagles’ first player off the bench.
“She is varsity-ready,” he said.
Senior Ally Stephen mainly played junior varsity last season. The Eagles have four sophomores – Brooke Patterson, Jade Rahmberg, Sydney Riddle and Katie Terrell – who will be the core of their JV and also help the varsity. Freshmen Morgan McClelland and Aubri Williams also will play on both levels.
Grandview lost to host Steelville 67-42 in the season-opener Nov. 21, with the younger Wakeland scoring seven points to go with four assists and four steals. The next night the Eagles lost 53-24 at Perryville, a JCAA large school. Anna Belle Wakeland had seven points and pulled down five rebounds and her sister snagged three steals.
“After Anna we have a very thin bench,” Winkler said. “Most of the others are young and or inexperienced at the varsity level.”
Grandview plays its third road game at Oak Ridge today (Dec. 1) before opening its home schedule against KIPP St. Louis on Dec. 15.
The Eagles are again in Class 3 District 3. They lost to West County 30-29 in last season’s District 3 championship game.
Hornets return all-conference players this season
Ken Jones is in a good spot to begin his 20th campaign as the Crystal City girls head coach and 22nd with the program.
Jones, who doubles as the school’s activities director, welcomes back two all-conference players and leading scorers in seniors Kate Eisenbeis and Molly Clemmons. Accounting for roughly 95 percent of the Hornets’ points last year, Eisenbeis (15 points per game) was a first-team selection, while Clemmons (13.8 points) made the second team. Jones expects both players to reach 1,000 career points this season.
Eisenbeis poured in 30 points to lead Crystal City to a 44-25 season-opening win over Valley Park on Nov. 22. The Hornets finished 10-15 last season.
“We have some real team depth this year and are still sorting out who our starters will be,” Jones said before the season began. “It also might be decided this year by who our opponent is and what best fits that game.”
Two more seniors in Crystal City’s starting lineup are Abbie Edwards and Claudia Lamberti. Edwards, a defensive specialist, led the Hornets with 3.2 assists last year.
“Abbie will guard the other team’s best guard, and she takes pride in getting assists,” Jones said. “I’m also expecting an uptick in points out of her this year.”
Lamberti is an exchange student from Italy and will play power forward.
“She will be a second scoring option inside for us this year,” Jones said.
The Hornets’ defensive style will be a new look for them because of their depth, athleticism and senior leadership. What kind of offense they play will depend on the defense they’re up against.
“We will be able to score both inside and outside this year, and I believe our defense will create some points this season,” Jones said.
Crystal City is in Class 2 District 4 again this year. The Hornets lost to Bismarck in the first round last season. New Haven is the defending District 4 champion. Crystal City’s last district championship was in 2020. The Hornets visit Greenville today (Dec. 1).
“Our goals are to win the games we are supposed to, have a few wins in games that could have (gone) either way, and surprise a few teams with wins that were not expected,” Jones said. “We always want to be competing for a district title and hope for more.”
Key players return for district championship defense
St. Pius X beat Bishop DuBourg to win the Class 3 District 4 title last year before falling 37-32 to West County in the sectionals. The Bulldogs ended up finishing fourth in the state.
There was no waiting until the postseason for a rematch as the Lancers and Bulldogs collided again in their season opener Nov. 19, with West County once more prevailing 47-36 at the shootout event in Farmington. St. Pius improved to 1-1 two nights later, beating De Soto 42-22.
Senior Riley Cappozzo and sophomore P.J. Krodinger are two of the most talented players on either side of the JCAA. Cappozzo earned a spot on the all-conference first team after she averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 assists and 3.7 steals per game. Krodinger, second team all-conference, turned in a brilliant freshman campaign, leading the Lancers in scoring (13.3 points) and the St. Louis area in steals per game (five).
The rest of the starting lineup features junior forward Olivia Charleville, sophomore guard Bridget Flanagan and freshman forward Brooke Blankenship, who led the Lancers with 11 points and eight rebounds against De Soto. Junior Katie Rakers also will see plenty of minutes.
“The one thing we lacked last season was experience on the bench,” said head coach Aaron Portell, who enters his 15th season and coaches the Lancer girls soccer team in the spring. “I do believe this year we have much more depth on the bench that can contribute in many ways.
“We are a defensive-minded team that will defend the entire court. Speed is our strength, so the tempo will be quick. We have very quick guards and good size in the paint.”
The Lancers have landed in a competitive Class 3 District 3 that includes West County, Arcadia Valley, Clearwater, Grandview, Jefferson and Kingston.
St. Pius is the No. 1 seed in the eighth annual Fountain City Classic at De Soto, which began on Monday and beat Riverview Gardens 54-22. Krodinger led the Lancers with 13 points.
Blue Jays transfuse talent from volleyball team
After posting a record of 4-22 in its first season under head coach Steve Holdinghausen, Jefferson hopes for improvement this year with help from four players who just won a state championship with the school’s volleyball team.
The versatile quartet includes seniors Grace Lowery and Kirstyn Loyd, sophomore Megan Wood and freshman Halayna Loyd.
“As we are looking to rebuild this program, we really want to improve as a team as the season progresses and make sure all players are having an enjoyable experience,” Holdinghausen said. “We know that winning is a part of that, but nothing happens overnight. We are looking to compete every day and make a run in conference play and finish the season with a winning record.”
Jefferson’s starters are Kirstyn Loyd, Wood, sophomore Lia Ott and juniors Paige Beffa and Grace Neels, a JCAA small-schools honorable mention pick who led the Blue Jays with 6.8 points per game last season.
Newcomers Halayna Loyd, freshmen Peyton Guffey and Annabelle Richardson will add good decision-making as guards and in the post. Beffa and Neels are vocal leaders and their experience on varsity helps tremendously, Holdinghausen said. Junior Riley Adams, also new to the team, can pose a threat in the post or on the perimeter. Ott and Wood play an aggressive style at both ends of the floor.
“With the girls coming off a huge state win in volleyball, they are competitive and hungry for more wins,” Holdinghausen said. “We have a well-rounded group of talented and competitive athletes this year. It’s a brand-new team, so everyone is still trying to figure out their footing. But they have already shown great promise for what is to come this season.”
Jefferson won its first-round game in the Class 3 District 4 tournament last year before falling to eventual district champion St. Pius. The Blue Jays, like the Lancers, have moved over to District 3.
Jefferson opened the season Nov. 26 with a 68-48 loss to Lesterville in the first round of the Valley Caledonia tournament; the Blue Jays beat the host school 38-29 on Monday. Jefferson visits De Soto on Dec. 5.