With four-year starting guard Jalen Thornton and three-year starting swingman Riley Naeger and forward Luke Klahs back, St. Pius X looks to be as solid as any small school in the JCAA.
Thornton was a first-team all-conference performer after he averaged 12.8 points and 3.7 assists last season. Naeger (6-5) averaged 9.7 points and 6.3 rebounds and Klahs (6-4) scored 8.6 points and pulled down 6.6 rebounds to go with his team-high 49 blocked shots.
The Lancers finished 10-13 after losing by a point to West County in the Class 3 District 3 tournament last season. Eric Lawrence enters his fourth season as coach, and he said he considers every small school to be the Lancers’ rivals. Jefferson won the JCAA small-schools division and St. Pius was 2-3.
“Our conference games are always competitive and a great atmosphere,” Lawrence said. “The majority of the kids in our county are familiar with each other and know each other outside of school. So it adds an extra layer of competitiveness to our conference games.”
Starting alongside the previously mentioned three players could be juniors Kayden Cook, Eli Boyer or Dre Townsend. In 11 games last year, Cook averaged 7.5 points and was among the team leaders with 19 3-point baskets. Townsend is silky smooth and quick off the dribble. Boyer toiled on the junior varsity last year.
“We do not have a true sixth player; however we do have a talented bunch that will play a major role for this year and be expected to play major minutes to ensure fresh legs are on the court at all times,” Lawrence said.
The Lancers will run a variety of offenses to account for the talent on their roster. Their primary focus most times is to spread the floor to allow for players like Thornton to drive to the basket and to isolate their superior size when able.
Defensively, St. Pius will apply pressure and force teams to make mistakes.
Owls return nine to varsity
The graduation of first-team all-JCAA large-schools forward Michael Schmidt leaves a large hole to fill for Windsor, but Schmidt is the only starter the Owls lost from last year.
Schmidt’s absence will be felt after he averaged a double-double in points (11.8) and rebounds (10.7) and blocked 110 shots last season.
An experienced group made up of senior Connor Hartmann, junior twins Ethan and Evan Worley and sophomore Sonny Amabile return after they all had promising winters for the Owls, who finished 11-14 and lost to Lutheran South in the first round of the Class 4 District 3 tournament last year.
The Worleys can be as dynamic as any players in the county. Last year, they combined to average 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and were selected as honorable mention in the conference.
Hartmann played in all 25 games, averaged 9.1 points and led Windsor with 37 3-point baskets. Amabile got into 19 games as a freshman, but needs to refine his shooting touch.
“We have better team speed than in previous years and plan to utilize it,” said Windsor head coach Todd Dutton, who enters his eighth season.
Coming off the bench for the Owls will be sophomore Derek Williams, junior Norman Alford and seniors Justin Van Etten and Aaron Harrison. All started some games last season.
After the Owls’ last two sub-.500 seasons, Dutton said his goals this year are to top the 17 wins they had in 2015-2016 and challenge for conference and district titles.
From the gridiron to the hardwood, Tigers run late
The Festus football team played its final game on Friday in a 45-6 loss to West Plains in the Class 4 District 1 championship.
While the playoffs have been unfolding, Festus boys basketball head coach Jason Therrell has been waiting for the football season to end.
“I have no idea who my starting five will be,” Therrell said. “We do not have our full team yet due to the football playoffs and even so there are still many roles to be won and lost in practice. After our jamboree (this week) and before Thanksgiving, I should have a better idea.”
The Tigers finished 14-12 and lost to Hillsboro in the Class 4 District 2 semifinals last season. The Hawks beat Festus three times last year. The Hawks and Tigers are assigned to District 3 this season, moving in with Windsor, but leaving De Soto behind in District 2.
Point guard Owen Horsley was the Tigers’ lone member of the all-Jefferson County Activities Association teams last year. The first-teamer, who averaged 13.3 points last year, graduated, leaving Therrell in search of a new ball handler. Leading scorer Daniel Portell (14 points per game) also graduated.
“We have certainly adjusted some things this year based on personnel,” Therrell said. “I think you will see us play at a faster pace than the last couple seasons offensively.
“Defensively, we can be a team that is disruptive with our length and quickness. As of now, we still have quite a bit of room for improvement on both ends of the floor.”
Senior Savez Thomas can play guard or forward and might be the Tigers’ most complete player. Thomas played in all 26 games and pulled down almost five rebounds per game while averaging 6.7 points.
“Savez has the ability to do some really good things this year and has improved in a lot of areas,” Therrell said. “After (Thomas), there are a variety of players who could earn roles and be contributors. All of those things are still being sorted out.”
Senior Kobe Branscomb played in 21 games and averaged 5.8 points and 3.6 rebounds and was second on the team with 36 steals. Therrell said he sees good things for Branscomb this season after an injury-plagued 2017-2018.
“He works hard and competes every day,” Therrell said.
Senior Zach Liles just completed an all-conference season for the football team as an offensive lineman and defensive end. At 6-4, Liles is the tallest Tiger and could become the team’s best rebounder.
Therrell has been a part of the Festus basketball staff for 14 years and has been in charge the last three. He said he wants to see his Tigers compete like crazy in every game.
“We should have very competitive practices competing for playing time and my hope is that carries over to each game,” he said.
Eagles move on from Klaus
What could have been?
That question will tantalize fans of the Grandview boys basketball team for years.
Kolby Klaus had two amazing seasons on the hardwood for the Eagles. He averaged 22.7 points as a sophomore, whetting the appetite of Grandview’s fans for the next two years.
But Klaus injured the same knee twice his junior and senior years and was never able to realize the potential he flashed as an underclassman. Without Klaus, Grandview stumbled to a record of 9-40 the past two seasons.
Chris Miller stepped down as the head coach at the end of last season. He was replaced by Taylor Hassell, who played basketball at Hillsboro before managing the men’s basketball team at Southeast Missouri State University and serving as an assistant coach at Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Ill.
Hassell said he let his players know that this year everybody has a clean slate.
“It’s a big “ask,” but we are trying to get our kids to forget everything from before as far as wins and losses go,” he said. “It’s a new year with a new staff and a new team. We want to be a difficult team to play because of our selflessness, and trust by doing that, playing the game the right way, will translate on the scoreboard.”
Hassell said he’s played on, or been a part of, a lot of teams that have won by 20 or 30 points a night, but didn’t play well. And he’s also been part of losses where his team played very well.
“If we win by 25 points, but play a bad brand of basketball, I won’t be satisfied and I trust that our kids won’t be either,” Hassell said.
Along with Klaus, the Eagles graduated four other seniors, but Grandview has several players returning who’ve seen varsity action.
Klaus averaged 19 points in his seven games, but junior Colton McAnally was the Eagles’ leading scorer over the course of the season, averaging 11.4 points in 25 games. McAnally wants to concentrate on baseball and did not rejoin the basketball squad, leaving Hassell in search of an offensive threat. Hassell said he’s leaning heavily on his returning varsity players.
Seniors Garrett Gliedt (guard-forward), Austin Borrini (guard) and Noah Richardson (forward) and juniors Zach Perren (forward) and J.T. Isaacson (guard) are among the Eagles’ most accomplished veterans. Isaacson sank 15 3-point baskets last year.
“We have some guys battling back from injuries and trying to get healthy before we start our season,” Hassell said, “as well as guys who will be green in terms of varsity experience, but I’m excited to see how we decide to fill our starting lineup on the first night.”
Juniors Andrew Berding (guard-forward), Cameron Ennis (guard), Ayden Bergner (guard-forward), Jason Gill (forward), Austin Reams (guard), Dalton Barton (forward) and sophomore David Creath (guard) are part of a deep and versatile bench.
“Our sixth man will hopefully fluctuate all year, meaning our bench would be competitive enough through the first three or four spots,” Hassell said.
On offense, Hassell said he wants the Eagles to score quickly and be unselfish. Defensively, he wants Grandview to be as flexible as possible.
“Overall, we have to control the pace of play and not beat ourselves,” Hassell said.
Injuries mar start of Herky season; Duncan out
Three players who figure to be major contributors on the hardwood for the Blackcats this season will start the season recovering from injuries.
Perhaps the biggest loss among those is junior shooting guard Jordan Duncan, a three-year starter who’s out until December. Duncan, a first-team small-schools selection last winter, made a team-high 78 3-point baskets and tallied 13.7 points per game.
“He’s one of the best shooters in the area,” said Herculaneum head coach Jason Jarvis, who enters his fourth season.
Sophomore forward Jake Moreland and junior Austin Huson are out until Crystal City hosts its tournament after Thanksgiving. Moreland could be a starter at forward and Huson could start or be the sixth man. Jarvis called Huson a great defender and rebounder.
Senior Blake Leathers returns as the starting point guard and sophomores Grant McCullough (guard) and Isaiah Bracey (forward) have earned starting spots. Bracey is a transfer student and McCullough got into three games last season after transferring into the district. Leathers led the Blackcats with 81 assists and averaged 7 points.
Junior guard Tyler Ruder played in 24 games last season and could start in place of injured players. Jarvis said Ruder is a great defender.
Herculaneum finished 8-17 last season and lost to Hancock in the first round of the Class 3 District 4 tournament.
“Our goal is to be competitive in all of the games we play,” Jarvis said.
Null, Breeze stir excitement
Sean Breeze begins his first season as Jefferson’s head coach after spending 11 seasons on the Crystal City bench.
Senior Easton Null is about to embark on his final season wearing the blue and white. Like Andrew Graves on the gridiron for Jefferson, the Blue Jays have one of the most special players in the county.
Null, a guard, has scored 1,305 points in 74 games (17.6 average) and has sunk 215 3-point shots. He’s been the most valuable player in the conference the last two seasons and he has just one box to check off on his varsity career to make it complete: a district title.
As talented as Jefferson (17-8) was last season, the Blue Jays were bounced by Bourbon in the first round of the Class 3 District 3 tournament. Null poured in 27 points, but it wasn’t enough.
The Blue Jays lost just two seniors from last year’s roster. Breeze said he’s still getting to know the hand he’s been dealt. Senior guard Jacob Bridges, junior guard-forward Jon Weik, senior swing player Daniel McWhorter, senior guard Cole Holdinghausen, junior forward Levi Ebersoldt, senior guard Erik Eisenbeis, senior forward Collin Gosnell and junior guard Hayden Wagner all return to the varsity this year.
“This is a very deep team,” Breeze said. “Any of the nine players who return could be called on to start a game, so I expect everybody to be ready to go and contribute in some way.”
Breeze likes to run a balance of man-on-man and zone defense, and on offense, look for the Blue Jays to play highly up tempo.
“With the athleticism on this team, we will be looking to be as aggressive as possible on defense,” Breeze said.
Mostly, Breeze wants his new charges to build on what they’ve done the past two seasons.
“Coming off a conference championship, we will be hungry and I expect us to be very competitive with every team on our schedule,” Breeze said.
Brewer tapped to lead Hawks
Back-to-back Class 4 district titles. Thirteen straight JCAA large-schools wins and three consecutive conference crowns. No home losses for two seasons.
Those are just a few of the achievements the Hillsboro basketball team has stacked up the last few years with Gaven Pinkley leading the way.
Now that Pinkley, a 6-8 forward, is playing for the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, the Hawks have to forge on without him.
“We’re not quite as big, so we’re back to teaching defense the way we had been,” said Hillsboro head coach Dan Johnson, whose Hawks have won 49 games the last two years. “We’ve got really good guard play. We’re going to have two point guards on the floor at all times. With Michael Brewer back, that’s a good start.”
Brewer, a senior forward, was Pinkley’s sidekick for three years. Brewer can be just as effective at breaking down a defense as Pinkley was and averaged 16.3 points and 7.8 rebounds last season.
Brewer has scored 1,176 points in his career and has committed to play baseball at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.
“He doesn’t have to change his game just because Gaven’s gone,” Johnson said of Brewer. “He’s going to have more opportunities. Instead of dumping it to Gaven, he’ll be driving and will have the ball more in his hands.
“The good thing about Michael is he can do almost everything. Our team dynamic is suited for Michael’s game. He’ll get the ball in lots of situations. As a freshman, he played on the block because he couldn’t shoot very well. Now he can showcase anything.”
Starting alongside Brewer are junior Garrett Pinkley, senior Isaac Readnour, junior Mark Moore (soccer, basketball and baseball) and senior Ben Lampkins, who will both play point guard on the floor at the same time, a luxury most teams don’t enjoy.
Lampkins played in all 29 games, led the Hawks with 69 treys and averaged 10 points and two assists. Readnour is a three-sport athlete who plays soccer and competes in track and field.
Coming off the bench will be guard-forward Mitchel Hickson, forward Seth Oshia, swingman Noah Pool, forward Jasiah Tullock and guard Zach Whaley. Tullock is a 6-2 freshman transfer from St. Mary’s. Whaley is a lanky 6-1 guard with a lot of upside.
“Obviously, Gaven is irreplaceable,” Johnson said. “He led us in every category. But we’ve got guys who are used to working hard and winning. Our expectation isn’t any less than it has been. We’re not saying we’re rebuilding. It’s hard to say that in high school when you’ve got seniors on the roster.”
Hornets look for new DeGeare
Brady DeGeare is gone.
The 6-6 center was the focal point for the Crystal City boys for four years. DeGeare scored 1,650 points and pulled down 913 rebounds; a career-high 249 as a freshman.
Lee Richardson, 49, replaces Sean Breeze and takes over a talented and diverse lineup. Although he is new in Glasstown, this is Richardson’s eighth year as a head coach. He coached the boys at Crocker for one season before going to Bunker to coach the boys for two years. After coaching the Eminence girls for a year, Richardson most recently led Lesterville’s boys for three seasons.
He and his wife of 19 years, Amy, have three children.
Richardson is teaching social studies and physical education at Crystal City High.
“I’ve had to step up my game in the classroom,” he said Monday.
The Hornets have been on the decline for four years, winning 18, 17, seven and six games in that time. They finished 1-4 last season in a very tough conference (the JCAA small-schools division) and 6-19 overall. Richardson said he’s already got a sense of the rivalries.
“The small-schools teams are solid top to bottom,” Richardson said. “I wouldn’t call this a rebuilding year. With the talent we have coming back, I’d call it more of a restructuring. You’re going to have to be disciplined and ready to go, or you’re going to get steamrolled. We know those challenges are there. The big thing is, what are we going to do?”
Drew Richardson, the coach’s son, already has two years and 50 games of varsity experience at Lesterville. The junior will be one of several wings on the team and is challenging for a starting role.
Seniors Griffin Morris, Collin Wilkerson and Connor Lowe all return to the varsity. Morris is a 6-1 wing who made 20 3-point shots last year. Wilkerson is a 5-11 point guard who was second on the team with 2.2 assists per game. Lowe (6-0, wing) missed most of last year with a foot injury. Lowe will give the Hornets backup minutes in the post.
“He’s tough and shoots pretty well. He’s a good team player,” Richardson said of Lowe.
Junior Nate Denby (6-2) saw limited varsity action last year, but he’s Crystal City’s only true post player.
“He’s real good around the basket, hunting rebounds and getting putbacks. He has a real good attitude,” Richardson said.
Junior Blake Eisenbeis (5-9) will play guard and wing.
“He hustles and plays on-ball defense. There’s always a role for a kid like that,” Richardson said.
The new coach is eager to see sophomore guard-wings Hunter Bassin, Donovan Tullock and Carson Short get exposed to the varsity game.
“They’re fast and shoot well. They’re real active on both ends,” Richardson said.
Sophomore Logan Anderson is a power forward who can step outside to shoot.
Richardson said in the last few years, he’s watched as more and more teams push the ball and shoot 3-pointers.
“We want to play fast and move the ball, but we want to be disciplined and play team basketball where we’re getting the best possible shot. We want to have some fun with it,” he said.
Dragons retooling after heavy losses
Seven of the 11 players on the De Soto varsity last season were seniors.
That included point guard Austin West, who finished his career with more than 1,000 points.
Looking ahead to this season, the Dragons return second-team all-conference guard Clayton Snudden, who was second on the team last year in scoring (10.5 points). Snudden just completed a highly successful campaign on the gridiron, where he was selected to the first team on offense (wide receiver) and defense (back) in the Mississippi Area Football Conference’s Red Division.
“(Snudden) is a very hard worker, coachable athlete, and a competitor,” said De Soto head coach Zeb Hammond, who is beginning his fifth season.
Senior Camren Krodinger (shooting guard) and sophomore Nick Krodinger (shooting guard), junior Corey Gibbs (forward) and sophomore Jordan Mertens (center) have emerged after two weeks of practice as the starters. The Krodingers moved up from the JV and freshman teams, respectively. Gibbs and Mertens combined to play in 20 games last year.
“Offensively, I hope to get a lot of transition buckets,” Hammond said. “Our guards make good decisions in the open court. Defensively, we are going to mix it up.”
Senior Andrew Downs is the Dragons’ sixth man, and Downs is flexible enough to play center, forward or guard. Senior Ethan Koch and sophomores Aiden Blair, Adam Copeland and Levi Fischer round out the roster.
The Dragons finished 14-13 and lost to Festus in the first round of the Class 4 District 2 tournament last season.