Festus has been stingy.
The Tigers don’t want to give up the JCAA large-schools title. They’ve won it three straight seasons and have won 12 straight league games.
Now that Ron Rhodes is gone, first-year head coach Chris Ellis is the keeper of the flame. Ellis was hired to replace Rhodes in May and has been a high school and college head coach for 35 years. Ellis coached at Parkway South and Webster Groves on the prep level.
Ellis has pro coaching experience with the St. Louis River Queens, a team in the defunct Women’s Basketball League.
Rhodes was the large-schools coach of the year but the Tigers flamed out by losing their final three games, including a loss to the Raiders in the district semifinals.
Festus (12-12 last year) returns three all-conference players in senior point guard Jenna Oetting (first team), junior guard Abby Rickermann (first team) and junior forward Bria Garmon (honorable mention). Sophomore Jessica
Hebenstreit (forward) and junior Abby McMillan (center) have worked their way into the starting five.
Oetting is a four-year starter who led the Tigers with 14.5 points, 4.4 steals and 4.5 assists last year. She has 580 career points. Rickermann is the reigning player of the year in the conference and rang up 40 3-point baskets. Oetting and Rickermann give the Tigers one of the most solid backcourts anywhere.
Garmon was just selected most valuable player of the JCAA large-schools volleyball season and helps Festus operate at a fast tempo. Garmon can contribute any number of ways from any place on the floor.
“She’s only scratched the surface as to what she could be in basketball,” Ellis said.
Ellis said Hebenstreit has incredible physical gifts and McMillan has the potential to play in college.
Festus should have a solid bench with senior forwards Allison Kuykendall and Caitlin Holt, freshman guard Kinsey Benack, freshman center Lily Knickman and sophomore transfer Tristan Foulk.
Ellis sees a lot of talent in his new squad.
“My belief is we can play at a very high level throughout the season and into the postseason,” he said. “We want to be peaking in mid-February.”
Owls continue to progress
A measure of Windsor’s progress last season could be measured by the games the Owls played against Affton.
In a regular season meeting at Affton on Dec. 7, the Cougars mauled Windsor 41-17. When the two teams met again in the first round of the Class 4 District 3 tournament, the Owls outscored Affton in three of the four quarters but fell 36-34 to finish 3-19. Windsor was 0-4 in the Jefferson County Activities Association large-schools division.
Kaitlin Lewis led Windsor with 11 points and 11 rebounds in that playoff loss, and she’s one of five seniors returning this season. Point guard Maddy Lynch, returning leading scorer Keri Voegtle, Maddi Miller and Mary Creed provide plenty of veteran depth.
Windsor averaged 28 points per game last year and Voegtle led the Owls with 5.6 points and 6 rebounds per game. Lewis was Windsor’s best free-throw shooter, making 63.9 percent. Lynch had 40 assists and 31 steals. Miller averaged three points in 19 games.
Sophomores Piper Montgomery and Bella and Biz Spurgeon will get significant playing time this season. The Spurgeons played a few varsity games last winter.
“(Sophomores) bring good work ethic and help both on the defensive end and offensive side of the floor,” said Windsor head coach Kim Schmidt, who is entering her fifth year.
Schmidt said the Owls would increase their guard play, which is the team’s strength.
District 3 looks different and familiar this season. The Owls remained, and
Hillsboro and Festus moved in from District 2. Pacific and Rockwood Summit are also new additions, meaning the district just got a lot tougher.
“We are looking to improve on last year,” Schmidt said. “We are a mix of old and young and will be working to get those two groups together to help benefit each other.”
Newcomers shake up varsity
With several new faces dotting
Hillsboro’s roster, sophomore point guard Mackenzie Baker holds the key to the Hawks’ success.
That’s because Baker will control the ball and tempo for the Hawks, who lost 35 points per game from last season through graduation and players not returning.
“Kenzie had a very good freshman season and has matured as an athlete,” head coach Joe Fehlker said. “She will handle the ball quite a bit for us this season, which is a very different role than last year, but she is up for the challenge.”
Baker was impressive on both ends of the floor last year. She blocked 16 shots and had 55 steals and 101 rebounds to go along with her 6.5 scoring average.
“She has good instincts and is quick enough to give opposing defenses problems,” Fehlker said.
Junior forward Elaina Readnour was a key player off of the bench last season and averaged 3.4 rebounds in 27 games. Readnour has moved into a starting job this year.
“Elaina is very versatile and will play a little bit of everywhere for us,” Fehlker said. “She is much more assertive this season and has expanded her game to include some outside shooting and ballhandling.”
Three of the five starting positions were still being sorted out.
Fehlker, entering his 10th season, said the bench will play an important role this season and provide the Hawks with a variety of specialists in scoring, rebounding, defense and ballhandling.
Carlie Sanders (15 points per game, 6.7 steals) graduated in May and is playing softball at Boston College.
Seniors Kelsey Boyd and Hannah Vaughn were second-team all-JCAA large-schools selections last year. They elected not to play basketball this season. Boyd was a starter on Hillsboro’s softball team that finished fourth in Class 3 and signed last week to play softball at Jefferson College next year.
Hillsboro beat Potosi in the first round of the Class 4 District 2 tournament before falling 65-43 to top-seeded Farmington in the semifinals to finish 13-14.
The Hawks were 2-2 in conference play.
“I think we will play a very uptempo style of offense and defense,” Fehlker said. “We will try and push the ball in transition to create easy scoring opportunities. On defense, we will try to create as much pressure as we can to force turnovers.”
St. Pius X leans on Agers
Head coach Aaron Portell said because his Lancers are devoid of seniors, it’s going to be necessary for freshmen to absorb some minutes. Maybe a lot of them.
“With this young of a team, and only having two returning varsity players, we are just trying to get better each game and see where we end up at the end of the season,” said Portell, who has led St. Pius to 258 victories over 10 years.
Sophomore A.J. Agers has the requisite skills to be the point guard. Agers is a natural athlete who also is a top softball and soccer player. She’ll get her chance to improve her shooting, but her passing is undeniably the strength of her game right now. As a freshman, Agers averaged 2.8 assists in 24 games.
“A.J. has the potential to score in double digits and be a conference leader in steals and assists,” Portell said.
Junior post player Angeleena Johnson, sophomore guard Payton Baker and junior guard Gabrielle Werner have all locked down starting positions. Baker averaged almost five points and was a superb defensive rebounder last season.
“Payton has a great first step, which will allow her to get to the basket for great scoring opportunities,” Portell said.
Portell said if Johnson can stay out of foul trouble, she could be one of the top post players in the small-schools division.
For the Lancers (8-17 last season) to be successful, Portell said, they have to learn how to control the tempo and be patient in their half-court offense. Defensively, St. Pius will throw multiple looks at teams.
St. Pius, Jefferson and West County are the only three teams left in Class 3 District 3. Steeleville and Park Hills Central took turns winning the district title back to 2014, but Steeleville was jettisoned to District 4 and the Rebels moved up to Class 4. Conference rival Herculaneum moves into District 3, along with Arcadia Valley, Saxony Lutheran, Scott City and Woodland.
Blackcats have as much talent as any team in league
Herculaneum started last season a herculean 12-0. After the Blackcats lost their first game of the season, they ripped off five more victories and were 17-1.
A group of seniors who had been together since middle school were enjoying the success that comes with experience and poise. Herculaneum was riding the wave of another winning streak when its season ended to Principia in the semifinals of the Class 3 District 4 playoffs. The Blackcats finished 22-4 and have won 39 of their last 50 games.
Emily Fischer, Rae Ann Fuller, Ashley Lodike and Lauren Partney collected their diplomas a few months after last season ended, but the next wave of Blackcats are ready to prove their worth.
Herculaneum head coach Riley Blair leads the Blackcats for the eighth season and he’s three wins shy of 100. Blair has bulked up the schedule the last few seasons and it’s been paying off in interest and depth in the program.
“Our bench will play a huge role in this season’s success,” Blair said. “We have a lot of younger players who are seeing some of their first varsity minutes.”
That doesn’t describe junior guard Taylor Metcalf, who averaged 8.3 points and 6.5 assists in 24 games last season. Metcalf fits the mold of a guard who can deploy Blair’s high-energy, run-and-gun style of offense. Metcalf is a three-year starter and was honorable mention in the conference last year.
“She has been a big part of our success the last few seasons,” Blair said. “Taylor is looking to be our leader and make our offense run. Her varsity experience will really help this team reach its utmost potential.”
Joining Metcalf in the starting lineup are four players who have plenty of varsity playing time and are ready to assert themselves as starters. Sophomore swing player Paige Fowler, senior forward Angelica Wooten and junior guards Ashley Croom and Jordan Allen all played between 18 to 24 games last season. Allen and Wooten could replace Lodike and Partney as the top 3-point shooters. Metcalf made 22.5 percent of 129 treys a year ago.
Fowler contributed quality minutes last year when the Blackcats were struck with injuries in the middle of the season. Blair has placed her in a starting role. Croom is needed to mop up rebounds around the glass, and Blair said she is very quick to the rim.
Herculaneum has had four straight winning seasons. The Blackcats (3-2 in the conference last year) will be right in the mix for the JCAA small-schools title. Moving from District 4 to District 3 improves their chances at winning a title.
“We are looking to contend for a conference title as well as having the opportunity to get to a district title game,” Blair said.
Record-setting senior leads Dragons onto hardwood
In her two years as a starting forward, senior Kendall Boyer has averaged a double-double in scoring and rebounds.
Boyer set De Soto’s school record last season for rebounding average (13) in a season and is 418 boards away from reaching 1,000. She’s also scored 650 points, so it’s not unreasonable for Boyer to top 1,000 in scoring as well.
Boyer has been a first-team all-league selection two years in a row.
“She is capable of breaking the school record for rebounds in a career, but we need some big games throughout the season,” head coach Sam Rauls said.
Boyer is complimented in the front court by senior Rose Thomas, who averaged just over a point and rebound in 13 contests last season. Senior Kaitlyn McGinnitey and juniors Sarah Bone and Kristen Keath run a three-guard system.
Rauls said the offense will adjust to the flow of the game.
“We, of course, want to set the tempo but are also not afraid to change what we are doing based on the play of the game,” Rauls said.
Rauls said the Dragons don’t have a true sixth player and will rotate players up from the junior varsity to give them exposure and add depth.
De Soto finished last season 8-18 after losing to North County in the first round of the Class 4 District 2 tournament. The Dragons are the only league school in District 2 this year after Festus and Hillsboro were reassigned. North County beat two higher seeds (Festus and Farmington) to capture the district crown last season.
Rauls said his team’s goals are not any different from most years – to compete for conference and district titles – but he said it all starts by winning the first game.
“The JCAA will be very competitive again this year and no matter what anyone says, until you beat the defending champions (Festus) you have to give them the edge,” Rauls said. “As we saw last year, anything can happen in our district so we are hoping to make a little magic of our own this season.”
Crystal City tries to regroup
You can’t look ahead to this season at Crystal City until you understand how last season ended.
The then 11-year-old daughter of head coach Ken Jones was clinging to life in a St. Louis hospital after she collapsed playing in a CYC game on Feb. 4. Makenna Jones was in the hospital for months, but through the love and devotion of her parents and sister, Maebry, who was the team’s top player as a senior last season, Makenna is now home and fully healthy and playing basketball in middle school.
After Feb. 4, Crystal City played five games and managed to win one of them, over Crossroads in the first round of the Class 2 District 5 tournament. The Hornets succumbed to the No. 1 seed in the tournament and wrapped up at 9-15.
Senior guard Kailey Krieg has been steadily working her way up the ladder in terms of being a top player in the JCAA. Last season, she led the Hornets with 13.6 points and 65 3-pointers and she’s scored 758 points in her career. She was named to the all-league honorable mention team last year.
“We will count on her scoring in every game,” said Jones, who’s been in the program for 18 years, 16 as the head coach. Jones is closing in on 200 career victories.
Senior Taylor Sloan has missed two seasons (last year and 2015-2016) in her career because of knee injuries. When she’s on the court, Sloan can shoot and has speed on defense. She averaged more than 7 points as a sophomore.
Forward Reece Elliott, guard Ashleigh Damazyn and center Annie Waites are the other starters. Guard Kylee Watters and post Mikayla Armstrong will come off the bench.
“We will look to have some balance on offense with a strength being shooting from the outside,” Jones said. “Defensively, we plan to mix it up quite a bit.”
Crystal City was moved to District 4, with Valle Catholic being the closest rival. None of the seven teams that were in the district last year are back.
Courtois leader on court
With four seniors in the starting lineup, it’s time for Jefferson to make its push to the top of the JCAA small-schools division and play for a district title.
Senior Jenna Courtois is in her third year starting at point guard. Courtois is the team’s pace setter at both ends of the floor. She led the Blue Jays in assists and steals and averaged 7.6 points.
“Jenna is extremely fast with the ball and is quite a handful to defend for opposing teams,” Jefferson head coach Brandon Joines said.
Sophomore guard Laney Smith has taken on an expanded role as she moves into the starting lineup. Smith was fully involved as a freshman, averaging 6.9 points and 3.4 assists to go along with 26 3-point baskets.
“She’s geared toward getting the offensive reins the next two years,” Joines said.
Senior forward Heidi Hearst is a returning starter who scored 206 points last season. Joines said Hearst has great defensive instincts and her shot allows Jefferson space on offense.
Senior forwards Maddy Fuller and Gracie Fish fill out the starting front court. Joines said Fuller has a high basketball IQ and Fish is being depended on to “clean the glass” at both ends of the floor.
Abi Chipps (guard) and Catryn Cattoor (forward) will be the first two players off of the bench and both add immediate bursts of speed and energy.
“They could easily be starters,” Joines said.
Sabrina Cadenhead, Emma Earls and Nehley Ervin will also come off the bench.
“We have seven players who could legitimately lead our team in scoring on any given night, and that is a great place to be offensively and difficult for an opponent to defend,” Joines said.
Joines wants the Blue Jays to use their team speed to create transition opportunities for the offense.
“We’re going to be a fast-paced, high-energy team, relying on quickness to generate offense,” he said. “We have eight returning players who played varsity minutes last year. That means we should be more adaptable under pressure.”
When on defense, watch for the Blue Jays to bring heavy pressure on the ball handler.
In late January, Jefferson went on a 6-1 run that came to an end against West County in the Class 3 District 3 tournament. The Blue Jays finished 13-11 and tied for second in the small-schools division.
“We have several players returning with varsity experience, and we expect their leadership to be pivotal on our team’s success,” Joines said. “We have the ability and athletes to be competitive against any team we play.”
Eagles have new coach
Grandview split the Jefferson County Activities Association small-schools championship two seasons ago and won it outright last season with a record of 5-0.
The Eagles were very competitive in their two seasons under Ronda Hubbard, who left to be the activities director and transportation director at Marshfield High School, about 30 miles northeast of Springfield.
Grandview ripped off 16 consecutive victories last season, en route to a record of 22-3.
The Eagles now are coached by Steve Noblitt, who was an assistant coach for the Oakville boys basketball team that made the Class 5 final four in 2009 and 2010. He retired from coaching in 2011 and from teaching at Oakville in 2016.
“I would like to build upon the success the program has experienced the last few seasons,” Noblitt said. “I want us to improve as the season progresses and be at our best when districts begin.”
The Eagles lost one of the most talented players in the conference when Macy Ketcherside graduated this spring. But Grandview has several talented returners who have contributed to the Eagles’ success over the past two seasons.
The Eagles certainly welcome the return of junior Isabelle Kuczka, who missed most of last season with a knee injury. In her first two games back, Kuczka sank eight 3-point baskets. Grandview missed her outside shooting ability.
Junior Sarra Faust returns to play guard after averaging almost 4 points per game. Senior Kaylyn Sparks runs the point and led the Eagles with 26 3-pointers last year. Juniors Jordyn Zoph (guard) and Hailey Harlow (forward) have earned starting jobs this season. Harlow averaged 3 rebounds and 3 points last year. Zoph made 19 3-pointers and averaged 3.5 points.
“Each starter has logged quality minutes on quality teams and each show the ability to handle and shoot the basketball,” Noblitt said.
Freshman forward Natalie Moore and senior forward Madison Click were tabbed “superior athletes” by Noblitt and they will be the first two players off the bench.
After competing in Class 3 District 3 the last two seasons, Grandview was moved to District 4 with Belle, Bourbon, Cuba, Dixon, Kingston, St. James and Steelville, last year’s District 3 champion.