Herculaneum won the championship of Crystal City’s Rolla “Duke” Herbert boys basketball tournament for the first time Friday, putting away St. Vincent 51-42. The Blackcats were runners-up at the tournament in 2006, its second year, and again last season.
Senior point guard Gabe Watkins led the way with 26 points against the Indians as the Blackcats improved to 4-0. Watkins is averaging 20.8 points per game.
“We played really well defensively,” said Herculaneum head coach Jason Jarvis, starting his eighth season. “That was the whole key, and in the fourth quarter, Gabe put us on his back and took the ball to the hole several times.
“I expected some big things from (Watkins). He’s put in so much work and he plays year round.”
Watkins was the co-MVP of the Jefferson County Activities Association small-schools division last season, sharing the honor with 2022 St. Pius X graduate Nate Ruble. Watkins averaged 16.8 points, 3.3 steals and five assists per game as Herculaneum finished 17-9 and 4-1 in the conference, behind only the Lancers (18-9, 5-0).
With all the tools to control a game – court vision, awareness, speed and good ballhandling – Watkins took charge against the Indians, scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter. At his current rate of production, Watkins could reach 1,000 career points this season.
“He’s the real deal,” Jarvis said. “Gabe plays on both ends of the floor. He is a great scorer, defender, rebounder, assist leader, steal leader, and there isn’t much he doesn’t do. He will fill up the stat sheet every night in a variety of ways.”
Jefferson College is reviving its men’s basketball program and will begin play in 2023-2024. Watkins has accepted a full scholarship to play for the Vikings.
“We are excited to see what he will accomplish this season,” Jarvis said. “The sky is the limit for him.”
It could be for the Blackcats as well because four other seniors start alongside Watkins: Shooting guards Dylan Jarvis, Ethan Hoskins and Jackson Dearing and forward Dylan Black. If Lucas Bahr recovers from a football injury, that will give Herculaneum another senior with starting credentials. All of them averaged between five and six points and about three rebounds per game last season. Juniors Ayden Hodges (guard/forward) and Jacob Moreland (power forward) are the Blackcats’ top bench players.
Dylan Jarvis, the coach’s son, will be counted on to score more this year and help fill the void left by Dallin Fuller’s graduation. Jarvis earned honorable mention all-conference last season.
“Dylan does the things not always seen on the stat sheet,” the elder Jarvis said. “He’s going to be looked upon as that glue-type guy for our team.”
Hoskins missed two games last year recovering from a knee injury. Jarvis said Hoskins is an elite scorer but needs to be more consistent this year.
“Ethan started many games last year and will be leaned upon for scoring, defense and rebounding,” Jarvis said.
Black is a returning starter, a poised and savvy veteran who will contribute in many ways this season.
“(Black) is the hardest worker in practice,” Jarvis said. “He will lead by example and will hopefully expand on his numbers from last season.”
Dearing and Bahr were the top quarterback/wide receiver tandem in the I-55 Conference this fall, and Jarvis said Dearing gives the Blackcats “attitude.”
“We hope to use that grit to grind things out on the hardwood,” Jarvis said. “He brings a lot of experience from last season to the table. Jackson will be a good team leader and set the defensive tone for our team.”
Herculaneum is the only local school in Class 4 District 2, joining Affton, Bayless, Park Hills Central, Potosi and host Ste. Genevieve. Central beat the Blackcats 73-54 in the District 2 semifinals last season and is the defending district champion. The Rebels host Herculaneum and 14 other schools in the prestigious Bob Sechrest Jr. Christmas Tournament later this month.
Graduations hit defending champs hard
St. Pius X rolled into last season’s Class 3 District 4 semifinals on a seven-game winning streak but were eliminated by Carnahan 42-34. The Lancers lost Ruble, their only player to average more than 10 points per game, and most of the starting lineup to graduation, so it figured the team might start this campaign down a bit.
That’s what happened with opening losses to Twin Rivers and Valley Park, but St. Pius recovered to beat Valmeyer 60-29 and Brentwood 52-45 and finish third in the Valley Park Tournament on Dec. 1.
St. Pius head coach Chris Miller was selected the JCAA small-schools coach of the year last season (he also received the honor in 2020) and early into his fourth campaign he has a record of 54-24.
Miller said depth was a major strength for St. Pius last season and this year’s players are largely untested at the varsity level.
“Our first guy off of the bench on a nightly basis may change depending on the substitution needed,” Miller said. “For us to be successful this year, we will need our bench to make great strides and be something we can count on for positive contributions.”
Senior Dabrein Moss, juniors Patrick Flanagan, John Whitman and James Smith and sophomore Jonas Andrews comprise the new starting lineup. Senior Ian Kutilek is recovering from an injury, but Miller said he hopes to have him back on the floor by the end of the month. He was among the team leaders in 3-point shooting a year ago.
“He will help with our depth and our shooting,” Miller said.
“We have some kids who can shoot a little, but we need to improve defensively, both individually and as a team. If our offense struggles, our defense cannot if we want to compete every night.”
Flanagan, a second team all-JCAA pick, has played significant minutes since his freshman season and last year led the Lancers with 45 3-pointers and nearly 10 points per game. Moss, in his fourth year on the varsity, will help fill the senior leadership void left by Ruble and accumulate productive minutes. Whitman has improved since his freshman year and Miller said his contribution is a must for the team to be successful.
St. Pius stayed in Class 3 but moves to District 3 at Arcadia Valley, with JCAA rivals Grandview and Jefferson as well as Clearwater, Kingston and West County. The Lancers visit De Soto Friday night.
Blue Jays finish third at Crystal City
Saxony Lutheran launched more than 50 shots against Jefferson in the third-place game of the Herbert tournament on Friday, but the Blue Jays slapped an iron lid on their basket with dominant defensive rebounding for a 59-51 victory, leveling their early-season record at 2-2.
“We told the kids (Saxony Lutheran) is so big and strong and rebounds so well,” Jefferson head coach Sean Breeze said. “Nate Breeze, Kaleb Weiler and Sam Stokes did a great job. Our guards were aggressive to the boards tonight. We hadn’t seen that in the first few games, so that was a big lift. Tonight, the kids rebounded with a purpose.
“We have to clean up some turnover issues, but the kids were moving and played better defensively. They were looking for each other in places they needed to be and that’s growth on our part.”
The Blue Jays have room to grow after finishing 8-18 overall last year, including a 1-4 mark in the JCAA small-schools division. Senior C.J. Johnson (averaging five points per game, 33 treys) and junior Nate Breeze, the coach’s nephew (nine points and five rebounds per outing), are the returning starters. Junior Max Schnitzler played in 21 games a year ago, some at point guard. Stokes, a 6-3 senior forward, played in only three games last season because of an injury.
“He could be a very important player for us this season,” Sean Breeze said.
Juniors Brandon Burford, Kole Williams, Alex Breeze (son of the coach), Coben Whitener and Jacob Doza all will rotate in and out of the lineup.
In the win over the Crusaders, Johnson sank three 3-point baskets, Williams scored all seven of his points in the fourth quarter, and Nate Breeze led Jefferson with 14 points.
“We have lots of very good athletes, and I expect us to be a pretty balanced team going into the season,” the elder Breeze said.
“Our goals at this point are for our players to figure out each other’s role and continue to come together as a team. I expect us to be able to compete with anyone on our schedule.”
The Blue Jays host three games in the next week, starting with Potosi (2-1) on Tuesday after the Leader deadline. They play Arcadia Valley (3-2) on Friday in a game with early impact on district seeding.
Hornets pull away from Eagles
It was half basketball, half track meet Friday as fast-breaking Crystal City outran Grandview for 22 fourth-quarter points to pull away for a 61-40 victory, good for fifth place in the Herbert tournament.
“It was going to be a wild game and we knew that,” Crystal City head coach Phil Tessereau said. “If we would have shot free throws better, the game could have been more relaxing. But Grandview rebounds and defends hard. Things like that can change the tempo real quick. We (hadn’t) proven this year we can get a lead and sustain it, and we did a pretty good job of it.”
The Hornets (3-2) were an icy 12-of-32 from the free-throw line. Senior guard/forward Clayton Roussin led Crystal in scoring with 12 points, with senior guard Ian Kirn chipping in 10 points. Besides those two, the starters include 6-3 senior guard/forward Cyle Schaumburg and junior guards Camden Mayes and Kanden Bolton, who were state medalists in the long jump last spring. Sophomore Nolan Eisenbeis is breaking in at point guard.
“We have to run,” Tessereau said. “If the game gets into the lane, we’re probably in trouble.”
At 6-2, senior forward Jayvion Keith gives Crystal more size and strength on the inside. “He’s really adapted to fitting into what we do,” the coach said.
“I like having Kirn on the floor, but the problem is when I do, everybody depends on him. Any of our players can be anywhere on the floor and that’s what you have when there’s no big force in the middle.”
In a 72-46 tournament win over the home-schooled St. Louis Patriots, four Hornets – Bolton (15), Mayes (11), Eisenbeis (10) and Schaumburg (10) – each scored in double figures.
Last season Crystal finished 11-14 and 2-3 and lost to New Haven in the Class 2 District 4 playoffs. The Hornets host District 4 again this season, but defending champion Valle Catholic has moved up to Class 3, leaving the Hornets to contend with Bismarck, New Haven, Principia, St. Vincent and Valley of Caledonia.
Crystal travels to Ste. Genevieve to play Valle Catholic on Dec. 13.
Moss era begins at Grandview
After coaching the Northwest boys basketball team the past four seasons, Jeremy Moss is off to a 2-3 start in his first campaign with Grandview.
In its Herbert tournament game prior to the loss to Crystal, Grandview crushed McKinley 56-24 behind balanced scoring from senior point guard Tom Grimm (13 points), junior shooting guard Weston Hopper (12), senior center Levi Lalonde (12) and senior forward Caleb Peterson (11). Hopper also had five assists and two steals.
Moss said Grimm is a reliable guard who can score consistently from outside and handle the ball.
“He will be a huge part of our success this season,” Moss said.
Hopper is a shifty 5-9 guard with explosive moves who can very nearly dunk the ball.
“He can also light it up from deep and handle the ball well,” Moss said. “He makes a solid 1-2 punch in the backcourt alongside Grimm.”
The coach called Lalonde the workhorse of the team as the only returning starter from last season. Lalonde is 6-2 and has put on 20 pounds of muscle to provide some heft in the post.
Peterson brings energy and does all of the little things that a team needs, Moss added.
“He gets 100 percent of 50-50 balls. He will be our best defender and will help us finish possessions rebounding the ball.”
Senior center/forward Jordan Quinn rounds out the starting five. He can play in the post and spot up as a 3-point shooter.
Coming off the bench are seniors Garet Boyer, Logan Cane, Trenton Cookerly and John Maddox and juniors Isaac Foust and Nash Moore. Moss said Boyer can get hot from outside the arc, Cane will grow into an excellent perimeter defender and Nash is a physical post player who’s good at setting screens.
“Offensively, we’re guard-heavy,” Moss said. “We will be a cutting, shooting type of team with not one player taller than 6-2. We will share the ball and work for good shots.”
Moss takes over a team that was 6-21 overall last season and winless (0-5) in league play. The Eagles host Class 3 District 3 rival West County on Dec. 12.