High school year in review

An incredible year of high school sports in the St. Louis area has ended so let’s put a bow on it with our annual St. Louis American Prep Year in Review.

We had some incredible highlights this year, which included:

*The Vashon boys and girls basketball teams winning state championships on the same weekend.

*The husband-and-wife coaching team of Brennan and Tiffany Spain leading their respective teams at Cardinal Ritter to state championships. Brennan led the football team, while Tiffany led the girls track team. One of the top athletes on the track team was their daughter Kyndall Spain, a state champion hurdler.

*Incarnate Word’s girls basketball team winning another state title and running its winning streak to 100 games.

Seasons of the spectacular

East St. Louis Football: The Flyers added another state championship to their vast trophy case after a dominating 57-7 victory over Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge in the IHSA Class 6A state championship. The Flyers had one of the biggest offensive lines in the country, led by Alabama recruit Miles McVay and a talented offense led by quarterback Robert “Pops” Battle.

CBC Football: The Cadets repeated as Class 6 state champions in dramatic fashion as they defeated Lee’s Summit North 35-28 in an overtime thriller. Senior Jeremiyah Love scored all five touchdowns for the Cadets in what was a  spectacular performance for the Cadets.

St. Mary’s Football: The Dragons won their second consecutive state championship with another dominant season, which ended with a 42-0 victory over fellow AAA foe St. Dominic in the Class 4 state title game. In their two state-championship game victories, the Dragons have outscored their opposition 98-0. They were led by senior standouts Jamal Roberts and Chase Hendricks.

Cardinal Ritter Football: The Lions brought home their first state championship in football after defeating Reeds Spring 46-7 to win the Class 3 state championship, thus completing a perfect 14-0 season. The Lions had a tremendous team, led by Division I recruits Fredrick Moore (Michigan) and Marvin Burks Jr. (Missouri).

Francis Howell Football: The Vikings made history by winning their first state championship in football. Howell powered past Fort Osage 49-21 to win the Class 5 state title and complete an undefeated season at 14-0.

Vashon Basketball: The Wolverines brought home another Class 4 state championship with a 64-37 victory over Park Hills Central. Vashon was led by 6’6” senior forward Kennard Davis, Jr. who is headed to Southern Illinois University. The Wolverines have won three state titles in a row and four of the last five.

Cardinal Ritter Basketball: The Lions won their third state championship in four years as they defeated Ladue to win the Class 5 state championship. The Lions staged a big fourth quarter rally to defeat Pembroke Hill in the semifinals, which set the stage for their championship performance.

Incarnate Word Basketball: The Red Knights continued their run as the dynasty in girls basketball statewide as they defeated Columbia Rock Bridge for the Class 6 state championship. In addition to another state title, Incarnate Word has now run its impressive winning streak to 100 games.

O’Fallon Girls Basketball: The Panthers made history by winning their first state championship in girls basketball. They did it in dramatic style by defeating Lisle Benet in double-overtime to win the IHSA Class 4A state championship. The Panthers were led by outstanding senior guard Shannon Dowell.

Lutheran St. Charles Girls Basketball: The Cougars won the Class 5 state championship with a thrilling victory over Carl Junction. Lutheran fielded a talented team led by sophomore sharpshooter Jordan Speiser, senior center Megan Aulbert, and talented freshmen Kyrii Franklin and Kennedy Stowers.

Vashon Girls Basketball: The Wolverines made history by winning its first ever state championship in girls basketball. Vashon defeated St. Joe Benton 79-77 in double overtime in the Class 4 state championship game. The Wolverines were led by the talented trio of senior Raychel Jones and juniors JaNyla Bush and Chantrel “Tutu” Clayton.

Cardinal Ritter Girls Track: The Cardinal Ritter girls track and field dynasty continued as it won its third consecutive state championship. The Lions scored 94 points as they outdistanced the field to win the Class 5 state championship.Coach Tiffany Spain has built a powerhouse program that is still rolling.

East St. Louis Track: The Flyers made it 13 state championships in boys track as they won the IHSA Class 2A state title in Charleston, IL. It was a great team effort by the Flyers, led by senior Demarlynn Taylor, a state champion hurdler.

Festus Boys Track: The Tigers brought home a championship trophy to Jefferson County as they won the Class 4 state championship. The Tigers were led by outstanding distance runner Ian Schram and field event standout Ahrmad Branch.