Looking back at a memorable prep sports year 

It was another exciting year of high school sports in the St. Louis metropolitan area. As we always do at the beginning of the summer, we take a look back at what happened in our annual St. Louis American Prep Year in Review. This week, we look at the great teams that made this past year special.

Principia Boys Go Back to Back: The Principia boys basketball team was dominant in winning its second consecutive Class 3 state championship. The Panthers were led by 6-foot-4 senior guard Quentin Coleman, who earned St. Louis American Player of the Year honors. He concluded his career with a 50-point performance against Miller Career Academy in the state championship game. The Panthers also made a national name for themselves as they defeated some of the top teams in the country during the season. They finished third in the prestigious City of Palms Tournament in Florida in December.

East St. Louis Boys Basketball: The Flyers won the IHSA Class 3A state championship, the second in the school’s history. East Side won 30 games during the season, ending with a 50-46 victory over Deerfield in the state championship game. The Flyers were led by 6-foot-8 senior forward Jamison White, a transfer from Chaminade, who emerged as one of the top players in the state of Illinois. The Flyers were also led by senior guard Alex Johnson and junior point guard Phillip Jones.

Incarnate Word Wins Another Title: The Incarnate Word Academy girls continued their basketball success by winning the Class 6 state championship. It was the ninth consecutive state championship for the Red Knights under legendary coach Dan Rolfes. One of the season’s big highlights was a victory over Top 5 national power Long Island Lutheran at the Sophie Cunningham Classic in Columbia in January. The Red Knights fielded a talented lineup of seniors, all of whom are now attending NCAA Division I schools.

Principia Girls Make History: The Principia girls basketball team made history by winning the Class 3 state championship. It was the first for the girls basketball program. The Panthers survived two close contests against Highland and Centralia in the state playoffs before posting two comfortable victories in the Final Four to win the state title. Principia was led by 6-foot-2 junior forward Dasia Scott, who was the St. Louis American Girls’ Player of the Year.

Lift for Life Girls Three-Peat: The Lift for Life girls basketball team displayed great resiliency in winning its third consecutive state championship. The Hawks defeated MICDS to win the Class 5 state championship. Lift for Life survived season-ending injuries to All-State guards Amaya and Cara Manuel. The Hawks were also without standout guard Zha Harris, who missed the first half of the season due to injury. When Harris returned, she and senior Diamond Polk led the Hawks’ surge to the three-peat state title.

De Smet wins another state title: De Smet Jesuit has been a basketball powerhouse in the St. Louis area since the early 1970s. The Spartans won their second state title in three years by claiming the Class 6 state championship. The Spartans defeated Blue Springs South in the state championship game. The Spartans were led by the senior duo of forward Jordan Boyd and guard Ian Thomas.

Belleville East Girls Make History: The Belleville East girls basketball program made history by advancing to the Final Four of the IHSA Class 4A state tournament for the first time. The Lancers finished third in the state tournament during their historic season. The Lancers were led by sophomore guard Hailey Gray, who emerged as one of the top young players in the state of Illinois.

Metro and Bio Science track team makes history: The Owls won the Missouri Class 3 boys state championship for the first time. The Owls won on the strength of their excellent distance runners and jumpers. Senior Owen Garrett won a pair of gold medals, including the 800-meter run, while Maxwell McFarlane earned three All-State medals in all three jumping events.

Festus Girls Win Another Title: The Festus Tigers won the girls Class 4 state championship for the second consecutive year. The Tigers were led by splendid junior Jahmeshia Patterson, who won three state titles in the sprints and hurdles. Festus’ state title continues the strong track and field tradition in the Jefferson County area.

East St. Louis Football Makes Another State Run: East St. Louis made another run to the IHSA Class 6A state championship game, finishing as the runner-up. The Flyers played their usual national schedule against teams from New Jersey, Nevada and Florida. One of the stars of the team was junior running back Myson Johnson-Cook, who scored 18 touchdowns. He recently committed to Auburn.

Belleville West Boys Shine: The Belleville West Maroons had a great run to a second-place finish in the IHSA boys Class 3A state track and field meet. West was led by its All-American sprinter Morquez Bullinger, who won the state title in the 400-meter run. The Maroons were also led by state champion hurdler Jayln Cole and All-American jumper TJ Cason.

Lift for Life Football Goes to State: The Lift for Life Hawks made history with their first appearance in the Show-Me Bowl. The Hawks were edged by state power Seneca in the state championship game. After advancing to the state semifinals last season, the Hawks worked their way through a rugged schedule that featured many Class 5 and 6 schools across the state.

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