Earl Austin Jr: Class 4 and 5 State Recap: Incarnate Word wins Class 5 state title Class 4 and 5 State Recap: Incarnate Word wins Class 5 state title ================================================================================ Earl Austin on 17/03/2010 15:23:00 Incarnate Word entered the 2010 season with high hopes and a top 10 national ranking. They managed to stay the course and play at a high level all season to finish with a 30-1 record. Their defense carried them throughout the entire season and last weekend was no exception as they held Fort Zumwalt West to 36 points and 35 percent shooting in the semifinals and Blue Springs to 33 percent shooting in the championship game. There were different offensive heroes in both games in Columbia. In the 55-36 victory over Fort Zumwalt West in the semifinals, it was seniors Chloe Nelson and Jazmin Hitchens who led the way. Nelson scored a game-high 19 points while the 5’11” Hitchens had 18 points and 10 rebounds. In the championship game, juniors Brianna Puni and Brittany Carter came to the forefront with Puni getting 14 points and 10 rebounds and Carter adding 12 points. Making it all work from the sidelines was head coach Dan Rolfes, who is as good a high school girls’ basketball coach as there is in the Midwest. His preparation and attention to detail are second to none and his teams always compete hard every minute that they are on the floor. You combine that with a group of very talented young ladies and you have yourself a state champion and a national power. Fort Zumwalt West took home the fourth-place trophy to finish its historic season at 25-7. It marked the Jaguars’ first trip to the Final Four in the school’s history. There is plenty of hope for next season as West will return most of its top players for next season, including talented guard Kelsey Jones and 6’1” twins Jasmine and Jenna Swopshire. Watch out for the Jaguars in 2010. Head coach Monica Tritz has a good thing going in St. Charles Co. *Oakville fell just four minutes short of bringing home the school’s first state basketball championship. The Tigers held a six-point lead over Springfield Hillcrest in the fourth quarter, but the Hornets rallied to take a 54-49 victory in the Class 5 state championship game. Although their season ended in disappointment, it has been a very successful two-year run for the Tigers, who put their program on the statewide basketball map. Oakville advanced to the school’s first ever Final Four last season in suprising fashion. Despite the graduation of top player Keith Pickens (now at Missouri State), the Tigers returned a solid nucleus of players that were determined to show that last year was no fluke. And they did. The Tigers rode the talents of seniors Garrett Reeg, Toraino Hellems, Josh Noblitt, and junior Javier Duren to a 27-5 season and 17-game winning streak heading into the state championship game. The Tigers advanced to the state title game with a thrilling 47-44 overtime victory over CBC on Thursday. Noblitt sent the game into overtime with a dramatic 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation. CBC closed out its season with a 51-43 victory over Park Hill South to finish in third place. The Cadets finished the season with a 22-9 record, including big victories over rivals DeSmet and Chaminade in the districts and top-ranked Webster Groves in the state quarterfinals. Springfield Hillcrest guard Trey Starks was dominant in the state finals with 22 points, plus he had the most amazing dunk I may have ever seen at the state tournament. At the beginning of the second half, he jumped over Oakville’s 6’6” Garett Reeg to snag a one-handed alley-oop dunk all in one motion. It was amazing. Truly amazing. Starks’ dunk has already become a You Tube staple as well as a featured highlight on ESPN’s Sportscenter. *Congratulations to coach Justin Tatum and his Soldan Tigers on their third-place finish in the boys Class 4 state tournament. The Tigers were defeated by St. Francis Borgia 81-72 in last Friday’s state semifinals, but they pressed the Knights to the limit before going down. Soldan rebounded to defeat Republic 62-55 in the third-place game. Senior guard Brier West closed out a nice career with 25 points against Borgia and 34 points against Republic. Soldan’s future is very bright with several sophomores playing key roles this season, led by point guard Partice Sanders and forward Paul McRoberts. The Tigers should be one of the area’s top teams for the next few years. In the boys Class 4 championship game, Kearney stunned No. 1 St. Francis Borgia 47-43 to win the state title and snap Borgia’s 46-game winning streak in the process. Kearney also gained a measure of revenge as they were defeated by the Knights for the state title last year. Despite the heartbreaking loss, the young men of Borgia have plenty to be proud of after a wonderful season. Basketball fans in the Show-Me state saw the best of Borgia in Friday’s entertaining semifinal victory over Soldan when it shot 70 percent from the field, with most of their shots coming from 3-point distance. Congrats to coach Dave Neier and his kids on a great season. *On the Illinois side, congratulations to the Madison Trojans on their fourth-place finish in the IHSA Class 1A state tournament in Peoria last weekend. Breese Central also came home with a fourth-place trophy at the IHSA Class 2A state tournament. Also, O’Fallon and Cahokia were Class 4A and Class 3A sectional champions, respectively. Both advanced to the Supersectionals of their state tournaments, which are on Tuesday night. O’Fallon will play Joliet Township at the Normal Supersectional while Cahokia will face defending Class 3A state champion Champaign Centennial at the Springfield Supersectional. *Finally, special congratulations go to the girls of North County Tech on their breakthrough season in 2010. The Golden Eagles won 20 games and the school’s first-ever district championship. North County Tech advanced to the Class 3 state quarterfinals before being stopped by Macon last Saturday. Not only did the Golden Eagles win a district title, but they also shocked Bowling Green in the state sectionals. Along the way, North County Tech defeated Class 5 district champion McCluer North and defending Class 3 state-champion Cardinal Ritter during its tremendous season. Congrats to head coach George Merritt and his girls on a great season.