The Heavy Weights Enter The Ring

(St. Louis, MO) – With all due respect to the other participants, the big boys want to play now at the Coaches Vs Cancer Basketball Tournament. The top four seeds have all advanced to the semi-finals and it’s time for the heavy weights!

Missouri’s top ranked team, the Chiefs from Kickapoo (Springfield) come in undefeated and drilling people. They won their first two games of the CVC by a total of 57 points. Head Coach Dick Rippee’s team is 8-0 and have had 6 different players lead them in scoring.

They get off the bus shooting threes and driving to the rack. Only two players on the entire roster haven’t hit at least one shot from long distance and sophomore Jared Ridder had only 5 triples in six games coming into the tournament. He has six in the last two days.

Four Chief players are averaging better than two made free throws per game and five Kickapoo shooters are making at least 80 % of their trips to the charity stripe.

Hazelwood Central awaits the Chiefs. All the Hawks have done is run off to an 8-0 start of their own. They’ve won both of their Meramec games by double digits and are as explosive as they are long.

They love to attack and they love to defend. Head Coach Josh Martin likes his teams to be tenacious on defense and play with passion. The Hawks are led by junior Xavier Sneed (19.9 ppg) who is being pursued by several Division 1 basketball programs.

But the 6’6” wing isn’t a one man show. Guard Steve Holloway and post player Dominique Dobbs are both averaging double figures and the two-time defending Meramec tournament champions want to take the hardware home again.

The other semi-final finds top seeded Webster Groves facing off with darkhorse Vianney.

Webster Groves last won the Meramec tournament in 2004 and lost in the finals to Hazelwood Central last year. The Statesmen are 7-2 and have two Division 1 players on their veteran team.

Forward Alex Foresca (UC San Diego) and wing Stephen Harris (Austin Peay) both average double figures on the offensive end and play that patented Webster defense on the other.

Vianney is a bit more of a mystery. The Golden Griffins are 7-4 having lost to Hazelwood Central already, but they are a growing team. Four players average nine or more points, with the leader being FRESHMAN Carte’Are Gordon. He leads them in rebounding too. This Griffin team will grow more dangerous as the season wears on.

Prep Sportsshowcase is carrying both semi-finals (5:00 and 6:30 pm on Monday) and the third place and championship games (5:15 & 7:00 pm on Tuesday). I’m privileged to work the semis with my good friend Kevin Paulus.

It’s time for the Heavy Weights to enter the ring!

Do Good

 

(pictures for this story courtesy of CoachesvsCancerSTL.org)