With the stands full Saturday, highly regarded hoops recruits Trevor Releford, Perry Ellis and Ricky Kreklow didn't disappoint.
In what he described as a Herculean effort Metro Sports and producer Shawn Beldin once again attracted a throng of Kansas and Missouri high school basketball enthusiasts to the 15th Annual HyVee Shootout at Avila University in Kansas City last weekend.
Perry Ellis, Wichita Heights
Photo by Dean Backes
As the doors opened Wednesday afternoon for the first of five sessions that ran through Saturday, Beldin and company captivated hoops fans by bringing in some of the top basketball prospects from around the border showdown states.
“We put together 21 games in four days,” Beldin said in reference to the shootout’s seven girls games and 14 boys contests. “We had some very good basketball teams that treated the fans to some great match-ups and some close games.”
Most of the schools competing in the shootout were from within the Kansas City metro. But powerhouse schools like the Topeka Washburn Rural girls (KS), Springfield Kickapoo girls (MO), Maize boys (KS), Columbia-Rock Bridge boys (MO) and Wichita Heights boys (KS) took to the court as well.
While many of the teams competing at this year’s shootout have undoubtedly crossed paths before, Beldin did put together a classic regional match-up between two schools that are bound to make some noise once the post season in their respective states rolls around.
“We try not to match up the same teams every year,” Beldin said of what he and his team look for in setting up the contests. “But O’Hara and Bishop Miege are such big rivals…I also wanted to get a good regional match-up this year and I think we got that with the Rock Bridge and Wichita Heights game.
“Our goal is to attract all of the top players in KC, as well as around the region, to play in this event. Perry Ellis from Wichita Heights for example is an excellent player, a big time recruit.”
Although his basketball team didn’t fare as well as he and his players would have liked, Wichita Heights boys basketball coach Joe Auer couldn’t help but reflect on what his basketball team learned about itself while competing against a team the likes of Columbia-Rock Bridge.
“We don’t get to do this very often,” Auer said of the restrictions that the Kansas State High School Activities Association places on schools in regards to miles traveled and the number of tournaments played, “so this was really a pretty unique opportunity to play against this kind of field.
“It gives the kids a chance to play on the big stage, to push themselves a little bit. We play in a nine-team league, and all of the schools are located in Wichita, so we don’t get to get out on the road very often.”
Trevor Releford, Bishop Miege
Photo by Dean Backes
Wichita Heights went into Saturday’s game against the Bruins without the services of 6-foot-5, 200-pound point guard Evan Wessel, so Auer knew that utilizing his team’s speed would be crucial in coming out on top of Missouri’s 2009 Class 5 semifinalists.
Auer does have one of the nation’s top big men at his disposal in 6-8 sophomore center Ellis. But without Wessel on the floor Wichita Heights plays no one else taller than 6-2.
The Bruins countered with Dave Duffeck and Logan Parks, who stand 6-8 and 6-7 respectively, as well as 6-6 guard Ricky Kreklow a Missouri recruit.
The Falcons led Rock Bridge for much of the first three quarters, but eventually the size of the Bruins wore on the defending Kansas 6A state champions.
“The kids played well against a great opponent and without a great teammate,” Auer said. “We have some fast guards that are good with the ball, so we thought our best chance to win was to attack the basket. Eventually though I think their size kind of wore on us.
“Their guard (Ricky) Kreklow was very good. He made some shots that kept them in the game. Then when they made their run they had some other guys step up and make plays.”
Kreklow led Jim Scanlon’s squad to the win by scoring a game-high 25 points. Matt Kelly and Logan Parks added 14 and 10 points for the Bruins respectively.
Ellis scored 21 points to lead the Falcons. Dreamius Smith chipped in 20 points for Auer, while EJ Dobbins and Terrance Moore poured in 14 and 11 points respectively.
Huppe, McCullough sizzle for St. James AcademyWhile Ellis and Smith were a great 1-2 punch for Wichita Heights, St. James Academy’s Mike Huppe and Clint McCullough took that label one step further.
In leading the Thunder to an 89-76 win over William Chrisman Thursday, Huppe tossed in a shootout high 35 points, while McCullough added the second highest output of 31 points.
Blue Valley North’s Erin Boxberger led all girls scorers in the basketball classic by pouring in 24 points for the Mustangs in a 57-46 win over St. Teresa’s Academy.
Miege Win Streak EndsCasey Carroll’s hot hand led Missouri Class 5 power Springfield Kickapoo to a 57-48 win over the Bishop Miege girls by pouring in a game-high 21 points.
The Chief’s nine-point triumph ended the defending 5A state champion’s winning streak at 18 games, dating back to Bishop Miege’s 53-36 loss to Notre Dame de Sion (MO) on Jan. 22, 2009.
The loss was just the third for the Stags in 15 shootout contests. Both the boys (7-8) and girls (12-3) Stags squads have earned invitations to all 15 shootouts, making Bishop Miege the only school to earn that honor.
The St. Thomas Aquinas girls are the only team to have a clean slate in the shootout. With its 46-26 win over Liberty, the Saints secured their 13th shootout win in 13 tries.
First Time EntrantsNine schools were represented at the four-day classic for the first time in 2009. Four of those squads came away with wins.
Topeka Washburn Rural’s (KS) girls upended Kansas City-Central (MO), 55-42; Kearney’s (MO) boys defeated Kansas City-Harmon (KS), 63-56; St. James Academy’s (KS) boys took it to William Chrisman (MO), 89-76 and the Springfield Kickapoo (MO) girls out scored Bishop Miege (KS), 57-48.
Kansas City-Harmon’s (KS) boys, Mill Valley’s (KS) boys, O’Hara’s (MO) girls, Maize’s (KS) boys and Wichita Heights’ (KS) boys also made the field for the first time last weekend, but lost.
Kansas leads the seriesAfter Saturday’s action, Kansas holds a 120-102 overall edge over their Missouri counterparts. The sunflower state girls have dominated the action, winning 60 of 93 contests. Missouri’s boys have come out on top in 69 of 129 games against Kansas.
In 2009, the Kansas girls won five of the seven contests, while Missouri took 10 of 14 matches against the Kansas boys.
HyVee Shootout ScoresWednesday, December 16Topeka Washburn Rural Girls (KS) 55, Kansas City-Central (MO) 42
Kearney Boys (MO) 63, Kansas City-Harmon (KS) 56
Lee’s Summit Boys (MO) 68, Mill Valley (KS) 50
Raytown South Boys (MO) 60, Shawnee Mission South (KS) 40
Thursday, December 17Hickman Mills Girls (MO) 39, Olathe Northwest (KS) 37
Lee’s Summit West Boys (MO) 42, Kansas City-Piper (KS) 41
St. James Academy Boys (KS) 89, William Chrisman (MO) 76
Raytown Boys (MO) 46, St. Thomas Aquinas (KS) 36
Friday, December 18Blue Valley North Girls (KS) 57, St. Teresa’s Academy (MO) 46
Shawnee Mission East Girls (KS) 44, Lee’s Summit (MO) 42
Springfield Kickapoo Girls (MO) 57, Bishop Miege (KS) 48
St. Thomas Aquinas Girls (KS) 46, Liberty (MO) 26
Shawnee Mission West Girls (KS) 62, O’Hara (MO) 42
Saturday, December 19Blue Valley Northwest Boys (KS) 59, Ruskin (MO) 42
Liberty Boys (MO) 58, Blue Valley West (KS) 51
Grandview Boys (MO) 72, Shawnee Mission East (KS) 61
Ricky Kreklow, Rock Bridge
Photo by Dean Backes
Lee’s Summit North Boys (MO) 72, Maize (KS) 56
Sumner Academy Boys (KS) 66, Hickman Mills (MO) 50
Columbia-Rock Bridge Boys (MO) 75, Wichita Heights (KS) 70
Rockhurst Boys (MO) 52, Shawnee Mission Northwest (KS) 50
Bishop Miege Boys (KS) 58, O’Hara (MO) 56
HyVee Shootout’s Leading ScorersBoysMike Huppe of St. James Academy (KS) scored 35 points in an 89-76 win over William Chrisman (MO)…St. James Academy’s (KS) Clint McCullough poured in 31 points in an 89-76 win over William Chrisman (MO)…Reese Holliday of Sumner Academy (KS) scorched the nets for 30 points in a 66-50 win over Hickman Mills (MO)…Kearney’s (MO) Dillon Starzl scored 26 points in a 63-56 win over Kansas City-Harmon (KS)…Ricky Kreklow of Columbia-Rock Bridge (MO) poured in 25 points in a 75-70 win over Wichita Heights (KS)…Bishop Miege’s (KS) Trevor Releford scorched the nets for 25 points in a 58-56 win over O’Hara (MO)…Denton Koon of Liberty (MO) scored 21 points in a 58-51 win over Blue Valley West (KS)…Grandview’s (MO) Quantel Denson poured in 21 points in a 72-61 win over Shawnee Mission East (KS)…Perry Ellis of Wichita Heights (KS) scorched the nets for 21 points in a 75-70 loss to Columbia-Rock Bridge (MO)…Lee’s Summit North’s (MO) BJ Dunbar scored 20 points in a 72-56 win over Maize (KS)…Dreamius Smith of Wichita Heights (KS) poured in 20 points in a 75-70 loss to Columbia-Rock Bridge (MO).
GirlsErin Boxberger of Blue Valley North (KS) scored 24 points in a 57-46 win over St. Teresa’s Academy (MO)…Springfield Kickapoo’s (MO) Casey Carroll poured in 21 points in a 57-48 win over Bishop Miege (KS)…Shandelyn Stewart of Bishop Miege (KS) scorched the nets for 20 points in a 57-48 loss to Springfield Kickapoo (MO)…Topeka Washburn Rural’s (KS) Alexa Bordewick scored 19 points in a 55-42 win over Kansas City-Central (MO)…Mackaela Carter of Olathe Northwest (KS) poured in 19 points in a 39-37 loss to Hickman Mills (MO)…St. Thomas Aquinas’ (KS) Nelly Weledji scorched the nets for 18 points in a 46-26 win over Liberty (MO)…Janna Graf of Shawnee Mission East (KS) scored 17 points in a 44-42 win over Lee’s Summit (MO)…Kansas City-Central’s (MO) Brittany Silas poured in 16 points in a 55-42 loss to Topeka Washburn Rural (KS)…Lizzy Jeronimus of Shawnee Mission West (KS) scorched the nets for 15 points in a 62-42 win over O’Hara (MO).
