By Dean Backes
MaxPreps.com
A year ago Maplewood-Richmond Heights demonstrated it was the best prep boys basketball team in Class 3 competition after winning the school’s first state basketball championship in March.
Following last weekend’s 54-53 victory over defending Class 5 champion Webster Groves in the championship match of the Webster Groves Classic, the Blue Devils displayed the ability to be one of the better boys basketball teams in Missouri.
Senior guard Bryant Allen led the way and was named the tournaments most valuable player by scoring 84 points in three tournament contests, including a 35-point outburst in an opening round 75-60 win over Lee’s Summit.
Bryant poured in 29 points on Saturday.
“It was crucial for us to come and get it done this time,” Maplewood-Richmond Heights head coach Corey Frazier told the St. Louis Post Dispatch in reference to his team’s annual habit of winning the consolation game. “We’ve been there, we always have a sluggish start on the first night and then we win two. We can play with a lot of teams that are in the championship. This year, these seniors wanted to come in and prove a point.”
The one-point win posted by the Blue Devils wrecked Webster Groves 53-game win streak on its home court, and stopped a four-year reign by the Statesmen in the Classic.
Charles Brooks scored 11 points for the Blue Devils, who trailed 22-9 after a quarter of play. Webster Groves was led in the scoring column by Derrick Dilworth (14), Dante Campbell (13) and Vinnie Raimondo (10).
Here is a look at some of the top individual performances around the state last weekend and the season’s first rankings.
The Weekend’s Top Boys Performances
Major Harris of Beaumont scored 31 points in a 70-61 loss to North Kansas City…Seckman’s Kyle Leslie scored 33 points in a 71-67 win over Festus…Bryant Allen of Maplewood-Richmond Heights scored 35 points in a 75-60 win over Lee’s Summit…North Nodaway’s Jason DeMott scored 30 points in a 70-48 loss to Rock Port…Tyler Shaver of McDonald County scored 31 points in a 63-54 win over Monett…Pierce City’s Dietrick Sooter scored 39 points, including 9 3-pointers, in a 77-73 loss to Billings…Bryant Allen of Maplewood-Richmond Heights scored 29 points in a 54-53 win over Webster Groves…Ritenour’s Corey Allen scored 29 points in an 81-64 win over Francis Howell North…Tim Bomgardner of Mercer scored 29 points in a 58-48 loss to Tri-County…William Chrisman’s Justin Clark scored 29 points in an 81-68 win over Olathe Northwest…Pearson of Raytown South scored 28 points in a 56-53 loss to Fort Smith Northside…Brentwood’s Taylor Dee scored 28 points in a 60-48 loss to Clever…Matt Lynch of St. Louis University High scored 28 points in a 75-72 loss to Kirkwood…DeKalb’s Brady Crockett scored 28 points in a 72-45 win over Osborn…Bryan Lee of Winston scored 28 points in a 70-60 win over Breckenridge…Douglass’ Brandon Gleason scored 35 points in an 80-57 win over Tuscumbia in the championship game of the Jamestown Tournament.
The Weekend’s Top Girls Performances
Dahlia Booker of McCluer North scored 27 points in a 60-41 win over MICDS…Brentwood’s Brittany Petty scored 26 points in a 49-43 win over Crossroads College Prep…Jasmine Woolfolk of University City scored 18 points and pulled down 19 rebounds in a 42-34 loss to Clayton…Gateway Tech’s Tina Taylor scored 25 points in a 68-44 win over Sumner…Courtney Besand of St. Vincent scored 34 points in a 69-57loss to Fredericktown…Fredericktown’s Kylie Oertel scored 28 points in a 69-57 win over St. Vincent…Alex Greenwood of Christian Fellowship scored 32 points in a 52-45 win over Heritage Academy…Neosho’s Savannah Snow scored 26 points in a 63-61 loss to Webb City…Courtney Martin of Tarkio scored 27 points in a 55-22 win over South Holt…DeKalb’s Tessa Gillis scored 26 points in a 56-44 win over Osburn…Nicole Critchfield of St. Joseph Christian scored 26 points in a 61-49 win over DeKalb…South Nodaway’s Sami Jackson scored 25 points in a 62-43 win over Osburn…Maggie Arnall of Hartville scored 37 points in a 49-46 win over Licking…Springfield Catholic’s Abby Reith scored 25 points in a 64-56 win over Ash Grove.
Missouri Boys Basketball Rankings
Class 5
1. McCluer North (4-0)
2. Columbia Rock Bridge (4-0)
3. Gateway Tech (6-1)
4. Lafayette (Wildwood) (4-2)
5. Webster Groves (2-1)
6. Park Hills South (4-0)
7. Oak Park (4-0)
8. Grandview (4-1)
9. Columbia Hickman (6-1)
10. Lebanon (4-1)
Class 4
1. St. Charles West (5-0)
2. Branson (5-0)
3. McCluer South-Berkeley (3-0)
4. Sikeston (5-1)
5. Hillsboro (4-0)
6. Webb City (2-2)
7. Helias (3-2)
8. De Soto (4-1)
9. St. Francis Borgia (5-1)
10. Lafayette (St. Joseph) (5-2)
Class 3
1. Maplewood-Richmond Heights (5-1)
2. Cardinal Ritter (5-1)
3. Seneca (4-1)
4. Hogan Prep (6-1)
5. Lincoln College Prep (2-1)
6. Bowling Green (2-1)
7. Crystal City (5-1)
8. St. Pius X (KC) (1-2)
9. Linn (2-1)
10. St. Joseph Bishop LeBlond (1-1)
Class 2
1. South Iron (5-0)
2. Clever (5-1)
3. Laquey (4-0)
4. Gainesville (4-0)
5. Lee’s Summit Central Christian (0-0)
6. Purdy (3-1)
7. Harrisburg (2-2)
8. Mansfield (2-2)
9. Wellington-Napoleon (3-2)
10. Thayer (3-1)
Class 1
1. Jefferson (9-1)
2. Scott County Central (5-0)
3. Newtown-Harris (3-0)
4. Meadville (5-0)
5. Fair Play (1-0)
6. Glasgow (1-1)
7. Chadwick (4-1)
8. Brashear (3-0)
9. Pilot Grove (3-1)
10. Mound City (6-1)
Missouri Girls Basketball Rankings
Class 5
1. Blue Springs (4-0)
2. Springfield Kickapoo (3-1)
3. Incarnate Word (6-1)
4. St. Joseph’s Academy (7-1)
5. Columbia Rock Bridge (5-2)
6. Ozark (3-0)
7. Nerinx Hall (5-1)
8. Hazelwood Central (4-1)
9. McCluer North (3-1)
10. Fort Zumwalt West (3-1)
Class 4
1. Dexter (3-0)
2. St. Dominic (5-0)
3. Platte County (6-0)
4. Republic (4-0)
5. St. James (5-0)
6. Notre Dame de Sion (2-1)
7. Farmington (4-1)
8. Webb City (5-1)
9. Fulton (2-1)
10. Sullivan (4-1)
Class 3
1. Skyline (1-0)
2. South Shelby (3-0)
3. Portageville (7-0)
4. Bowling Green (5-0)
5. Fair Grove (5-0)
6. St. Pius X (KC) (2-0)
7. Lutheran (St. Peters) (4-1)
8. Mount Vernon (3-2)
9. Hermann (3-2)
10. Palmyra (4-2)
Class 2
1. Osceola (5-0)
2. Gallatin (4-0)
3. North Platte (4-0)
4. Vienna (6-1)
5. Penney (3-1)
6. Clopton (4-1)
7. McAuley Catholic (2-1)
8. Harrisburg (2-0)
9. Canton (2-1)
10. Smithton (1-1)
Class 1
1. Northeast (Cairo) (0-0)
2. Linn County (1-0)
3. Macks Creek (1-0)
4. Meadville (4-1)
5. Delta (4-1)
6. South Nodaway (7-0)
7. Montrose (3-0)
8. Exeter (2-0)
9. DeKalb (4-1)
10. Hardin-Central (4-1)
