Focus on Emerging Young Athletes
The Argus All-Metro Basketball Team
Despite a crash and burn ending at the hand of the powerful Sikeston Bulldogs, the St. Mary’s Dragons had a banner campaign at 27-4, which included decisive victories over the likes of Cardinal Ritter, Chaminade, CBC, St. Louis University High, Northwest Academy, Confluence Academy, ultimately the defending two-time Class 4 champion Vashon Wolverines. “This is a group where you have a junior point guard Yuri Collins that’s seasoned," remarked Soldan Coach and former SLUH assistant coach James Washington after St. Mary’s rolled past SLUH team on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Shootout Night. “It’s so many players who are used to that system that it almost doesn’t make a difference who is coaching them. They are so talented and they know the system so well. You can almost just roll the ball out there and let them play. But BT (Coach Bryan Turner) does a great job with that group.”
Indeed, the Dragons brought a vibe to the inner-city private school arena this year that hasn’t been there since the dominant glory days of Cardinal Ritter in the mid 1990’s with the likes of future college stars Jahidi White (Georgetown), Chris Carawell (Duke), Loren Woods (Arizona). Fittingly two of St. Mary’s players comprise the second team All-Metro in guards Collins (13.6 points) and 169 (assists) and senior Antonio Burks (14 points) who are joined by 6-7 senior forward Jericole Helms of Chaminade (22.6 points), 6-2 DeAndre Campbell of Parkway Central (24 points), and 6-3 Courtney Ramey of defending Class 5 champion Webster Grove (21 points). - By Lonnel Cole of the St. Louis Argus