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Jim Wieners Sports Roundup: A Turn Around
McCluer North Basketball,
Boys And Girls, Start 2019
With 10-1 Marks!
By Jim Wieners
Boys and Girls Basketball teams started the 2018 portion of the 2018-2019 season with 10 wins in 11 games prior to Jan.8.
McCluer North Boys began the season by winning three games in the Troy Buchanan Invitational and two games in the Waynesville Route 66 Shootout. The Stars won three out of four games in the Coaches Versus Cancer Holiday Tournament at the Meramec campus of St. Louis Community College. The only loss, at Coaches Versus Cancer, was Dec. 29 when McCluer North lost 89-52 in the semifinals to DeSmet Jesuit and the Stars had to settle for third place following a 72-53 win Dec. 30 over Mehlville.
McCluer North Boys resumed action Jan. 8 at Kirkwood High School when the Stars took on O’Fallon, Ill., in the Denver Miller Tournament, which continued Thursday-Friday (Jan. 10-11), time(s) to be determined after the opening round. After the Miller Tournament the Stars will be on the road for games at Hazelwood Central Jan. 15, 5:30, Parkway Central Jan. 18, 7 p.m. and Trinity Catholic Jan. 22, 7:15, before hosting McCluer Jan. 25, 5:30.
Senior A’Tavian Butler led the Stars in scoring with a 17.4-point average while shooting 66.1 percent including 69.3 percent from inside the three-point arc. Butler also has 63 rebounds and three blocks. Senior Aaron Daniels hit 67.7 percent from three-point range and made 11 out of 12 free throws. Senior Mekai Ray has 30 assists and 24 steals
MCCLUER NORTH GIRLS — McCluer North won the first seven games including three in the Clayton Round Robin. The Stars opened the Jerseyville (Ill/) Christmas Tournament, Dec. 27 with a 50-43 loss to Troy (Ill.) Triad, then rebounded with three wins and a third-place finish. After a Jan. 8 game at Mary Institute County Day School the Stars visit Riverview Gardens Thursday, 5:30, then host Hazelwood Central Jan 15, 5:30, and Lafayette Jan.18, 6 p.m., before playing in the Lindbergh Tournament, Jan 22-25.
Sophomore Samya Johnson averages 14.2 points per game, making 71.8 of her free throws and blocking at least 22 shots. Sophomore Madeleine Pinkston has at least 72 rebounds while shooting 64.8 percent, all from inside the three-point arc. Junior Michelle Owens, averaging 11.1 points per game, has 29 assists and 46 steals.
WRESTLING-GIRLS SECOND AT MEHLVILLE — In the inaugural season of Girls Wrestling McCluer North enjoyed their pre-Christmas success by finishing second Dec. 21 in the Mehlville Girls Wrestling Tournament. With six eligible wrestlers on the roster, the Stars scored 133 points, just two behind first-place Buffalo (135), which is located west of Fort Leonard Wood and north of Springfield.
Five of the six wrestlers finished in the top four including two champions. Senior Kyra Perry, (16-2) won five matches at Mehlville and won the 116-pound championship while Sophomore Elizabeth Cosentino (15-3) also won five matches at Mehlville while winning the championship at 152.
Junior Paige Folkner (17-1) lost her only match in the 121 semifinals at Mehlville as she lost by fall to Buffalo’s Lizzie Miller, eventual runner up to Hickman’s Mary Belle Harrell. Folkner took only 59 seconds to pin St. Charles’ Caitlyn Thorne in the third-place match.
Sophomore Natalie Schaljo (11-3) took second at 136, losing a major decision (18-10) in the first-place match to Taylor Murphey, Northwest-Cedar Hill. Sophomore Kayla Davis (9-7) took fourth at 131 while sophomore Alayna Abel was 10th at 126.
BOYS THIRD AT DeSMET WRESTLING TOURNAMENT — McCluer North Boys took third place Dec. 28 in the DeSmet Jesuit Bobby Christman Memorial Christmas Tournament. The Stars scored 128.5 points, 7.5 behind second place Fort Zumwalt North, 40.5 behind first-pace DeSmet, 1.5 ahead of Fox and two ahead of Rockwood-Marquette.
Senior Julian Hays and sophomore Ibrahim Amee are the only McCluer North’s winners at DeSmet. Hays (16-4) had a first-round bye and three pin falls before taking a 7-2 first-place match decision over Fort Zumwalt North’s Derick Buda-Smith at 152. Ameer (18-3) won at 170 with four falls and a 9-1 second-round major decision over Fort Zumwalt North’s Parker Mourning. Junior Issac (10-10 132) and senior Micah Dennis (11-3 145) each finished third.
