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Former Jennings Basketball Star Now Coaches Trinity Catholic Boys
BY JIM WIENERS
Kelly Thames was a basketball star in the ’90s leading Jennings High to a second-place finish in the 1992-93 Missouri Class 3A State Tournament then was a standout at the University of Missouri-Columbia which included an NCAA Division I regional final runner up finish againist Arizona in 1994.
Now Thames is back in high school basketball, after coaching amateur basketball for the AAU St. Louis Eagles. Thames is in his first year as Boys head coach at Trinity Catholic High School and has inherited a team that was 2-23 last year and was winless in 12 Archdiocesan Athletic Association contests. In fact Trinity was winless in the AAA in its first three years of existence.
So far this year Trinity has won more games this year than last with a 5-5 overall mark, 1-2 in the AAA. The Titans won their first AAA game Dec. 12 over Lutheran-St. Charles County (75-59). Trinity also has taken second-place in two tournaments — at Valley Park (Nov. 28-Dec. 2) and at the Lutheran-St. Charles County Cougar Classic (Dec. 14-16).
Thames noted the Titans’ improvement in the win-loss column and credited their efforts in practice. “They’re working really hard in practice,” he said last Saturday at Lutheran-St. Charles County and wants them to get used to winning. However last Saturday’s 66-39 loss to Elsberry was a result of playing four games in five days and Thames said the Titans “got tired shooting.”
Senior Nate Arends has averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds while freshman Marquis Hill, who helped the 5-5 football team with 15 touchdowns, has averaged 10 points per game in basketball.
BOYS HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS — McCluer North will play two games at the Chaminade College Prep Holiday Tournament in a round-robin Bracket “A,” against Parkway North Dec. 27 (8 p.m.) and John Burroughs, Dec. 28 (6:30), while Hazelwood West and Pattonville meet in a Bracket “B” first-round game Dec. 27 (6:30). North County Christian began their quest for their second straight Christian Academy Tournament title Dec. 16 with a 53-46 win over Bethel Christian and plays games on Dec. 28-29.
Hazelwood Central returns to the Meramec Holiday Festival Tournament, after finishing second last year, opening play Dec. 26 (4 p.m.) against Fort Zumwalt West. At Normandy Hazelwood East opens the tournament Dec. 26 against Cleveland NJROTC (1 p.m.) while McCluer South-Berkeley plays Dec. 27 (3 p.m.) against an opponent to be determined. At Mary Institute-Country Day School Lutheran North plays Parkway South Friday at 7 p.m. while North Tech, Dec. 12-16, went 0-3 at the Metro Jingle Bell Classic.
GIRLS BASKETBALL — HAZELWOOD CENTRAL, INCARNATE WORD WIN VIZ TOURNEY OPENING ROUND — The Academy of the Visitation opened their 32nd Annual Christmas Tournament last weekend with defending two-time champion Incarnate Word Academy trouncing St. Louis Notre Dame, 61-14 (Dec. 16), while Hazelwood Central, 5-0 as of Dec. 18, defeated Parkway South, 51-37 (Dec. 17). On Dec. 26 IWA meets Cor Jesu (2:30) while Hazelwood Central meets Francis Howell Central (7:15).
OTHER GIRLS HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS BEGIN DEC. 27 — At the Duchesne Invitational Hazelwood East begins its quest for a third straight championship against Lutheran North (7:30), Hazelwood West meets Troy-Buchanan (6 p.m.) and McCluer meets Fort Zumwalt West (3 p.m.). McCluer South/Berkeley begins a quest to win their own tournament for the second year in a row against Ritenour (8 p.m.). McCluer North returns to John F. Kennedy High in quest for their second straight tournament title and opens against Festus-St. Pius X (5:30).
