Wildcats Lose, De Smet Declared District Champions

CREVE COEUR – In his pre-game message to the team before Saturday’s Class 5 District 5 boys basketball championship game at De Smet High, varsity boys basketball coach Cary Lewis told his squad that it needed to get off to a fast start if it was going to pull off a major upset over the third-ranked Spartans.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, it was De Smet that started fast, jumping out to a 17-4 lead, which allowed the Spartans to hold off a furious Hazelwood West rally in the late-going, for a 70-66 district championship win.

“That’s what killed us,” Lewis said. “De Smet is a really good team, and they’re very fundamentally sound.

"Fundamentals won this game tonight.”

DeSmet put on a clinic of passing and fastbreak basketball in the early going. The Spartans turned several Wildcat miscues into easy baskets by always finding the open man.

At one point, De Smet sophomore Nolan Berry made three straight layups, the third as part of a three-point play that gave the Spartans their early 17-4 advantage.

“We worked on all this stuff in practice,” Lewis said. “It just didn’t translate.”

Part of the reason for that may have been De Smet’s size advantage inside. The Spartans have a frontline that features the 6’8 Berry, 6’5 Teddy Corwin, and 6’5 Kurt Wemhoener as its starters, and a bench that has five other players 6’4 or taller.

Hazelwood West, on the other hand, only has one player on the entire roster taller than 6’3.

That deficiency in size proved hurtful the entire game for the Wildcats, as De Smet won the rebound battle 37-26 and blocked 15 Hazelwood West shots.

Berry and Corwin had seven blocked shots apiece.

“With their guard play, we had to stay near their shooters,” De Smet head coach Kevin Poelker said. “That meant guys were going to get near the rim, so we had to count on the two of them to help us out.”

De Smet led 24-11 at the end of the first quarter. But that’s when the sense of urgency kicked in for the Wildcats.

Sparked by a four-point play by senior Darris Smith, West went on a 13-4 run to get back into the game, and later closed the half with a quick 5-0 spurt that made the score 34-29 at intermission.

West managed its only lead of the game early in the third quarter, when it led 40-39, following an 11-5 run to open the half.

“We never could quite get over the hump,” Lewis said. “We had that one lead by one, then we’d have a breakdown—a turnover, a missed boxed out, a ticky-tack foul, so those things bit us in the end.”

Even with the misplay, West found itself within one point in the final minute, thanks to a gutsy three-pointer from the top of the arc by senior Darris Smith.

Moments later, West had a chance to tie the game when junior Derrian Johnson drove into an open area along the left baseline. The 5’10 guard rose for what looked like an easy bucket, but De Smet’s Teddy Corwin swooped in and swatted Johnson’s hot back into the corner.

Jimmy Barton grabbed the rebound and held the ball until he was fouled, making one of two free throws for the Spartans final margin of victory.

“Teddy's a third-year starter and somebody who knows and reads the game well,” Poelker said. “It doesn't surprise me in the least that he was the one to come up with the key play.”

The victory for De Smet (22-5) means the Spartans will advance to the state sectionals, where they will play Metro Catholic Conference rival Vianney High (17-11) at Meramec Community College on Wednesday, March 2. Tipoff is at 6 p.m.

Hazelwood West ended its season 18-9, but Lewis said even without the championship win, he's appreciative of the hard work and effort his players put in this season.

“I’m proud of my guys,” Lewis said. “...These kids worked hard from day one and I love them for it.

"I’m so proud of every one of them.”