An immerging powerhouse - Lift for Life Girls basketball champions March 18th, 2021

 

It should not be a surprise that the Lift for Life Academy girls’ basketball team won their first state championship this year.  Then again, if you looked at their 3-7 record after ten games, you would probably discount them in the state playoffs.  I think coach Greg Brown, who came from McCluer South-Berkeley, had some method to his madness when he set up the schedule. 

In the first ten games, Coach Brown had his team playing a bevy of potential state champion caliber teams, including (hold your breath) Union, St. Joseph’s Academy, Webster Groves, Parkway North, Francis Howell Central, Whitfield, Incarnate Word Academy and Vashon.  

Much like the high-octane schedule that Coach Dusty Dinkins put together for the class one boy’s champion South Iron Panthers, Coach Brown had his team playing the best teams on the east side of Missouri.  The opponent rating over this stretch of games was 138 and Lift for Life lost those games by an average of five points.  In the stretch run to a title, the team rating remained at about 130, and Lift for Life’s team’s momentum, positive game outcomes, and confidence built to the title game.

 

Lift for Life Academy Girls Basketball

Date	Event		Score	Rating		Spread		LfL Rating	Record
12-15	Miller Career	W	67-13	76.5		54		130.5	1-0
12-17	at Union	L	44-39	140		-5		135.5	1-1
12-19	vs St. Joseph's at Visitation	W	60-56	136.6		4		140.6	2-1
12-26	vs Webster Groves at Visitation	L	70-62	149.8		-8		141.8	2-2
12-27	vs Parkway North at Visitation	L	60-53	132.6		-7		125.6	2-3
12-28	vs Cardinal Ritter at Visitation	L	56-43	141.0		-13		128.0	2-4
01-07	vs Oakville at Westminster	W	57-33	114.2		24		138.2	3-4
01-08	vs Cor Jesu at Westminster	L	43-39	133.3		-4		129.3	3-5
01-09	vs Francis Howell Central at Westminster	L	61-59	136.1	-2		134.1			3-6
01-14	Whitfield	L	54-39	146.9	-15		131.9			3-7
01-16	Gateway Legacy Christian Academy	W	63-59	111.0	4		115.0			4-7
01-19	at Incarnate Word	L	74-41	166.3	-33		133.3			4-8
01-23	Vashon	L	46-36	151	-10		140.7			4-9
01-25	KIPP St. Louis	W	79-24	76	55		131.1			5-9
01-28	vs Gateway Legacy Christian Academy at Villa Duchesne	W	44-35	111	9		120.0			6-9
01-29	vs Lutheran North at Villa Duchesne	L	42-41	139	-1		137.5			6-10
01-30	vs St. Dominic at Villa Duchesne	L	48-46	132	-2		130.3			6-11
02-01	at McCluer North	W	41-30	107	11		117.6			7-11
02-02	Lutheran North	W	49-36	139	13		151.5			8-11
02-08	Jennings	W	73-10	77	63		140.0			9-11
02-13	Cardinal Ritter	?
02-22	Carnahan	W	65-35	98	30		127.7			10-11
02-24	vs St. Pius X at DuBourg	W	52-32	104	20		124.1			11-11
03-03	West County (Leadwood)	W	63-29	119	34		153.0			12-11
03-06	at Twin Rivers	W	64-58	110	6		116.1			13-11
03-12	vs Steelville, Missouri at Hammons Student Center	W	50-49	130	1		131.1			14-11
03-13	vs Skyline at JQH Arena	W	56-52	131	4		135.3			15-11
	All Teams Averages			115	10.8		132.3			15-11
	Games 2-13 Averages			138	-5.2		132.8			4-9

 

It is amazing that the team never lost sight of their goals, never got so discouraged that they gave up the ghost.  When you are losing two-thirds of your early games, some kids, amongst others, might think, “our team sucks” but Coach Brown never let them give up hope.  He had a plan to harden this team with top competition and it paid off in the stretch.

There were probably people who thought my ratings were bull crap in early January when Lift for Life girls had a record of 3-7 but were ranked third in the state class three! I don’t remember how many doubters tweeted or, “hooted” about their spot in my rankings. I had to keep checking my ratings to make sure I did not have a mistake in their ranking.  I had them rated in the top fifteen small girls schools in St. Louis when no one else had them on the radar.  The point in case, the St. Louis Post Dispatch NEVER had Lift for Life ranked, even as an honorable mention.

And on top of their incredible run-up to the championship, was their fourth-quarter comeback to beat an outstanding Skyline team after falling behind by 14.  And, even more incredibly, this is a young team with only two seniors, three juniors, and the rest sophomores and freshman.  Quite a future for this school and I won’t even mention the boys 4^th place finish at state.  

Lift for Life class three girls champions 2021

The Lift of Life website talks about “culture at Lift For Life Academy is nurturing, compassionate and challenging. It feels like family and our priority is to ensure that all students are proficient in core subjects, are able to graduate with a strong academic foundation and then assist them in developing a life plan beyond graduation”.  The schools middle and high school athletics are “designed to educate our student-athletes to develop fundamental skills and talents, and to use competitive sports as a gateway to general health and well-being practices for the rest of our student's lives. Our head coaches have a vision and passion for each student, and they absolutely love what they do”. 

Head coach Brown has some great assistants, including Chanel Brown, Antonio Holland, Demetric Walton and Latarya Bobo.   Taylor Brown, coach Brown's daughter, and MacKenzie Wilson will lead the charge next year, as Daniyah Ward and NaTeonia Russell graduate.  Like I said before, a steppingstone to greater things at Lift of Life Academy.

Here’s the team with their stats: 

 

 

Lift for Life Girls Basketball Roster

#	Name	Year	Height	Pts	Avg	FG%	RBS	AST	STL	Position
4	Taylor Brown	2022	5’6”	317	12.2	36.6	144	65	50	PG
12	Chase Giddings	2024	5’5”	94	3.9	36.5	28	11	27	SG
24	Da'Nylah Hall	2023	5’4”	7	1.4	28.6	5	1	2	SG
30	Nyla Hardaway	2023		2	2.0	50.0	0	0	1
23	Kanise Mills	2023		72	2.9	25.9	45	16	40	SG
10	Na'Teonia Russell	2021		228	9.1	43.2	199	65	104	PG
1	Kori Seals	2022	5’3”	96	4.4	28.4	48	27	18	SG
32	La'Niya Starks	2024	6’1”	95	4.3	47.7	76	4	16	C
5	Deidra Walton	2024	4’11”	67	3.0	25.3	24	32	13	PG
3	Daniyah Ward	2021		156	7.4	50.7	223	10	25	PF
2	Mackenzie Wilson	2022	5’3”	245	9.8	25.1	87	75	38	PG

 

Congratulations to the Lift for Life basketball teams this year.  As their website said, an immerging high school program which emphasizes the priorities that will lead to successful careers and lives.

Go Lift for Life.

 

Here are the final class three girls ratings: