Final Missouri Class Four Boy's Basketball Ratings - March 22nd, 2021
It is pretty clear who was the best team in class four, and, in fact, it is clear to me through my analysis of comparative scores, that Vashon is also the best team in the state.
My wife asked me, during the game, who I was rooting for in the final? Vashon, who has won a boatload of titles or Westminster, a little private school tucked away in West County on the south side of Interstate 64 that has never won? No doubt in my mind. I will always root for the underdog, but it is not Westminster, a rich, upper-middle-class private school with huge assets. No. The underdog here is Vashon, a public school in a dilapidated near north-side St. Louis area where I once worked. The area where it is ofttimes unsafe for kids to walk the streets at night. A place most white folk avoid even in daylight. I do not care how many titles Floyd or Tony Irons have won. Any St. Louis PHL school is always going to be my underdog favorite.
The Vashon fans are rabid. They live for basketball just like the small-town fans. Tell them their team is not the best around and you hear from them. They have their special outfits and Wolverine paraphernalia.
The title game with Westminster Academy was a real tactical battle of styles. Coach Tony Irons knew that going in. He knew his guys would be frustrated by the deliberate and disciplined style of Westminster and he prepared them well. He always does.
With four starting seniors, Vashon now has to reload for another run at the title. The Vashon "Family" is losing some talent but there is more in the pipeline. Westminster, with one senior on the end of the bench, could be playing in another state championship game next year. With the basketball tradition at Vashon, I would put money on it being a replay of this year.
How about the rest of the top-class four teams? MICDS actually beat Westminster twice before losing to them in the district final. All three games were close but I have to give WCA an edge as the state finalist.
Confluence Academy is my number four team. Hit by a covid positive test just before districts, this promising young team missed out on a great opportunity to play Vashon in a sectional game. Who knows? Confluence might have been your state champion. A long shot but not improbable. Unfortunately, we will never know.
And, of course, Barstow will never know how they might have done against Ritter because a covid-quarantine of their team. How devastating to have worked so hard to get to that point in your season, ready for a state semi-final game and not be able to compete. I am still amazed that we played a full season without it getting shut down by the pandemic.
Here are my class four ratings. Not going to make any rabid Wolves fans mad this year.
Congrats to my "underdog" Vashon on another title.
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