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Health & Fitness

The Ladue Rams Season in Review Part 1

The incredible season the Ladue Rams produced has been over for over a month now and I have gathered all of my thoughts looking back on the epic journey. What started with bright hopes at Vianney then ended at a packed St. Charles West gymnasium in a game the players and fans could only dream of. The team created countless memories of togetherness, hard work, and flair.

I have orchestrated lists of the best moments throughout the season of the best games, performances, plays, and memories included.

Top 10 Best Plays


10) Jordan Cosby clutch three-pointer vs Vianney
After blowing 2 chances to end the game at the buzzer in the 4th quarter and 1st overtime it seemed destined that Vianney would pounce on Ladue's misfortunes. However the Rams had a 2 point lead after Tanner Cochran of Vianney fouled out within a minute of the second overtime. Ladue needed to chip away and did so with a vital Cosby three-pointer to go ahead by 5 points. It sent a a wave of relief and safety for the Rams. They ran away with the game and escaped an upset bid by the hosts.

9) Connor Spirtas steal and buzzer beater vs Holt
With 5 seconds to play in the 1st quarter the Rams were up 24-9 and had just scored. Holt were inbounding quickly to get a decent look to heave the ball at the buzzer. In doing so they weren't paying attention to Spirtas, who came out of nowhere and snagged the ball away from the recipient of the pass. He then pulled up as quickly as he could and nailed a 23 foot jumper as the buzzer sounded making the score 27-9 and set the tone for the rest of the game.

8) Jon Collins dunk vs Hazelwood Central 
There was not a lot expected of Jon Collins coming into the year, but he was one of 4 seniors and he was expected to play a lot of minutes. By the third game of the year in the Vianney Invitational he had been a clear candidate as a key role player. In the 3rd quarter Ladue and Hazelwood Central were nodded up at 33 apiece when Johnston and Collins help defense forced a steal. Collins got to the loose ball first and dribbled hard to the basket. Some might have been puzzled as to why he hadn't passed it off to Johnston and try to cut to the pursuing Hawk players off. Instead he kept going and surprised everyone in the building with a one-handed throw down dunk. At 6'4" he used all of his vertical leap to get up. The dunk was a spark and the Rams would go up by as much as 10 points, but would go on to lose the game.

7) Jeremy Loftin three-pointer vs St. Charles 
Up by 3 points and narrowly hanging on in the 4th quarter in their first ever semifinal appearance in the MICDS Holiday Tournament, the Rams failed to shift into a higher gear for the whole game. With several lead changes and the highest lead of the game only being 5 points, things looked like it would come down to one final possession. However, Jeremy Loftin, who is never bashful to shoot when he is open behind the arc, got his chance. With little under 3 minutes to go in the game, he was open on the right baseline, he received a pass and popped a three-pointer which hit nothing but net. The basket put the Rams up by 6 and never looked back as they advanced to finals for the first time ever.

6) Cornell Johnston and Connor Spirtas vs Duchesne
During the 1st half of the MICDS Holiday Tournament championship game against Duchesne, the Rams and Pioneers were putting on an offensive show. It was 10-10 within 2 minutes of the game and both teams hadn't missed a shot. Cornell Johnston wowed the crowd like he always did and that night he pulled out all tricks. One of them caught the eyes of everybody. Johnston body feinted and cross-overed his way past his defender. As he did that the crowd oohed. When it looked like he was going to attack, he dished the ball out to an open Connor Spirtas for a wide open three-pointer and nailed it. The Rams would finish the half up by 15 and hung on to win their first ever MICDS Holiday Tournament championship.

5) Connor Spirtas and Cornell Johnston vs Clayton
It's a coincidence that the 2 players combine to make another top play in the list. This time the play occurred in a more vital situation. Ladue had a 2 possession lead late in the 2nd quarter against a Clayton team they were supposed to have sleep at that point. Instead the Greyhounds came to play forced the Rams to beat them. Spirtas had the ball in transition where he did a behind the back move with the ball, which the Ladue students ate up, but then he did it again to beat a defender all in one motion. He then found Johnston wide open behind the arc. Johnston didn't hesitate when he collected rock as he swished it home. The Rams hit a three-pointer on 3 consecutive possessions, which built a comfortable lead at halftime and went on to beat Clayton.

4) Cornell Johnston Dribbling
He has done it his whole high school career and he perfected it his senior year. Opposing defenses hate Cornell Johnston in the 4th quarter of ball games for the following reasons: having to run a lot, having to double  and sometimes triple team him, knowing they can't ultimately keep up with him, and leaving players in the front court open for him to dish to and get scored on after all of the above happened.

Yes Cornell Johnston drives defenses crazy. He rarely lost possession of the ball and turned it over. He single handily made 2 or 3 opposing players tired from having to chase him around. He made Andrew Maddock and Jon Collins happy in the front court because all they had to do was camp right outside the paint and wait for an open layup or get fouled and go to the free throw line.

In the first game against SLUH I could could audibly hear coach Clagget shout instructions and advice to his guards on to stop Johnston. Later in the game one player shouted at his teammates for not being able to foul him, let alone touch him. For the Ladue faithful and neutrals it was a joy to watch. More importantly he closed out games and forced teams to foul him. If there was no over and back violation then it would just be completely unfair.

3) Jon Collins steal and dunk vs Chaminade
Down 31-25 at halftime Ladue burst out of the gate and went on a 13-0 run. The last basket of that run was another unlikely dunk from Mr. Collins, but he did something that led up to it that made it even sweater. He picked Jayson Tatum's pocket. Despite being a forward he had to do a lot of guarding in the back court because he was the best option to guard the highly touted 6'8" guard. Tatum causally dribbled the ball up and Collins met him 25 feet from the basket. Collins poked out his arm and knocked the ball away. He scooped it up and took his dunk well like he had done it hundreds of times before. Tatum is destined to go to a high profile college for a year and then get drafted in the first round of the NBA and the whole 9 yards. Jon can tell the kids later in his life that he picked Tatum's pocket and then dunked in the game when his team won districts for the first time in 11 years.

2) Cornell Johnston buzzer beating layup vs Duchesne 
With the score at 37-24 in the final seconds of the first half, Ladue were shockingly dominating the undefeated Pioneers. Duchesne were holding for one shot and were in the midst setting it up with seconds left. However Cornell Johnston had other ideas. A Duchesne player was dribbling around a screen and couldn't see the 5'7" Johnston around the bodies, and was also dribbling with his weaker right hand. Johnston came around the screen and stole the ball in between the three-point arc and the free throw line with 3 seconds left. The little man went coast to coast and finger rolled the ball into the hoop as the buzzer sounded to give the Rams a 22-16 lead.

1) Andrew Maddock basket vs Chaminade
One of the most dramatic victories in Ladue basketball history needed a clutch play near the end and Andrew Maddock was the man of the moment in the final and most pivotal part of the game.

In the first half he was not the happiest of people in the gym. He wasn't getting the calls he wanted in the paint. Tyler Cook was causing him problems and even stuffed by him when he was attempting a layup. He had to hustle back on many occasions and knew he couldn't get a rest because the team needed him to contain Cook on defense and be a pretense on offense. On top of it all he desperately wanted to topple the team he played for in middle school and as a freshman.

All of that being said he got his moment. Chaminade had just taken the lead for the first time, since Ladue went on the 13-0 run, at 57-56 with under a minute to play. Cornell Johnston was double teamed and lobbed the ball across court to Connor Spirtas. He stood still for a moment and then blew past 6'3" Grant Hollander, drove to the basket, jumped and hanged in the air to draw Tatum and Cook to him. He bounced passed to Maddock as he was about to land. Maddock pump faked, which sent Tatum and Mike Lewis coming from behind in the air. He was hit by Lewis' arms and banked the ball of the board and it went in. Everybody went crazy in different state of minds. The Ladue crowed went bizzerk, the Chaminade crowd couldn't believe that they might actually lose the game and the players composed themselves somehow. Maddock sank his free throw and then 2 more as he was fouled again to go up by 3 points. The Rams got the final stop and celebrated the unforgettable win. Maddock's face and his yells said it all when he hoisted the Missouri state shaped district plaque above his head.
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