The Baer Facts

A Coaching Genius Is Right In Our Own Back Yard

Jane Ellen Kuenzle has brought a flair and brilliance to the Villa Duchesne basketball program.

From time to time, I like to write about our local coaches. These people dedicate their efforts to bettering the lives of athletes in the area. From years of experience, I know coaching at the high school level makes all the difference in the world. The athletes are gaining lifetime experiences from their coaches. They are learning about teamwork, cooperation and dedication. Great coaches make a difference. Prior to joining Patch, I had never heard of Villa Duchesne’s basketball coach Jane Ellen Kuenzle. That’s all changed. After almost two seasons of observing, I’ve learned a lot about this Saints coach. Trust me, she’s in the upper echelon of local leaders. When she talks, the team listens. Villa Duchesne’s talent doesn’t run quite as …

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Villa Falls To Jeff City In Slowdown Showdown

Holding the ball was a brilliant strategy. Jays win in the end and reach championship game today.

The strategy is so simple. When you think your opponent has distinct advantages, you, as a coach make up your mind to hold the ball and shrink the game clock. Villa Duchesne's smart-minded strategic thinker Jane Ellen Kuenzle did that exact thing in the semifinals of the 32 annual Queen of Heart’s pre-Valentines Day tournament. “We did that mostly out of respect for Jeff City. They are much bigger and stronger and we knew we couldn’t run up and down the floor with them for 32 minutes and expect to win.” Kuenzle concocted that strategy moments after beating Metro in the opening round of the tournament Thursday. The strategy almost looked better than the Americans at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. What Villa did was throw the Lady …

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32nd Annual Queen of Hearts Tournament This Coming Weekend

Saints precursor to Valentine's Activities runs Thursday through Saturday.

In one of the longest standing regular season basketball tournaments in St. Louis, the 32nd annual Villa Duchesne tourney will be played Thursday through Saturday in the Saints' gym. The opening round is Thursday beginning with a 4 p.m. game featuring No. 4 seed Cape Girardeau Notre Dame and No. 5 seed Whitfield at 4 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., the No. 2 seed Jeff City Jays take on No .7 Beaumont. At 7 p.m. The No. 1 seed Kirkwood Pioneers meet No. 8. Lutheran North. The night cap at 8:30 p.m. features the host No. 3 Villa Duchesne versus No. 6 Metro. The winners will play semifinal games Friday at 7 and 8:30 p.m. The championship is Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Consolation games will be played Friday at 4 and 5:30 p.m. and the consolation championship is…

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