PATTON — The moment the final seconds ticked off the clock, the St. Vincent players turned toward their bench, arms raised, knowing what they had accomplished.
After years of near misses and steady building, the Indians were district champions again.
Behind a dominant first quarter and a poised finish, St. Vincent defeated Valle Catholic 62-48 on Feb. 28 in the Class 2, District 4 championship game, earning the program’s first district title since 2024 and only its second since 2009.
For a team that has steadily grown into one of the most successful squads in school history, the win marked another major step forward.
“All our hard work in the offseason up to now, these kids have put in a lot of work and a lot of time,” said St. Vincent coach Bruce Valleroy. “They believe in themselves. We’ve won 22 games — that’s the second most in school history — and they’re ready for the next challenge.”
The Indians wasted little time taking control.
St. Vincent jumped out to an 18-4 lead after the first quarter, forcing turnovers and converting them into scoring opportunities while setting the tone defensively.
“Great first quarter,” Valleroy said. “We caused a lot of turnovers for them.”
But Valle Catholic (15-10) responded.
The Warriors used defensive adjustments and free throws to climb back into the game, outscoring St. Vincent 15-6 in the second quarter to cut the lead to 24-19 at halftime. Valle eventually took a brief lead in the third quarter, forcing the Indians to respond in a game that became increasingly physical and tense.
“You got to give Valle credit,” Valleroy said. “They have that matchup zone, and they kind of made us stand around a lot. We had a little trouble trying to get good looks.”
The Indians answered.
St. Vincent regained control late in the third quarter and delivered the decisive run in the fourth, outscoring Valle Catholic 21-11 to seal the victory. The Indians adjusted offensively, attacking the middle and moving the ball to create open shots.
“We made some adjustments on offense,” Valleroy said. “We thought the middle was open, and once we penetrated and moved the ball around, we got some good looks and hit some shots again at the end.”
Senior Max Wheeler led the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds, providing leadership and consistency throughout the night. Colden Prost added 16 points and 6 assists, while Clay Ellis scored 13 points and Case Huber contributed 5 points and 7 assists. Liam Nations chipped in 5 points as St. Vincent placed four players in double figures or near it.
“It was a great game,” Wheeler said. “Valle is a really great team, physical team. I’m just glad we pulled out the win tonight.”
Brady Bertrand led the Warriors with 17 points, followed by Phillip Neager with 14.
Valle Catholic coach Dusty Wengert credited St. Vincent’s early surge and perimeter shooting as key factors.
“You don’t like to be down 18-4 after one,” Wengert said. “They’ve got some outside shooters, and when you fall behind late, you just don’t have that in your arsenal. They deserved to win tonight.”
Statistically, St. Vincent’s balance made the difference. The Indians shot 43.6 percent from the field, held a 34-26 advantage in points in the paint and finished with 18 assists, reflecting their unselfish play and offensive execution.
More importantly, they finished.
After Valle Catholic’s comeback threatened to derail their early momentum, the Indians stayed composed, made adjustments and delivered when it mattered most.
“It’s a great feeling, getting a win like this,” Wheeler said. “On to the next game. We’re ready for it.”
That next challenge will be formidable, as St. Vincent advanced to face top-ranked Puxico in sectional play Tuesday.
But for one night, the focus was on what they had accomplished.
District champions.
ST. VINCENT 75, MEADOW HEIGHTS 49
PATTON — It wasn’t flashy early, but St. Vincent made sure it was decisive late.
After a tight first quarter, the Indians seized control in the second and blew the game open in the third, rolling past Meadow Heights 75-49 in the semifinal round of the Class 2, District 4 tournament on Feb. 26.
With the win, St. Vincent improved to 22-6 and advanced to the district championship game.
“It was a back-and-forth game early on,” said St. Vincent coach Bruce Valleroy. “Those two guards, we did a great job on them. Their leading scorer had one point at halftime. Defensively, I thought we played really well.”
Meadow Heights (11-16) led 10-8 after the first quarter, but St. Vincent responded with a dominant second period, outscoring the Panthers 19-5 to take a 27-15 lead into halftime.
The Indians then delivered the knockout punch in the third quarter.
St. Vincent erupted for 31 points in the period, while holding Meadow Heights to 15, stretching the lead beyond 20 and effectively putting the game out of reach.
“Offensively, we had a mixture of kids putting the ball in the hole,” Valleroy said. “As the game went along, we really expanded it out.”
Balanced scoring fueled the surge. Max Wheeler led the Indians with 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Colden Prost added 18 points and seven boards. Clay Ellis finished with 14 points, Case Huber scored nine with six assists, and Liam Nations chipped in 10 points as five players reached double figures or near it.
St. Vincent shot 50.8 percent from the field and dominated inside, holding a 44-10 advantage in points in the paint while also creating 22 transition points. The Indians’ defensive focus early limited Meadow Heights’ top scorers before the Panthers found some rhythm late with the outcome decided.
By then, the damage had been done.
For St. Vincent, it was the kind of complete performance needed in tournament play — steady defense early, offensive balance throughout and a decisive run when the opportunity presented itself.
