The 30th annual St. Dominic Christmas tournament is always a beloved three days for the school of St. Dominic. Each year, the tournament seems more chaotic than the one before. This December though, many teams brought their talent gift wrapped. St. Dominic boys looked for their three-peat with a bow on top, Sikeston was hungry for first place, and Lutheran St. Charles girls were led by a five star… along with five other stars.
Day one began with Lutheran St. Charles Junior guard Jordan Speiser, who knocked down seven three pointers, and topped off with 30 points in round one, over the Lady Holt Indians. The Lady Crusaders picked up a 11 point win on Wednesday over Hannibal, with a 25 point performance from Madison Lynch. Turning the tide to the afternoon, the Crusade for a third championship in a row was underway, and the senior boys of St. Dominic combined for 58 of St. Dominic’s 64 points. Jeremiah Neal scrapped his way for 29 points to boost the Crusaders into round two.
The Christmas season is a joyful time, and for basketball loving senior Jeremiah Neal, it means the most.
“The Christmas Tournament means to me a time during my favorite season, to do my favorite thing, in front of my favorite people,” Neal said.
Neal earned recognition to the all-tournament team for back to back years, along with Jack Roppa.
Day two had both St. Dominic squads competing for an entry to the championship games. The girls played the relentless Lutheran team, but came up short. The boys knocked off the number six seed Holt Indians, with a 70-66, to head to their fifth straight championship game. The Crusaders would have a tough match in the final heading up against the undefeated Sikeston Bulldogs.
“A lot of work goes into getting the Christmas Tournament to be as prosperous as it is. A big time commitment is the thirteen hour days from coaches, parents, and other school employees, to make the tournament the best event it can be,” Coach Doug Small said.
Championship Friday consisted of battles and bullies. The 2:30 game had the St. Dominic girls take third place with a victory over Timberland, which was a great way for the girls to end the tournament. The boys then faced off against the best team in class five, and thanks to Coach Kevin Roberts, the game plan was working to perfection. At the end of the first quarter, Sikeston and the Crusaders were tied 27-27. Both squads battled it out even further in the second quarter, but Sikeston finished on an 8-0 run to end the half. The second half was similar to the closing of the first, all Sikeston, and they took home their first Christmas Tournament trophy since 2018.
What a marathon it was for the 30th annual St. Dominic Christmas Tournament. Both the boys and the girls squads for St. Dominic came out with some hardware, and an above .500 record. It was a great showing for all who participated, and attended the tournament. Circle those calendars from December 27-29 of 2024 for the 31st annual St. Dominic Christmas tournament.
