Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community
For the second year in a row, the Summit Christian Academy Eagles played in the Show-Me Showdown championship basketball game. They reached last Thursday’s championship game with a 69-60 semifinal win over Springfield Parkview on Wednesday night. Despite a hard-fought effort, the Eagles fell to the Webster Groves Statesmen 67-56 in the title game.
So. Michael Thomas blocks Springfield Parkview’s Dassiah Green
SCA walked into Mizzou Arena as the underdogs, but they were a team that defied expectations all season. The Eagles were moved up to Class 5 this year, but that didn’t slow them down.
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Coach Tellus Truesdale praised his team for overcoming that challenge: “I’m super proud of our guys. I don’t think anyone outside of our locker room expected us to be in the championship game after being bumped up two classes. Every team we played was pretty much three times our size. We are the smallest school in Class 5, but that’s just because they don’t measure our heart, they measure the number of students in our school.”
Sr. Guard Michael Ward at point
The Eagles battled against a Webster Groves Statesmen team that boasted size, depth, and one of the top players in the state. But the Eagles, led by senior guard Max Rieger’s 25 points, didn’t back down. There were seven lead changes in the game, and the Eagles were within one score of the Statesmen at the 3:00 mark in the fourth quarter.
Student body celebrates semifinal victory
SCA had strong performances from several key players. Freshman guard Grady Ellerman was the second-leading scorer for the Eagles with 11 points. Sophomore post player Michael Thomas added 8 points and was tied as the team’s leading rebounder with 7. Senior guard Michael Ward weighed in with 7 points and was tied with Thomas in rebounding with 7.
Fr. Grady Ellerman with strong finish at basket
Webster Groves was led by the Gatorade Player of the Year, junior Scottie Adkinson, who scored a game-high 29 points. Quincy Williams, Miles Simpson, and Carl Whitehead also scored in double digits for the Statesmen.
Sr. Max Rieger with late fourth quarter drive
Although the game ended in disappointment, Summit Christian Academy’s journey this season was nothing short of incredible. They moved up two classes, knocked off multiple higher-ranked teams, and earned a spot in the state championship game.
“For the last two years no one saw us coming,” Truesdale said.
Coach Tellus Truesdale laying out strategy.
Senior Max Rieger, who became SCA’s all-time leading scorer in the state semifinal game, was at the heart of that journey. His performance throughout the season earned praise from his coach: “I think Max Rieger has not gotten the respect he deserves. He has played against Division I and Division II guards…he has absolutely outplayed everyone we have played except maybe for tonight (championship game) and it was a back and forth. When he gets to college people are going to be in trouble.”
Sr. Bajj Walker with strong drive to basket
Rieger reflected on reaching the state championship game after not being ranked: “It’s happened before, same thing last year. I’m proud of my guys. What got us here was our heart. Obviously, I’m a senior and this is it for me. I am really happy.”
As Summit Christian Academy looks toward the future, they do so with the confidence that they belong among Missouri’s best. The season wasn’t just about wins and losses – it was about heart, pride, and proving that the size of the school doesn’t determine its level of excellence.
–Jere Neer | Special to Metro Voice
All photos Jere Neer.
