District Championships: De Smet Dominates Chaminade, Principia Drops 106, and Upsets Everywhere
2026-03-07
District championship Saturday. One game for a trip to the state tournament. Here's everything that went down.
Game of the Night: De Smet Jesuit 74, Chaminade College Prep 59
The district final everyone circled. Two MCC powers, one spot in the state bracket. De Smet answered the bell. The Spartans (23-5) pulled away in the second half and won by 15. Chaminade (24-6) had a great season, but De Smet was the better team tonight. The Spartans are heading to state.
Principia 106, Dixon 56
Principia put up 106 points in a district championship game. That's not a typo. Principia (26-2) absolutely destroyed Dixon (25-4) — a team that came in with four losses all year. Principia is the real deal in Class 3 and looks like a state title contender.
Biggest Upsets
Hayti 54, Puxico 49 (Class 2) — Puxico came in at 28-1. One loss all season. Hayti (21-6) ended their year in a five-point thriller. That's March.
Penney 51, Lincoln 35 (Class 2) — Lincoln was 31-1. Penney (23-8) didn't just beat them — they dominated, winning by 16. Stunning.
Miller Career Academy 96, Woodland 89 (Class 3) — Miller Career (18-13) had 13 losses coming in. Woodland was 25-4. Didn't matter. Miller Career dropped 96 and pulled the upset. Wild game.
Clopton 49, Westran 40 (Class 2) — Clopton (18-13) had no business winning this game on paper. Westran was 23-7. Clopton didn't care.
St. Michael the Archangel 71, Harrisonville 53 (Class 4) — Harrisonville came in at 22-4 and got blown out by 18. St. Michael (18-10) was the clear underdog and made a statement.
Lift for Life 66, St. Mary's South Side 64 (Class 4) — St. Mary's (22-5) was the better team on paper. Lift for Life (21-9) won it by two. Gutsy.
Best Close Games
- Bunker 64, Cooter 59 (Class 1) — Two 25+ win teams going at it. Bunker (28-2) survives by five.
- Francis Howell Central 54, St. Dominic 50 (Class 6) — Two 24-4 teams. FHC edges it by four. Both teams had incredible seasons.
- MICDS 48, McCluer North 44 (Class 5) — MICDS (24-4) holds on in a defensive battle.
- Hallsville 74, Mexico 70 (Class 4) — Four-point game. Hallsville survives.
- Smithville 56, Ewing Marion Kauffman 54 (Class 4) — Two points. Season on the line. Smithville advances.
- Hillcrest 63, Carl Junction 61 (Class 5) — Another two-point finish. Hillcrest moves on.
- Blue Springs South 69, Battle 65 (Class 6) — Blue Springs South (22-7) wins a four-point road game to claim the district title.
Dominant Performances
- Benton 68, Maryville 34 (Class 4) — Benton (28-1) won by 34. They're a problem.
- Vashon 75, Lutheran North 59 (Class 4) — Vashon (22-3) keeps rolling. Nobody in Class 4 has an answer.
- Vianney 76, Webster Groves 56 (Class 5) — Vianney (24-5) won by 20. They looked like the best team in Class 5 tonight.
- De Smet Jesuit 74, Chaminade 59 (Class 6) — 15-point win in a district final against a 24-win team.
- St. James 48, St. Clair 22 (Class 4) — St. James held St. Clair to 22 points. That's elite defense.
All District Championship Results
Class 6
| Winner | Score | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| De Smet Jesuit (24-5) | 74 | Chaminade College Prep (24-6) | 59 |
| Francis Howell Central (25-4) | 54 | St. Dominic (23-5) | 50 |
| Cardinal Ritter (21-9) | 54 | Lindbergh (21-7) | 47 |
| Rockhurst (26-1) | 60 | Lee's Summit (23-6) | 46 |
| Kickapoo (24-5) | 64 | Nixa (23-6) | 49 |
| Oak Park (24-5) | 58 | North Kansas City (23-6) | 49 |
| Blue Springs South (22-7) | 69 | Battle (20-9) | 65 |
| Marquette (21-8) | 58 | Lafayette (Wildwood) (17-10) | 43 |
Class 5
| Winner | Score | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sikeston (27-2) | 62 | Festus (21-8) | 51 |
| Vianney (24-5) | 76 | Webster Groves (20-8) | 56 |
| MICDS (24-4) | 48 | McCluer North (20-10) | 44 |
| Holt (19-11) | 41 | Parkway North (19-10) | 32 |
| Lincoln College Prep (20-10) | 58 | Winnetonka (17-11) | 51 |
| Helias Catholic (18-11) | 75 | Capital City (14-14) | 62 |
| Hillcrest (20-9) | 63 | Carl Junction (16-13) | 61 |
Class 4
| Winner | Score | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vashon (22-3) | 75 | Lutheran North (17-11) | 59 |
| Benton (28-1) | 68 | Maryville (21-10) | 34 |
| Nevada (24-3) | 59 | Mt. Vernon (18-12) | 42 |
| Orchard Farm (25-4) | 49 | St. Charles West (19-10) | 37 |
| Lift for Life (20-9) | 66 | St. Mary's South Side (22-6) | 64 |
| Potosi (21-6) | 57 | Bayless (19-13) | 53 |
| Forsyth (22-6) | 75 | Springfield Catholic (18-11) | 55 |
| Clayton (21-7) | 71 | St. Francis Borgia (16-11) | 59 |
| Hallsville (23-10) | 74 | Mexico (20-8) | 70 |
| Oak Grove (20-7) | 84 | Marshall (13-15) | 66 |
| St. James (24-6) | 48 | St. Clair (16-11) | 22 |
| Dexter (19-9) | 59 | Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) (16-12) | 47 |
| Smithville (19-8) | 56 | Ewing Marion Kauffman (19-8) | 54 |
| St. Michael the Archangel (19-10) | 71 | Harrisonville (22-5) | 53 |
Class 3
| Winner | Score | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principia (27-2) | 106 | Dixon (24-5) | 56 |
| Miller Career Academy (19-13) | 96 | Woodland (25-5) | 89 |
| North Platte (26-4) | 73 | Windsor (21-8) | 61 |
| Liberty (Mountain View) (30-3) | 64 | Skyline (19-10) | 52 |
Class 2
| Winner | Score | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hayti (21-6) | 54 | Puxico (28-2) | 49 |
| Penney (23-8) | 51 | Lincoln (32-2) | 35 |
| Eugene (25-6) | 60 | Crane (25-5) | 45 |
| Clopton (18-13) | 49 | Westran (23-8) | 40 |
Class 1
| Winner | Score | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bunker (30-2) | 64 | Cooter (25-6) | 59 |
| Brunswick (28-5) | 75 | Northeast (Cairo) (18-11) | 57 |
| Faith Christian Academy (25-3) | 64 | Braymer (26-5) | 48 |
| Kingsville (28-5) | 74 | Wheatland (20-10) | 56 |
State Tournament: STL Teams Still Dancing
The state brackets are out. Here's every STL-area team still alive and who they're facing.
Class 6 (3/14)
- Francis Howell Central (25-4) vs De Smet Jesuit (24-5) — The game of the round. FHC just beat St. Dominic by four. De Smet just beat Chaminade by 15. Two of the best teams in the area, and one of them is going home. Must-watch.
- Marquette (21-8) vs Cardinal Ritter (21-9) — Ritter upset SLUH and Lindbergh to get here. Marquette has been steady all year. This is a coin flip.
Class 5 (3/14)
- Sikeston (27-2) vs Vianney (24-5) — Vianney just won by 20 in the district final. Sikeston has been dominant all season at 27-2. This is a heavyweight fight.
- MICDS (24-4) vs Holt (18-11) — An all-STL matchup. MICDS should be favored, but Holt has been a tough out in the postseason.
Class 4 (3/10)
- Vashon (22-3) vs Lift for Life (21-9) — All-STL. Vashon has been the area's top Class 4 team all year. Lift for Life just pulled the upset over St. Mary's. Can they do it again?
- Orchard Farm (25-4) vs Hallsville (23-10) — Orchard Farm has had a great year. Hallsville just survived Mexico by four.
- Potosi (21-6) vs Dexter (19-9) — Potosi won the district. Now they face a Dexter team that beat Notre Dame.
- Clayton (21-7) vs St. James (24-6) — Clayton put up 90 in the district semis and 71 in the final. They can score. St. James held St. Clair to 22 tonight. Something's gotta give.
Class 3 (3/13)
- Principia (27-2) faces Liberty (Mountain View) (30-3). Principia just dropped 106 in the district final. This is going to be an incredible game.
- Miller Career Academy (19-13) faces North Platte (26-4) after their upset of Woodland.
Class 4 is up first on Tuesday. Class 3 plays Friday. Class 5 and 6 go Saturday. The road to state gets real now.
Survive and advance.