What to know about the 4 Springfield area teams playing for state championships this week

Southwest Missouri will be well-represented this week in Columbia when four local teams compete for state championships at the Show-Me Showdown.

The Central and Logan-Rogersville boys and Kickapoo and Marshfield girls will all play in semifinal matchups this week in their respective classes. Local interest begins Wednesday morning with Marshfield competing in the Class 5 semifinals and the others will follow over the next few days.

All games will take place at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.

Marshfield girls back in semifinals, will go for Class 5 title

Wednesday, 10 a.m. — Marshfield vs. John Burroughs

Marshfield, one of the most storied girls' basketball programs in the state's history, is back where it belongs. The Lady Jays will make their 13th semifinal appearance and seek their eighth championship in program history.

A title would be Marshfield's first since 1999 when the Lady Jays won the last of their three titles in four years under Gary Murphy.

Marshfield had been building for this moment over the last four years. The Lady Jays came close each year but couldn't get past a difficult district that featured state powers like West Plains and Rolla. They broke through this year while taking advantage of a strong senior class that included four-year area star Lauren Luebbert and an all-conference guard in Abby McBride. Quinn Aldridge has been a standout sophomore while freshman Peyton Ward has shown she can be a star in the Marshfield program heading into the future.

More: Marshfield girls rally late to advance to state semifinals for first time in decade

The Lady Jays' semifinal opponent may be the second-best team in the state, regardless of class.

John Burroughs is 26-3 this year with its lone losses coming to Incarnate Word, which is still regarded as one of the top teams in the country. The three games were within six points or fewer; IWA's only three games this season against Missouri opponents within single-digits.

The Bombers, the winners of the Class 4 state championship two years ago, are led by Gonzaga commit Allie Turner who is averaging 13.4 points per game. Monet Witherspoon is the team's second-leading scorer and is a senior receiving mid-major interest.

Championship on Thursday at 4 p.m. against the winner of Lutheran St. Charles and Smithville

Logan-Rogersville boys headed to Class 4 state semifinals

Friday at 10 a.m. — Logan Rogersville vs. John Burroughs

It's remarkable to see how many different teams and rosters come through Logan-Rogersville each year and it's still one that competes for championships. In a career full of great coaching jobs, John Schaefer may be having his best one yet while leading the Wildcats.

Logan-Rogersville is in the state semifinals for the first time since 2019. It follows a year the Wildcats fell in the state quarterfinals when most of their roster was considered more as standouts on the baseball diamond instead of on the hardwood.

This year's group is different and they're going to have a few more runs in them over the next several years.

More: Why Logan-Rogersville freshman Chase Branham has chance to be special in his coach's eyes

Senior Scott Metz is the leader of the group and is a big, physical presence inside. He's grown into one of the better players in the area. Freshman point guard Chase Branham scored 25 points in the Wildcats' win over a loaded Father Tolton roster in the quarterfinals. Branham has established himself, immediately, as one of the area's elite players.

And word is that Logan-Rogersville's freshman class next season is the one to keep an eye on for years to come.

John Burroughs, on the boys' side, features 6-foot-8 sophomore center Tristan Reed who averages 17.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore Sheek Pearson is a 6-foot-9 sophomore power forward receiving offers from the power leagues averaging 13.7 points and 6.8 boards. These two are a handful.

And if Logan-Rogersville wins? It could get Vashon which has won the last three Class 4 championships.

Championship on Saturday at 4 p.m. against the winner of Vashon and Kansas City Central

Kickapoo girls' basketball making another Class 6 semifinal appearance

Friday at 2 p.m. — Kickapoo vs. Cor Jesu Academy

The Lady Chiefs are back in the state semifinals after a one-year hiatus. It's their third semifinal trip in the last four years and their fifth in the last decade.

Kickapoo had been touted as the top girls' team in the Ozarks all season long and it's lived up to expectations. Leslie Hanchey, who was a member of the 2003 and 2005 state championship teams, has her alma mater in contention for its seventh title during her first year as the team's head coach.

Many names have contributed to this year's success and it starts with senior leader Kya Johnson who has been the heart of the program this season. The Missouri State volleyball signee is as good of an athlete as anyone in the area and all she knows how to do is win.

More: How a speech and clutch play led Kickapoo to a thrilling district title win over Republic

Junior Mikayla Pilley continues to grow into one of the area's best players. She's been a lockdown defender and can score with the best of them. Sophomore Josie Salazar has also developed herself into being one of the top young players in the area.

A matchup with Cor Jesu Academy awaits the Lady Chiefs in the semifinals. The Chargers are in the semifinals for the first time since a fourth-place finish in 2015. Sophomore Lauren Ortwerth averages 15.3 points and 11.7 rebounds. Senior Paige Dolrenry averages 12.2 points and 4.6 boards.

Whoever wins will likely be matched up with Incarnate Word in the Class 6 championship. The Red Knights are in the midst of a 129-game winning streak, the longest in the state's history. They've won their last six state championships and might've had a seventh if the 2020 postseason wasn't canceled due to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Incarnate Word defeated the Bella Fontleroy-led Kickapoo team in the state championship game by 17 in 2022.

Championship on Saturday at 6 p.m. against the winner of Incarnate Word and Rock Bridge

Central boys basketball to make historic Class 6 semifinal appearance

Friday at 6 p.m. — Central vs. Cardinal Ritter

It's been a long time coming. The Central Bulldogs are back in the state semifinals for the first time since 1963 and they're going to try and bring home their first championship in program history.

Jordan Epps has done wonders for a program that had two consecutive winless seasons as recently as 2018 and 2019. The Bulldogs have been building in recent years through hard work, development and dedication to make The Pit the place to be on game nights. Along the way, it established itself as the best team in the Ozarks during the 2023-24 season.

Central's historic season featured one senior and a batch of talented juniors who are going to carry on a new-found winning culture for years to come. But they still have some unfinished business this season.

More: Central basketball wins first district title in 15 years with dramatic win over Kickapoo

Tyrique Brooks is the team's senior and it wouldn't be this far without him. Brooks led the Bulldogs in the second half in their district championship win over Kickapoo and quarterfinal win over Rockhurst. The high-scoring super-athletic guard has been more than a welcomed addition to the Bulldogs this season.

Keion Epps is the leader of a deep group of juniors. He's the captain of the team and, combined with Brooks, makes for the best duo in the area. It's difficult to decide who's the best player on this team; they're 1A, 1B and they're that good.

Dru Wells, Devin Sanford and Bryce Walker round out what's been the best starting five all year long. Jordan Pittman and Trevor Wilson have had their big moments as well.

Against Cardinal Ritter, the Bulldogs will take on last season's Class 5 champion. The Lions have played a national schedule and are perfect against teams from within the state. The Lions were ranked 10th in the final MBCA regular season poll with Central third.

The winner of Chaminade and Oak Park would await the winner in a Saturday night championship. Both have been touted as top-five teams in the state all season.

Championship on Saturday at 8 p.m. against the winner of Chaminade and Oak Park

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield area teams to compete for MSHSAA championships this week