I've been following high school sports in central missouri for a while and we all hear about the Four Rivers in girls basketball a lot. I was surprised to see Hermann lose in the first round of the Class 3 districts after going 21-4 and playing all those Four Rivers teams, figured that would toughen them up because that league is supposed to be so tough. I started looking at it a little more and noticed that only St. James, Owensville, New Haven, and Hermann even had winning records. Then I looked at the last two seasons and only St. James last year and Hermann/New Haven two years ago won districts from the 4R. Those of you that might see these teams more often, is the 4R kind of living off of the past right now? It looks like the only consistent winners are STJ and Hermann because Owensville is really just the Diestlekamp show.
Four Rivers top heavy/overrated?
- Thread starter mohsbballfan
- Start date
Sullivan used to always be up there with STJ over the last 8-10 years but really fell off the map this year. Pacific comes and goes. New Haven was way up to for awhile then they fell down and haven't recovered several years ago. Pacific is always hard. Owensville just has the one girl show right now then they will fall back down after she graduates. St. Clair and union aren't basketball schools.
No matter what anyone says, I really believe that area is a volleyball area with so many of the good athletes playing club volleyball that will take away from basketball. Herman has some good young talent and they will be decent in a few years with some experience. St. James I just don't think will be the St. James of the past in the upcoming years. Pacific has some nice young talent, but they will be losing some experience also. I think the same can be said about St. Clair. Borgia who is in that area but not part of the 4 rivers will be down in the coming years in my eyes, but has made some good runs as far as winning districts that is made up of a lot of some of the lower half 4 rivers teams, not st. james and herman. But Ill say it again, Vball takes priority in that area it seems like. Washington who used to be part of the 4 Rivers will have a nice team the next few years with some good sophomore-junior talent, but not sure after that. I really only heard people ever talking about St. James on here as far as basketball, I don't know for sure where your coming from when you say "all you hear about is how 4 rivers basketball alot." comment. Volleyball yes. Basketball no.
One of the reasons you don't see more Four Rivers conference schools winning districts in one year is that most of them play in the same district, along with Borgia. For two years Hermann and St. James were in the same district. Hermann actually won their district 8 years in a row.
Playing in the Four Rivers conference is tough but what can you do about a hail Mary last second three pointer that goes in on a night nothing seems to be going right.
I don't agree that the Four Rivers is a more volleyball heavy conference. New Haven and Hermann or really the only schools who excel at volleyball. You can add Borgia and Washington in on volleyball but again they are not in the conference. Union used to be in the conversation but that was 20 years ago.
The Four Rivers Conference as whole Boys and Girls from outsiders is looked at as a basketball favored conference. I have coached in two different conferences. The SCA being the most recent and the SCA members associate St. James and the Four Rivers conference as basketball schools. Rightfully so, the only times that a FRC school makes it past districts in football they are usually beat in the next round of the playoffs. With the exception of Owensville who played for the state title in Football in 2007. Hermann and New Haven are certainly volleyball schools that have had recent success in basketball on the girls side as well. New Haven i think played for the state title two years in a row in basketball. To FB_WJ to say that St. James will not be the St. James of past is an incorrect statement. St. James girls basketball always comes in waves. There is a group of 7th grade girls right now at St. James that will be amongst some of the best teams that St. James Girls Basketball has put on the court. Being from St. James I see it coming, outsiders don't because not many people pay attention to middle school girls basketball. While not as strong as they have been in recent years right now St. James is still a pretty strong team.
I said about St. James. "in the upcoming years" Maybe we differ on what the upcoming years means. I am also one who doesn't think winning districts year after year for a certain team classifies a school to be a powerhouse, because we all know some teams get put into not so tough districts. e.
Having been a lurker on the forums for a few years, just to have an idea of what's going on around the state a little bit, it just seems as if anytime a team from near the Four Rivers is having a nice season someone says, "So and so wouldn't be having that kind of year if they played in the Four Rivers or played a schedule like the Four Rivers." After looking it up though, only St. James really has a lot of success outside of the conference for the 4R, and Hermann there for a little while. Sullivan had a nice little run a few years ago. Not that the conference does really bad, but they just look like any other conference, lots of average teams, a couple good teams, and a couple bad teams each year.
In what way do you think that? And are you just talking girls basketball. I would put the AAA conference here in St. Louis as a better girls basketball league then the 4Rivers. Up and down the league there are better teams I believe. And if you want to talk other sports, Mens basketball, baseball, volleyball, soccer, the AAA conference is way better.
No just saying in general I would like to see them in it. AAA is a great conference just hate how they make the teams play twice home/away.
Borgia would never get in the 4 rivers - Washington wasn't even let back in after they left for the GAC. The four rivers is playing for the girls district title as pacific bounced 1 seed Borgia last night. 4 rivers is like most medium- small school conferences when it comes to competitive playoff caliber teams. Cycling high in good baseball as of late w Pacific and Sullivan and some very good wrestling programs. Girls hoops was nails a few years ago and is decent this year. Boys hoops are down but some good rivalries exist.
