Game Balls: Top high school sports performances

Taylor Augustine

Augustine was named Most Valuable Player at the Gibault Candy Cane Classic on Saturday after scoring 15 points to lead Waterloo past Marquette 44-42 in the championship game. The 5-7 junior guard had 20 points against rival Columbia in the semifinals and is averaging 11.1 points for the Bulldogs (5-5) with a team-high seven 3-pointers.

Noah Moss

The Knights’ junior had a big week in a mixed week for Triad. Moss scored 22 points Tuesday in a 45-39 win over Carlyle, then exploded for 33 Friday in a 64-54 Mississippi Valley Conference loss to Highland. Moss leads his team in scoring at 17.6 points per game and the Knights are 2-6. They’ll be playing at Wesclin on Tuesday before opening play at the Columbia-Freeburg Holiday Tournament Dec. 26.

Javon Pickett

With University of Illinois coach John Groce watching at the Belleville East gym, Pickett tossed in 32 points Tuesday in a 72-60 Southwestern Confrence win over city rival Belleville West. Pickett was 10-for-16 from the floor and nailed three 3-pointers. Pickett is the third-leading scorer in the metro-east at 22.2 points per game.

Nick Pollmann

It was quite a weekend for Pollmann as the 6-foot-1 senior guard combined for 52 points on Friday and Saturday in Mater Dei’s 66-63 win over Quincy Notre Dame and 54-47 victory over Gibault. Pollmann had 23 points on Friday against Quincy Notre Dame, then went off for 29 the following night agains Gibault. He’s averaging 19.5 points for the Knights (4-1).

Malachi Smith

The sophomore is the Lancers’ sixth man, but with top-scorer Javon Pickett in early foul trouble, Smith was in line for extra minutes. He drained a 3-point buzzer beater to bring East within two points of O’Fallon at halftime Friday. Then he finished with a game-high 14 in a 54-37 Southwestern Conference win over the Panthers.

Jack Strieker

The 6-foot-2 junior showed he is capable of filling it up just as well as teammates Logan Kohrmann and Chase Schneider, firing in a career-high 28 points Friday in Central’s 70-50 Cahokia Conference win over Carlyle. Strieker, a talented baseball player, added seven rebounds and two blocked shots to his impressive night. He is the Cougars’ second-leading scorer at 10.7 points per game.

Emily Reinneck, Krista Bass and Kendra Bass

Renneck and the Bass sisters combined for 37 points as Lebanon defeated Freburg 49-31 on Monday. Krista Bass then scored 23 points in the Greyhounds 50-34 wiin over New Athens in a battle of Cahokia Conference Kaskaskia Division powers on Friday. Lebanon is 11-0 and ranked seventh in the Class 1A state poll

Anjanice Jones and Erika Harvey

Harvey scored 18 points and Jones added 17 as the Maroons defeated Belleville East 50-39 in a Southwestern Conference game a Belleville East. West claimed the Belleville city championship with a 45-44 win at Althoff on Saturday.

Merik Fulton and Cole Witzig

Class 2A State Tournament medal winners a year ago, Fulton and Witzig remained undefeated by winning titles at the Mascoutah Invitational on Saturday. Fulton is now 15-0 after winning the 132-pound title while Witzig is 14-0 after taking the 182-pound crown.

Jevon Pargo and Derron Miller

With Pargo and Miller winning championships, the Kahoks placed second in the 30-team Mascoutah Invitational Wrestling Tournament. Pargo won the 120-pound title while Miller took home the title at 195.

This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Game Balls: Top high school sports performances."