Game Balls: Top high school sports performances

Jordan Augustine

Despite brutal cold and gusting winds Saturday, Augustine completed 15-of-19 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in the Crusades’ 48-20 Class 4A semifinal victory over Mater Dei. The senior also ran for a TD and had no turnovers and the St. Louis area’s leading passer is now up to 3,516 yards and 39 touchdown passes.

Krista Bass and Kendra Bass

Picking up where they left off a year ago, the Greyhounds got 22 points from Krista Bass and 14 more from Kendra Bass as they defeated Triad 53-47 on Saturday to win the Columbia Tip-Off Classic

Megan Brown and Leia Campbell

Brown and Campbell are two of the top returning players in the Cahokia Conference-Kaskaskia Division and helped lead the Tigers to the championship game of their own Dupo Cat Classic tournament. Brown, committed to Southern Illinois University Carbondale on a softball scholarship, averaged 12.3 points in the first three games while Campbell averaged 11.3 points as the Tigers reached the championship game before losing 46-27 to New Athens.

C.J. Coldon

Coldon caught six passes for 100 yards and had a 20-yard TD run to help Althoff reach the 4A state championship game with a 48-20 semifinal victory over Mater Dei. Pressed into running back duty because of Jaylon Bester’s illness, Coldon responded with a 20-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that helped Althoff score three TDs in 27 seconds.

Chamya Darough

Only a freshman and making her varsity debut, the 5-6 Darough looked poised beyond her years as she scored 15 points in the Maroons near upset of Central on Saturday at the O’Fallon Girls Tip-Off Classic.

Malik Easley

Easley was Althoff’s leading rusher Saturday with 90 yards on 11 carries in the 4A semifinal win over Mater Dei. His best run was a 48-yard touchdown carry early in the third quarter. Easley has 1,141 yards rushing and 17 TDs this season.

Abby Marlow

One of the surprise teams in the metro-east a year ago when it reached the Class 1A sectional title game, the New Athens Yellow Jackets got a a 21-point effort from Marlow as they defeated Dupo 46-27 on Saturday in the title game of the Dupo Cat Classic.

Jeremy Savannah

Savannah turned his first interception this season into a 42-yard return for a touchdown Saturday in the Crusaders’ 48-20 Class 4A semifinal win over Mater Dei. He picked off a pass from Mater Dei’s Colin Schuetz early in the second half and picked his way through the Knights for a TD.

Sophie Thompson

The Central Methodist recruit got off to a flying start for the Knights, averaging 20.3 points in their first three games to help them finish second at the Columbia Tip-Off Classic. She also hit seven 3-pointers.

Grace Yaunches

Continuing to make a name for herself as one of the top guards and clutch players in the metro-east, Yaunches tallied 31 points in two games as the Class 2A state power Cougars posted narrow wins over Chatham Glenwood and Belleville West on Saturday at the O’Fallon Tip-Off Classic.

This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 10:08 AM with the headline "Game Balls: Top high school sports performances."