Missouri Girls' State Tournament Quarterfinals

Updated 3/7/2023 

Last night was class five and six Missouri girls' district finals.   I took in the Eureka game with my lovely, oldest daughter.

Gramps hit on all cylinders, getting eight out of eight right in class six, was seven out of eight in class five and six out of eight in the class four sectionals.  That adds up to 21 out of 24 for the night (87.5%).  For the post-season, Gramps has predicted 83% of 991 total games for boys and girls, all classes.  The tables for class six, five and four are below the Winning Percentage summary:

Class six:  All of my top-ranked teams won their district titles, however, the #1 seeds in districts five and seven both lost to lower-seeded teams (not the way I would have seeded either district).  Do I need to repeat that?  All of my top-ranked teams won.  Maybe it is time to rethink how the seeding process is done?

Going forward, the winner of the Jackson/Eureka game will play the winner of districts seven and eight, Rock Bridge and Park Hill South.  Right now, I would expect Park Hill to take down Rock Bridge and Jackson/Eureka for a spot in the final vs. ..... drum roll, please..... Incarnate Word, who will probably meet Republic to get to the final.  The final should be all IWA's.  The Red Knights continue their unbeaten streak for another year.

Class five:  Girls districts went for the rating favorite in all districts except district five, where Jeff City upset Helias by two in the most competitive final.    It looks like #1 John Burroughs will probably play #2 Lutheran St. Charles in one semi-final and #3 Carl Junction will play the winner of JC and West Plains (too close to call).  This state tournament is somewhat unique in that the best teams will most likely be in the final four.

Burroughs has a slight edge for the state title but it could be one of four or five teams.  Just a great bracket.

Class four: Gramps missed two close games in sectional 3/4 and 7/8.  Lift for Life "upset" St. James and Moberly "upset" Visitation but the ratings were so close going in that the games were almost coin flips. 

There should be some great quarter and semi-final games but look for Vashon to take another title over St Joes Benton in the final. 

Good luck to all the remaining teams.

Updated 3/5/2023

 Missouri Girls' State Tournament quarterfinals are this Saturday and there are some great games coming up.  Gramps is posting the final eight for classes three, two, and one.  So here we go!

Boys class one through three are HERE

Class Three:

The clear favorites in class three are Fair Grove and South Shelby in the lower half of the bracket, however, both face tough games.  Skyline is only a four-point underdog to South Shelby which makes that game almost a coin-flip.  Mansfield will be a good test for Fair Grove but Mansfield is a fifteen-point underdog.  In the upper half of the bracket, Gramps thinks El Dorado Springs will play West County in the semi-final.

My pick would be Fair Grove and El Dorado Springs in the final with Fair Grove a ten-point favorite to take the Class three championship.

Class Two:

Bishop Le Blond St Joseph has been on top of the class two girls rankings all season long but Tipton and NE Cairo have been coming on strong.  Any of these three teams could be the class two state championship.  The best game of the entire state tournament might be the quarterfinal game between NE Cairo and Tipton.  The winner of that game should walk over their semi-final game and then the championship will probably be vs. Bishop LeBlond.  Exciting times in class two.

Class One:

After Delta got by South Iron in the sectionals, it looks like they might have a shot at going all the way.  Or do they?  Platte Valley (Jefferson (Conception) South Nodaway, isn't that a mouthful!) will probably meet Delta in the semis and they are deep in tradition and experience.  The Platte Valley Eagles were undefeated in 2021 on their way to a state title, so some of these players know what it takes to get there and win.  Delta's second-place finish last year probably motivates them to be first this year.  A whale of a semi-final!

In the lower bracket, Meadville should have no problem handling St. Elizabeth in the quarter-final and the winner of the Macks Creek/Leeton contest which will be a nail-biter.  

That bodes for a fantastic final game between Meadville and Delta/Platte Valley etc. etc. and I think Meadville will win out.  Meadville, 28-0 and with a 73ppg for and 28ppg against, won their only state title in 1995 and was third in 2008 in their last final four appearance.  I think they add some state championship hardware to the trophy case but it is always hard for a team to go undefeated for the entire season.

Good Luck to all these teams.