10 Best: Fort Zumwalt South vs. Fort Zumwalt West
The annual opening season rivalry game between Fort Zumwalt South and Fort Zumwalt West has gotten so big that their respective high school gyms are not able to hold them. The games have been held at nearby Lindenwood University in St. Charles.
In last night’s opener, Fort Zumwalt South took control early and took an easy 74-49 victory to avenge last year’s upset loss to their district rivals. Fort Zumwalt South is young, but they have plenty of talent while West is coming off a district-championship season with many key players returning.
Here is a look at the 10 Best from last night’s game:
MVP: E.J. Bellinger (Fort Zumwalt South): The 6’4″ 2019 guard scored a game high 21 points to lead the Bulldogs to the easy victory.
Best Offensive Player: E.J. Bellinger (Fort Zumwalt South): Bellinger is a wing player with good size and an excelllent all-around skill set. He displayed the ability to knock down jumpers from the perimeter and 3-point range, plus score in transition and on the drive. He has been getting buckets since his freshman year.
Best Defensive Player: Josh White (Fort Zumwalt West): The 6’3″ 2018 wing has good size, length and the willingness to get out and defend good players. He works hard to get into the passing lanes and even blocked a couple of perimeter shots last night.
Best Shooter: J.J. Schwepker (Fort Zumwalt South): The 6’4″ 2020 forward scored 16 points and really got hot in the second half when he made all four of his 3-pointers. He has a high-arching jumper that can really turn a game around when he has it going.
Best Athlete: Marquis Majors (Fort Zumwalt West): The 6’2″ 2020 forward is a Division I level football prospect who brings that strong athleticism and motor to the basketball court. He scored a team-high 12 points for the Jaguars. He drives to the basket hard and attacks the boards.
Best Motor: Darious Thomas (Fort Zumwalt South): The 6’0″ 2018 guard is a go-go performer whose motor runs hot at all times. He is at his best in transition when he is attacking the basket. He scored 12 points, with most of them on his relentless rim attacks.
Unsung Player: Jake Patton (Fort Zumwalt South): The 6’1″ 2019 guard scored 10 points and provided solid ball handling and defense throughout the night. He made his open shots and did a nice job of getting himself open.
Best Player off the Bench: Brenden Douglas (Fort Zumwalt West): The 6’3″ 2019 forward came off the bench to score six points and help provide a lift for the Jaguars after their slow start.
Top College Prospect: E.J. Bellinger (Fort Zumwalt South): Bellinger has attracted some collegiate interest from Division I and Division II schools with his size and ability to score the basketball.
Best Youngster (2020, 2021): Connor Bekebrede (Fort Zumwalt South): The 6’5″ 2021 forward started his first game and did a nice job on the defensive boards. He is also a solid passer who did not try to mess with things to much.