Assumption vs. St. Ann for the Sportsmanship Championship

It's a rare occurrence when two teams of great character and great skill meet for a championship on any level. On Sunday, April 14 at 1:30 p.m. inside the beautiful Danis Field House on the campus of St. Louis University High School, Assumption-O'Fallon will play St. Ann-Normandy for the CYC Intermediate (8th grade) Closed Division Championship.

For those who are unaware, the Closed Division of CYC means the kids on a particular team can only play for that team during the season. This will be the ultimate matchup. Respect meets Civility. Sportsmanship meets Character. Fair Play will go one-on-one with Integrity. Ladies and gentlemen, we have the Irresistible Force vs. the Immovable Object!

The Sportsmanship Brigade had the opportunity to see both of these stellar teams on their way to this weekend's title game. We witnessed Assumption-O'Fallon win impressively over Sacred Heart-Florissant last Saturday. The crowd was very much pro-Sacred Heart and Assumption only dressed five players. Even with the numbers and crowd against them, the boys showed maturity beyond their years.

They helped opposing players up after tough plays. One Assumption player gave a Sacred Heart kid a pat on the back in comfort when a controversial call when against the Florissant team. We couldn't find just one deserving player. So, we recognized all five.

Brigade members with the Assumption team

St. Ann-Normandy met the formidable St, Mark on Wednesday night and before severe storms hit the St. Louis area, these teams nearly shot the lights out - combining for 105 points in only 28 minutes of regulation. Although St. Ann played hard, dove for loose balls and dribbled through a tough St. Mark defense, the young men never lost their composure.

St. Mark came back from a 12-point third quarter deficit to take the lead late in the fourth. Naton Smith of St. Ann would not let his team fold its tent, though. Smith rallied the troops with his play and his encouragement. Strength of will doesn't show up on a stat sheet, but everyone could feel Smith's presence as St. Ann held on for the victory. It's appropriate that Smith's teammates rallied around him for this photo as they did during the game.

Smith (center) and his teammates are on-point

No matter who you root for, these kids represent what youth sports are all about. If you have a chance to see the game, check it out. Admission is free and and seeing two teams of young people doing the right thing is priceless.

The Sportsmanship Brigade is a group of Sports Commission volunteers who attend youth sporting events looking for acts of good sportsmanship. Athletes, coaches, parents, fans and officials who exhibit good sportsmanship are rewarded with a certificate of recognition and a gift card to a local business. For more on the Brigade, including scheduling and volunteering information, please visit sportsmanship.org or call 314-345-5130.