Go anywhere in the St. Louis high school basketball circuit these days, and you’re bound to hear Principia’s name. The boys and girls teams' tenacity and dedication on and off the court have given them notoriety and led them to new heights. This year, Principia School basketball soared even higher, making history—twice.
For the first time ever, boys and girls basketball both competed at the state level in the same season. In the end, the girls were ranked second in the state, and the boys came out on top as State Champions—another first for Principia Basketball. “We’re so proud of our basketball teams,” says Athletic
Director Shawn Brown (US’00, C’04). “It’s like we keep finding something new to achieve each year. Maybe next year we’ll go even further.”
The road to success, as it turns out, isn’t only paved with sweat and hard work; it’s also paved with a lot of wins. The boys finished off their record-breaking season almost undefeated at 30-1, while the girls finished at 26-6. But the teams’ success, says Brown, didn’t come at the hands of a single star player. “Our athletes are very unselfish. They don't care who scores, per se. It's frustrating for teams to try to defend us because there are five players on the court who are completely okay with their teammates scoring. To me, that’s the epitome of being high-minded and hard-fighting. We’re trying to build a program that glorifies teamwork.”
Boys Basketball Coach Jay Blossom, echoed Brown’s sentiments at the state championship press conferences. “I’ve been around a long time, and a lot of kids play for their individual selves, and these guys aren’t like that. They share the ball, they get everybody involved, and it’s really special.” When talking about the opportunity to compete in the Final Four, Blossom said, “it wasn’t even so much that we were going to the Final Four, but that we got to spend another week with these guys. It’s a special group. They play hard, they act right, they represent our school, and it’s been a blast.”
In true Principia fashion, the basketball teams weren’t the only ones playing hard this year. Several other Upper School athletes stood out from the pack and made their way to the State Championships in their sports. Freshman Sarah made a splash in her high school swimming debut—literally. After a stellar season, Sarah placed 12th in State in the 100 Breaststroke (1:10.52) and broke a long-standing Principia record (1:10.80). “Sarah is a super hard worker and incredibly determined,” says Swimming Coach (C’04). “It was fun to see her hard work pay off, especially as a freshman.”
On the wrestling mat, five students competed in the State Championships, including junior Julian who took second in her weight class for Girls’ Wrestling.
“The Principia athletic creed shows up from start to finish with our athletes,” says Brown. “These kids are training year-round; they put in the work. And this year has felt like a fulfillment. It proves we can go out and do things the right way—we can be respectful; we can be gritty. And we can also go out and win.”
And while the accolades and the trophies are nice, in the end, it’s the character shown on and off the court that determines a Principian athlete. Getting the chance to achieve new heights with good friends and teammates just makes it all the sweeter. “This is something they’ll remember for the rest of their lives,” said Blossom. “They’ll see these guys ten years from now, and they’ll always have this [experience].”
Join us in congratulating our student-athletes on their incredible seasons!