TEAM: St. Marys Bears/Lady Bears

CLASSIFICATION: 3A

LEAGUE: Big East (new for 2024-25)

COLORS: Blue & White

SOCIAL MEDIA: @SMJSHSBears and @LadyBearHoops1 (Girls) on Twitter

2024-25 SCHEDULE:

12/6 at Olpe
12/10 at Centralia
12/13 at Jackson Heights
12/17 vs Riley County
12/20 vs Maranatha Academy
1/7 at Silver Lake
1/10 vs Sabetha
1/14 vs Perry-Lecompton
1/17 at Rossville
1/21-25 at Nemaha Central Thunder Classic (BOYS)
1/24 vs Jeff West (GIRLS)
1/28-2/1 at Hiawatha Invitational (GIRLS)
1/31 vs Jeff West (BOYS)
2/4 vs Rossville
2/7 at Holton
2/11 vs Nemaha Central
2/14 at Hiawatha
2/18 at Riley County
2/21 vs Silver Lake

Big East League game

GIRLS

HEAD COACH: Dorian Sills-Berry (3rd year, 25-22)

2023-24 RECORD: 13-10, 4-6 in Mid East League

2023-24 IN REVIEW: The Lady Bears ended up one step shy of a return trip to State, falling to eventual 3A champion Silver Lake in their sub-state final. But pulling off an upset of Rossville in the sub-state semis shows just how good these girls could be at their best. A veteran group of players, led by first team All-State selection Hayden Heim in the post, actually increased their win total from the state-qualifying season prior.

2024-25 OUTLOOK: St. Marys will go as Heim goes this season, and that’s an extremely enviable place to start. It’s already been a record-setting career for the 6’2” senior, who has committed to Central Missouri to continue her basketball career. She averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game last season and is continuing to round out her skillset. Few opponents will have anybody who can match up with Heim on a given night. Help from the outside comes from senior guard Isabel Hurla, a three-year starter who averaged 6.5 points per contest last year and has outstanding shooting range. Maizie Kent, a valuable reserve the past two seasons, gets the opportunity to show what she can do as a starter. Other depth will have to materialize as the season progresses, but the ability to lean on a star like Heim and a steady hand in the backcourt like Hurla is a big edge for the Lady Bears as they aim to compete in the rugged Big East.

FROM THE COACH’S CLIPBOARD: “We lost a great senior class but we bring back a lot of varsity experience with our senior class and we will lean on them to lead us this season. We are all excited to get back in the gym!” – Dorian Sills-Berry

BOYS

HEAD COACH: Will Spradling (7th year, 113-50)

2023-24 RECORD: 13-8, 5-5 in Mid East League

2023-24 IN REVIEW: A streak of consecutive league championships was halted at three, and the Bears failed to advance to State after two straight trips, but last season still brought plenty to be proud of for Bears hoops. A young team matured as the season went along, and junior Brady Hurla shone as the team’s lead guard, averaging 21 points per game and making first team All-League. The Bears showed proficiency from behind the three-point arc, meaning they were never out of any game they played.

2024-25 OUTLOOK: All five starters return for the Bears this season, led by Hurla, who will be one of Class 3A’s best players as a senior. Not just a shooter, he can get to the rim and create for his teammates with equal alacrity. His teammates benefit from being on the floor with him and make the most of their scoring chances. Ben DeVader was a second team All-League pick last year, averaging 11 points per game, and returns. Physical forward Howie Rezac averaged seven points and nine rebounds. Zach Sommars, Alex Gallegos, and Cyprian Jackson all averaged around six points per contest. Coach Will Spradling has built one of the most consistent programs in the area since taking over as head coach, and his teams are never to be taken lightly, which they proved last year after such a successful season despite so many crucial graduation losses. This year, with a much more experienced team, the expectations will raise accordingly. This will be a squad that competes for a Big East League crown and has a great shot at a journey to Hutchinson for 3A State.

FROM THE COACH’S CLIPBOARD: “We return all but one player off of last years team.  We have some other young players that showed a lot of improvement this summer so we will have a lot of experience as well as depth.  We play very fast, and everyone can handle it and shoot it which provides a lot of mismatches.” – Will Spradling

–Dan Lucero

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