Menu
FOCUSING IN: Charleston boys basketball preps for another shot at a state title, but have to beat No. 1 Vashon to start
CHARLESTON, Mo. — Trips to the Show-Me Showdown is one thing that the Charleston boys basketball program aim for every season.
Competing for a state championship is always in the discussion, and head coach Danny Farmer said that is the goal for his program each time practice first begins.
“That’s our goal every year,” Farmer said. “Believe it or not, we try to go to the final four every year. This year, we felt like we were long shots going into the season and then come to the end of the season, we end up back to the final four, so we’ve been working toward it the whole year, and we’re really thrilled to be going back.”
Now in his 22nd season with Charleston (20-10), Farmer’s bunch is set to play Vashon, the top-ranked team in Class 3, as it plays in the Show-Me Showdown Class 3 Semifinals for the ninth time since he took over.
During that stretch, Farmer has won two state championships (2006, 2011) and to add a third; the Bluejays will have to first go through a Vashon (24-5) team led by highly-touted athletes.
Junior Cam’Ron Fletcher, a 6-8 forward, leads the team with 17.2 points per game.
The 4-star recruit garners offers from Missouri, Michigan State, Illinois, Kansas State, and Creighton.
Mario McKinney — a 3-star recruit and Missouri commit — anchors the backcourt. Standing at 6-2, the senior averages 13.2 points per game.
5-11 junior Phillip Russell is the third and final Wolverine to average double figures, at 12.2 points per game. He has offers from Missouri-Kansas City, Southeast Missouri State, and Valparaiso.
Thursday’s game is a meeting of Missouri basketball royalty as Charleston is making it’s 22nd semifinal experience, including a second place finish last season, while Vashon is making its 21st semifinal experience.
Heading into the matchup, Farmer said that offensively, they are going to have to be sharp.
“Offensively, we’re going to have to make shots,” Farmer said. “We’re going to have to have a great offensive game against them. We’re playing a great team. Probably the best team that we’ve played the whole year. I know for sure the most talented team. They have a lot of top-level players that have already signed with big schools, so we’re going to have to be hitting on all cylinders.
“Hopefully, defensively, we can do something to them to make them a little bit, but we need to play a great game.”
Additionally, turning the ball over is one of the critical points of emphasis as preparation begins.
“We can’t turn the ball over against a team such as Vashon, you can’t turn the ball over a lot,” Farmer said. “We had quite a few turnovers against St. James, we can’t have that number of turnovers, and we’re going to have to shoot the ball a lot better, and we’re going to have to rebound. They’re going to be the taller team, so we’re going to have to put emphasis on rebounding.”
Charleston and Vashon play at 3:30 p.m., Thursday. The game will be at JQH Arena, in Springfield, Mo.