The Helias Crusaders and first-round wins in the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic have been synonymous with each other. Helias is playing in the Classic for the 25th straight season, and the Crusaders are 18-4 in first-round games when the tournament has been an eight-team format.
The Helias Crusaders are anticipating every Central Missouri Activities Conference game to be a tough battle this season.
They hope every game plays out like Thursday night’s conference opener.
It’s only five games into the season, but the Helias Crusaders have been in plenty of crunch-time situations already. They can add Saturday night to that list. “We made some big plays,” Helias coach Joe Rothweiler said after a 64-62 win against the Troy-Buchanan Trojans in the Tri-Lakes Shootout at Blair Oaks High School.
The Fatima Comets have watched the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic year after year from the bleachers at Fleming Fieldhouse. This year, they’ll be one of the eight teams playing on the court. “They were excited to go watch. For them to be a part of it, you can feel the energy from them,” Fatima coach Ryan Robertson said of the Comets’ first Classic appearance during Wednesday’s press conference. “They’re excited, they want to compete.
The shots didn’t fall early and the Crusaders couldn’t come back. Helias missed its first seven shots, while the Webster Groves Statesmen built the lead that would win them the Class 5 state championship.