Emotional state run comes to close as Skyline rallies back to stun St. Vincent girls in final

With the first state championship in program history on the line, St. Vincent led the first, second and third quarters, but a monstrous push from Skyline including a knockout blow from Shelby Redd undid the early goings of the Indians as the Tigers defended their state title, 53-45.

The culmination of a loaded MSHSAA Class 2 bracket, the state title game of the 2025 MSHSAA Show-Me Showdown saw St. Vincent go from riding high at the break to a crushing defeat that seemed almost unthinkable.

Both sides had all the makings of a championship team, with St. Vincent building a staggering 8-point lead at the half and up to 10 just before, but Skyline just had that chip on its shoulder down the stretch, much kudos to its experience.

After what’s been an emotional 24 hours for the community of Perryville, spending much of the night worrying about the devastating effects of Friday’s tornadoes, it was a bittersweet finish for St. Vincent as it came up just short of the MSHSAA Class 2 girls basketball championship.

“It was gut-wrenching to wake up this morning and hear about that,” senior Allie Patrick said. “We still had so many fans in the stands.
It was probably the most support we've had at any sporting event in school history.

“It was incredible to look up there and see all the blue and gold. I think we all did a really great job of representing what St. Vincent is all about.

That they did, because the communities of Skyline High School and St. Vincent High School dueled all game long, going just as hard in the stands as they did on the floor. Both crowds roared this one to life, and you could the tension with a knife in that second half.

Shooting an unbelievable 84 percent from the floor, with Shelby Redd and Kenzi Cheek combining for a 14-of-17 mark and putting up a 16-of-19 mark as a team, it proved to be the difference as a calm, composed and most importantly confident Skyline team snuck away with the win.

The victory makes for the eighth championship in program history, which breaks two records that were both held by Scott County Central dating back to 1993.

Skyline now holds the most girls basketball state championships in Missouri’s history among small schools as well as public schools, six of the eight coming from current head coach Kevin Cheek.

Asked about this postgame, having completed his 27th season at the helm of the program, Cheek had some high praise for his city.

“Not only do we take pride in basketball, but we take pride in helping others,” Cheek said. “We take pride in taking care of our community.”

In what was guaranteed to be the final game of the season, Kate Rubel showed up and showed out again. Putting up another 22-point performance in masterful fashion, she combined for 47 points in the second final four of her career over two days.

The workhorse of the St. Vincent team, she showed exactly why she’s a Division-I target as her post mastery guided her to a game-high 22 plus 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks to become the de facto leader of the Indians on Saturday.

Second in scoring among the Indians was senior Allie Patrick, whose scoring talent will be sorely missed but didn’t come to show in the state championships until Saturday as she dropped in three critical free throws in the third quarter that maintained the second-half lead.

At the end of the night, when the game had concluded and the medals came out, the four seniors – Alivia Ellis, Haley Emmendorfer, Allie Patrick and Mallory Patrick – all came out to receive the Class 2 second-place trophy.

“These ladies have worked really hard to be here for the last four years, and I thought it was appropriate to have them up here for this interview,” Mel Kirn began the postgame, pushing his microphone away and toward Emmendorfer, sitting at the edge of the table.

For a squad that’s essentially given all the spotlight to its juniors, with 80 percent of the starting lineup being 11th graders, the seniors haven’t exactly been the focal point this year.

But the role they’ve played in pushing this squad to a final four for the first time ever shouldn’t dare go underrated, because the defensive intensity is largely anchored by these seniors and the shooting offense hinged on both Allie Patrick and Haley Emmendorfer all year long.

So, when the time came for the four seniors to be spotlighted in front of what was otherwise an empty media room after a swathe of Skyline reporters quickly exited following Cheek and his squad, an emotional set of St. Vincent seniors highlighted their time with the program that predated the success we know today.

Right now, it’s somber. Reflecting on a four-year voyage that went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, with injury after injury taking these four to their very wit’s end, it’s a harsh tone following the most crushing of losses.

“It's hard, knowing that it's over,” Ellis said. “This may not be the last time we'll be together, but it’s the last time we'll all be together in our basketball uniforms. It's hard just to let it all go.”

But it’s not all bad. Because of the outward appreciation that’s come from all over for these 15 girls, just a few small cogs in the system that makes up St. Vincent High and the city of Perryville, Missouri, it’s been an unbelievable journey to get here.

Soon, the high school will raise a banner with the names of every member of the “Feisty 15,” reflecting the greatest basketball season at the school in 20 years and the greatest season for this program ever.

And, who knows? These four have laid the foundation for the remaining 11 to pave their own path to success in the future.

In just 365 short days, they’ll hope to raise one more banner right next to it.

“I hope we made the town, the community and the school really proud this year,” Allie Patrick concluded.