Bell City has its sights set on two more wins

Bell City boys basketball coach David Heeb has created quite a legacy in his four years as head coach.

Heeb, who went 15-11 his first season, has put together three straight 20-win seasons since then, nearly doubling the amount of 20-win seasons the basketball team had recorded since 1921.

Before the fresh-faced 22-year-old coach took over the Cubs, Bell City had only four 20-win seasons and one district title (1981) to its credit. The 1981 squad finished 28-5 and ended up bringing home a third-place state trophy.

In Heeb's second season with the Cubs, his team won 29 games, a school record, and brought home the school's first basketball state championship. Now, with his team taking home a third straight district title, Bell City is two wins away from bringing home its second Class 1 state title in three years.

"The media attention this time around has been incredible compared to the first time," Heeb said. "I think the kids have done a good job of staying focused."

Winning has become expected at Bell City. The Cubs, second in the last state poll, have been state ranked much of the past three seasons. That is a far cry for a program which went a combined 35-62 the four years prior to Heeb's arrival.

Senior Randy Conn, who came to Bell City with Heeb four years ago, said he is proud of the way the program has risen over the past four seasons.

"It started off when he came here," Conn said of Heeb. "It started off then and it's gotten better and better every year."

Bell City will try to continue its winning ways against Bevier (25-5) at 7:55 p.m. today in a semifinal game at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo.

When the Cubs play in Columbia today and Saturday they will be trying to live up to this year's team motto. Every season Heeb gives his team a motto at the beginning of the season, with this year's motto being, "Last One."

"The state finals for 1A is the last game at the Hearnes Center," Heeb said. "We've had a focus that we want to make it to the last one, because that's the one everyone remembers."

Bevier sports a small, but athletic squad. The team is led by 6-foot-2 guard John Bailey, the school's all-time leading scorer who averages 20.6 points a game.

Heeb said while he expects Bevier to be a strong team, he feels his team is ready to bring home another state title.

"I think every step they get closer they get hungrier," he said. "They want this so bad. It's going to take a really good effort by someone else to beat us."

Bell City has five seniors who will be playing their final games for the Cubs, with three of those players seeing action in the state final two years ago. Dominitrix Johnson leads the Cubs with a 29 point per game average. Zak McIntyre and Conn also saw time in the 2002 state final. Other Bell City seniors are Tyler Victor and Derek Pobst.

Conn said winning another state title would be a dream way to end his high school career.

"It's always been a goal of mine ever since I started playing basketball," he said.

Noteworthy:

Bevier is riding a nine-game winning streak into tonight's game. The Wildcats have only eight players on their roster, with six seniors. Bevier starts four seniors, led by Bailey. Clark Dalrymple, a 6-foot senior, is second on the team averaging 14.1 points a game, and 6-0 senior Travis Mason averages 9.2 points.

St. Elizabeth has won 12 straight games heading into the final four. Nick Voss, a 6-4 junior, leads the team at 16.7 points a game. Craig Luetkemeyer is the team's only other double-figure scorer at 10.3 points.

North Andrew, the biggest school out of the four with 103 students, rides a eight-game winning streak into the final four. The Cardinals have four players averaging double figures, led by 5-10 senior Jeffrey Walker at 13.6.

jjoffray@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 171