Team Preview: St. Louis University High
There has been a buzz building around the St. Louis University High School football program in recent years, since the hiring of former NFL linebacker Mike Jones as head coach and with the arrival of a talented group of playmaking…
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Continue ReadingThere has been a buzz building around the St. Louis University High School football program in recent years, since the hiring of former NFL linebacker Mike Jones as head coach and with the arrival of a talented group of playmaking Division I prospects.
The Junior Billikens went 1-9 and finished last in the five-team Metro Catholic Conference in 2018, when both CBC and Vianney won state championships, but won five games the following season and had some bright spots during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
Can SLUH make a run toward the top of the MCC this fall? That will still be a tough hill to climb with CBC and De Smet returning loaded squads and Chaminade also returning a talent-laden group. But the Junior Billikens have been building for this opportunity.
Here’s a look at some of the players to watch this fall…
CLASS OF 2022
Isaac Thompson Isaac Thompson 6'1" | 195 lbs | DB St. Louis University High | 2022 State MO , 6-2, 205, S
Ranked as the No. 3 prospect in Missouri in the Class of 2022, Thompson verbally committed to the University of Missouri in December after attracting scholarship offers from coast to coast. A four-year starter, Thompson was an impact player on both sides of the ball as a sophomore in 2019, racking up 752 total yards (605 receiving) and six touchdowns and recording 39 tackles with two interceptions, before being limited during the 2020 campaign.
Chris Brooks Jr Chris Brooks Jr 6'2" | 200 lbs | WR St. Louis University High | 2022 State MO ., 6-2, 205, WR
Brooks, rated as the No. 23 2022 prospect in Missouri, has battled injuries throughout his time at SLUH but has been a difference maker when he’s on the field. In 2020, in four games, he caught 20 passes for 400 yards and six touchdowns. His recruiting has picked up in recent months – he has scholarship offers from Ball State, Miami Ohio, Buffalo and a few Ivy League schools – but it could blow up with a strong senior season. He’s a big and fast wide receiver who will be a handful for opposing defenses this fall.
DonTavion Sullivan DonTavion Sullivan 6'1" | 210 lbs | LB St. Louis University High | 2022 State MO , 6-1, 210, LB
Sullivan has been a tackling machine for the Junior Bills. In four games in 2020, he recorded 47 tackles and one sack. In 11 total games as the starter at middle linebacker, Sullivan has been credited with 115 total tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble.
Kylend Watson-Brown Kylend Watson-Brown 6'3" | 260 lbs | DL St. Louis University High | 2022 State MO , 6-4, 270, DL-OL
An underrated big man, Watson-Brown racked up 20 tackles and three sacks in just four games as a junior. He figures to be another player who attracts a lot more attention from colleges with a strong senior season.
Luke Johnston Luke Johnston 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB St. Louis University High | 2022 State MO , 6-1, 180, QB
Also a basketball player, Johnston emerged as SLUH’s starter as a junior and threw for 915 yards and 11 touchdowns in just four games. With Brooks and Thompson and a speedy sophomore we will discuss in a little bit, the Junior Billikens’ receiving corps could be one of the best in the Midwest. Johnston, who has already received scholarship offers from William Jewell, Kenyon College and St. Norbert, figures to put up big numbers this fall and attract a lot more attention.
Derrick Baker Derrick Baker 6'0" | 200 lbs | RB St. Louis University High | 2022 State MO , 6-0, 200, RB
Baker was a starter at Affton High School before transferring to SLUH for his junior year in 2020. He rushed for 106 yards on 21 carries in three games after rushing for 1,364 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns at Affton as a sophomore.
Phillip Bone Phillip Bone 5'11" | 160 lbs | DB St. Louis University | 2022 MO , 6-1, 175, DB
A standout player for SLUH’s powerhouse volleyball program, Bone will be in his third year as a starting defensive back for the Junior Bills. He racked up 31 tackles and an interception in four games as a junior after recording 47 tackles and two interceptions as a sophomore.
CLASS OF 2023
Zach Ortwerth Zach Ortwerth 6'5" | 220 lbs | TE St. Louis University High | 2023 State MO , 6-5, 215, TE-OLB
The team has high hopes for Ortwerth, who missed his sophomore season after breaking his collarbone during the summer but is expected to be a two-way starter this fall. He was a starter on the SLUH basketball team this winter.
CLASS OF 2024
Ryan Wingo Ryan Wingo 6'2" | 200 lbs | WR St. Louis University High | 2024 State MO , 6-2, 195, WR
Wingo, whose two older brothers both played Division I football, arrived as SLUH as a Division I prospect himself after receiving an early scholarship offer from Missouri. He has the size and the speed that colleges are looking for at the position and has already received scholarship offers from Notre Dame and Florida among several others. As a freshman, in four games, he caught 10 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He established himself as one of the top sprinters in the state in the spring, finishing third in Class 5 in the 200 (21.94 seconds) and sixth in the 100 (11.00).
Follow Nate Latsch on Twitter at @natelatsch.