March 6 the Varsity Boys Basketball team faces Fort Zumwalt North in the first round of districts. The Knights come in with a record of 17-8 while the Panthers have a record of 16-8. This will be the first meeting between the two this year.

“I think we can beat them if we play like we have been in the conference because they are really a one man team,” senior guard James Gleeson said.

The Knights are riding an impressive winning stretch winning eight of their last ten but have dropped two of their last three.  Both the Knights and the Panthers are coming off a victory. The Knights won their last regular season game with a 55-39 victory over Troy, while the Panthers beat McCluer North 56-54.

With the loss of leading scorer Kyle Lemons last year, the Knights had a big void to fill.  Filling that spot this year is Senior guard James Gleeson.  Gleeson has already put up 488 points this year, 29 more points than Lemon’s last year.  Gleeson has been turning it on lately, scoring 20 plus in his last five games.  Gleeson has been not only putting up points, but is accurate, shooting 45 percent on the year.

“If he [Gleeson] plays good we will probably win. He is our star player and when he does good, we usually win,” senior Austin Knott said. “He has the team on his back.”

The Knights hope to stop the Panthers star player Chaz Glotta.  Glotta is fifth in the state in PPG at 23.7.  Glotta has put up 593 points on the season and has had 67 points in his last three games in which the Panthers have won all three.

“It is very important to stop him [Glotta] and to stop him we put in a new press to speed up their game so they make mistakes,” senior forward Josh Carpenter said.

If the Knights win Thursday night, they will advance onto the second round of districts on Saturday March 8 against either Fort Zumwalt South or Francis Howell Central.  The Knights are 2-0 against Howell Central and have one lost against Fort Zumwalt South which came in the St. Charles West Tournament semi finals.