Chadwick basketball caps greatest stretch in school history by repeating as Class 1 champs
COLUMBIA — For all the greatness Chadwick basketball star Clayton Garrison displayed when leading his team to its second straight state championship, head coach Shawn Guerin still had to humble him with a small critique.
When they were up by 13 late in the third quarter, the Cardinals could have held on for the final shot. Instead, Garrison drove inside and took a tough shot between three defenders with 16 seconds left.
But, of course, it went in.
"He's really good," Guerin said.
Garrison helped deliver Chadwick a 72-53 win over St. Elizabeth in Saturday evening's Missouri Class 1 state championship at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
Garrison, whom Guerin previously called the greatest player to ever wear the uniform, continued to praise his senior. He finished the game with 30 points on 11 of 12 shooting, 12 rebounds and six assists. This followed a semifinal performance in which he nearly pulled off a triple-double, scoring 18 points, 17 rebounds and nine blocks.
"That's what he does," Guerin said. "He's the greatest player to ever come through here, and I've seen a lot of great players. But no one can do what No. 33 does."
The victory capped off the greatest four-year stretch in Chadwick basketball history, which included the program's lone two state championships and four district titles. The Cardinals won 20 or more games each year, including this season when they challenged themselves by playing some of the state's best in larger classes.
Two seniors led the way, including Garrison and Tristan Smith. The latter scored 14 points and grabbed four rebounds in the championship, a year after he made a game-winning 3 to win Chadwick its semifinal game before a dominant performance in the championship the next day.
"It means a lot to us," Garrison said. "We've done something that's never been done here before, and then we came back and did it again. It's just exciting, and it's been a great experience."
There wasn't a specific moment when Guerin started to believe his group could be special. He knew there was a chance because of their talent and work ethic in middle school, but he didn't know if it'd carry over when they got older.
It did, and he got to watch it up close. Guerin first started coaching the group as fifth graders, and his players hang out with his sons all the time at his home. Creek Guerin, the coach's sophomore son, added eight points to the championship win.
"They're not teammates; they're brothers," Shawn Guerin said. "I'm gonna miss them. I love them."
The Cardinals who will attempt to three-peat know how tall of a task they face heading into the future. They're well aware that Garrison's legacy might live on for a long time. He scored 48 points while only missing three total shots, grabbing 29 rebounds, blocking 11 shots and dishing out nine assists across two games in Columbia — it's going to be difficult for anyone to replicate that.
What Garrison and Smith have accomplished in their Cardinals careers has been nothing short of the greatest run in Chadwick history. These last two years will be remembered in the small Christian County town forever.
"Could you imagine having a career like these dudes have had?" Shawn Guerin said. "It's impressive. I couldn't imagine."
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Chadwick basketball beats St. Elizabeth in Missouri Class 1 championship
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