Saxony girls build family atmosphere on crusade to Columbia

In 1989, Mark Ruark coached the Central High School girls basketball team, led by senior all-state selection Jenny Foeste, to the Missouri Class 4 final four in Columbia.

That team finished fourth, but Ruark and his squad brought back memories that will last a lifetime.

Fast forward to 2014, and another team from Southeast Missouri, the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders, a Class 3 squad in just its sixth season, is making the trip to Columbia to compete in its first final four.

The tie-in? Ruark is in his first year as principal at Saxony. And Foeste? Today, Jenny (Foeste) Brune is the proud mother of Maddie Brune, a sophomore who is a key cog in the Crusaders' lineup.

Both see similarities in today's Crusaders and the team representing Central High School 25 years ago.

"You look at how our girls basketball team has progressed from where it was to where it is now," said Ruark after Wednesday's rally at the high school before the team headed to Columbia. "This is just a great group of kids. There is talent in every area -- not just athletically, but musically, on the stage and in the classroom.

"This kind of reinforces Saxony's placement on the map."

Previously, the only teams from Saxony to perform at the state level were boys track and the boys and girls cross country teams. The Crusaders won the state title in boys cross country in 2004 and 2005, and the boys track team finished first in the state in 2008.

Having a team in the high-profile sport of basketball reach the final four is another rung on Saxony's ladder of athletic success.

"Anytime it's the first time to do something in the history of the school, that's a significant event," said Ruark, former principal at Jefferson High School in Festus, Mo., before assuming the same position at Saxony last fall. "I feel fortunate to be sitting in my chair as principal at this time."

Jenny Brune said this year's Crusaders are like the team she played on for Central in 1989.

"We were a close-knit team," she said. "We did a lot of things together outside of basketball. Coach Ruark made sure we did a lot of things together."

Just like this year's Crusaders, a group of eight sophomores and one senior that tasted athletic success in several sports, not only in high school but in elementary school as well.

"This is just an amazing group of girls," Jenny Brune said. "Not only because of sports. They're all great friends, and it makes their teams so special, and that's a dynamic that makes them successful."

Sam Sides is in his third year coaching the Crusaders and marvels at his team's cohesiveness.

"They've got great chemistry," he said. "Not only are they basketball teammates, but they're teammates off the court as well. They hang with each other all the time, and spend a lot of time at each others' houses. They've grown up together, more or less, and competed against each other. But as a group here, they've really come together very well. ... They're more or less like sisters with each other."

Those "sisters" have enjoyed their share of shining moments and heartbreaking defeats. Last year, the Crusaders fell to Twin Rivers in a Class 3 state sectional that abruptly ended a 25-3 season during which the team was ranked No. 1 in Class 3 for much of the year.

"I've always thought that you learn more from losses than you do from wins," said sophomore guard Brianna Mueller, who leads the Crusaders in scoring at 15.4 points a game. "And I definitely think last year, losing against Twin Rivers, was the toughest loss of last year. It just made us stronger as a team and made us work that much harder because we knew where we wanted to be this year, and we're here now. We didn't just get here by luck. We got here because we worked for it."

Last spring, the Saxony girls soccer team -- which features many of the same players as the basketball team -- took eventual state champion St. Pius X to the wire before falling 1-0 in double overtime in a district final to finish the season 20-2.

The softball team finished 15-8 after that and lost in a district semifinal in the fall, the same round the volleyball team lost in.

"Every sport is totally different," said sophomore guard Grace Mirly, who averages 11 points a game and also plays soccer and softball. "But every opportunity that you win or lose, it's a new learning opportunity."

It's easier to learn as a team when you get along so well with your teammates.

"We're always together throughout the day and on the court," said sophomore forward Ashlynn Collier. "That friendship and bond really helps us play together and keep each other's heads up on the court. If anyone gets down, you can keep them up."

Sophomore forward Ali Galemmo said that bond started in grade school when, despite playing on separate and very successful parochial school teams, the girls quickly became friends.

"There's no drama and fighting," Galemmo said. "It's fun with your friends every day. ... There's no side distractions. We're not going to let the outside world come into our minds. We all keep each other focused. We're friends, and we can share things with each other."

There's a light side to their relationships as well.

"We'll be sitting there eating and someone will shove food in each others' face, just because," Galemmo laughed. "There's always that fun and that edge. We keep each other light and on our feet. But you always got to watch your back when we're around each other."

The Crusaders faced adversity last week after seeing a 17-point lead against Lutheran St. Charles whittled to two in the final moments before holding on for a 59-52 win that propelled them to today's state semifinal. To a player, each said they never lost confidence.

"We know we have each other's backs the whole time," Mirly said. "We just trust in each other and just believe that we're going to pick each other up and that we'll be strong the whole time together."

Kim Daniel -- whose daughters Maci, a senior, and Tess, a sophomore, each play vital roles off the bench for the Crusaders -- relishes being able to share the moment with them.

"It's just such a great opportunity, that's the biggest thing, for them and the school," Kim Daniel said. "This is huge. It puts Saxony on the map even more. It was our dream that our kids could be in that environment."

Kim and her husband, John, have been strong advocates of Saxony Lutheran since its inception.

"We know there are some things that are sacrificed to get here, and there's late nights, and [long drives]," she said. "But these parents, these fans and the school have just been so supportive. That's the best part for them, that they get to enjoy it and feel supported."