MARYVILLE – It has been a year of building for Maryville Christian School this year, but Maryville Christian head coach Chad Ambuehl feels that his team can compete well in the upcoming playoffs.
“I feel like we can compete,” Ambuehl said. “If the shot goes in the basket, and we keep getting good looks, you just never know on each given night. We compete very well, we do a good job on the defensive end, and so, we just knock down a few, we’re hopeful we can have some potential success over the next week or two.”
Maryville Christian is a very young team with only two seniors – Levi Gray and Jayden Huff. Coach Ambuehl was commended by McGivney Head Boys Coach Cory Clouser for doing a great job with his squad this season.
Father McGivney Catholic edged Maryville Christian 38-35 in an encounter on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, at the Maryville Christian Gym. Maryville Christian has now posted seven overall wins on the season.
The Lions led 6-2 at quarter time and 14-9 at halftime, and Maryville kept fighting through everything against McGivney to have a chance to win.
“A lot of our kids are really persevering though the sickness,” Coach Ambuehl said. “We have a lot of kids that are just coming back, and they’re still under the weather, and they’re wanting to play. And so, they’re giving the best effort they can, they’re working super hard, and we just came up a little short tonight. So, I was proud of the boys’ effort, and doing things they needed to do to put themselves in an opportunity to have a chance to win at the end.”
The Gateway Metro Conference has already gained a reputation for having good, competitive teams, and Ambuehl agreed wholeheartedly.
“We have really good teams in this conference,” Ambuehl said. “We get challenged every game. And so, we keep working at it, try to get better each and every game.”
Needless to say, he’s definitely looking forward to the postseason and its possibilities.
“I am looking forward to seeing what we can do in the postseason,” Ambuehl said, “and getting to go up to Raymond Lincolnwood, play them on their court, which we haven’t been there before, and just looking forward to the challenge, which I know they’re a very good ballclub, and we’re going to give them our best effort.”
Gray led the Lions with 14 points, while junior Dillon Paul had 12 points, sophomore Gavin Ambuehl scored five points, and Huff scored four points against Father McGivney.
Other Maryville Christian squad members are junior Cade King, junior Judah Amsden, freshman Jase DeVary, freshman Drew Kamadulski, sophomore Braden Waymire, freshman Nolan Hite, junior Josh Settergren, and sophomore Nate Laughlin.
Maryville is now 7-19 and concludes its regular season next week, starting with a game at Westfair Christian of Jacksonville Monday night. The team hosts Valmeyer in its home finale Thursday, and plays at O’Fallon First Baptist Academy Feb 21, with all games starting at 7:30 p.m.
