EDWARDSVILLE – Josie Christopher is in her senior season as a guard for the girls basketball team at O”Fallon Township High School, and she’s also emerged as one of the top players in the St. Louis area this season.
She proved it to a good audience on Feb. 5 at Lucco-Jackson Gym in Edwardsville by scoring 24 points – 18 in the first half – in a 53-42 win over the homestading Tigers, It furthered her scoring average, which now stands at 21 points-per-game, also scoring 24 points against Pleasant Plains on Feb. 7, and nine points against Highland on Feb. 11, both wins. She’s also averaging 3.6 rebounds-per-game, and also has 75 assists and 116 steals in helping the Panthers to a 21-9 record after a 71-29 win over Belleville West on Feb. 12, 2026, at Belleville West.
She’s been called The Straw That Stirs The Drink for the Panthers, a description she truly appreciates, and in a postgame interview after the win over the Tigers, her mindset was to get off to a good start in a road game against Edwardsville.
“We know it’s always tough to play Edwardsville at home,” Christopher said, “so we just knew we had to come out with a good start, and continue. The more we kept playing, the more better it would be.”
Christopher did indeed get off to the start she wanted, scoring 10 straight points in the opening quarter to set the tone of the game.
“Like I said, I knew we needed to start off good,” Christopher said. “So, we came out with a big lead, and from there, it was pretty good.”
It’s been another banner season for O’Fallon as the IHSA Class 4A playoffs approach next week. Christopher is looking forward to it.
“Yes I am,” she said. “I’m excited for what this team does.”
Her goals and aspirations for herself and the Panthers haven’t changed since the start of the season back in November.
“To go as far as we can,” Christopher said. “To win as many games and see how far we can go in the playoffs.”
Being considered one of the St. Louis area’s better players means very much to Christopher.
“It means a lot to me,” Christopher said. “My freshman year, I saw all the seniors do big stuff. I looked up to them, and I know I wanted to do something like that.”
Being the best player on the Panthers is a big responsibility, but it’s an assignment that she gladly accepts.
“I appreciate all the trust my coach (Nick Knollhoff) has in me,” Christopher said, “and all my teammates believe in me. So, that’s good.”
