Many of the Saints men's basketball players found themselves in unfamiliar territory last week when the team made the trip to the edge of the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
The team left campus last Friday and spent three days at Kiamichi Mountains Christian Mission, a service camp near Honobia, Okla., where they served by completing a variety of cleanup projects while on the campground.
A lot of time was spent outdoors, whether it involved gathering stones in a stream bed for a building project, hiking the nearby trails, or staying close to the outdoors in a rustic shelter with mats for bedding. For a few of the Saints, it was their first time being so up close and personal with nature.
"When we first got there I was in total shock," sophomore guard Kedron Rollings said. "I have not ever been on a campground or anything like that. It was something that I didn't expect.
"I woke up the next morning with a whole different mindset. Not only was it a mission trip, but a time for us to get out and do something together. We really grew together as a team."
On the way to the Kiamichi Mountains, the team stopped just across the border in Arkansas to pick up a couple of vehicles that a donor had gifted to the College. They went on to KMCM to spend the night and the next two days where they cleaned up a large campground facility, filled several trailers with stones, and had some devotional time as a team on Sunday.
There was also a basketball element to the trip. On Sunday afternoon, the team practiced at a nearby high school. On Monday, the Saints drove to Hot Springs, Ark., for a scrimmage with Champion Christian College.
"I am very grateful to Artie Carnes and the Kiamichi Mountains Christian Mission staff for feeding us and giving us a place to stay," CCCB head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas said. "We were able to help them out with some projects, but they really helped us out as well."
The trip was just one day after the entire CCCB campus had their annual Day of Service. The event takes place every year on a Thursday in September, and groups of students went out into the Moberly community to perform service projects.
Upon returning to campus, Tuesday was the start of Missions Emphasis Week on the CCCB campus, where those who serve across the globe come and share testimonies of their ministry throughout the week to the student body.
"It was a great learning and bonding experience for our team," Defreitas said. "Our students have really been pushed in the last week to look out for others' needs before their own. Any time you can get out of your comfort zone you have a chance to grow, and I think we did that."
Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Monday announced the signing of Taylor Petersen for the 2018-19 season. Petersen is the 10th member of the Saints' 2018 class.
Petersen, a 5-10 combo guard, is a transfer from Grace University in Omaha, Neb., which closed its doors in May. Petersen played two seasons at the junior college level and then played his junior season at Shepherd University in Los Angeles, Calif. He will be a senior during the 2018-19 season.
During the 2016-17 season at Shepherd, Petersen averaged 10 points, six assists and two steals per game. He sat out the 2017-18 season at Grace when the school announced its closing prior to the start of the season.
"Taylor is an all-around solid player with a great work ethic," Defreitas said. "He adds physical strength on the perimeter, is a good on-ball defender, and can really shoot from the outside. We've got a good nucleus returning, but he also adds more veteran leadership having played three years of college basketball."
Petersen plans to pursue an Associate of Professional Studies degree while also earning a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from CCCB's partner institution, Hope International University.
Petersen joins Luis Garza of Mission, Texas, Cruz Mendoza of Alton, Texas, Trey Black of Choctaw, Okla., Ian Denton of Cairo, Mo., Keshawn White of Slater, Mo., Anthony Moreno of Donna, Texas, Caleif Gregg of Independence, Mo., Caleb Kendrick of Jacksonville, Ark., and Emanuel Harris of Cape Girardeau, Mo., as members of the Saints' 2018 recruiting class.
Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Friday announced the signing of Emanuel Harris for the 2018-19 season. Harris is the ninth member of the Saints' 2018 class.
Harris, a 6-3 small forward, is a 2018 graduate of Central High School in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The two-year letterman was part of a Cape Girardeau Central team that finished 23-5 and lost by a point to eventual Final 4 participant Sikeston in the Class 4 District 1 title game.
"Emanuel comes from a Cape Girardeau Central program that is just loaded with talent," Defreitas said. "Between his high school program and the summer competition he faced, he has become a very good, well-rounded basketball player. He is a strong defender, has tremendous athleticism, and is a hard worker. We are extremely excited to have Emanuel joining us this fall."
Harris plans to pursue an Associate of Professional Studies degree while also earning a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from CCCB's partner institution, Hope International University.
Harris joins Luis Garza of Mission, Texas, Cruz Mendoza of Alton, Texas, Trey Black of Choctaw, Okla., Ian Denton of Cairo, Mo., Keshawn White of Slater, Mo., Anthony Moreno of Donna, Texas, Caleif Gregg of Independence, Mo., and Caleb Kendrick of Jacksonville, Ark., as members of the Saints' 2018 recruiting class.
Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Wednesday announced the signing of Caleb Kendrick for the 2018-19 season. Kendrick is the eighth member of the Saints' 2018 class.
Kendrick, a 5-5 point guard, is a 2018 graduate of Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville, Ark. The three-year letterman averaged 11.2 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.5 steals per game as a senior.
"Caleb is a spark out on the floor that makes up for his lack of size with hustle," Defreitas said. "He is quick, can jump passing lanes, looks to take charges, and shoots the ball well. On top of that, he is another strong character guy that we've added to an already strong group."
Kendrick helped the Titans, who advanced to the quarterfinals of the 6A state tournament, to a 15-16 record in 2017-18. The Titans went 15-15 during Kendrick's junior season and 18-9 when he was a sophomore. This past December, he was named the MVP of the Bulldog Classic in Fayetteville.
Kendrick plans to pursue an Associate of Professional Studies degree while also earning a Bachelor of Arts in Teacher Preparation from CCCB's partner institution, Hope International University.
Kendrick joins Luis Garza of Mission, Texas, Cruz Mendoza of Alton, Texas, Trey Black of Choctaw, Okla., Ian Denton of Cairo, Mo., Keshawn White of Slater, Mo., Anthony Moreno of Donna, Texas, and Caleif Gregg of Independence, Mo., as members of the Saints' 2018 recruiting class.
Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Friday announced the signing of Caleif Gregg for the 2018-19 season. Gregg is the seventh member of the Saints' 2018 class.
Gregg, a 6-2 shooting guard, is a 2018 graduate of Truman High School in Independence, Mo. The three-year letterman saw limited time during his senior season while battling an injury, but came on strong at the end of the season to help the rebuilding Patriots make a late push.
"I've heard nothing but great things about Caleif from his former coaches," Defreitas said. "He can really shoot the basketball and has a long wingspan for a guard. Now that he is healthy I think he has a ton of potential as a basketball player, and will be a great addition off the court as well."
Gregg plans to pursue a Bachelor of Religious Studies degree from CCCB and an Associate Degree in Nursing from partner institution, Moberly Area Community College.
Gregg joins Luis Garza of Mission, Texas, Cruz Mendoza of Alton, Texas, Trey Black of Choctaw, Okla., Ian Denton of Cairo, Mo., Keshawn White of Slater, Mo., and Anthony Moreno of Donna, Texas, as members of the Saints' 2018 recruiting class.
Central Christian College of the Bible head men's basketball coach Jack Defreitas on Tuesday announced the signing of Anthony Moreno for the 2018-19 season. Moreno is the sixth member of the Saints' 2018 class.
Moreno, a 6-4 forward, is a 2018 graduate of Donna High School in Donna, Texas. The four-year letterman averaged 15.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game as a senior.
Moreno earned all-district honors and all-defensive team honors the past three seasons, including a unanimous first team all-district selection in 2018. In addition, he was named MVP of the Rio Grande Valley Basketball Coaches Association All-Star game in April.
"Anthony is a great addition for us and I am excited to have him joining us this fall," Defreitas said. "He provides us with more length and athleticism. He will be the third player we've added from that area of Texas, so I think those guys will enjoy getting to play together."
As a freshman, Moreno helped Donna to a 23-14 mark, which included a district championship and a trip to the second round of the 5A region tournament. The Redskins finished 14-17 in 2017-18.
Moreno plans to pursue an Associate of Professional Studies degree while also earning a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from CCCB's partner institution, Hope International University.
Moreno joins Luis Garza of Mission, Texas, Cruz Mendoza of Alton, Texas, Trey Black of Choctaw, Okla., Ian Denton of Cairo, Mo., and Keshawn White of Slater, Mo., as members of the Saints' 2018 recruiting class.
