Before last season, Jameson Rapinchuk transferred to Harvest Christian from Aurora Christian. And then after that spring, which signaled the end of his junior year, he faced some difficult news.
Cory Deshazer wasn’t returning as Harvest’s coach. Not only that, the Lions were merging with rival Westminster to form one team, with Westminster assistant Matthew Schulenberg taking over.
That forced Rapinchuk, a Maryville recruit, to take a step back.
“I had a fresh start with Cory and then we got the call that he wasn’t returning,” Rapinchuk said. “It was hard to process. I didn’t know what to do. Am I going to have to transfer to Geneva?
“I met the coaches and they were really nice guys. They helped us grow into a brotherhood, and we just grew together.”
Fast forward to Saturday night, and Rapinchuk was on the mound as the Harvest-Westminster Lions-Warriors played in the Class 2A state championship game against St. Joseph-Ogden.
Harvest-Westminster lost 15-1 in five innings, but the accomplishments of the newly formed team couldn’t be ignored. Former rivals banded together for one unique season that resulted in a second-place state trophy.
More Top Picks Best Trail Camera
Next year, they will be known as the River Valley Christian Rams.
“It was interesting because I wasn’t expecting it at all and it came out of nowhere,” Rapinchuk said. “I was shocked that we even made it to state. It was super cool to see what a team could do.
“We just believed. We came through and played our heart out every game.”
Schulenberg was hoping Rapinchuk would be at the center of his new team, but with all the uncertainty, he wasn’t sure either.
“He didn’t know me,” Schulenberg said. “None of the Harvest guys knew me. Thankfully, Jameson trusted that I would have his best interests in mind and he came out for the team.
“Once he came out, he was fully in. That’s what I was super impressed with. Once he came out, he was fully invested, which I loved. He’s one of my favorite kids I’ve ever coached in my life.”
Schulenberg may not have known Rapinchuk personally, but he understood what kind of talent he was inheriting, particularly on the mound.
The 6-foot left-hander approaches 90 mph with his fastball. He lived up to that billing this spring, going 7-3 with a 3.24 ERA while striking out 86 in 54 innings.
What surprised Schulenberg was Rapinchuk’s hitting and defense at first base. In his final season at the plate, Rapinchuk turned into one of the team’s top hitters, becoming a huge catalyst for their lineup. He hit .393 with 21 stolen bases, 10 doubles, four triples, a home run and 29 RBIs.
“He knows he’s not going to hit in college,” Schulenberg said of Rapinchuk. “He could have taken a step back and he didn’t. He became one of our most trusted bats. He’s such a great batter.
“He’s throwing 88 from the left side. It’s incredible. He’s out there diving around at first base. We even stuck him in left field a little bit. He’s such a crucial part of our team.”
And there’s more.
“A lot of our success came from him being such a good leader,” Schulenburg said.
The hitting, however, even caught Rapinchuk by surprise.
“This is my best year ever for hitting,” he said.
From all the uncertainty before the season to awkward open gyms where the two rival teams pretty much stayed to themselves to the state finals, it was quite a whirlwind for Rapinchuk.
In the end, though, he got to do what players dream of — start in a state championship game.
“I just pitched Tuesday, so I was kind of fatigued,” he said. “My velo was down and I didn’t have my stuff. I was a little nervous, but we were playing for a state championship.
“What else can you ask for?”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.