BLAZIN’: No. 11 Sierra Canyon School (CA) debuts in Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings; nationally-known coaches McNesby, Johnson hired in Philadelphia and Las Vegas, respectively

BENSALEM, Pa. — It was only a matter of time before Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.) re-entered the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings.

Once California locked down and postponed its season to the spring, we kept the No. 11 Trailblazers (5-0) on ice until the spring but when they recently tipped off, playing at a frenetic pace it was proper timing. Coach Andre Chevalier’s club is rolling, having won their first four contests by an average of 44 points and over the weekend, the southern California powerhouse needed a late surge to win. Four of the five starters will return next year, led by juniors Amari Bailey (UCLA verbal) and Shy Odom.

Sophomore Bronny James, the son of Los Angeles superstar LeBron James, is out with a knee injury and won’t likely return this season. However, junior wings Chance Westry and Ramel Lloyd are picking up the slack and freshman forward Malik Rasul is turning heads in a hurry.

So, it will be fair to say the Trailblazers are bound for the Top-10 of the Elite 25 and with the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section playoffs a go later this spring, it will give Sierra Canyon a taste of what to expect a year from now. Remember, the Trailblazers captured the last two CIF Open Division titles (2018, 2019) and made it to the final in 2020 before the CIF canceled the remainder of season due to COVID-19.

Elsewhere, No. 19 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) slides up five spots after opening with 15 straight victories. The Monarchs will squeeze in a full schedule with several ultra-competitive league and nonleague games in May.

States such as Washington, New Mexico and West Virginia are currently playing, and Oregon will tip off later this month.

We’re also tracking the New York Catholic High Schools Athletic Association springtime schedule from Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains or just north of New York City. After two weeks of pool play everything is going swimmingly. When pool play ends later this month, there will be two rounds of playoffs with two champions crowned. We’ll much more when we return in two weeks. In the meantime, keep up with our updated daily NYCHSSA game tracker here.

Before we wrap it up, there a bit of good news on two longstanding friends to Blue Star Media.

Last week, the prep basketball world saw a pair of high-profile hirings in Philadelphia and Las Vegas—a pair of hoop hotbeds. Both are tremendous family men too.

In the Philadelphia Catholic League, what’s old is new as Chris McNesby (Class of 1995) was rehired at his alma mater Roman Catholic (Philadelphia). During McNesby’s first tenure (2008-16) he went 168-56, including 90-16 in the Philadelphia Catholic League and captured back-to-back PIAA state championships in 2015 and 2016. Originally, McNesby stepped down for family reasons. She and his wife Lisa had three young children plus the rigors of the financial planning industry started mounting.

But he’s back and Roman the PCL are better for it. McNesby’s team was a fixture in the Elite 25 rankings. No doubt the Cahillites will regain national prominence.

In part, the Roman Catholic’s press release said:

Chris McNesby, a 2018 Roman Catholic Sports Hall of Fame Inductee, also brings experience from the collegiate level. He was the assistant coach at both Drexel and Lehigh universities, where he was heavily involved in the recruiting process for student athletes.

“We were very fortunate to have a field of high-quality candidates interested in the Head Coaching position of Roman Catholic’s Basketball Program. We are incredibly excited to have Coach McNesby return to Broad & Vine to build upon his past successes and lead our program into the future,” states Vince Tarducci, the school’s principal.

Shifting to Nevada, Andy Johnson is going home.

Last Friday, Andy Johnson was hired as head coach at Silverado in Las Vegas. When scouring Twitter last week, we noticed Johnson was thanking the players at The Village School in Houston, Texas. Which led to a text message to Johnson. He was cryptic on his next move but assured us he would reveal when it was it was official. “Going to back to [Las] Vegas to be closer to our family,” read his text response to Blue Star Media.

Less than 24 hours later, it was announced he the new coach at Silverado.

Johnson built a tremendous résumé as the head coach and assistant at nationally ranked Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) during a seven-year run. From 2014-16, he went 57-5 leading the Pilots, before departing for season as an assistant at Division I Southern Utah University.

At Findlay, he helped develop 10 McDonald’s All Americans, 56 Division I signees from 12 different counties, 12 of whom made to the NBA. Findlay also won three Elite 25 National Championships. Most recently, he guided The Village School to three consecutive TAPPS playoff appearances. In 2019-20, the Vikings went 25-9 and were ranked Top-10 in Class 6A.

In a prepared statement, Johnson said:

“I’m very excited to be joining the Silverado Skyhawk family … I’m really looking forward to working with Principal [Jaime] Ditto, her great staff, and a great group of student athletes.  Principal Ditto’s vision for strong academics and championship athletics really gives Silverado High School a bright future. It’s an exciting time to be Skyhawk!”

Kudos to both coaches and their families. The 2021-22 will be here in a flash.

OK, we’re out of here.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings return on May 18. Remember we will skip a week for boys’ and girls’ hoops.

Until then keep safe, mask up, practice social distancing, wash your hands regularly, get vaccinated and support your local businesses.

Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, May 4, 2021

1. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (24-1)* ! @

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Coach Kevin Boyle’s team are Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Champions! Nothing this spring can change it. The Eagles won the GEICO High School Nationals championship for the fifth time in nine years.

2. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (11-0)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Stags completed an unbeaten season and spent nearly two months atop the Elite 25.

3. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (21-4)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Advanced to the GEICO Nationals final. Three losses were to No. 1 Montverde.

4. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (21-3)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Advanced to GEICO Nationals semifinals.

5. AZ Compass Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (29-2)*

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Advanced to GEICO Nationals semifinals and won the Grind Session World Championship.

6. Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis (20-1)*

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Won Minnesota Class AAA state championship.

7. Duncanville, Texas (29-1)*

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Won the Class 6A state championship.

8. Milton, Alpharetta, Ga. (28-3)*

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Won Georgia Class AAAAAAA state championship and played at the GEICO Nationals.

9. Camden, N.J. (13-0)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: There were no New Jersey state playoffs but the Panthers were the state’s top-ranked team.

10. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (18-7)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Earned an invitation to the GEICO Nationals.

11. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (5-0)^

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Trailblazers debut in the Elite 25 for the first time since the preseason. Last weekend, they wrecked St. Joseph (Santa Maria), 72-59. Juniors Amari Bailey (28 points) and Shy Odom (20) teamed for 48 points. Coach Andre Chevalier’s team won their first four game by an average margin of 44 points. For the most part, the Blazers are locked into their Gold Coast League schedule, where they have won 57 straight contests. The run of fourth straight CIF-Southern Section titles is within touching distance.

12. Orlando (Fla.) Christian Prep (27-0)*

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Won FHSAA Class 2A state championship.

13. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (21-9)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Coach Steve Smith is one win short of 1,200 career victories and the Warriors advanced to the GEICO Nationals quarterfinals.

14. Carmel, Ind. (26-2)*

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship.

15. Pace Academy, Atlanta (30-2)*

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Won Georgia Class AA state championship and earned an invite to the GEICO Nationals.

16. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (3-0)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: New York did not hold Federation State championships.

17. The Patrick School, Hillside, N.J. (14-1)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: The Celtics were upended once but rebounded with a strong lineup.

18. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (31-4)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Advanced to the GEICO Nationals quarterfinals.

19. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (15-0)^

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Whenever you play in the Trinity League, considered the best in California and one of the best in the nation, the tests come fast and furious. Last week, senior F Nick Davison pumped in 19 points and USC-bound Harrison Hornery added 14 points and 6 rebounds in a 51-38 win over league rivals Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita). At 6-9, Wilhelm Breidenbach, a Nebraska signee, is balling and was the top scorer in two games a week ago. Wednesday is a huge league matchup with St. John Bosco (Bellflower).

20. DePaul Prep, Chicago (14-2)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: In a season when Illinois canceled state tournaments, the Rams won the Chipotle Clash of Champions, a tournament featuring Chicago’s top teams.

21. Simeon, Chicago (12-1)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: The Wolverines went unbeaten against Chicago Public League rivals.

22. Reading, Pa. (26-2)*

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Won PIAA Class AAAAAA state championship.

23. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (20-1)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Won the Philadelphia Catholic League and District XII titles but lost in Class AAAAAA final.

24. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (15-1)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: The MIAA A Conference regular-season champions lost in the Baltimore Catholic League final.

25. Paul VI, Chantilly, Va. (7-4)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: The Panthers played a competitive schedule with elite players, including Duke-bound Trevor Keels.

Dropped: No. 25 Catholic Central (Grand Rapids, Mich.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (6-2)^
2. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (12-3)
3. Archbishop Molloy, Briarwood, N.Y. (2-0)^
4. Stone Bridge, Ashburn, Va. (16-1)*
5. Bristol (Conn.) Central (15-0)

Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

Midwest

1. Catholic Central, Grand Rapids, Mich. (20-0)*
2. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (6-9)
3. Vashon, St. Louis (16-1)*
4. St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Ohio (25-2)*
5. Millard North, Omaha, Neb. (27-2)*

Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Southland

1. Millbrook, Raleigh, N.C. (19-0)*
2. Beaumont (Texas) United (31-0)*
3. Highlands, Fort Thomas, Ky. (30-4)*
4. Westlake, Austin, Texas (30-2)
5. Richardson, Texas (26-2)

Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Far West

1. St. Mary’s, Phoenix (20-1) *
2. Etiwanda, Calif. (4-0)^
3. Santa Margarita, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (7-1) ^
4. Ribet Academy, Los Angeles (0-0) ^
5. Sunnyslope, Phoenix (21-1) *

@ Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Champion

! GEICO High School Nationals champion

* Won state championship or major postseason tournament title

^ Currently playing a spring season

Records are through Sunday

About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Boys Basketball Rankings are released weekly from November until the conclusion of the high school season. Criteria considered are the quality of the team and its players, strength of schedule, tradition, and quality of the team’s league, conference, region or district. The rankings are compiled by Blue Star Media’s Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of coaches, talent evaluators and prep sports writers. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.