No. 5 New Hope Academy (MD) wins National Association of Christian Athletes Division I crown; No. 6 DeSoto looking for 2nd straight Texas Class 6A state title

BENSALEM, Pa. – Will the eye of the Tiger or the businesslike approach of No. 6 New Hope Academy (Landover Hills, Md.) land a coveted invitation to the GEICO High School National Academy Bracket?

It should.

That’s assuming the NHA Lady Tigers did enough to earn one of the four slots in the upcoming, newly formed GEICO Nationals Academy Bracket that mostly features national independent programs from April 1-2 in Fort Myers, Florida. This year NHA (24-2) played a challenging national schedule and last weekend punctuated the season by capturing the National Association of Christian Athletes Division 1 National Championship in Dayton, Tennessee, clobbering three opponents.

The Lady Tigers needed to win the NACA event and did so in convincing fashion. The four teams that figure to earn the invitations are NHA, No. 16 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, No. 3 Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.), IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and No. 24 DME Sports Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.).

NHA recently added a key transfer in 6-foot-3-inch junior post Sahnaya Jah from nearby Bishop McNamara. Jah is a serious McDonald’s All American candidate for the 2023 game, holding offers from Baylor, Maryland, South Carolina and North Carolina State.

“We are ready for the GEICO Nationals and are playing our best ball of the season,” NHA coach Sam Caldwell said. “With the addition and immediate eligibility of Sahnaya, we’ll be excited to compete against the best if we receive an invitation.”

A week later, four teams will compose the GEICO Public State Champions Bracket with winners from Georgia, Florida, Utah, Washington, Arizona and Nevada in the mix.

Centennial (Las Vegas) already won the Nevada Class 5A championship and Lake Highland Prep (Orlando), American Heritage (Plantation) and St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) secured titles in Florida’s Class 4A, 5A and 6A, respectively. This week Utah, Arizona and District of Columbia will conduct state championships.

Next week, it’ll be Georgia’s turn. Four from that lot will be headed to Florida for the GEICO Nationals Public State Champions Bracket.

The GEICO brackets will be revealed on March 16.

Elsewhere in Texas, No. 6 DeSoto and No. 9 Cedar Park look to repeat in University Interscholastic League Class 6A and 5A, respectively. Those games will be played in San Antonio.

In the Far West Region, all eyes are focused on California Interscholastic Federation Southern Region Open Division, where No. 1 Etiwanda, No. 11 La Jolla Country Day and No. 12 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) will compete for one spot. In the Northern Region, No. 14 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) and No. 21 Carondelet (Concord) are the top two seeds in the Open Division.

The CIF championships are next week at the Golden 1 Arena in Sacramento. The full schedule for all seven California brackets is here.

As for the Elite 25, there are no additions for a second consecutive week and only No. 22 Duncanville (Texas) is done with its season. Seven ranked teams will compete for state championships this week in D.C., Texas and Alabama.

Additionally, it was a Manic Monday Night for two teams in the East Region.

Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield, Pa.) won the Philadelphia Catholic League and St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) came away with the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference chip. Both were underdogs; both triumphed convincingly. O’Hara automatically qualifies as the District 12 winner in the upcoming Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament and SJC could meet No. 3 Sidwell Friends (Washington) for the District of Columbia State Athletic Association Class AA crown on Sunday.

That’s it for the month of February; let the madness of March begin! Hope you enjoyed Mardi Gras.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings will return on March 9.

Please stay safe and get vaccinated. Get out and enjoy a game because the interscholastic season down to less than a month. And if you are Christian, don’t forget to attend church today for Ash Wednesday services or the first day of Lent.

God’s blessings to all. Stand with Ukraine!

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, March 2, 2022

1. Etiwanda, Calif. (28-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: At long last, the Lady Eagles are champions of the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Open Division after knocking off No. 12 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth), 69-57, in the final. Coach Stan Delus’ squad trailed by 12 points, 33-21, in the third quarter but rallied. Sa’lah Hemingway fired in 23 points and sophomore Kennedy Smith added 19. There’s a quick turnaround as the CIF-Southern Region Open Division bracket plays off this week and the Lady Eagles will take on Corona Centennial or Mission Hills (San Marcos) in the semifinals on Saturday.

2. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (24-0)

Previous: 2.

The Low-down: In the Class 6, District 3 quarterfinals, the Red Knights easily beat Ritenour (St. Louis), 76-15, and faced Francis Howell (St. Charles) in the semifinals on Tuesday. The district final is Friday.

3. Sidwell Friends, Washington, D.C. (26-0)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: The Quakers breezed through the Independent School League AA tournament, defeating Maret School (Washington), 70-36, in the final. UCLA-bound guard Kiki Rice scored a game-high 17 points. That likely clinches an invitation to the GEICO Nationals on April 1 but before that the Quakers will compete this weekend at the District of Columbia State Athletic Association Class AA tournament, starting in the semifinals against Maret or Dunbar on Friday. The final is Sunday afternoon at George Washington University’s Smith Center.

4. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (25-1)

Previous: 4.

The Low-down: Won the Shore Conference Tournament, defeating Manasquan, 62-46. It was the program’s record 15^thSCT title. Madison St. Rose, a guard who is headed for Princeton, bucketed 21 points, sinking three 3-pointers, and cleared 5 rebounds. In the semifinals, junior guard Zoe Brooks scored 17 points to lead the offensive charge when the Lady Lancers crushed Rumson-Fair Haven, 79-40. The “second season” or the playoffs open on Friday with the New Jersey Non-Public A South quarterfinals against Immaculata (Somerville) or Notre Dame (Lawrenceville).

5. New Hope Academy, Landover Hills, Md. (24-2)*

Previous: 5.

The Low-down: Won the National Association of Christian Athletes Division 1 Tournament in Dayton, Tennessee and essentially secure a spot in the GEICO Nationals next month in Fort Myers, Fla. In the final, the Lady Tigers defeated Virginia Academy (Ashburn), 81-46, to complete a 3-0 run at the event. All-Tournament team selections were Jalyn Brown, Kennedy Fauntleroy and Alphonsia Eleko.

6. DeSoto, Texas (33-2)

Previous: 6.

The Low-down: Won the Class 6A, Region II championship, defeating archrivals No. 25 Duncanville, 60-47. LSU-bound center Sa’Myah Smith finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocked shots. The Eagles trailed 33-29 in the third quarter but unleashed a 14-4 spurt to take the lead for good. Now it’s time to fulfill a legacy with a second straight 6A crown and the Eagles will play San Antonio Clark in the semifinals on Friday inside the Alamodome in San Antonio.

7. Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati (25-0) #

Previous: 7.

The Low-down: The Cougars won for the 97^th consecutive time in a 67-27 triumph over Bellbrook in the Division I sectional final and met Princeton (Cincinnati) in the regional semifinals on Tuesday. Junior Keisha Francisco topped MND with 18 points (five 3-pointers), Notre Dame-bound guard K.K. Branford had 16 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds and 6 steals and senior Abby Wolterman added 9 points and snared 8 rebounds in the section final.

8. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (20-1)

Previous: 8.

The Low-down: Taylor Woodson (21 points), Maya Nnaji (19) and Nu Nu Agara (16) teamed for 56 points in a 74-31 thrashing of Buffalo in the regular-season finale. The Royals are the favored to capture the Class 4A state title.

9. Cedar Park, Texas (37-0)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: The Lady Timberwolves are back in the Class 5A state tournament for a second consecutive year after defeating Liberty Hill, 50-37, in the Region IV final. Shelby Hayes and Gisella Maul scored 17 points apiece. The defending Class 5A state champions enter the state semifinals against College Station with a 60-game win streak on Thursday inside the Alamodome in San Antonio. The winner gets Amarillo or Frisco Memorial in the state final.

10. Classen SAS, Oklahoma City, Okla. (19-1)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Defeated Tecumseh, 49-43, in the Class 4A Winners Bracket-Region C semifinals. The Lady Comets played Byng in the final on Tuesday.

11. La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day (24-2)

Previous: 11.

The Low-down: In the CIF-San Diego Section Open Division championship, the Torreys defeated Mission Hills (San Marcos), 68-53. They are the second seed in the CIF-Southern Region and entertain powerhouse Mater Dei (Santa Ana) in the first round on Wednesday.

12, Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (26-2)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Lost to No. 1 Etiwanda, 69-57, in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division final. Junior All-American Juju Watkins finished with 24 points. Up next is Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) in the CIF-Southern Region first round on Wednesday.

13. Hazel Green, Ala. (33-0)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The Lady Trojans, riding a 57-game win streak, are in line for a fifth straight state championship after beating Mortimer Jordan (Kimberly), 48-38, in the Class 6A Northwest Regional final. Up next is Park Crossing (Montgomery) at the 6A semifinals in Birmingham on Wednesday afternoon. The final is Saturday afternoon.

14. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (27-1)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: The Monarchs are CIF-Central Coast Section Open Division champions after beating Pinewood School (Los Altos Hills), 66-54, in the final. Coach Sue Phillips’ team went 3-0 in Pool A play and are headed to the CIF-Northern Region playoffs and will play San Ramon Valley (Danville) in the first round on Wednesday. The region semifinals are Saturday.

15. Archbishop Hoban, Akron, Ohio (23-0)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Knights are Division I sectional champions after taking down Hoover (North Canton), 56-15, in the final. The action continued in the regional semifinals versus St. Joseph Academy (Cleveland) on Tuesday. The regional final is this weekend with the winner advancing to the Division I state semifinals at the University of Dayton Arena.

16. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (18-3)

Previous: 16.

The Low-down: Idle.

17. Holy Innocents’ Episcopal, Atlanta (26-2)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The Golden Bears barely broke a sweat in the Class A Private state tournament, defeating Calvary Day (Savannah), 74-38, in the second round and Walker (Marietta), 94-14, in the opening round. They met Landmark Christian (Fairburn) in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. The semifinals are Friday in Buford and the state final is slated for March 12 in Macon.

18. Hoover, Ala. (31-3)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Lady Bucs return to the Class 7A state semifinals after dispatching Bob Jones (Madison), 45-30, in the regional final. In Birmingham, the Lady Bucs play Davidson in the semifinals on Thursday. The state final is Saturday afternoon.

19. Woodward Academy, College Park, Ga. (26-2)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Defeated Calhoun, 79-46, in the Class AAAAA state tournament second round and Coffee (Douglas), 77-35, in the first round. In the former game, Georgia-bound Sydney Bowles contributed 18 points and 9 rebounds. The War Eagles played Jackson (Atlanta) in the AAAAA quarterfinals on Tuesday. If they win, the semifinals are Saturday at Fort Valley State University.

20. Rock Bridge, Columbia, Mo. (23-1)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The Bruins coasted to 72-8 victory over Smith-Cotton (Sedalia) in the Class 6, District 7 tournament quarterfinals and played Blue Springs in the semifinals on Tuesday. The final is Thursday.

21. Carondelet, Concord, Calif. (26-2)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Won the CIF-North Coast Section Open Division championship, toppling San Ramon Valley (Danville), 69-49 in the final. The Cougars also beat Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland), 57-47, in the semifinals. Up next is the CIF-Northern Regional semifinals against Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) or Pinewood School (Los Altos Hills) on Saturday.

22. Duncanville, Texas (34-7)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: The Pantherettes were halted in the Class 6A, Region II final in a 60-47 loss to No. 5 DeSoto. Junior guard Tristen Taylor flipped in 17 points during the setback. The Pantherettes return four of five starters next year. Season complete.

23. Nazareth Academy, LaGrange Park, Ill. (32-2)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won the Class 3A SuperSectional, beating Fenwick (Oak Park), 46-30. In the sectional final, the Roadrunners blew by De La Salle (Chicago), 66-32. Up next is Morton in the 3A semifinals at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena in Normal on Friday. The winner gets Carmel (Mundelein) or Civic Memorial (Bethalto) in the 3A final on Saturday. The losers will play in the third-place game on the same day.

24. DME Sports Academy, Daytona Beach, Fla. (23-3)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Idle.

25. Stevenson, Lincolnshire, Ill. (34-2)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Won the Class 4A SuperSectional, nipping Loyola Academy (Wilmette), 36-32. The Patriots also beat Lake Zurich, 46-26, in the 4A sectional final. Up next is the 4A semifinals at Red Bird Arena in Normal against Benet Academy (Lisle) on Friday. The winner gets Barrington or Bolingbrook for the title on Saturday. There is a third-place game on Saturday too.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (19-4)*
2. Chartiers Valley, Bridgeville, Pa. (23-1)
3. Cardinal O’Hara, Springfield, Pa. (20-5)*
4. Rutgers Prep, Somerset, N.J. (23-2)
5. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (17-1)

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

Midwest

1. Johnston, Iowa (24-0)
2. South Bend (Ind.) Washington (27-3)*
3. Noblesville, Ind. (25-4)*
4. Benet Academy, Lisle, Ill. (29-3)
5. Millard South, Omaha, Neb. (25-0)

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

Southland

1. Lake Highland Prep, Orlando, Fla. (25-4)*
2. Argyle, Texas (37-0)
3. Conway, Ark. (29-1)
4. Summer Creek, Houston (38-2)
5. Neshoba Central, Philadelphia, Miss. (31-0)

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

Far West

1. Fremont, Plain City, Utah (22-2)
2. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (25-6)
3. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (23-5)
4. Beaverton, Ore. (21-1)
5. Woodinville, Wash. (23-1)

Geography: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Records through Monday’s games

* Won state, national or recognized conference/league postseason tournament championship

# Includes a forfeit win

About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Girls’ 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. The final rankings will be released at the conclusion of the season in April. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.