No. 8 Sierra Canyon School (CA) hops up three places in Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings; newbie No. 19 Torrey Pines (CA) completes perfect regular season, playoffs next

BENSALEM, Pa. — High school basketball in June? Yep.

And there’s still a month remaining in season the unlike any other. As the country celebrated Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for those who lost their lives during active military to our great nation, three states from the Far West Region are still going strong. The southern California playoffs have started with two Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ teams. Oregon has played a half dozen games or so and Washington is winding down an abbreviated season.

That’s where we sit, and the Elite 25 rankings have at least two more additions before dropping the final ones.

Last week, the New York Catholic High Schools Athletic Association completed its springtime term. The league, considered one of the strongest in the nation, featured 22 teams in four pools. The top two from the two larger school pools along with four more from the smaller schools crowned champions. In the Class AA division, it was St. Raymond (Bronx), and Monsignor Farrell (Staten Island) won the smaller bracket. The games were contested over six weeks at Archbishop Stepinac in suburban Westchester County or just north of the Bronx borough line.

For the complete results click here. We have it covered from the beginning to end. And according to coaches, St. Raymond, Stepinac, Christ the King (Middle Village) and Monsignor Scanlan (Bronx) emerged as serious contenders for the Class AA City title in 2021-22.

There’s one addition to the Elite 25 and no surprise it’s from California. No. 19 Torrey Pines (San Diego) climbs aboard the Elite 25 after securing a perfect regular season through 26 games and is the top seed in the California Interscholastic Federation-San Diego Section Open Division. The Falcons, coached by former Villanova standout John Olive, need three wins to capture the title and enter the CIF-Southern Region finals.

No. 8 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.) hopped into the top-10 and are rolling to the CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship. The Trailblazers still have two pool games left this week and then a title game before the region playoffs.

There won’t be any overall CIF state championship this year, but a regional title, especially in the South, is quite an achievement in any year. Considering the pandemic, it’s a miracle that schoolboy basketball is near completion in the Golden State.

Before we depart there are a couple of notes.

In suburban Philadelphia, Jim Fenerty, formerly of Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, Pa., passed away less than two weeks ago at 71. Among the boys’ coaches in Philadelphia’s three major league, Catholic, Public and Inter-Ac, Fenerty is second all-time with 626 career wins. The legendary Speedy Morris is still tops with 736.

Head of School Rich Schellhas wrote in part on the school’s website:

“Jim always made GA, his students, his players, and his colleagues feel like his extended family. How truly blessed we are to have known him. As a man, as a role model, he taught us to be defined by love, by relationships, by kindness, by passion, and by integrity – and never by our wins and losses. Jim’s accomplishments as a basketball coach, athletic director, and history teacher at GA are astounding, but his legacy is, and will always be, his heart,” he told the GA community.

Fenerty retired in 2019 after 30 years as basketball coach. His 626 career wins is the most in Inter-Ac League boys basketball history. Fenerty is only the third boys basketball coach in Philadelphia history to reach the 600-career victory total. He led the Patriots to 17 Inter-Academic League Championships and his teams recorded 17 20-plus win seasons.

Most recently, Fenerty’s teams won five consecutive league titles from 2013-17. He also brought home the program’s first Pennsylvania independent title in 2013. He was also the school’s athletic director and taught social studies.

I first met Fenerty during the 2000 season and he immediately struck me as a grounded, well-prepared coach who cared deeply about his players and the school. At the conclusion of the 2000-01 season, I ranked Germantown Academy in the top-10 of the USA TODAY Super 25 rankings. It was powerhouse program with at least five Division I players, notably Matt Walsh (Florida, NBA).

God’s Blessings to his family and friends. A truly fine man.

Also, in the Washington Catholic Athletic Association, Mike Jones of No. 2 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) stepped to become the associate head coach at Virginia Tech. His replacement is DeMatha alumnus (Class of  1975) Pete Strickland, who is interim head coach.

Strickland is veteran college coach of 22 years and assisted at Virginia Military Institute, North Carolina State, Old Dominion, Dayton and George Washington. He was the head coach at Coastal Carolina from 1998 to 2005 and is presently at the helm of the Ireland National Team. Strickland helped recruit Jones (Class of 1991) to Old Dominion, where he was a standout player.

Click on each coach’s name for the full stories from our site.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings return on June 15. Remember we skip a week for boys’ and girls’ in the months of May and June.

Until then keep safe. Get vaccinated and respect those who are still a bit skittish (and wearing masks) as the most states have relaxed their COVID-19 rules. We’re almost there. I get my second Moderna shot this week. Don’t miss out, it’s just going make this transition back to normalcy quicker.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, June 1, 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!

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. Veteran coach and DeMatha alumnus Pete Strickland was named interim head coach after Mike Jones was hired at Virginia Tech as the associate head coach.

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. Standout G TyTy Washington committed last week to Kentucky.

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. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (13-0)^

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Trailblazers opened the CIF-Southern Section Open Division pool play with a 60-46 victory over St. John Bosco (Bellflower). The game was knotted at 13 after one quarter before the Blazers led 26-20 at the break. Ramel Lloyd scored a game-high 25 points as the Blazers remained unbeaten in the playoffs since the 2017-18 season. Next up is Ribet Academy (Los Angeles) Tuesday and then Etiwanda Friday in the final Pool A finale. The Open Division pool winners meet for the championship on June 11. The CIF Southern Regional tournament will be contested June 15-19. There will be no California state championships.

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

Previous: 8.

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

10. 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.

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

Previous: 10.

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

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

Previous: 12.

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

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

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Coach Steve Smith is one win short of 1,200 career victories.

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

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship.

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

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Won Georgia Class AA state championship and earned an invite to the GEICO Nationals. Sharman White was named head coach for the USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team.

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

Previous: 17.

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

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

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Celtics were upended once and will be stronger in 2021-22.

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

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Advanced to the GEICO Nationals quarterfinals.

19. Torrey Pines, San Diego (26-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Coach John Olive’s team completed the first-ever perfect season after dusting La Costa Canyon (Canyon), 71-42, in the regular season finale. The Falcons earned the top seed in the CIF-San Diego Section Open Division playoffs and face against Carlsbad in the quarterfinals. With a win, they play Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach) or St. Augustine (San Diego) on June 9 in the semifinals. The title game is June 12. The Falcons also captured the Coastal League title with an 8-0 mark.

20. DePaul Prep, Chicago (14-2)

Previous: 20.

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: 21.

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

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

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Won PIAA Class AAAAAA state championship.

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

Previous: 23.

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: 24.

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

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

Previous: 25.

Low-down: The Panthers played a competitive schedule with elite players, including Duke-bound Trevor Keels, who named a Jordan Brand All American.

Dropped: No. 15 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. Raymond, Bronx, N.Y. (6-1)^*
2. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (9-3)^
3. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (12-3)
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. Etiwanda, Calif. (10-1)^
2. Damien, La Verne, Calif. (27-2)^
3. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (25-2)^
4. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (18-2)^
5. St. Mary’s, Phoenix (20-1)*

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

@ Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Champion

! GEICO High School Nationals champion

* Won state championship or major postseason tournament title

^ Currently playing or completed 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.