POWER TRIO: 3 teams from Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings to compete at State Champions Invitational; No. 11 Montverde (FL) Academy bags GEICO crown

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The penultimate weekend of the high school girls’ basketball season featured an upset and national tournament championship.

No. 11 Montverde (Fla.) Academy is known for its boys program but make room for the Lady Eagles, who sprang a shocker when it took down then-No. 5 New Hope Academy (Landover Hills, Md.), 61-57, here last Saturday at the GEICO High School Nationals final in the Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWest State University.

Montverde, whose boys program also won a GEICO Nationals title, rallied from a 47-46 deficit with a 15-10 fourth-quarter showing to knock off the high-flying Lady Tigers. The Lady Eagles didn’t need to be the better team all season but only for 32 minutes. They accomplished it and hit their free throws in the final minute to clinch it. Well done, Montverde girls!

The GEICO Nationals All-Tournament Team featured Janiah Barker (Montverde Academy), Fernanda Ovalle (Montverde), Most Valuable Player Mjracle Sheppard (Montverde Academy), Jalyn Brown (New Hope Academy) and Taniya Lawson (New Hope Academy).

Kudos, ladies for a great two days of basketball in the Florida sunshine.

One omission was 6-foot-2 junior forward Chloe Kitts of No. 18 DME Sports Academy (Dayton Beach, Fla.). She would have been a fine addition but her team lost in the semifinals. Kitts pumped in a game-high 25 points, cleared 13 rebounds and blocked one shot for her double-double. She is a serious candidate for the 2023 McDonald’s All American Game and will have her pick of plum colleges.

There were no additions to the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings but teams did slide up and down. The biggest jump belonged No. 11 Montverde (up six spots) after the monumental win and No. 12 New Hope Academy dropped seven slots and No. 24 Carondelet (Concord, Calif.) declined eight.

The national action stays on the west coast of Florida when the inaugural State Champions Invitational drops the curtain on the high school season. Other than last year’s corona-racked season when games extended into late June, this is the latest the high school campaign has went.

Three teams from the Elite 25 girls’ rankings comprise the four-team bracket that tips Friday at Berkeley Prep in Tampa. Unlike the SCI boys’ field (starting Thursday afternoon at the same venue), the girls tournament is clearly better. The tournament is an opportunity for champions from different states to compete against one another to crown an overall champion.

National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) member teams must win their sanctioned state championship and be permitted to compete. Currently, champions from Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Washington and the District of Columbia are in play. When National Federation schools competed in the GEICO High School Nationals (2021 was the final time), they regularly won, including last year’s champion from Georgia, Westlake (Atlanta).

The GEICO Nationals girls’ tournament isn’t as deep with the introduction of the SCI. Only a handful of girls’ teams are deemed quality enough to qualify for the GEICO Nationals. The SCI has more than enough candidates to fill the field. Expect changes down the road when more power states such as California, Texas, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, or Ohio pledge their commitment. The field will likely need to double (to eight) soon with more depth.

SCI semifinals

This week’s SCI schedule (all times are Eastern) with Friday’s semifinal pairings:

No. 14 Woodward Academy (College Park, Ga.) vs. No. 19 Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.), 2 p.m., on ESPNU

No. 2 Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) vs. Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.), 4 p.m., on ESPNU.

The championship game is Saturday morning at 10 a.m., on ESPNU and the boys’ final follows at 12 p.m., on ESPN2.

Okay, the first week of April is complete. And the high school season wraps up this weekend in Florida. The Blue Star Media Elite 25 final girls’ rankings will be revealed on April 11. The CSI should add intrigue and jostle things slightly. As for No. 1? Sidwell has chance, however top-ranked Incarnate Word Academy (Bel Nor, Mo.) has firm grip after securing Missouri’s Class 6 title in March.

Please stay safe and get vaccinated. Congratulations to all the state champions and those who were selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic on April 15 in Chicago.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, April 6, 2022

1. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (29-0)*

Previous rank: 1.

The Low-down: Won a fifth straight state championship securing the Class 6 title. Season complete.

2. Sidwell Friends, Washington, D.C. (28-0)*

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Idle. The Quakers play at the inaugural State Champions Invitational Friday in Tampa, Fla.

3. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (32-1)**

Previous: 3.

The Low-down: Won the New Jersey State Tournament of Champions and Non-Public A State titles. Season complete.

4. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (30-2)*

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Won the CIF Open Division state championship. For coach Alicia Komaki it was her fifth state title in her 10 seasons. Season complete.

5. Etiwanda, Calif. (29-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Advanced CIF Southern Region Open Division final. Season complete.

6. DeSoto, Texas (35-2)*

Previous: 6.

The Low-down: Won a second consecutive UIL Class 6A state championship. Season complete.

7.  Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (26-1)*

Previous: 7.

The Low-down: Won the Class AAAA state championship. Season complete.

8. Cedar Park, Texas (39-0)*

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Won a second straight UIL Class 5A state championship. Season complete.

9. Hazel Green, Ala. (35-0)*

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Won a fifth consecutive Class 6A state championship. Season complete.

10. Classen SAS, Oklahoma City (24-1)*

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship. Season complete.

11. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (19-3) #

Previous: 11.

The Low-down: Won GEICO High School Nationals championship, rallying by then-No. 5 New Hope Academy (Landover Hills, Md.), 61-57. Xavier-bound guard Fernanda Ovalle, a member of the Chilean U-16 National Team, went off for a game-high 21 points and Mjracle Sheppard scored 10 of her 16 points after halftime. Montverde was steady at the free-throw line, sinking 19 of 24, to ice the program’s first-ever national tournament title. In the semifinals, the Lady Eagles beat then-No. 18 DME Sports Academy (Daytona, Beach, Fla.), 67-54. Sheppard scored 18 points and added 6 rebounds and 4 assists and Ovalle netted 12 points. Season complete.

12. New Hope Academy, Landover Hills, Md. (28-3)*

Previous: 5.

The Low-down: Advanced to the GEICO Nationals final, falling to then-No. 17 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 61-57. Georgetown-bound guard Kennedy Fauntleroy scored a team-high 18 points and Jalyn Brown added 14 points. In the semifinals, the Lady Tigers bounced IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 80-50. The Louisville-bound Brown went off for 25 points, sinking 12 of 20 shots, and Laila Reynolds contributed a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Season complete.

13. Hoover, Ala. (34-3)*

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Won a second straight Class 7A state championship. Season complete.

14. Woodward Academy, College Park, Ga. (29-2)*

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Idle. Won its second straight Class AAAAA state championship and will play Friday at the State Champions Invitational semifinals in Tampa, Fla.

15. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (30-2)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Advanced to the CIF Open Division state final. Season complete.

16. La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day (25-3)

Previous: 15.

The Low-down: Won the CIF-San Diego Section Open Division championship and advanced to the Southern Region Open Division semifinals. Season complete.

17. Stevenson, Lincolnshire, Ill. (36-2)*

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Won the Class 4A state championship. Season complete.

18. DME Sports Academy, Daytona Beach, Fla. (25-4)*

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Advanced to the GEICO Nationals semifinals, losing to No. 11 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 67-54. Junior forward Chloe Kitts had a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Season complete.

19. Lake Highland Prep, Orlando, Fla. (25-4)*

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Idle. Won third consecutive FHSAA Class 4A championship. Up next is the State Champions Invitational semifinals on Friday in Tampa, Fla.

20. Reynoldsburg, Ohio (27-2)*

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Won the Ohio Division I state championship. Season complete.

21. Duncanville, Texas (34-7)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Advanced to the Class 6A, Region II final. Season complete.

22. Johnston, Iowa (26-0)*

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won Class 5A state championship. Season complete.

23. Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky. (36-3)*

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Won second straight Mingua Beef Jerky Sweet Sixteen All-Class State Tournament championship. Season complete.

24. Carondelet, Concord, Calif. (26-3)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Advanced to CIF Northern Region Open Division final. Season complete.

25. Mason, Ohio (27-3)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Advanced to Division I state final. Season complete.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Westtown School, West Chester, Pa. (23-4)**
2. Rutgers Prep, Somerset, N.J. (29-3)*
3. Plymouth Whitemarsh, Plymouth Meeting, Pa. (31-0)*
4. Cardinal O’Hara, Springfield, Pa. (16-15)** %
5. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (26-5)*

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

Midwest

1. West Bloomfield, Mich. (25-1)*
2. Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati (26-1) ^
3. South Bend (Ind.) Washington (27-3)*
4. Noblesville, Ind. (25-4)*
5. Notre Dame Academy, Green Bay, Wis. (29-1)*

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

Southland

1. Neshoba Central, Philadelphia, Miss. (33-0)*
2. Ponchatoula, La. (35-2)*
3. Ensworth School, Nashville, Tenn. (26-4)*
4. Bearden, Knoxville, Tenn. (37-3)*
5. Brownsboro, Texas (40-2)*

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

Far West

1. Garfield, Seattle (20-0)*
2. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (26-7)
3. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (23-6)
4. Centennial, Las Vegas (17-3)*
5. Lone Peak, Highland, Utah (23-0)*

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

Records through Saturday’s games

 # Won GEICO High School Nationals championship

 * Won state, national or recognized conference/league postseason tournament championship [Note: Multiple asterisks indicate a school has won at least two postseason titles]

 ^ Includes a forfeit win

 % Includes forfeit losses for use of ineligible player

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.