SAY THE WORD! No. 1 Incarnate Word Academy (MO) is Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls National Champions; Red Knights stretch win streak to 68 games and 5 state titles

BENSALEM, Pa. – The Incarnate Word Academy of Bel Nor, Missouri completed an undefeated season, capped by a Missouri Class 6 state girls’ basketball championship but why stop there.

The Red Knights also firmly clinched the Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls National Championship. That just adds a coating of vanish to complete the 2021-22 season. Coach Dan Rolfe’s team played with confidence, rhythm and flair. They are simply the best!

And that’s a fact!

Here’s more.

No. 1 Incarnate Word Academy completed a spotless season, winning for the 29^th straight time this season to crush Kickapoo (Springfield), 67-50, in last month’s Class 6 final. The Red Knights have won 12 state championships, the most of any girls team in Missouri. They also stretched their win streak to 68 games.

The Word has claimed state championships in four different classes (3A, 4, 5 and 6) and won titles in eight of the last nine years. In 2020, the Red Knights qualified for the Class 4 semifinals but the tournament was cancelled over pandemic concerns.

The last time IWA lost was on Feb. 8, 2020, in a 46-44 decision to Rock Bridge (Columbia). They have won 60 contests by double digits during the streak.

Coach Dan Rolfe and his team played an adventuresome schedule and crushed it.

So did Kentucky-bound point guard Saniah Tyler and 6-foott-2 junior post Natalie Potts. Tyler played like the top playmaker in the nation and guided her team to three-year mark of 85-4 and two state titles (a third was wiped out by the pandemic) and scored 1,174 points. Potts will be the top returning player for the Red Knights next season and already has plenty of college interest.

Elsewhere, the inaugural State Champions Invitational was played in Tampa, Florida last weekend to much acclaim.

No. 2 Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) captured the program’s first-ever national postseason tournament title in beating No. 14 Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.), 50-39, in the final.

Sidwell’s power trio of UCLA-bound Kiki Rice, junior Jadyn Donovan and sophomore Kendall Dudley deserve credit. Rice, the national player of the year, closed with 10 points and 7 rebounds; Donovan posted a double-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks and Dudley had a game-high 18 points, 8 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Sidwell finished 30-0.

No. 14 LHP (26-5) was shorthanded due to injury, dressing only seven players. Six players scored led by Louisville-bound forward Nyla Harris with 12 points and an eye-popping 22 rebounds.

The Highlanders moved up five spots in the Elite 25 ranking after going 1-1 at the SCI.

The SCI All-Tournament Team included Eleecia Carter, Lake Highland Prep; Most Valuable Player Rice, Sidwell Friends; Donovan, Sidwell Friends; Harris, Lake Highland Prep and Dudley, Sidwell Friends.

Great job, ladies!

There’s one addition to the Elite 25 girls’ rankings and it’s No. 25 Garfield (Seattle), which won the Washington Class 3A state title in March. The Bulldogs are loaded and return the bulk of their starters. Big things are expected next season for Garfield.

Moving forward into the recruiting calendar, it’s a dead period now until April 14. There’s a recruiting shutdown May 2-8 and another dead period July 13-20.

Quiet period: During a quiet period, student-athletes can speak with college coaches in-person on their college campus. However, the coach can’t observe recruits compete live, visit their school, talk to them at their home or anywhere outside of the college campus.

Quiet period dates to be aware of: April 8–10 and April 20–July 5.

The all-important evaluation period or the live period, the is the specific time when college coaches can watch student-athletes compete in person or visit their high school. But coaches can’t communicate with recruits (or their parents) off the college campus.

Evaluation dates to be aware of April 15–19, (only scholastic events); April 22–24 (only certified non-scholastic events); May 20-22 (only certified non-scholastic events); July 6–12 and July 21–25 (only certified non-scholastic events and institutional camps).

The spring and summer events are in full swing now will be until late July. If you are looking for tournaments check out the USJN website. There are plenty of events coast to coast but space is filling up.

Well, that’s a wrap for the 2021-22 interscholastic season. Last week’s SCI is only going to get bigger and better once more states realize the value of the event.

We cannot thank you enough for your loyal readership, Tweets and support. It means everything to us as we move forward.

Just because the high school season is over doesn’t mean we’re going away. We’re planning for a busy spring and summer and before you know it, the Blue Star Media Elite 25 preseason high school football rankings will be revealed in early August. Keep up with us on social media sites. I can be followed @clawlor on Twitter.

The Elite 25 preseason girls’ basketball rankings will be posted in mid-November.

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 Friday in Chicago.

And have a Happy Easter and Passover. God’s blessings to everyone.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Final Girls’ Basketball Rankings, April 11, 2022

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

Previous rank: 1.

The Low-down: The Red Knights are the Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Champions. Also won a fifth straight state championship securing the Class 6 title.

2. Sidwell Friends, Washington, D.C. (29-0)* +

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Won State Champions Invitational, defeating No. 14 Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.), 50-39. Most Valuable Player and UCLA recruit Kiki Rice scored 10 points and sophomore Kendall Dudley produced 18 points and 8 rebounds. Jadyn Donovan posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. In the semifinals, Rice, the Gatorade and Naismith national players of the year, flipped in a game-high 17 points and added 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Donovan had 12 points and 6 steals, while Leah Harmon bucketed 14 points. Also won the District of Columbia State Athletic Association Class AA championship

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.

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.

5. Etiwanda, Calif. (29-1)

Previous: 5.

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

6. DeSoto, Texas (35-2)*

Previous: 6.

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

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

Previous: 7.

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

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

Previous: 8.

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

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

Previous: 9.

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

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

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship.

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

Previous: 11.

The Low-down: Won GEICO High School Nationals championship.

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

Previous: 12.

The Low-down: Won the National Association of Christian Athletes Division 1 champions and were second at the GEICO Nationals.

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

Previous: 13.

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

14. Lake Highland Prep, Orlando, Fla. (26-5)* SA-10

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Advanced to the inaugural State Champions Invitational, where it lost to No. 2 Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.), 50-39. Louisville-bound Nyla Harris had 12 points and 22 rebounds in the setback. In the semifinals, the Highlanders downed then-No. 14 Woodward Academy (College Park, Ga.), 81-57. Eleecia Carter had 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals and Lexi Blue netted 17 points with three 3-pointers. They also captured a third consecutive FHSAA Class 4A championship.

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

Previous: 15.

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

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

Previous: 16.

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

17. Woodward Academy, College Park, Ga. (29-3)*

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Lost to No. 14 Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.), 81-57 in the semifinals of the inaugural State Champions Invitational in Tampa, Fla. Sydney Bowles, who was named Miss Georgia Basketball, had 24 points and 9 rebounds for the two-time Class AAAAA state champions. Bowles is currently undecided on college after previously signing with Georgia.

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

Previous: 17.

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

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

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Advanced to the GEICO Nationals semifinals.

20. Reynoldsburg, Ohio (27-2)*

Previous: 21.

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

21. Duncanville, Texas (34-7)

Previous: 21.

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

22. Johnston, Iowa (26-0)*

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Won Class 5A state championship.

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

Previous: 23.

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

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

Previous: 24.

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

25. Garfield, Seattle (20-0)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Won Washington Class 3A state championship. The Bulldogs return a loaded roster likely will be  in the Elite 25 preseason rankings.

Dropped: No. 25 Mason (Ohio).

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. (6-24)** %
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. South Bend (Ind.) Washington (27-3)*
3. Archbishop Alter, Kettering, Ohio (28-1)*
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. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (26-7)
2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (23-6)
3. Salesian College Prep, Richmond, Calif. (21-5)*
4. Centennial, Las Vegas (18-4)*
5. Lone Peak, Highland, Utah (23-0)*

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

! Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Champions

+ Won State Champions Invitational championship

 # 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 23 forfeit losses for use of ineligible player due to clerical error

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.