National High 5: American Christian to Close

By Stephen Spiewak
MaxPreps.com

1. No More Tyreke: The American Christian Academy & Prep School (Pa.) announced this week that it will be closing its high school wing, including all high school sports programs, after this season. The small school in Aston became well known for its superstar guard, Tyreke Evans [Video], who will be graduating and heading to Memphis in the fall. The Eagles played a rigorous basketball schedule, including extensive travel and even a television appearance on ESPN against St. Anthony (N.J.) [Video]. The decision to close was a financial one, as the school will be redistributing resources towards its preschool and grade school. Head coach Tony Bergeron is expected to look for coaching opportunities in the Philadelphia area.

2. Y’all vs. Us: Mississippi is known for being passionate about its football, on both the high school and college levels. A new book, Y’all vs. Us: Thrilling Tales of Mississippi’s Hottest High School Football Rivalries, examines some of the Magnolia State’s most bitter rivalries, including South Panola vs. Olive Branch. The author, X.M. Frascogna Jr., and his sons, Mike III and Marty, published a book last year on the history and culture of Mississippi high school football called Gridiron Gold. In addition to the South Panola/Olive Branch rivalry, the book reviews 14 other grudge matches, and appears to be a must read for high school football fans from Mississippi.

3. All-Star Games Abounding: June is a month littered with all-star football events, including several competitions that pit one state’s standouts against another. Two upcoming games of note include the Bayou Bowl, a game pitting Louisiana all-stars against Houston area all-stars, and the NY-NJ All-Star Classic, a game featuring some of the Tri-State area’s best. The Buckeye State has the Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association East-West All-Star Game, which is comprised of primarily Cincinnati area players. Several members of the state champion St. Xavier Bombers (Ohio) [Video] will be participating.

Oh yeah, there's also the Big 33 on June 14.

4. Top 40: With graduations occurring at high schools across the country, and seniors beginning to matriculate to their colleges of choice, it’s a perfect time to take a look at Van Coleman’s rankings of the top 40 college recruiting classes. UCLA, with its Fab Five of Jrue Holiday [Video], Malcolm Lee [Video], Drew Gordon, Jerime Anderson, and J’Mison Morgan, checks in at No. 1. Arizona, the destination for MaxPreps National Player of the Year Brandon Jennings [Video], finishes at 18.

5. How High?: Just how impressive is the 6-5 ¼ jump that Max Bryson cleared at a recent track and field event in Arlington, Wash.? It’s good enough to be the school record at Arlington High School. The only problem is Bryson is only in the eighth grade. Bryson’s jump appears to be the highest by any eighth grader in the nation this year. Look for him to reach new heights (pardon the pun) next season as a high school freshman.