MaxPreps turns 20: Looking back at 20 stories that shaped the last two decades of high school sports

MaxPreps is celebrating 20 years as America's source for high school sports this month. Back in 2002, the site consisted of schedule, score and roster data for teams in the Sacramento area and quickly expanded across the state of California. Less than two years later, it encompassed the entire country.

In recognition of two decades of high school sports coverage, we are looking back at some of the greatest athletes, teams and dynasties of the past 20 years. Our rewind continues with a breakdown of the 20 biggest stories since 2002. LeBron brings unprecedented attention to high school sports

De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) compiled the longest high school football win streak in history from 1992 to 2004, winning 151 games in a row. That run of success came to an end in stunning fashion on Sept. 4, 2004 in front of nearly 25,000 fans in Seattle as Bellevue (Wash.) rolled the Spartans 39-20, piling up 460 rushing yards and never attempting a pass or punting.

Lawrence North's run
Shortly after LeBron's jump from high school to the NBA, 7-footer Greg Oden of Lawrence North (Indianapolis) was identified as the next big thing at the prep level. From 2003 to 2006, Oden along with tag team partner Mike Conley at point guard led the Wildcats to an 82-4 record with three consecutive Class 4A state titles. Oden became the first-ever MaxPreps National Player of the Year following the 2006 season before going on to team with Conley again at Ohio State, where they led the Buckeyes to the Final Four and national championship game in 2007. True unicorn
The term "unicorn" is overused nowadays when it comes to basketball prospects but it was an apt description when 6-foot-8 Brittney Griner emerged at Nimitz (Houston). She was different than anyone the women's game had ever seen. Dunking is a rarity in high school girls hoops but Griner did it 52 times as a senior, when she tallied 27.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 7.7 blocked shots and 2.6 steals per game during the 2008-09 season. Here's hoping for a safe return to the United States for BG in the near future.
Baseball's chosen one
It's hard to believe that Bryce Harper is already in his 11th MLB season. Back in 2009 when he was just 16 years old and a sophomore at Las Vegas (Nev.), he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the line "BASEBALL'S CHOSEN ONE." His success on the field at the prep level was somewhat overshadowed by his path to the pros. The Philadelphia Phillies star bypassed his junior and senior seasons in favor of enrolling in junior college and clearing the way for him to be taken No. 1 overall in the 2010 draft. Harper has lived up to the hype, twice being named MVP with nearly 300 home runs and a career batting average of .281.

Montverde Academy hires Kevin Boyle
After winning five state titles in New Jersey and building St. Patrick School (Elizabeth) into one of the nation's top programs over 20 years, Montverde Academy (Fla.) hiring Kevin Boyle was a major story at the time in April 2011. But it takes on even more significance now. Under Boyle's guidance, the Eagles have dominated and changed the high school basketball landscape. Montverde has been recognized as national champion by MaxPreps six times and produced a record seven NBA Draft picks in 2021 alone. The Florida school inspired or at the very least helped serve as a model for countless other start-up sub-collegiate programs and forced others to significantly raise their game in an effort to compete. Missy Franklin wins gold

Despite being undersized for the quarterback position, the success Kyler Murray is experiencing in the NFL is no surprise to those familiar with his high school career at Allen (Texas). In fact, those who saw him go 43-0 as a starter and lead the Eagles to three consecutive state titles would say the best is yet to come. As a senior at Allen, Murray threw for 4,715 yards and 54 touchdowns while piling up another 1,498 yards and 24 TDs on the ground. For his efforts, he was named MaxPreps National Player of the Year and was the 2014-15 MaxPreps Male National Athlete of the Year thanks in part to his baseball talents. Ball brothers take the nation by storm
Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball weren't just a novelty act during their lone season together at Chino Hills (Calif.) in 2015-16 — they were the driving force behind one of the best teams of the past 20 years. Led by MaxPreps National Player of the Year Lonzo, the Huskies averaged 97 points per game and topped the 100-point mark 18 times en route to an unbeaten season and section, state and national titles. A year later as a sophomore, LaMelo would famously score 92 points in a game. Michael Porter Jr.'s season for the ages
It's always an uphill battle for Nathan Hale (Seattle) basketball in the rugged Metro League and the 2015-16 was no exception as the Raiders struggled to a 3-18 record. A year later with the arrival of Michael Porter Jr. from Missouri and Brandon Roy as the head coach, the program went 29-0 and won state and national titles. Porter Jr. averaged over 37 points and 14 rebounds per game, leading Hale to massive wins over the likes of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) and Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) in national showcase games.

St. Anthony closes its doors
Home to arguably the greatest high school basketball coach of all-time, St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) was forced to shutter in 2017 due to financial challenges. Under Hurley, the Friars won 28 state titles in New Jersey and were recognized as national champions five times. Hurley finished his legendary career with 1,185 wins and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. Stadium boom in Texas
Texas high school football might not be the draw every Friday night that it once was, but you wouldn't know it by the size and expense of recent stadium construction in the state. Headlined by the incredible Eagle Stadium in Allen ($60 million, 18,000 seats), at least four stadium projects totaling more than $50 million have opened in the last decade. Zion Williamson redefines viral
How many high school athletes have had celebrities wearing their jersey while still in high school? Only one that we can think of and that would be Zion Williamson during his time at Spartanburg Day (Spartanburg, S.C.) when Drake and others made his No. 12 famous. And for good reason, the current New Orleans Pelicans star was a highlight machine in South Carolina from 2014 to 2018. Us vs. Them: Mater Dei vs. Bosco



Walk-off Hail Mary to end the 2018 season
The set up for the 2018 Class 6A Division I state football championship in Texas couldn't have been better. The game featured two nationally-ranked, undefeated teams in North Shore (Houston) and Duncanville, who drew nearly 50,000 fans to the AT&T Stadium in Arlington. It would be the final high school football game of the 2018 season anywhere in the country and did it ever deliver. Dematrius Davis Jr. of North Shore threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Ajani Carter as time expired for a 41-36 win, giving the Mustangs state and national titles.

Pandemic sidelines high school athletes
COVID-19 was declared a national emergency in March 2020, bringing winter season sports to an abrupt end and sidelining many athletes in the middle of state championship events. Debates raged over the next 16 months whether high school sports should be played at all (and in many states, they weren't) until a degree of normalcy was restored in the fall of 2021.

April Fools' Day…in August
Bishop Sycamore (Columbus, Ohio) has become a sports punchline but make no mistake, what happened on Aug. 29 of last year was not all that funny. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) drubbed Bishop Sycamore 58-0 on ESPN. The fallout was even worse than the final score, exposing that a program with no physical campus and unsanctioned by the state athletic association scammed its way into a nationally-televised game. The Centurions, who had played a game 48 hours prior to the IMG contest, were overmatched and embarrassed. The remaining games on Bishop Sycamore's schedule were canceled and an investigation opened by the state Department of Education. Next generation stars
Our list comes full circle with the inclusion of Bronny James and Arch Manning, young athletes excelling despite the burden of expectation their famous names carry. Every move has been followed and reported on since beginning their high school careers at Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) and Newman (New Orleans), respectively. Bronny's journey is particularly relevant here as he is navigating the choppy waters his dad helped churn up with his emergence in the early 2000s. Manning is regarded as the top football recruit in the Class of 2023 and recently committed to Texas.

NIL changes the game…or will it?
We still don't entirely know where this one is going but there's no denying name, image and likeness opportunities have been a massive story over the past 12 months, particularly for top football and basketball recruits. At least nine states permit NIL for high school student-athletes but all state associations that have approved prohibit student-athletes from receiving money in any form that is connected to wearing their school uniform. Stay tuned.