DeMatha
(Hyattsville, Md.) leads our list of high school basketball programs
with the most championships, although the Stags don't exactly play for a
title at the state level. DeMatha is one of 13 West Catholic Athletic
Conference members, traditionally one of the toughest leagues in the
country. Despite playing against some of the top teams on the East
Coast, DeMatha has managed to claim 41 WCAC championships and that type
of success can't be overlooked.The Stags have dominated WCAC play, winning 41 of the 60 conference championships including a string of 22 of 25 titles between 1961 and 1985 under legendary coach Morgan Wootten.
DeMatha leads Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.), which had 33 state championships over the course of two different eras. Playing in the segregation era, Booker T. Washington won 17 state championships in the Oklahoma Interscholastic Athletic Association. After integration, the Hornets won another 16 state titles in the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Athletic Association.
Tied for third are William Penn Charter (Philadelphia) and Madison-Ridgeland (Madison, Miss.). Like DeMatha, Penn Charter and MRA do not play for championships in the state association postseason tournaments. Penn Charter is a member of the Inter-Academic Conference in the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania. Started in 1887, the Inter-AC is one of the oldest continuing conferences in the nation, but it does not play in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Association.
Likewise, Madison-Ridgeland is not a member of the Mississippi High Schools Activities Association, but instead plays in the MidSouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS), which was formed in 1968. The Patriots have won 32 class championships in the MAIS and 13 overall titles. The overall championship is determined by a tournament involving all of the class tournament finalists. Longtime coach Richard Duease, the winningest coach in Mississippi history, has led the Patriots to all their state titles.
The No. 5 team on the list is St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.), which won 27 state championships, 26 of them under longtime coach Bob Hurley.
The following list includes a Top 25 along with a listing of all other teams known to have won at least 10 championships. Aside from state associations, independent school associations are also included. Champions lists for all independent schools association were not available. Any additions or corrects, contact Kevin Askeland at kevinaskeland65@gmail.com. Sources for the list include the NFHS record book, state association record books.
DeMatha has won the most boys basketball titles, grabbing 41 WCAC crowns. The 2015-16 team was one squad that helped that total.
File photo by Patrick Kane
1. 41 —
DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) 2. 33 —
Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.)2. 33 —
Wheeling Central Catholic (Wheeling, W. Va.)*
4. 32 —
William Penn Charter (Philadelphia)4. 32 —
Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, Miss.)6. 30 —
Benedictine (Richmond, Va.)*
7. 27 — St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
8. 26 —
Central (Cheyenne, Wyo.)9. 24 —
Hillhouse (New Haven, Conn.)9. 24 —
Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Pa.)11. 22 —
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)12. 21 —
Bishop Hendricken (Warwick, R.I.)12. 21 —
Portsmouth (N.H.)12. 21 —
Burlington (Vt.)15. 20 —
Wyandotte (Kansas City, Kan.)16. 19 —
Manchester Central (Manchester, N.H.)16. 19 —
Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.)18. 18 —
Clinton (N.Y.)18. 18 —
Scott County Central (Sikeston, Mo.)18. 18 —
Miami (Fla.)18. 18 —
Proctor (Vt.)18. 18 —
Minot (N.D.)23. 17 —
Haverford School (Haverford, Pa.)23. 17 —
Lanier (Jackson, Miss.)23. 17 —
Provo (Utah)23. 17 —
Hobbs (N.M.)23. 17 —
Virginia City (Nev.)23. 17 —
Central (Little Rock, Ark.)23. 17 —
Wheatley (Houston)16 championships
Campbell County (Gillette, Wyo.)Dunbar (Baltimore)East Anchorage (Anchorage, Alaska)Hope Christian (Albuquerque)Lanier (Sugar Hill, Ga.)Malvern Prep (Malvern, Pa.)
Mitchell (S.D.)Phoenix Union (Ariz.)
Rice Memorial (South Burlington, Vt.)Westbury Christian (Houston)Woodrow Wilson (Beckley, W. Va.)15 championships
Episcopal Academy (Newtown Square, Pa.)Garfield (Seattle)Lincoln High (Neb.)Martinsville (Va.)Millwood (Oklahoma City)Southern Lab (Baton Rouge, La.)Zwolle (La.)14 championships
Allegany (Cumberland, Md.)Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.)Douglass (Oklahoma City)Malone (Fla.)Mesa (Ariz.)Natrona County (Casper, Wyo.)New Hanover (Wilmington, N.C.)Pahranagat Valley (Alamo, Nev.)Patrick School (Hillside, N.J.)River Rouge (Mich.)Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.)Virgin Valley (Mesquite, Nev.)Westerly (R.I.)Wilbur Cross (New Haven, Conn.)13 championships
Bangor (Maine)Bismarck (N.D.)Borah (Boise, Idaho)Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.)Durham (N.C.)
Huntington (W. Va.)Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.)McPherson (Kan.)Newton (Kan.)Parkview (Little Rock, Ark.)Pine Bluff (Ark.)Reno (Nev.)Rock Springs (Wyo.)Central (Tulsa, Okla.)West Rutland (Vt.)12 championships
Albuquerque (N.M.)Boulder City (Nev.)Central (Providence, R.I.)Cliff (N.M.)Conant (Jaffrey, N.H.)DeLaSalle (Minneapolis)Groveton (N.H.)Las Vegas (Nev.)Lehi (Utah)Lincoln Northeast (Lincoln, Neb.)Manual (Denver, Colo.)Spaulding (Barre, Vt.)Star Valley (Afton, Wyo.)Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.)Harding (Bridgeport, Conn.)Winooski (Vt.)Wyoming Indian (Ethete, Wyo.)11 championships
Abraham Clark (Roselle, N.J.)Burlington (Wyo.)Camden (N.J.)Charleston (Mo.)Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.)Denver East (Denver)Sacred Heart (Falls City, Neb.)Fort Thomas (Ariz.)Greensboro Day School (Greensboro, N.C.)Huron (S.D.)Idaho Falls (Idaho)Jonesboro (Ark.)Juneau-Douglas (Juneau, Alaska)Kinston (N.C.)Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)Moscow (Idaho)Nashua South (Nashua, N.H.)Punahou (Honolulu)Savannah (Ga.)South Portland (Maine)South Sevier (Monroe, Utah)St. Joseph (Trumbull, Conn.)St. Michael's (Santa Fe, N.M.)Sunnyside Christian (Sunnyside, Wash.)Wahoo (Neb.)10 championships
Beaverhead County (Dillon, Mont.)Bingham (South Jordan, Utah)Buffalo (Wyo.)Butte (Mont.)Great Falls (Mont.)Great Falls (S.C.)Gwynn Park (Brandywine, Md.)Hall (Little Rock, Ark.)Helena (Mont.)Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)'Iolani (Honolulu)Jonesport-Beals (Jonesport, Maine)Lapwai (Idaho)Lowry (Winnemucca, Nev.)Lynden (Wash.)Newport News (Va.)
Northfork (W. Va.)
Omaha Central (Omaha, Neb.)Pocatello (Idaho)Portland (Maine)Poultney (Vt.)Preston (Idaho)Randolph (Wis.)Hatch (Uniontown, Ala.)Redemptorist (Baton Rouge, La.)Rigby (Idaho)Sanford (Hockessin, Del.)St. Jude Educational Institute (Montgomery, Ala.)Pima (Ariz.)Thatcher (Ariz.)Washington (Sioux Falls, S.D.)South (Wichita, Kan.)Yankton (S.D.)
