The 2012 MaxPreps Holiday Classic featured seven eventual state and section champions, including a pair of nationally ranked squads from Texas and Georgia.
Following an impressive run to the MPHC Invitational Division crown in late December,
Westchester (Los Angeles) went on to win the Los Angeles City Section Division I title and finished the 2012-13 campaign with a 29-7 record that included a berth in the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division State Playoffs.
Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, Texas), which lost to Westchester in the Classic final, finished 33-5 and ran a rugged gauntlet of contenders in the Lone Star State's Class 5A tournament. The Tigers – led by Kentucky-bound identical twins
Aaron and
Andrew Harrison – finished ranked No. 18 nationally by MaxPreps.
Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) won its fifth-straight state title in Georgia with a 30-3 record. The Wolverines, ranked No. 19 in the nation, beat
De La Salle (Chicago) on the final day of the MaxPreps Holiday Classic for fifth place.
After going 2-2 in Palm Springs,
Rainier Beach (Seattle) bounced back to win its second Washington Class 3A state title in a row.
In addition to Westchester,
Antelope,
J.W. North (Riverside) and the
La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) girls all won section titles in California.
Read on for a deeper look at how the season played out for several MaxPreps Holiday Classic participants:
Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, Texas): 33-5, Class 5A state champion, No. 18 national ranking
Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.): 30-3, Class AAAAA state champion, No. 19 national ranking
Rainier Beach (Seattle): 25-4, Class 3A state champion
Westchester (Los Angeles): 29-7, City Section Division 1 champion, CIF Open Division state tournament
Antelope (Calif.): 25-7, Sac-Joaquin Section Division II champion, CIF Division II state tournament participant
Loyola (Los Angeles): 25-8, Southern Section Division 1A quarterfinalist, CIF Division I regional finalist
Leuzinger (Lawndale, Calif.): 23-9, CIF Division III state tournament
La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.): 28-6, San Diego Section Division II runner-up
J.W. North (Riverside, Calif.): 31-4, Southern Section Division 1AA champion, CIF Division II regional finalist
Brethren Christian (Huntington Beach, Calif.): 24-4, Southern Section Division 5AA quarterfinalist
Santiago (Corona, Calif.): 20-10, Southern Section Division 1A quarterfinalist
Brentwood School (Los Angeles): 27-5, Southern Section Division 4A runner-up
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.): 27-5, CIF Division I regional semifinalist
Dana Hills (Dana Point, Calif.): 23-9, Southern Section Division 1A semifinalist, CIF Division I state tournament
La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.) girls: 32-3, San Diego Section Division II champion
Westchester, which went on to win the Los Angeles City Section title, beat eventual Texas 5A champ Fort Bend Travis in the 2012 MaxPreps Holiday Classic final.
Photo by David Hood
