The matchups are set for the inaugural State Champions Invitational, which is scheduled for April 7-9 at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, Fla. The event will help shape the final MaxPreps Top 25 rankings, with three ranked teams headlining the four-team field.
The Invitational will stream live on ESPN's family of networks (full schedule below) and features standout players
Taylor Hendricks,
Gregg Glenn and
Marvel Allen of Calvary Christian Academy,
Tre Blassingame,
Maleek Arington and
Dae'kwon Watson of Auburn,
London Johnson,
Jerry Deng and
Samarion Bond of Norcross and
Caleb Williams,
Cameron Gillus and
Christian Gamble of Sidwell Friends.
Hezekiah Flagg and Norcross wound up as the No. 1 team from Georgia after upending nationally-ranked Berkmar in the AAAAAAA state championship game.
Photo by Corey Jones
Calvary Christian Academy (24-2) is ranked No. 3 in MaxPreps Top 25 rankings and is the team to beat. The Eagles earned their spot in the event after winning the FHSAA Class 4A state title. They were able to build an impressive national resume that includes wins over Camden (N.J.), North Little Rock (Ark.), Dr. Phillips (Orlando), Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.) and Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando).
Auburn (27-2) was a team that didn't jump into the national rankings until after winning its first WIAA Class 3A state title, currently sitting at No. 23 in the MaxPreps Top 25. The Trojans' state title run included wins over Garfield (Seattle), Seattle Prep (Seattle) and Rainier Beach (Seattle). The cohesive, senior-laden group will be a tough out next month after defeating its opponents by an average of 35.8 points per contest this season.
Norcross (26-6) captured its first GHSA Class AAAAAAA state title since 2013 after avenging losses to Newton (Covington) in the semifinals and Berkmar (Lilburn) in the state title game. Although the Blue Devils have more losses than any other team in the field and currently sit just outside the national rankings, they appear to be hitting their stride at the right time of the year with wins in 12 of their last 13 games.
Sidwell Friends (29-1) beat Wilson 46-45 for the DCSAA championship on a buzzer-beating layup from sophomore Caleb Williams.
The Quakers closed the season with 27 consecutive wins,
including key victories over Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), St.
John's (Washington, D.C.) and Grayson (Loganville, Ga.). They currently sit at No. 19 in MaxPreps Top 25 rankings.
The State Champions Invitational is
expected to expand to an eight-team field in 2023 with hopes of more state
associations allowing teams to participate in
future seasons. Although the event is open to all NFHS recognized state champions, currently only teams from
Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Washington and the District of
Columbia are eligible.
State Champions Invitational schedule
Thursday, April 7
Games on ESPNU
Saturday, April 9
Game on ESPN2
Noon - Championship Game
