Nine days until the MaxPreps Holiday Classic: Nine states represented

California is a big state. At 38 million, it is the most populous state in the union and third-largest by area, behind Alaska and Texas.

But it's not large enough to contain the 12th annual MaxPreps Holiday Classic, which is nine days away and runs Dec. 26-30 in Palm Springs.

To commemorate the nine days, we present to you the nine states being represented at the 148-team tournament, which has been represented by 30 states and six countries over the previous 11 years. Entries from Germany and Spain will be part of the 2014 proceedings.

The nine states represented this season are:

1. Arizona

2. California

3. Georgia

4. New Mexico

5. Nevada

6. Texas

7. Utah

8. Washington

9. Wisconsin

Five states besides California will be represented in the MaxPreps Open Division, not to mention Oakley Prep from Spain.

Those traveling out of state to compete for the top division prize are American Fork (Utah), Issaquah (Wash.), Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.), Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas) and Rufus King (Milwaukee).

Through Dec. 16, American Fork is 5-2, Issaquah 3-0, Pebblebrook 8-1, Prestonwood Christian 11-2 and Rufus King 4-0.

"The beauty of the game and the event is it expands all over," said MaxPreps Holiday Classic co-director Wayne Merino. "It's a great compliment to the event that people and teams want to be a part of it and it's our honor to bring teams in from all over the globe."

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Participating Teams

Open Division
Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.), American Fork (Utah), Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), Damien (La Verne, Calif.), Episcopal School of Dallas (Dallas, Texas), Folsom (Calif.), Issaquah (Wash.), JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), Rufus King (Milwaukee, Wis.), Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), Moreau Catholic (Hayward, Calif.), Oakley (Tafira Alta, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain), Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.), Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas), Sacramento (Calif.), Rancho Mirage (Calif.), Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.).

Other Boys Divisions
Anchorage Christian (Anchorage, Alaska), Benicia (Calif.), Brawley (Calif.), Brea Olinda (Brea, Calif.), Brentwood School (Los Angeles, Calif.), Canyon Crest Academy (San Diego, Calif.), Capital Christian (Sacramento, Calif.), Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo, Calif.), Cathedral City (Calif.), Centennial (Bakersfield, Calif.), Chaparral (Temecula, Calif.), Colton (Calif.), Crescenta Valley (La Crescenta, Calif.), Dana Hills (Dana Point, Calif.), Downey (Calif.), Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Evergreen (Seattle, Wash.), Foothill (Henderson, Nev.), Gahr (Cerritos, Calif.), Galena (Reno, Nev.), Green Valley (Henderson, Nev.), Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.), Hoover (Glendale, Calif.), Laguna Acoma (New Laguna, N.M.), La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.), Leuzinger (Lawndale, Calif.), Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), King (Riverside, Calif.), Mission Viejo (Calif.), Murrieta Mesa (Murrieta, Calif.), Oak Hills (Hesperia, Calif.),  Olympia (Wash.), Pacific Hills (Los Angeles, Calif.), Palm Desert (Calif.), Palo Verde Valley (Blythe, Calif.), Palos Verdes (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.), Patriot (Riverside, Calif.), Palos Verdes Peninsula (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.), Pleasant Grove (Utah), Ponderosa (Shingle Springs, Calif.), Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.), Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley, Calif.), Saddleback Valley Christian (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), Shadow Hills (Indio, Calif.), Sierra Pacific (Hanford, Calif.), Simi Valley (Calif.), Sutter Union (Sutter, Calif.), Tahquitz (Hemet, Calif.), Torrance (Calif.), Urspring (Ulm, Germany), Victor Valley (Victorville, Calif.), Viewpoint (Calabasas, Calif.), Villa Park (Calif.), Villanova Prep (Ojai, Calif.), Westminster (Calif.), Yucca Valley (Calif.), Xavier Prep (Palm Desert, Calif.)

Desert Christian Academy Boys Division
California School for the Deaf (Riverside, Calif.), Desert Christian Academy (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.), Hesperia Christian (Hesperia, Calif.), Los Angeles Adventist (Los Angeles, Calif.), Pacifica Christian (Santa Monica, Calif.), Palm Valley (Rancho Mirage, Calif.)

Desert Christian Academy Girls Division
Desert Christian Academy (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.), Desert Mirage (Thermal, Calif.), Hesperia Christian (Hesperia, Calif.), Los Angeles Adventist (Los Angeles, Calif.), Palm Valley (Rancho Mirage, Calif.), Rancho Mirage (Calif.), Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)