CHANTILLY, Va. — The
Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) basketball team received its MaxPreps National Championship banner Monday during a pep rally at the school.
MaxPreps National Player of the Year
Jordan Smith along with MaxPreps National Coach of the Year Glenn Farello were also honored during the event.
The Panthers went 33-3 en route to winning the VISAA Division I state championship and the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles.
MaxPreps has recognized basketball national champions since 2009. Paul VI becomes the third program to capture two titles in three seasons, joining
St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) and
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.).
Paul VI celebrates with the MaxPreps National Championship banner Monday. The Panthers finished No. 1 for the second time in three seasons. (PHOTO: David Custer)
"Special is the right word. It's an amazing opportunity for us to be able to look back at what we have been able to accomplish as a group," head coach Glenn Farello told MaxPreps on Monday. "The way we have won has been different every single year, but the cornerstone has been our culture and the way the guys play for each other."
Smith, the No. 2 junior in the country, led the way for the Panthers averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.2 steals per contest. He shot 56.0 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from 3-point range and 72.4 percent from the free throw line. Also honored as the nation's top junior last season, Smith signed with Arkansas at the ceremony as well.
Head coach Glenn Farello was the architect of the success, leading
his program to a 14-1 record against teams who finished the season ranked in the top 100.
Paul VI owns high school basketball's longest active streak of national top 10 finishes with five dating back to 2021-22. The Panthers have won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference regular season championship five straight seasons and the VISAA Division I state championship four times in the past five years.
"It's really nice to see the consistency," Farello said. "When you mentioned that we were the only team to finish in the top 10 in each of the last five years, that meant a lot to us as well just knowing that year after year we are able to compete at such a high level. I think we are 157-21 and we say we play anybody, anytime, anywhere."
When discussing the future of the program after the ceremony, Farello was optimistic about next year's group as he mentioned numerous key players returning to the rotation for the WCAC powerhouse.
2025-26 Paul VI Panthers
Aiden Acquah,
Ryan Bahr,
Kenny Boyd,
Lawrence Brown,
Travis Clegg,
Jack Colligan,
Farrell Djossinou,
Aiden Gallagher,
Dylan Harsanyi,
Matthew Mena,
Brian Mitchell Jr.,
K.J. Rivers,
Jackson Sabrick,
Jordan Smith,
Braydon Young
Head coach: Glenn Farello
Assistants: Brandon Broadnax, Bryan Forbes, Phil Hubbard, Joe Hughley, Demar Morine, Rocky Parrish, Curtis Symonds, Myles Tate, Morrello Vest, Tracy Williams
