Winners of 53 games in a row, Christian Wood and top-ranked Findlay Prep will have a target on their back at the National High School Invitational.
Photo by Jann Hendry
The field is set for the fifth annual National High School Invitational, scheduled for April 4-6 at Georgetown Preparatory in North Bethesda, Md.
Undefeated
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) – ranked No. 1 in MaxPreps.com's Academy Top 10 – headlines the eight-team tournament. The Pilots won NHSI titles in 2009, 2010 and 2012 and will head to Maryland riding a 53-game win streak.
Six other teams ranked in the Academy Top 10 were selected – No. 2
Prime Prep (Dallas), No. 3
St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.), No. 4
Montverde Academy (Fla.), No. 5
La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.), No. 7
Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) and No. 8
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.).
Florida Class 7A state champion
Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach) will compete in the event for the second year in a row, rounding out the field. The Tigers (27-1) are ranked No. 8 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25.
On the outside looking in will be Class of 2013 No. 1 prospect
Andrew Wiggins and
Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.). Though the Express – ranked No. 6 in the Academy Top 10 – played eight National Federation of High Schools-affiliated teams during the regular season and two of the teams selected for the NHSI, the program can't get the endorsement it needs from the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission in order to participate.
According to an ESPN press release, the schedule and bracket will be released at a later date. All games will be broadcast by ESPN networks.
