Early March 2025 Notes, Mostly from Couch Evaluation!
2027 C’India Dennis of Creekside (GA) was spectacular in a recent playoff game verses Marist.
March Musings
March 4, 2025
This time of year, I travel less and watch many high school playoff games online. I did drive almost three hours to watch the Georgia 4A semis live on Saturday, March 1. The rest below comes from what one of my fellow evaluators refers to as “couch evaluations.” Before getting to particulars, let me discuss the two late March post-season high school-oriented events.
Chipotle Nationals vs The Throne
The two events are similar in some ways. Both, in truth, involve players representing the school they attend. But then the differences start.
Chipotle (held April 3-5, 2025, in Indiana) is a six-team event where all teams wear school uniforms and the games count. Sadly, only around ten states allow their teams to participate and this year most of those states do not have a team worthy of being invited. What compounds this is that likely invitees Bishop McNamara of Maryland and Sidwell Friends both opted for rival event The Throne (held March 27-29, 2025, in New Jersey [field recently released]). This makes the effect of Chipotle Nationals helping to decide a theoretical national champion less than in other years. As I understand matters, a team can only do one (if that) of this pair.
The Throne will have an eight-team field where at least half the teams must play in “The Throne” jerseys as their state associations do not sanction play in events after their respective state championship [I wish they would, but that is a matter for another day!]. As teams in The Throne wearing “The Throne” jerseys technically do not represent their schools, polls should not consider these games as part of a high school’s record. If two teams that are wearing school uniforms meet, such a game can be counted toward a high school’s record.
Why are “disguised high schools” running to play in The Throne? First, it is an all-expenses paid trip to Metro New York City (short ride over the Hudson River). Based on tourist data, that is a more appealing place to visit than Indiana. Second and perhaps more important, the winning team get a $10,000 prize donated to its school’s athletic fund!!
The mythical national championship race
As of now, it is still consensus #1 Ontario Christian’s to lose. However, if that school does not win out, another CIF Open winner could sneak in depending on which team wins the Chipotle Nationals. Teams in The Throne which could have played in Chipotle may have hurt their chances. Even though there are not many games left to be played, there are still multiple possibilities. In some variations, a five-loss Etiwanda may still be in play if they win out. Let me leave you with this to ponder: whom would be more worthy, a five-loss Etiwanda which wins the California CIF Open Division or an undefeated Morris Catholic which has a win over Archbishop Mitty (be they the wounded variation)? Will people be swayed by results in The Throne even though technically it is an event unsanctioned by NFHS State Members? Stay tuned for the final run into April!
On to more mundane high school matters…
Georgia 4A
On March 1, I journeyed up to Fort Valley (almost three hours north of my home in Thomasville, Georgia, to watch the GHSA State 4A semi-finals that pitted Kate Harpring (one of Georgia’s top juniors) of Marist School (Atlanta) and C’India Dennis (one of Georgia’s top sophomores) of Creekside High School (Fairburn, Georgia). While the match-up was close to even (Dennis’s 30 points to Harpring’s 28), the Creekside support crew was more up to the task on this day, winning 54-43, leading pretty much the whole contest.
Unexpectedly, the game of the day was the second semi with less heralded teams. Here Maynard Jackson High School (Atlanta) won an 80-79 epic over North Oconee High School (in Bogard, not far from the University of Georgia in Athens). The game took three overtime periods (four minutes each). The difference was better ball security and foul shooting when it mattered favoring the Atlanta school. I cannot remember the last scholastic triple overtime game I witnessed in person. It is a shame somebody had to lose one like this but there are no draws in this sport.
In the final which will be played in Macon on March 6th, undefeated Creekside will try to beat Jackson out of the same region (this can happen in Georgia) for a third time, usually a challenging task.
Back to couch comments…
Georgia 6A (largest class)
Grayson (in Loganville just east of Atlanta) High School will attempt to repeat in the state largest class (Georgia shrunk from 7A being largest to 6A being largest to increase competitiveness). The 6A playoffs had no clear favorite this year. While there was more competition in 6A, the very top teams in Georgia this year were in other classes (5A and Private School Divisions). Last year then nationally ranked Grayson beat Lowndes County (Valdosta, Georgia) 66-25 while this year the winning score in the same match-up for Grayson was 57-54. In the final on March 8, Grayson (30-1) will play Newton High School (Covington, Georgia), a team that is from the same region and beaten them three times (granted the third was only by six). The prevailing feeling is the third of four is the hardest to win.
Georgia Private Schools
This comes down to teams that have clashed before in big games. Hebron Christian Academy (Dacula, Georgia) is nationally ranked and was expected to be the best team in Georgia [top five nationally was my pre-season thinking]. However, ACL injuries to two of its four future major division 1 players has brought Hebron significantly more into the range of final opponent Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School (Atlanta). It is led by USA U17 point guard Hailee Swain (Stanford commit) with a supporting crew of at least four future college players but mostly freshmen and sophomores.
In the semis, Hebron overwhelmed The Galloway School (has multiple D1 prospects but weak middle) 74-32 while Holy Innocents’ edged a strong St. Francis 63-61 in a very well-played game. Hebron is still the favorite but not close to what it would have been to start the season with a fully loaded Hebron and inexperienced Holy Innocents’. Most likely, the Georgia Player-of-the-Year will come out of this game to be played on March 5.
Georgia 5A
Here things have gone as expected with one-loss River Ridge High School (Woodstock, Georgia somewhat north of Atlanta) to play Langston Hughes (Fairburn Georgia, just south of Atlanta) in the final on Friday, March 7. Langston Hughes split with Hebron this year, took a latter-season two-point loss to 6A Carrollton), but did beat Private School Division power St. Francis. This final should be quite competitive pitting River Ridge offensive balance against Langston Hughes greater athleticism/physicality. If I had to lean, I would give a slight edge to River Ridge having been on this stage before.
Indiana – more competitive or greater mediocrity?
The regular season nationally ranked teams (Lawrence Central and Hamilton Southeastern) out of the Hoosier state both lost before the final with Lawrence North (20-8; thus, hard to rank nationally) winning the state 4A title 65-59 over Warsaw (26-2). The former had put out Lawrence Central and the latter Hamilton Southeastern. Having watched these teams play and seeing Indiana winning results versus top teams in nearby states, it appears this was an up year near the top in the Hoosier State and strongly lean to a better/deeper level of quality teams. One or more national polls may pass on Indiana schools for teams from adjoining states with glossier records garnered versus lesser competition.
CIF Open Division
If Indiana is the land of “one and done,” California appears to be the world of second chances (at least for some). In an instant classic (if you fancy high level girls’ basketball), go on to the NFHS Network (there is a nominal monthly charge) and watch the CIF Southern Section Open Division final which ended Ontario Christian (consensus #1 nationally) 65-63 Etiwanda High School. Ontario Christian’s freshman Tatianna Griffin all but wrapped up any national freshmen honors with a 29-point and 12-rebound performance.
This was Ontario Christian’s second win over Etiwanda this year. So, does this post-season loss put Etiwanda out? No! They are likely to meet again in the CIF Open Division regional final (state semi-final) and to make matters worse, both are again likely to meet Sierra Canyon (for O.C.) and Mater Dei (for Etiwanda) in the prior round just as in the Southern Sectional.
Sadly, CIF has decided to place Bishop Montgomery and Mission Hills into the Open Division (in the South) when competitively they belong a division lower. Those familiar with girls’ basketball in Southern California would tell you there are only four teams (those above the last two) that have any business in the CIF Open Division this season. The final will be played in Sacramento on March 15, probably against Archbishop Mitty (likely winning in Northern California, but not the same team as before the injury bug struck them).
Iowa 5A
I had the opportunity of watching the Iowa 5A quarterfinals on Monday. Iowa operates under the radar with little to no contact with high school teams outside the state. Travel is limited to states touching Iowa but few teams leave the state. No play is allowed during the Christmas break (when big national events are going on elsewhere). I was told this started in 1975 due to a home heating fuel crisis and obviously the popularity with school administrators stuck so this practice is about to have a 50th anniversary.
Both undefeated Johnston and Dowling Catholic (two losses to Johnston and one to nationally ranked Providence Academy (Minnesota)) were impressive. From this one observation, both teams have perhaps four future Division 1 players (two major). If form holds, they should meet in the final on March 7. Iowa livestreams its playoffs without charge and is worth a look, particularly a third Johnston vs Dowling Catholic (Caitlin Clark graduated from here.) meeting.