2025 Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational Session 2

Miami Country Day School, champions of the 2025 Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational ENG Sports Bracket.

Miami Country Day States Its Case

January 13, 2026

In its tenth year, the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational Session 2 (a pre-Christmas Session 1 has been added in recent years) was once again held at Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel (just north of Tampa), Florida.  The event ran from December 27 through 30, 2025, with Sunday off. All told, 96 girls’ varsity teams and 26 boys’ varsity teams (some JV play also!) participated in the event run by ENGSports with Florida’s Sports Coast the presenting sponsor.  A total of 15 colleges (mostly NCAA Division 1) attended one or more days of the event. Interestingly, 25 media signed in as well. Below will be found all-tournament teams of the top two divisions along with a brief discussion of the ENG Sports (top bracket) final.

Why are so few colleges attending post-XMAS events?

Some of the reasons are the same as ever. Depending on the college and level, some teams want to give time off to staff. Others are absorbed in playing.  Then there are budget considerations as to which of many events does the head coach want to send someone to cover?

Then there is the relatively new but giant reason.  So many D1 programs are adding players (sometimes over half a roster in one year) out of portal transfers which come with much less time invested overall. 

A little more on recruiting today

This spring/summer will see an expanded number of “shoe circuits” with (new) New Balance and (more additions?) Puma competing for programs with what I call the more established four: NIKE EYBL, Under Amour’s GUAA, Adidas 3SSB and independent but strong Power 24. 

Given today’s college recruiting world, most women’s college programs would prefer to spend less time, not more, recruiting players out of high school. Adding two new circuits only means more ground to cover to try not to miss some talent (a talent pool which is not growing by leaps and bounds as television broadcasters want their listeners to believe).    

ENG Sports Bracket Final:

Miami (Florida) Country Day (MCD) 58-51 Grandview Prep (Boca Raton, Florida)

The difference in this contest was depth of roster. Grandview led 25-19 at half but essentially lost the game in the third quarter (16-4). Whether MCD bench players score or not, they had more functional ones than Grandview which appeared a bit more tired in half two.  Kori Edge scored all 16 of her game-high points and thus helped secure her Tournament MVP (best performer in entire girls’ side of the event).  If you watch Country Day multiple times, different players might step up to lead them much more than most teams that rely on one or two individuals to carry them each night. Ameera Kone led Grandview with 14 points and 10 rebounds.     

Is MCD a top 25 team nationally?

Close but as yet they have no win that would lock this in.  

Best wins are the above win over Grandview, Pennsylvania’s South Fayette by 2, Somerset Academy – Canyons (which won the next bracket below the ENG) and Virginia’s St. Anne’s-Belfield (by a big margin).  None are or have been ranked nationally. Country Day’s one-loss is to Hoover (ranked nationally in multiple polls). 

Still on the MCD schedule are games with strong in-state power Winter Haven and later national level squads Montverde and IMG.  Win two of those three and you are in!  Thereafter, the Florida 2A post-season should be much less challenging.     

Below are the all-tournament teams selected by the event staff. Please note that the was a tournament MVP and bracket MVP [second honor] chosen for the ENG Sports [top] Bracket.

As more time was spent on the ENG Sports Bracket, player comments are omitted for the Anna Maria Island Bracket All-tournament team below that.

Within each bracket, players are listed alphabetically with listed height, position, graduation year and school (location in parenthesis).

ENG Sports Bracket All-tournament Team

Deyva Davis, 5-9, point guard, 2027, Milton (Georgia) High School

Davis was the breakout player of this event. She will probably get looks from Power 4 (or at least Group of 5) conference teams going forward. A good athlete, she can run a team, defend and score via drive (mostly) and some at mid-range. Building shooting range could be something to work on.

Kennedy Deal, 5-10, wing, 2028, Miami (Florida) Country Day School

Deal is an athlete who gets things done although a bit of a tweener currently.

Kori Edge of Miami Country Day, Tournament MVP of the 2025 Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational.

Kori Edge, 5-5, point guard, 2027, Miami (Florida) Country Day School [Tournament MVP]

According to sources around Country Day, Edge has been the most consistent player on a team with a lot of players who can contribute. A small lead guard, she had a couple of big games in the event gaining MVP honors. Size may be biggest handicap from getting major D1 offers.

Autumn Fleary, 5-7, point guard, 2026, Sidwell Friends School (Washington, DC)

The Duke signee can beat the opposition with her scoring or passing. Along with Ava Yoon (Princeton signee), Sidwell has one of the best senior back courts in the USA.

Jasleen Green of Grandview Prep, ENG Sports Bracket MVP (PC: Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational).

Jasleen Green, 5-8, guard, 2026, Grandview Prep (Boca Raton, Florida) [Bracket MVP]

The Arizona signee has shown well in multiple events blending scoring by attacking the rim with perimeter (behind and within the arc) stroke as well.

Myanna Hatchette, 5-11, wing, 2026, Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Florida)

A player with size, Hatchette can shoot the three.

Ameera Kone, 6-0, forward, 2027, Grandview Prep (Boca Raton, Florida)

A physical player Kone scores mostly within the key with range a work in progress (showing signs of coming along).

Juliette Leroux, 5-11, guard, 2026, South Fayette High School (McDonald, Pennsylvania)

The Florida Atlantic signee showed ability to shoot from the perimeter or attack the rim in the context of the offense. It is likely that all five starters (three signed) of South Fayette will have the opportunity to play Division 1 college ball, be it not likely be at the Power 4 level.  Name me a few other public schools who can say this about their current starting five this year!?    

Stella Sakalas, 6-1, forward, 2026, Nazareth Academy (LaGrange, Illinois)

A BYU signee, Sakalas is a capable three-point shooter but also thanks to her size/build, has the ability to successfully post up opponents near the rim.

Anna Maria Island Bracket Final

Somerset Academy - Canyons (Boynton Beach, Florida) 60-41 Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach, Florida)  

Canyons led at half 24-21 and then ran away with a 28-6 third quarter. Both teams are athletic but Canyon’s, led by Bracket MVP Alanna Pinnock (15 points, 12, rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals), were just more skilled (at least in this contest).  Pinnock may be the top sophomore in Florida as she is now complementing scoring with other positive stats as in this game. No Ely player reached double figures.

Anna Maria Island Bracket All-tournament Team

Emma Christerson, 5-8, guard, 2028, Sycamore High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Alanna Fabrini, 5-9, guard, 2027, Somerset Academy - Canyons (Boynton Beach, Florida)

Alayiah Johnson, 5-9, guard, 2026, Windermere (Florida) Prep

Brynli Pernell, 5-5, guard, 2027, Simon Kenton (Independence, Kentucky)

Alana Pinnock of Somerset Canyons, MVP of the Tampa Bay Invitational 2025 Anna Maria Island Bracket (PC: Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational).

Alana Pinnock, 5-11, guard, 2028, Somerset Academy - Canyons (Boynton Beach, Florida) [Bracket MVP]

Lauryn Loritts, 6-0, guard, 2028, Catholic High School (Virginia Beach, Virginia) 

Sophia Louis-Pierre, 6-2, wing, 2027, Galloway School (Atlanta, Georgia)

Sariyah Sabb, 5-6, guard, 2027, Blanche Ely High School (Pompano Beach, Florida)