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Why Ken Griffey Jr. beaned a hittter in Little League? Mom told him to

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In light of Mother’s Day, USA TODAY Sports asked baseball legend Ken Griffey Jr. about his mother. He told us a childhood story of when his mom told him to bean a batter in the head to quiet a heckler in the crowd. And he followed through.

Griffey was a star at Moeller in Cincinnati and was selected No. 1 overall by the Seattle Mariners in 1987. The only reason that Griffey was not named American Family ALL-USA in baseball as a high school star is because the teams were not selected until 1989. By then, Griffey was in the majors.

Here’s a look back at Griffey’s high school days.


New Hampshire's Brennen Oxford throws three consecutive no-hitters

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A junior Wake Forest baseball commit in New Hampshire has thrown three consecutive no-hitters.

Brennen Oxford, of Oyster River (Durham), has not allowed a hit in 23.2 innings over four appearances, including no-hitters against Laconia, Pembroke and Goffstown.

He struck out 15 in a 5-0 victory against Laconia in the most recent no-hitter, had eight strikeouts against Pembroke and whiffed 10 against Goffstown.

“I’m feeling good with everything,” Oxford told Fosters.com. “I can locate every pitch I want to, except today I didn’t have my best stuff. I feel like a can threw any pitch by any batter. I want the fourth (no-hitter).”

His next outing is Wednesday at Kennett

VIDEO: Cal Supreme's Spencer Freedman hits 8 threes at EYBL Atlanta

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Spencer Freedman, from Cal Supreme and Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), got the third session of Nike EYBL off to a good start Friday night.

A 5-11 point guard, Freedman finished with 26 points — eight threes on 8-for-11 from behind the arc — and a pair of free throws in Cal Supreme’s 72-63 victory against the Las Vegas Prospects.

Here are Freedman’s highlights via Courtside Films:

VIDEO: Top plays from Nike EYBL Atlanta, Day 1

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The third stop on the Nike EYBL circuit is in Atlanta this weekend and here are the top plays from Friday night’s first session courtesy of ItsOvertime.com.

Ryan Boyce (Team Penny)

Shareef O’Neal (Cal Supreme)

Jarvis Thomas (Howard Pulley)

Jalen Lecque (Southern Stampede)

Drue Drinnon (Southern Stampede)

Trey McGowens (Team United)

Marvin Bagley (Nike Phamily)

Khaleem Bennett (UPlay Canada)

Balsa Koprivica (Nike Team Florida)

Tyger Campbell/ Brandon Johns (Speice Indy Heat)

VIDEO: Top plays from Nike EYBL Atlanta, Day 2

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The third stop on the Nike EYBL circuit is in Atlanta this weekend and here are the top plays from Saturday’s sessions courtesy of ItsOvertime.com.

RELATED: Top plays from Day 1 at Nike EYBL Atlanta

Vernon Carey (Nike Team Florida)

Bol Bol (Cal Supreme)

Shareef O’Neal (Cal Supreme)

Marvin Bagley (Nike Phamily)

Keyontae Johnson (Boo Williams)

Dan Oturu (Howard Pulley)

Coby White (Team CP3)

Tyreek Smith (Houston Hoops)

Bol Bol/ Shareef O’Neal (Cal Supreme)

Duane Washington (The Family)

 

No. 1 McDonogh girls lacrosse finishes perfect season, win streak runs to 177

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The streak continues.

The McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.) girls lacrosse team won its ninth consecutive Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference championship and finished its eighth consecutive undefeated season with a 12-9 victory Saturday night against Notre Dame Prep (Towson).

The victory means McDonogh — ranked No. 1 in the Super 25 all season — has won an amazing 177 consecutive games.

The teams met in the regular season with McDonogh winning 9-4 in one of its closer games of the year. Saturday, Notre Dame Prep had taken the lead at one point but McDonough countered with four consecutive goals to take a 7-3 edge with 19:44 left in the game. McDonogh never trailed again.

“We have been so good for so long,” McDonogh coach Chris Robinson told The Baltimore Sun. “We push the envelop in women’s lacrosse on the high school level and I think we got the team to a certain level where we’ve accelarated the game and teams like NDP or Glenelg Country or some of these other schools are doing the same, so when we faced NPD tonight — and they had 31 Division I athletes on that team — to beat a team like that is an amazing celebratory thing for our kids.

“Everybody just thinks we’re a machine or whatever, but we’re humans and that NDP team is as talented as any high school team I’ve ever seen and they’re pushing the envelope of women’s lacrosse also.”

No. 1 Wando boys soccer wins S.C. state title in nailbiter

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(Photo: Bart Boatwright, Greenville News)

Wando (Mount Pleasant, S.C.), the top-ranked team in the USA TODAY Sports/National Soccer Coaches Association of America Super 25 for spring boys soccer, got a goal from Charlie Marino in the 69th minute to defeat JL Mann (Greenville) 1-0 in the Class AAAAA state title game.

The victory was Wando’s seventh state championship, although the first in Class AAAAA, which was created last year as the state went from four classes to five.

The Patriots finish the season at 27-0 and again showed the stingy defense that has been a hallmark of their season. The Warriors shut out their final 11 opponents, including the five teams they beat in the playoffs.

“It just seemed like we never got into our game of linking passes,” Mann coach Brian Dender said. “We got involved in the physical part of it and tried to counterattack. The effort was there. Wando is so good, they forced us out of our game plan.”

Contributing: Greenville News

Weekend recruiting winners: LSU adds four-star WR, Tennessee adds QB

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LSU

The Tigers lead this weekend’s football recruiting winners with the commitment of four-star wide receiver Kenan Jones from Berwick (La.).

Jones had been an LSU commit and then decided to reopen his recruitment in February before re-committing Saturday. He is the 16th member of LSU’s class.

Jones — 6-3 and 205 pounds — is ranked as the No. 11 player in the state of Louisiana in the Class of 2018, according to the 247Sports Composite.

He had 10 receiving touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards as a junior.

TENNESSEE

Tennessee added its second quarterback in four-star Adrian Martinez from Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.).

He joins three-star QB Michael Penix of Tampa in the Vols’ class. Tennessee coaches were watching Penix play in his spring game when Martinez’s commitment came in.

Martinez, who is ranked as the No. 7 dual-threat passer in the class, had more than 20 reported offers and told 247Sports that the biggest challenger to Tennessee was Oklahoma, which made an offer 10 days before he announced his commitment. He had decommitted from Cal more than two weeks ago.

BEST OF THE REST

  • Duke: Three-star outside linebacker Shaka Heyward from Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.), who is ranked No. 42 at the position.
  • Houston: Three-star tight end Spencer Wells from Dawson (Pearland, Texas), who is ranked No. 61 at the position.
  • Central Florida: Three-star wide receiver Justin McGriff from Jefferson (Tampa), who is ranked No. 133 at the position.
  • Stanford: Three-star wide receiver Devin Carter from Clancy (N.C.), who is ranked No. 173 at the position.

 


La. high school QB shot and killed days before graduation

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A Louisiana high school quarterback was shot and killed days before graduation, according to multiple reports.

Bryant Lee, 18, from McKinley High (Baton Rouge) was among three people shot early Saturday, according to McKinley coach Ken Hilton. The two other victims suffered minor injuries, officials said.

The shooting occurred at a graduation party not far from Lee’s home at about 2 a.m. Saturday.

Lee was shot once in the head, a police department spokesman told The Advocate. Lee also had also been shot in the leg several months ago in a drive-by shooting while he was standing out his house.

His family told WBRZ that he was an innocent bystander in both incidents.

“This was not a young man who was in and out of trouble or some gang thing,” Hilton told The Advocate. “It was a kid who in my eyes was a good kid. Everything he said was ‘no, sir’ or ‘yes, sir’ and shook your hand. …

“He had that it factor where he could rally the kids and lead the group. He led by example. He never missed a workout.”

Lee transferred from Scotlandville High before his sophomore year and was the McKinley starter last fall.

Hilton said Lee had a 3.5 grade point average and was set to graduate Wednesday. He planned to attend Southern University and hoped to walk on the football team, Hilton said.

Herman Brister, the principal of McKinley High, released a statement:

The entire faculty and staff at McKinley Senior High School wish to express our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Bryant Lee. Bryant was an 18-year old dedicated scholar who put his academics above his job as the leader of our football team. Bryant transferred to McKinley High School from Scotlandville his sophomore year, and joined the Panther football team as quarterback.

Students and teachers alike will remember Bryant as intelligent, hard-working, focused, fun-loving and as having a great sense of humor. As a student he was concerned about his grades, as an athlete he played tough and gave it all he had. One of the characteristics coaches loved about him is that he was coachable. He was respected by his coaches and teammates.

It is hard to gauge the impact a young man like Bryant may have had in this world had he fulfilled his plans to attend college and carried his great attitude with him into his future endeavors. As we strive to complete the 2016-2017 school year, we at McKinley High School will give our students and teachers support in dealing with the tragic death of Bryant Lee, and will focus on encouraging our students to live in a way that honors his memory.

 

 

Prolific California QB Jalen Chatman commits to Rutgers

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Rutgers has landed prolific California quarterback Jalen Chatman. He announced his commitment on social media.

Chatman from Narbonne High School (Harbor City) visited Rutgers over the weekend. Chatman reportedly also has been offered by Tulane, Navy, Army and several FCS programs.

Chatman put up big-time numbers last season with nearly 4,000 passing yards and 52 touchdowns. He also ran for more than 600 yards with six scores.

Chatman would join a quarterback room that figures to include incoming 2017 freshman Johnathan Lewis of St. Peter’s Prep and Gio Rescigno, a rising junior who enters training camp as the incumbent starter.

Contributing: MyCentralJersey.com

Wando (S.C.) retains No. 1 spot in Super 25 boys spring soccer

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Wando celebrates against JL Mann (Photo: Bart Boatwright, Greenville News)

Wando (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) retained the top spot in the USA TODAY Sports/National Socer Coaches Association of America Super 25 for boys spring soccer by winning the South Carolina Class AAAAA title.

Wando downed JL Mann (Greenville) 1-0 on a goal by Charlie Marino in the 69th minute to clinch the seventh boys state title in school history.

RELATED: Full Super 25 boys spring soccer rankings

The Patriots finished the season at 27-0 shut out their final 11 opponents, including the five teams they beat in the playoffs.

The No. 1 spot was among the few that remained unchanged from the previous Super 25.

McIntosh (Peachtree Ridge, Ga.) moved from No. 4 to No. 2 after winning the Georgia state AAAAA title with a 2-1 victory against Clarkson. McIntosh finishes the season at 22-1-0. Despite the loss, Clarkston jumped to No. 5.

Houston (Germantown, Tenn.) moved up from No. 5 to No. 3 as the postseason continues in Tennessee.

Archbishop Murphy (Everett, Wash.) jumped from No. 8 to No. 4 as it heads into a matchup with Grandview on Tuesday in the Round of 16 of the state tournament.

Berea (S.C.), which received votes in the previous Super 25, leaps in at No. 6 as the school won its first state title, beating Blufton 3-2. Berea finished at 21-0.

Also new to the rankings, No. 9 Westminster Schools (Atlanta), No. 10 Chattahoochee (Johns Creek, Ga.), No. 11 Prairie (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), No. 12 Cardinal Newman (Columbia, S.C.), No. 14 Gainesville (Ga.), No. 18 Southeast Whitfield (Dalton, Ga.), No. 19 Creighton Prep (Omaha), No. 20 Stillwater (Okla.), No. 22 Meadowcreek (Norcross, Ga.) and No. 23 Bishop Kelly (Tulsa).

What a week! Texas softball pitcher throws two no-hitters, perfect game and one-hitter

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As far as a span of nine days go, it might be hard to top what softball pitcher Hannah Mayo pulled off for Carroll High in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Friday, May 6: No-hitter over five innings with nine strikeouts.

Saturday, May 7: Perfect game over five innings with 11 strikeouts.

Friday: May 13: No-hitter over seven innings with 15 strikeouts.

Saturday, May 14: One-hitter over seven innings with 14 strikeouts, including the 1,000th strikeout of her career.

Carroll outscored Edouch-Elsa 27-0 and Mercedes 6-1 in sweeping both Class 5A playoff series. Carroll opens a regional semifinal series this week.

Mayo, a Texas A&M signee, has now struck out 358 batters in 205.2 innings this season and has a 0.65 ERA. She is 31-3 with 18 shutouts.

Battlefield (Va.), Notre Dame de Sion (Mo.) remain 1-2 in Super 25 spring girls soccer

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Battlefield (Haymarket, Va.) and Notre Dame de Sion (Kansas City) retained the top two spots in the USA TODAY Sports/National Soccer Coaches Association of America Super 25 for spring girls soccer.

Battlefield moved to 16-0 and Notre Dame de Sion moved to 18-0, with the playoffs beginning this week in Missouri.

RELATED: Full Super 25 girls spring soccer rankings

Barrington (Ill.) moved from No. 4 to No. 3, followed by big mover JL Mann (Greenville, S.C.), which jumped from No. 14 to No. 4 after winning the Class AAAAA state championship with a 2-1 victory against Wando (Mount Pleasant) on penalty kicks.

It was Mann’s second state title in the past three years and their fifth straight trip to the championship match. Mann played the second half and overtime shorthanded after an ejection following a scuffle with four minutes remaining in the first half.

Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) moved from No. 10 to No. 5. The team is 16-1-0 and heading to the state quarterfinals this week against Mullen (Denver).

Webster Groves (Mo.) is the highest-ranked newcomer at No. 8. Other newcomers are: No. 11 Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.), No. 14 Grandview (Aurora, Colo.), No. 16 Blue Valley West (Overland Park, Kan.), No. 18 McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.), No. 19 Canton (Mich.), No. 20 Marian (Omaha), No. 24 Incarnate Word (St. Louis) and No. 25 Lambert (Suwanee, Ga.).

Contributing: Greenville News

Who are lottery picks if there were a high school basketball draft?

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The NBA Draft Lottery is Tuesday night with 14 teams vying for the No. 1 overall pick. That got USA TODAY High School Sports wondering about the top players in high school basketball, regardless of class and what if they were eligible to be drafted.

Who would be lottery picks? Here is one view of the top 14:

Top-ranked outside linebacker Dallas Gant commits to Ohio State

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Ohio State has gotten a commitment from the No. 2 prospect in the state when Dallas Gant announced his intentions Tuesday during a ceremony at his school, St. John’s (Toledo).

Gant, ranked as the No. 1 outside linebacker in the nation by 247Sports, opted to make his commitment on his birthday. Top 247 has him as the No. 2 player in Ohio and No. 23 player in the class.

Gant said he was leaning toward Ohio State after visiting campus during a junior day in February.

Gant, listed at 6-4 and 215 pounds, had 23 reported offers and chose the Buckeyes over finalists Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame and Penn State.

“They obviously have great players in the football program,” Gant told 247Sports. “I’m excited to get in and compete with all of them. They all have great skills and a great work ethic and hopefully I can get in there, compete and we can keep on winning.”

Gant was a varsity starter by the end of his freshman season and never looked back.

If he signs with Ohio State, he would be the first player from a Toledo high school to sign with the Buckeyes since Jayme Thompson from Central Catholic in 2013.

 


Texas baseball star in pursuit of national record for walks in a season

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Canaan Smith has walked a lot this season – 53 bases on balls in 38 games.

As noted by The Dallas Morning News, the Rockwall-Heath (Rockwall, Texas) star could set a national record if the team continues to advance in the 6A state playoffs. The team begins a series with The Woodlands on Thursday.

The national record is 72, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations record book, and was set by Jeff Clement of Marshalltown (Iowa) in 2002.

He is four walks away from cracking the top 10 even if he doesn’t end up with the record. It might be a long shot to get to 72, given the potential number of games remaining.

Smith was walking at a higher clip than Barry Bonds was when Bonds set the major league record for walks in a season with 232 in 147 games.

“Time will tell, but if I get the record, it would be cool,” Smith, an Arkansas signee, told USA TODAY High School Sports.

All the walks have not prevented him from putting up good numbers for his team at the plate.

“Of course, I want to hit and score runs for my team,” he said, “but winning is the most important thing so if I walk four times and we win, that is a great day.”

Smith said his “consistent hitting since my freshman year has gained the respect from opponents” and that has put him in a situation where he sees fewer good pitches to hit.

The challenge: Not get frustrated at the plate and chase bad pitches.

“At times I haven’t remained disciplined,” he said. “It has been difficult. It is something I think about weekly, to remain patient. I know teams are trying to pitch around me.

“I feel like I have matured this season in choosing the right pitches to swing at. My reward for that is having only six strikeouts this year.”

What 'The Freak' Owen Pappoe tells schools that didn't make his Top 10

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Owen Pappoe was dubbed “The Freak” early in his football career.

Before he even played a varsity football game for Grayson (Loganville, Ga.), he had a dozen college offers from schools such as Florida State, Georgia, Florida and others.

Last summer, he became the first sophomore-to-be to get invited to The Opening Finals in Oregon; he already has earned his invitation for this summer and could potentially become the first three-time Opening finalist. He often has been the youngest player invited to camps and on unofficial visits.

Most recruiting sites have not ranked Class of 2019 prospects yet, but 247Sports has Pappoe as the No. 1 outside linebacker and the No. 4 player overall.

The recruiting process has been accelerated for him.

With that, the Class of 2019 outside linebacker announced his top 10 this week, with six schools from the Southeastern Conference making the cut —  Florida, Tennessee, LSU, Georgia, Alabama and Auburn. He also has Ohio State, Clemson, Florida State and  Nebraska.

“It was cool watching how everyone reacted to it,” Pappoe told USA TODAY High School Sports about the response since he released the top 10. “Everyone was excited for me.”

And for him, “It is a sense of relief for me.”

Given that he can’t sign a letter of intent until December 2018 under the new early signing period, there is plenty of time for his mind to change between now and then. But he said, a few coaches were already trying to change his mind when they saw that their schools were not in the top 10.

“I told them that my recruitment is closed off completely,” Pappoe said. “Those are just the 10 schools that stand out to me and if they feel like theirs would be better for me then they’re going to have to show me.”

Why you should know Centennial (Calif.) wide receiver Gary Bryant

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Even before Centennial (Corona, Calif.) had its Huskies Spring Showcase last Thursday, football observers in Southern California had Class of 2020 wide receiver Gary Bryant as a player to watch.

Much of that buzz came from his big plays and natural route running ability shown in 7-on-7 events dating back to his seventh grade year.

Then, Bryant showed up during the event, and everyone else saw why. That included college coaches.

Bryant received five offers in the hours after the showcase – BYU, Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon and Utah.

“It was a blessing to get all of the offers in one night,” Bryant told USA TODAY High School Sports. “Schools see a very humble athlete in me and a very explosive slot receiver who can get yards after the catch.”

Bryant still has three years to develop and he will get opportunities as Centennial is always among the highest scoring teams in Southern California and the nation. The Huskies posted 699 points as they finished 11-2 and No. 12 in the final Super 25.

Bryant acknowledged that he hoped his spring performance would spur offers.

“I was most definitely hoping to get offered that night,” Bryant said. “My parents were telling me to take every rep like it my last. I just wanted every coach to see my talent and what I can do.”

Bryant said his summer plans for now include visits to Oregon, Utah, UCLA, BYU and Cal, although he figures to add offers and could add camps and other visits.

“I’m just very humbled and blessed (by all the attention),” he said.

Haley Jones, No. 6 in Class of 2019, is all about drive

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Haley Jones has all the characteristics of an elite basketball player – size at 6-1, quickness, versatility to play all five positions and high energy.

Having parents who were both basketball coaches, meaning a chance to spend hours in the gym, didn’t hurt. And neither does her size 12 feet.

Jones is currently ranked No. 6 in the espnW HoopGurlz Terrific 25 for the Class of 2019.

Despite all that, Jones comes back to one theme when the conversation turns to her basketball development.

On rankings: “Player rankings are a nice acknowledgement but I don’t let them affect my drive one way or the other. I am focusing on the process of getting better each day and to be my very best.”

On her individual goal for the Cal Stars this summer in the Girls Nike EYBL: “Win my individual matchup every time I step on the floor.”

On how being a top player makes her more of a target for other players to try to make a name off: “A target? No. I am driven by my desire to get better. And the better the competition the greater the opportunity to get better.”

Those opportunities have come by playing for Mitty, one of the top girls basketball programs in the nation. Mitty finished the season at 28-3 and ranked No. 9 in the final Super 25 after losing to Clovis West in the CIF Open Division title game.

During the summer, she plays for the Cal Stars, the 2015 EYBL champion.

The Stars went 4-0 during the recent EYBL stop in Hampton, Va.

“Playing on the Cal Stars EYBL team is a tremendous opportunity to play on a great team with very talented teammates,” she said. “It’s both fun and challenging because of the great competition we get every time we step on the floor.”

Next up before EYBL resumes in early July are tryouts for the USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team from May 26-29 in Colorado Springs.

“There is no greater honor than to suit up for your country,” she said.

Amid all this, of course, is recruiting. Jones has heard from virtually every top program in the nation already and those conversations will continue.

Only a sophomore, she is still growing and still has plenty of time to continue to develop.

“My college recruitment is going really well,” she said. “I am grateful for the many opportunities to play at the next level. I am focusing on getting to know certain coaching staffs and do my research on their respective basketball programs.”

Study: Which high schools are best for athletes in America?

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A new study has ranked the best public high schools for athletes in the United States.

According to Niche.com — which conducted the study as part of its annual series of studies about education — the results are based on student and parent reviews of athletics (50%), student participation in athletics (20% total with 10% girls and 10% boys), the number of sports offered at the school (10%) and expenses per school (10%).

RELATED: How to choose the best high school for your recruiting

Based on the methodology, results show four of the top six schools are in Illinois. A spokeswoman for Niche said that Illinois schools tend to have a high rate of expense per student that leads to more sports being offered and more students participating.

Below are the top 50 schools:

1. Adlai Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Ill.)

2. Glenbrook South (Glenbrook, Ill.)

3. Glenbrook North (Glenbrook, Ill.)

4. Pascack Valley (Hillsdale, N.J.)

5. Garden City (N.Y.)

6. Homewood-Flossmoor (Flossmoor, Ill.)

7. Saline (Mich.)

8. Fairfield Warde (Conn.)

9. Minnetonka (Minn.)

10. Glastonbury (Conn.)

11. Libertyville (Ill.)

12. Hinsdale Central (Ill.)

13. George W. Hewlett (N.Y.)

14. Cambridge Rindge and Latin (Mass.)

15. North Rockland (Thiells, N.Y.)

16. Grosse Pointe South (Mich.)

17. Arrowhead (Heartland, Wisc.)

18. Lincoln Way West (New Lenox, Ill.)

19. Southern Regional (Manahawkin, N.J.)

20. Lower Merion (Ardmore, Pa.)

21. Lake Forest (Ill.)

22. North Allegheny (Wexford, Pa.)

23. Edina (Minn.)

24. Hartland (Mich.)

25. River Hill (Clarksville, Md.)

26. Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.)

27. Massapequa (N.Y.)

28. Penfield (N.Y.)

29. Essex (Essex Junction, Vt.)

30. Bay Shore (N.Y.)

31. Souhegan (Amherst, N.H.)

32. Manhasset (N.Y.)

33. Commack (N.Y.)

34. Mount Hebron (Ellicott City, Md.)

35. Simsbury (Conn.)

36. Cary-Grove (Ill.)

37. Staples (Westport, Conn.)

38. Wilton (Conn.)

39. Suffern (N.Y.)

40. East Grand Rapids (Mich.)

41. River Dell (Oradell, N.J.)

42. Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.)

43. New Hartford (N.Y.)

44. Pelham (N.Y.)

45. Wayne Hills (N.J.)

46. Wyomissing (Pa.)

47. Eastridge (Rochester, N.Y.)

48. Montclair (N.J.)

49. Hanover (N.H.)

50. Oyster Bay (N.Y.)

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