Gary Trent Jr at the U16 World Championships (Photo: USA Basketball)

The package deal. It’s not a new thing, but it’s becoming a more prevalent thing, at least when elite basketball prospects talk about their plans. We recently provided insight from top players on this topic.

In his blog for USA TODAY High School Sports in June, Gary Trent Jr. from Apple Valley, Minn., said that he and big man Wendell Carter Jr. from Pace Academy in Atlanta had conversations about going to college together during their time with Team USA this summer.

Trent is No. 8 in the ESPN60 for the Class of 2017 and Carter is No. 4.

I’m gonna go ahead and tell you guys that me and Wendell Carter are talking pretty seriously about playing together in college. I know a lot of guys talk about it, but we’re pretty serious about it. We first started talking about it while taking ice baths at USA. We’ve told a few coaches that we want to play together too; I think it’s closer to being 100 percent than not.

At the Big Strick Classic ins New York on Saturday night, Trent told ZagsBlog.com that he and Carter will be taking at least some college visits together in the fall. But, as Trent pointed out, great players always want to go to college with other great players.

Trent said Duke, Kentucky and Ohio State were recruiting him the hardest. He also recently visited UCLA.

“We can see what universities are like and about and as we build relationships with the coaches and will it be the best fit for both of us,” Trent told ZagsBlog.com. “We’ll talk here and there, either text message or Snapchat, just little things like that.

“I would love to go to school with a lot of great players because I want to have success in college, so at the end of the day when you choose a school you are going to look into where certain kids are going to certain universities and who you can team up with, so it would be great.”

Devonta Smith from Amite, La., has committed to Georgia (Photo: 247 Sports)

Devonta Smith, a four-star multipurpose athlete from Louisiana, has committed to Georgia, according to 247Sports.

Smith from Amite, La., is ranked as the No. 17 athlete by the 247Sports Composite and the No. 7 athlete by 247 Sports. The site also had him ranked as the No. 54 player nationally, although the national composite has him ranked at No. 172.

“I love Georgia, they have family environment,” Smith told 247Sports. “I have a bond with the coaching staff and I really like the academics!”

That bond concerns Georgia director of player personnel Sam Pettito, a former Amite player and coach.

A lanky, 6-1 and 155 pounds, Smith picked Georgia over SEC rivals Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss.

Rodney Miller, a 6-11 post player in the Class of 2016 has committed to the University of Miami (Fla.), he announced on Twitter.

Miller, who attends Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), had a number of other offers including UConn and Wake Forest, but opted to become the first member of the Hurricanes’ 2016 recruiting class.

Miller, a four-star prospect ranked in the top 100 by Rivals.com, is from Queens and played his AAU ball with the NY Lightning.

John Lucas (Photo: H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY Sports)

In a lifetime in basketball, John Lucas has always been blunt and not afraid to share his opinions.

The former NBA player and coach who has excelled in working with players with addiction issues runs camps and clinics for a number of age levels around the country. His “lab” — as he called it on Twitter — on Tuesday had 66 players, although Lucas noted that some would get “weeded out” because they could not handle the physical demands or be able to follow directions.

Then Lucas hit on his advice for AAU players:

Lucas touched on some other topics, including the quality of the Class of 2022 among Texas basketball players, before he added another on AAU and more:

Here are the season openers for the teams ranked in the preseason Super 25 for football. Note that No. 3 Miami Central and No. 20 Chandler (Ariz.) are listed twice because each has its own season opener and then is playing the season opener for another ranked team.

RELATED: Meet the Super 25 Prseason Football Teams

POLL: Which season opener are you most looking forward to?

Aug. 20

Hermitage (Va.) at No. 17 Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, Va.)

No. 20 Chandler (Ariz.) at Pinnacle (Phoenix)

Carthage at No. 21 Webb City (Mo.)

Aug. 21

No. 3 Miami Central at Royal Palm Beach

Timberview (Arlington, Texas) at No. 9 Cedar Hill (Texas)

No. 12 Archer (Lawrenceville, Ga.) vs. North Paulding (Dallas, Ga.)

Aug. 22

American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) at No. 2 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

No. 16 Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) vs. North Gwinnett (Suwannee, Ga.)

No. 18 Clay Chalkville (Pinson, Ala.) at Blackman (Mufreesboro, Tenn.)

Aug. 23

No. 23 South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) at Clinton (Miss.)

Aug. 28

Booker T. Washington (Miami) at No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Salt Lake City East at No. 7 Centennial (Corona, Calif.)

Guyer (Denton, Texas) at No. 11 Allen (Texas)

No. 13 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) at La Mirada (Calif.)

No. 14 Cocoa (Fla.) at Palm Bay (Melbourne, Fla.)

Westfield (Houston) at No. 22 Manvel (Texas)

No. 24 Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.) at Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.) at No. 25 Flanagan (Pembroke Pines, Fla.)

Aug. 29

No. 1 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) vs. Euless (Texas) Trinity

No. 20 Chandler (Ariz.) at No. 4 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

No. 3 Miami Central vs. No. 6 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)

Arlington (Texas) Martin at No. 8 DeSoto (Texas)

No. 10 Colerain (Cincinnati) at Warren Central (Indianapolis)

No. 19 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) at Gilman (Baltimore)

Sept. 4

Eastern Christian (Elkton, Md.) at No. 15 Paramus (N.J.) Catholic

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America and USA TODAY High School Sports have teamed up to produce and promote the USA TODAY/NSCAA Super 25 for boys’ and girls’ teams.

To kick off this partnership, USA TODAY and the NSCAA have released the Super 25 Preseason Rankings for the fall. This is the first time the NSCAA has done a preseason poll of high school teams. Regular season rankings for the fall-competing teams will begin Sept. 1; winter and spring team rankings will be available starting Jan. 5 and March 22, respectively.

“We’re pleased to be able to partner with a respected news outlet like USA TODAY to provide our regional and national rankings for soccer fans to see,” Lynn Berling-Manuel, NSCAA CEO said. “We believe this partnership will be mutually beneficial and will help further promote high school soccer on a national scale.”

Josh Barnett, director of content for USA TODAY High School Sports, added: “We are excited to begin this partnership with the NSCAA and to be adding boys and girls soccer to the Super 25 rankings. The NSCAA rankings have been recognized as the best available and come from devoted coaches nationwide working to help athletes excel. As participation continues to grow in high school soccer and the game’s popularity remains on the rise, soccer’s inclusion is overdue in the Super 25.”

With this partnership, USA TODAY adds two sports to its Super 25 rankings program. Super 25 now provides rankings for 10 high school sports (five boys and five girls), growing from four sports two years ago. The Super 25 rankings date back 30 years and hold a significant place in USA TODAY Sports’ history.

To view these weekly rankings, fans can go to either NSCAA.com or USATODAYhss.com.

About USA Today High School Sports

USA TODAY High School Sports is the leading destination for high school sports news and information, providing nationwide coverage and aligning locally with USA TODAY Sports and Gannett properties in various markets across the country. USATHSS is home to the Super 25 national rankings and the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Teams for boys and girls sports, both serving for more than 30 years as the leading platforms for determining the best teams, and the best athletes, in scholastic sports. USATODAY HSS also is the official media partner for the Gatorade Athlete and Player of the Year programs.

About the NSCAA

Founded in 1941 and based in Kansas City, Mo., the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to educate coaches, encourage excellence and serve the soccer community. The NSCAA is the world’s largest soccer coaches’ organization with members at every level of the game. The membership is primarily made up of coaches, but also includes administrators, referees and others in the soccer industry. The NSCAA provides its members ways to enhance the game of soccer by providing a national education program, interaction and networking opportunities, and membership benefits.

Air Academy of Colorado Springs was the highest-scoring boys soccer team in Colorado last season and one of the stingiest defensively anywhere. The result was a 20-0 record, a second 4A state title in four years and a No. 1 national ranking.

Building on that success, the Kadets enter the 2015-16 season as the No. 1 team in the debut of the USA TODAY High School Sports/National Soccer Coaches Association of America Super 25 in boys soccer. This is the first time the NSCAA has done preseason rankings and the first outgrowth of a partnership between USA TODAY and the NSCAA announced Tuesday.

Weekly regular season national and regional rankings begin Sept. 1.

RANKINGS: See the complete preseason rankings in boys soccer

Air Academy posted 102 goals and allowed only five goals all season and at one point, the margin was 71-2. An opponent didn’t score until the sixth game of the season. The program also recently finished second in fan voting in the USA TODAY HSS Best 2014-15 Team contest, which covered national champions across sports.

The No. 2 spot in the preseason rankings belongs to St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.), which is coming off a 19-1 season and returns 18 players (nine starters). The program has won 26 consecutive state titles, the most recent coming with a 1-0 victory against Peddie in the Prep A final.

RELATED: More on the partnership between USA TODAY HSS and NSCAA

Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) comes in at No. 3 after an unbeaten 21-0-2 season followed by Ohio large school champion St. Ignatius (Cleveland) and Kansas 6A champion Olathe East to round out the top five.

The top 13 teams come from 13 different states and 16 states are represented in all. Among the top 25, three teams are from Ohio, three from Massachusetts and three from New York and two each from New Jersey, Kansas and California.

Immaculate Heart’s victory against Holy Cross capped a perfect season (Photo: Jodi Samsel, Courier-Post)

Cracking the debut edition of the USA TODAY High School Sports/National Soccer Coaches Association of America Super 25 in girls soccer wasn’t easy. Consider that the top 12 teams in the preseason rankings finished with a combined ONE loss last season.

The team at the top of the heap, though, is Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.). Winners of the Non-Public A section title and also a state title, the Blue Eagles finished 22-0. Despite some key losses to graduation, the program remains strong and that extends beyond the varsity. The JV team was 14-1-1 and the freshman team went 12-0.

This is the first time the NSCAA has done preseason rankings and the initial outgrowth of a partnership between USA TODAY and the NSCAA announced Tuesday. Weekly regular season national and regional rankings begin Sept. 1.

RANKINGS: See the complete preseason rankings in girls soccer

The McDongh School (Owings Mills, Md.) begins the season at No. 2 in the rankings after a 16-0 mark last season but faces No. 1 Immaculate Heart in September. The team is led by North Carolina commit Bridgette Andrzejewski.

Maria Carillo (Santa Rosa, Calif.) is No. 3 but will get to stake its claim to No. 1 with a visit to New Jersey to face Immaculate Heart on Sept. 4. The Pumas enter the season on a 72-game unbeaten streak.

Eagan, a state champion in Minnesota with a 21-0-1 mark, and Somers (Lincolndale, N.Y.), the state Class A champion, round out the top 5.

RELATED: More on the partnership between USA TODAY HSS and NSCAA

Eighteen states are represented in the preseason poll with four teams from New York, three from New Jersey and two each from Tennessee and Ohio.

Saivion Smith, the nation’s No. 1 cornerback recruit, was on the field Tuesday during IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) practice.

Questions were raised last week when the LSU commit did not take part in IMG’s media day or practice that reporters attended. He was held out of early practices while he finished summer academic obligations.

Smith transferred to IMG from Lakewood (Fla.) in the summer of 2014.

As would be expected for Day 1, Smith’s participation was limited.

IMG, ranked No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports Preseason Super 25, starts its official season earlier than most Florida schools because its Aug. 22 game against American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) is being allowed to count in the standings. Both teams only have 10 games on their schedules, opening the way for their matchup to count as No. 11.

Eastern’s Mackenzie Keegan (Photo: Scott Anderson, Courier-Post)

Eastern High in Voorhees, N.J., the most dominant team in high school field hockey for more than a decade, is the obvious choice to occupy the top spot in the debut of the USA TODAY High School Sports/MAXFieldHockey.com Preseason Super 25 for the 2015 season.

Eastern finished 27-0 last season and was the New Jersey Tournament of Champions for the third consecutive year. The team outscored its opponent 321-14 and won its 16th consecutive Group IV championship.

RELATED: Complete preseason Super 25 field hockey rankings

Despite graduating nation’s career leading scorer Austyn Cuneo, coach Danyle Heilig returns tons of talent, including senior midfielder and Penn State commit Madison Morano, Rutgers commits Allana Gollotto and Nikki Santore and junior Mackenzie Keegan. Morano and Keegan played on the U.S. U19 national team this summer.

Palmyra, the Pennsylvania AAA state co-champions are No. 2. Coming off a 23-2-1 season, Palmyra graduated team leader Katie Dembrowski, a Penn State signee and first-team All-American but has upperclass talent returning led by Dembrowski’s sister, Jess. Jess, a junior midfielder, is a UConn commit. In its first season in AAA, Palmyra was district runner-up to Lower Dauphin and crowned state co-champion with Penn Manor.

MORE: Details on the partnership between MAXFieldHockey.com and USA TODAY High School Sports

Frank W. Cox High in Alexandria, Va., enters the season at No. 3 after winning the 6A state championship. Despite the loss of midfielder Emma Haupt (University of Virginia), the team returns a number of young players and should again be a force.

Division II state champion Watertown (Mass.) did not allow a goal last season and checks in at No. 4. The school graduated a special senior class that won four consecutive championships (the program’s sixth straight overall) and never lost a game. That group includes Boston Globe Players of the Year Alexandra Doggett (Boston U.) and Emily Loprete (Holy Cross).

RELATED: Super 25 Preseason Regional Rankings

Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, Pa., rounds out the top five. The Inter-Ac League champions were 26-1-0 last season.

Among the top 25, 13 states are represented, led by Pennsylvania with four and New Jersey, New York and Virginia with three apiece.

For more high school field hockey coverage and preseason team and player features, visit MAXFieldHockey.com

USA TODAY High School Sports and MAXFieldHockey.com have formed a partnership for Super 25 rankings for field hockey this season. The preseason national Super 25 and regional rankings will be unveiled Wednesday, Aug. 12 with weekly rankings during the season.

RELATED: Complete preseason Super 25 field hockey rankings

MAXFieldHockey.com is the most comprehensive and fastest growing website focused on field hockey. Launched in mid-2014, the site was created to fill the need for a central source of reliable and updated field hockey information at all levels for youth, club, high school, college, at the national level and beyond.

As part of High School Central, MAXFieldHockey.com provides team and player features, schedules, a database of college commitments with more than 600 players, and an expansive list of camps, clinics and events. In July, the company released MAX Field Hockey U, a college research and management tool designed for high school players interested in playing in college. The company also has a MAX Field Hockey mobile app that is free and available for Apple and Android.

“We are incredibly excited to enter into a partnership with USA TODAY,” said Stephanie Maychack, president of MAX Field Hockey. “The national platform and media reach USA TODAY provides is second to none. The sport of field hockey is currently very regional with the majority of it being played in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic with some pockets throughout the Midwest and West. This relationship with USA TODAY will expose other areas of the country to this growing sport.”

The addition of field hockey increases the Super 25 program to 10 sports (five boys and five girls) to start the 2015-16 academic year and reflects growth from a total of four sports two years ago.

“We are thrilled to welcome field hockey to the Super 25 family,” said Josh Barnett, director of content for USA TODAY High School Sports. “The amount of work and dedication that Stephanie and Larry Dukes have put in to start the MAX Field Hockey brand is impressive and the trajectory for the site’s growth is clear.

“More than 70,000 girls play high school field hockey and many colleges are adding the sport. We feel this is the right time to add field hockey to the Super 25 and we look forward to working with the MAX Field Hockey team.”

USA TODAY High School Sports is the leading destination for high school sports news and information, providing nationwide coverage and aligning locally with USA TODAY Sports and Gannett properties in markets across the country. USATHSS is home to the Super 25 national rankings and the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Teams for boys and girls sports, both serving for more than 30 years as the leading platforms for determining the best teams, and the best athletes, in scholastic sports.

Watertown High School
(Photo: MAX Field Hockey)

The USA TODAY High School Sports/MAXFieldHockey.com Super 25 preseason regional field hockey rankings are provided by MAXFieldHockey.com. Rankings are based on 2014 results and also factor in key players who have graduated, impact players returning and historical strength.

MORE: Super 25 national preseason rankings

MORE: USA TODAY High School Sports and MAXFieldHockey.com announce partnership

NEW ENGLAND REGION (Maine, N.H., Vt.)

1. Watertown (Mass.), 23-0
2. Acton-Boxborough (Acton, Mass.), 22-0-1
3. Scarborough (Maine), 16-2
4. St. Mark’s (Southborough, Mass.), 19-0-1
5. Skowhegan Area (Maine), 15-3
6. Andover (Mass.), 19-2-1
7. Winnacunnet (Hampton, N.H.), 15-2
8. Nashoba (Bolton, Mass.), 20-2-1
9. Essex (Essex Junction, Vt.), 15-0-1
10. Longmeadow (Mass.), 16-2-3

Honorable mention

Dover-Sherborn (Dover, Mass.)
Pinkerton Academy (Derry, N.H.)
Rice Memorial (South Burlington, Vt.)
The Governor’s Academy (Byfield, Mass.)
Walpole (Mass.)

NORTHEAST REGION (Conn., N.Y., R.I.)

Lakeland High School (Photo: MAX Field Hockey)

1. Lakeland (Shrub Oak, N.Y.), 22-0
2. Mamaroneck (N.Y.), 20-1
3. Darien (Conn.), 16-5-1
4. Sachem East (Farmingville, N.Y.), 20-1
5. Glastonbury (Conn.), 18-0-2
6. Hotchkiss (Lakeville, Conn.), 16-0-1
7. Daniel Hand (Madison, Conn.), 17-2-1
8. Wilton (Conn.), 17-4-1
9. Moses Brown (Providence, R.I.), 18-2
10. Garden City (N.Y.), 17-2

Honorable Mention

Barrington (R.I.)
Kingston (N.Y.)
Rye (N.Y.)
Simsbury (Conn.)

PA./N.J. REGION (Pa., N.J.)

Eastern Regional High School
(Photo: MAX Field Hockey)

1. Eastern Regional (Voorhees Township, N.J.), 27-0
2. Palmyra (Pa.), 23-2-1
3. Episcopal (Newtown Square, Pa.), 26-1
4. Oak Knoll (Summit, N.J.), 24-2
5. Penn Manor (Millersville, Pa.), 24-4-1
6. Lower Dauphin (Hummelstown, Pa.), 24-2
7. Rumson-Fair Haven (Rumson, N.J.), 24-1-2
8. Bridgewater-Raritan (Bridgewater, N.J.), 23-3
9. Crestwood (Mountain Top, Pa.), 23-1-1
10. Emmaus (Pa.), 24-2-1

Honorable Mention

Madison (N.J.)
Unionville (Kennett Square, Pa.)
Villa Maria Academy (Malvern, Pa.)
Warren Hills (Washington, N.J.)
West Essex (North Caldwell, N.J.)

MID-ATLANTIC REGION (Md., D.C., Del., N.C., S.C., Va.)

Cape Henlopen (Photo: William Bretzger, The News Journal)

1. Frank W. Cox (Virginia Beach, Va.), 21-2
2. First Colonial (Virginia Beach, Va.), 20-3
3. Cape Henlopen (Lewes, Del.), 15-0
4. Severna Park (Md.), 16-2
5. Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, Va.), 21-1-1
6. Norfolk Academy (Va.), 14-5-1
7. Trinity Episcopal (Richmond, Va.), 21-2
8. East Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, N.C.),  18-2
9. Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.), 14-3
10. McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.), 14-0-2

Honorable Mention

Charlotte Country Day School (N.C.)
Durham Academy (N.C.)
Garrison Forest (Owings Mills, Md.)
St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Alexandria, Va.)

WEST/MIDWEST REGION (Calif., Ill., Ind., Ky., Mo., Okla., Texas)

MICDS Field Hockey
(Photo: MAX Field Hockey)

1. Mary Institute and Country Day School (St. Louis), 24-1
2. Los Gatos (Calif.), 18-0
3. Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), 22-3-1
4. Serra (San Diego), 26-1
5. New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.), 22-2-1
6. Colorado Academy (Denver), 17-0
7. Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.), 25-3-2
8. Pioneer (Ann Arbor, Mich.), 16-0-4
9. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 16-2-1
10. Columbus Academy (Ohio), 17-3-1

Honorable Mention

Ann Arbor, Skyline (Mich.)
Cor Jesu Academy, (St. Louis)
Hockaday  (Dallas)
Kinkaid (Houston)
Lake Forest (Ill.)
Scripps Ranch (San Diego)
University School of Milwaukee (Wis.)

Twelve of the nation’s top basketball recruits — five from the Class of 2016 and seven from the Class of 2017 — are heading to the Bahamas next week to play on a Nike EYBL Select Team.

The team will have two days of practice led by Miles Simon on Aug. 20-21 and then play a Bahamian Select Team on Aug. 22.

Among them are two of the top players in the Class of 2016 — Harry Giles III from Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)  and Jayson Tatum from Chaminade College Prep in St. Louis.

RELATED: Elite 24 names rosters 

As we’ve chronicled, the timing of the event is a shot across the bow of Under Armour, which had hoped to have several of the players take part in the 10th anniversary of its Elite 24 event on the same weekend in New York City. Both Giles and Tatum were scheduled for the Elite 24 and were replaced with other players.

Interestingly, only two of the players on the EYBL Select Team have announced their college commitments, Tatum to Duke and Isaac to Florida State. Given all the talk of package deals, including ones involving Giles and Tatum, Wendell Carter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr., and Michael Porter Jr. and Trae Young, the five days in the Bahamas provide some bonding time.

Here is a look at the roster announced Wednesday by Nike:

EYBL Select Team Roster

Mohamed Bamba, Westtown School (Newtown, Pa.), 2017
Miles Bridges, Huntington (WVa.) Prep, 2016
Wendell Carter Jr., Pace Academy (Atlanta), 2017
De’Aaron Fox, Cypress Lakes (Katy, Texas), 2016
Harry Giles III, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 2016
Jonathan Isaac, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 2016
Malik Monk, Bentonville (Ark.), 2016
Michael Porter Jr., Father Tolton Catholic (Columbia, Mo.), 2017
Jayson Tatum, Chaminade College Prep (St. Louis), 2017
Gary Trent Jr., Apple Valley (Minn.), 2017
Jarred Vanderbilt, Victory Prep (Houston), 2017
Trae Young, Norman (Okla.), 2017

Johns Hopkins bound Drew Supinski. (Photo: Casey Vock, 3drising)

Drew Supinski, the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year, is among eight ALL-USA players named to the 30-player training roster for the 2016 U.S. Men’s National Under-19 Team.

The roster was trimmed to 30 after a training camp at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. The team will reconvene in November at Ohio State and eventually 23 players will be named for the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) Under-19 World Championship, July 7-16, 2016, in Coquitlam, British Columbia.

RELATED: American Family Insurance ALL-USA Boys Lacrosse Teams

Supinski, a midfielder, graduated from the Haverford School in suburban Philadelphia and is heading to John Hopkins in the fall.

He was joined on the 30-man training roster but three other ALL-USA first-team selections: defensemen Tommy Wright from Garden City (N.Y.) and Noah Lejman (Haverford) and attack Timmy Kelly from Calvert Hall (Baltimore).

Four ALL-USA second-team selections were named to the roster: attack Grant Ament (Haverford), midfielder Dox Aitken (Haverford), faceoff specialist Gerard Arceri (Smithtown East, N.Y.) and Jack Rowlett (Robinson; Fairfax, Va.).

Team USA is 41-2 in international play at the U19 level and has won the gold medal in each of the seven world championships to date. The event has been played every four years since 1988.

Attack

Grant Ament, Haverford (Pa.) 2015, Penn State
Tyler Dunn, Manhasset (N.Y.) 2015, Penn
Timmy Kelly, Calvert Hall (Md.) 2015, North Carolina
Mac O’Keefe, Syosset (N.Y.) 2016, Penn State
Alex Roesner, Loyola Blakefield (Md.) 2015, Penn
Michael Sowers, Upper Dublin (Pa.) 2016, Princeton

Midfield

Dox Aitken, Haverford (Pa.) 2016, Virginia
Jared Bernhardt, Lake Brantley (Fla.) 2016, Maryland
Ryan Conrad, Loyola Blakefield (Md.) 2015, Virginia
Bryan Costabile, Mount St. Joseph (Md.) 2016, Notre Dame
Jack Jasinski, Oak Mountain (Ala.) 2015, Ohio State
Joe Licciardi, St Anthony’s (N.Y.) 2015, Penn
Terry Lindsay, Georgetown Prep (Md.) 2016, Duke
Austin Sims, Fairfield Prep (Conn.) 2014, Princeton
Brad Smith, Mountain Lakes (N.J.) 2015, Duke
Drew Supinski, Haverford (Pa.) 2015, Johns Hopkins

Defense

Matthew Borges, Garden City (N.Y.) 2015, Ohio State
Jared Conners, Pittsford Sutherland (N.Y.) 2016, Virginia
Hugh Crance, Corona Del Mar (Calif.) 2015, Notre Dame
Patrick Foley, St. John’s Prep (Mass.) 2015, Johns Hopkins
Noah Lejman, Haverford (Pa.) 2015, Penn
Jack Rowlett, Robinson (Va.) 2015, North Carolina
Thomas Wright, Garden City (N.Y.) 2015, Penn State

Goalie

Philip Goss, Deerfield Academy (Mass.) 2016, Brown
Willie Klan, Penfield (N.Y.) 2015, Ohio State
Jack Pezzulla, Boys’ Latin (Md.) 2016, North Carolina

Faceoff

Gerard Arceri, Smithtown East (N.Y.) 2016, Penn State
Christian Feliziani, Episcopal Academy (Pa.) 2016, Ohio State
Austin Henningsen, Northport (N.Y.) 2015, Maryland
James Sullivan, Garden City (N.Y.) 2015, Harvard

USA TODAY High School Sports and High School Football America have formed a multi-level partnership to help expand coverage of high school football nationally.

As part of a content partnership, USA TODAY High School Sports (usatodayhss.com) will help supplement national coverage on High School Football America (highschoolfootballamerica.com) and High School Football America, based in Laguna Beach, Calif., will provide coverage of Southern California and the powerful Trinity League.

HSFA also will provide its signature “2 Minute Drill” podcast several times a week during the football season to USA TODAY HSS. The podcast includes interviews with key players and coaches and analysis of the news of the day. HSFA also will promote the partnership on its weekly “High School Football America Radio Show.”

The sites will create branded pages for partner content and help provide support and promotion via social media channels to drive traffic to each other.

“Growing up in Pennsylvania, back in the early 80’s it was always a big deal to have one of our own teams in the USA TODAY Super 25,” said Jeff Fisher, founder and editor in chief of High School Football America. “Now, to say we’re partners with USA TODAY High School Sports, a true pioneer and leader in the industry, is very exciting.”

“Trish Hoffman and I founded High School Football America on the philosophy of telling the story of America through the lens of high school sports,” said Fisher. “Our philosophy is in lock step with USA TODAY High School Sports Director of Content Josh Barnett. Josh, truly has a vision of how high school sports coverage should be delivered in the 21st century and we look forward to sharing our Southern California high school football content across the USA TODAY platform, which allows our company to continue to expand.”

High School Football America joins recent content partners announced by USA TODAY High School Sports such as TexasHSFootball.com and FloridaHSFootball.com with others coming in the next few weeks.

Added Barnett: “We’ve been talking to Jeff and Trish for some time and I’ve been impressed with their passion for high school football and the work they do. What they’ve built with High School Football America is fantastic and we’re looking forward to working with them. We are hoping this partnership can help expand their footprint and be a great benefit to all of us.”

About High School Football America, LLC

High School Football America (“HSFA”) is a digital company founded by award-winning journalists Jeff Fisher and Trish Hoffman. Created in 2008, High School Football America blends high-quality storytelling into today’s digital world with original content delivered across multiple platforms. Anchored by the High School Football America Radio Show, that averages 60,000 downloads per show, and the 2 Minute Drill, a daily podcast on high school football, HSFA is considered a pioneer in the area of original audio content for high school football. The Orange County Register called High School Football America’s Southern California radio show on AM 570 Fox Sports LA, “the best in Southern California in 22 years.” High School Football America’s Editor-in Chief Jeff Fisher was featured on CNBC when the financial news network talked about the big business of high school football.

About USA TODAY High School Sports

USA TODAY High School Sports is the leading destination for high school sports news and information, providing nationwide coverage and aligning locally with USA TODAY Sports and Gannett properties in various markets across the country. USATHSS is home to the Super 25 national rankings and the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Teams for boys and girls sports, both serving for more than 30 years as the leading platforms for determining the best teams, and the best athletes, in scholastic sports. USATODAY HSS also is the official media partner for the Gatorade Athlete and Player of the Year programs.

Marlon Davidson, the No. 3 player overall in the Class of 2016 according to Rivals.com, will announce his college choice Sept. 4 at his school in Greenville, Ala.

Davidson, a 6-3 279-pound strong side defensive end, is expected by most to select Auburn, which he has visited several times. Alabama and Georgia seem to be in the mix as well.

He is expected to graduate in December and enroll in college in January to take part in spring drills.

MORE: 60 for ’16 profile of Marlon Davidson

“He’s being shown a lot of attention right now,” Greenville coach Josh McClendon said. “We want him to get the most out of himself this season. We have to get him to understand that he doesn’t have to do everything by himself. I think, for him, going to college early will be more for his benefit. It will allow him to get into a balanced environment.”

Davidson spent his first two years of high school at Greenville and then transferred to Carver in Montgomery. He transferred back to Greenville for his senior year to be closer to family after his mother passed away.

Legendary Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr. is adding two brothers to his roster at St. Anthony’s (Jersey City, N.J.) — one is 6-10 and the other is 6-5.

Daniel Mading, the older and taller of the brothers, is a rising junior power forward who played at The Rock School in Gainesville, Fla., last year. His younger brother, Mariel, will be a freshman and is also transferring.

The brothers are from the Sudan and grew up in Australia. They are cousins with Thon and Matur Maker, who play at Orangeville Prep in Ontario.

Daniel Mading said he was being pursued by Arizona State — coached by Bobby Hurley — along with schools such as LSU, Florida, UConn and Kansas.

“I chose St Anthony’s because I have a good relationship with the coach, that’s where me and my family felt comfortable, and because the people there will push me both on and off the court to be at my best,” Daniel Mading told pickandroll.com this week. “St Anthony will definitely prepare me for the next level because I’m being coached under a hall of fame coach, and just the people, and players, will push me every single day to get better and play my best. I also feel like I’ll learn a lot more about basketball which will have my basketball IQ ready for the next level.”

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska will begin offering high school sports championships for disabled students competing with partners.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports the Nebraska School Activities Association will add the new championships next year.

The games, which are referred to as unified sports, allow students with disabilities to compete alongside students without disabilities.

The first championships offered will be in bowling. Then competitions in track and field, swimming and golf will follow in the 2017-2018 school year.

According to the National Federation, Nebraska will be the 11th state with a similar program, joining Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, Washington and Illinois.

Dan Masters, who will oversee the championships, says unified sports programs promote inclusion and help reduce bullying.

“It’s exciting to me because I like to cast a vision to others,” he told the Journal Star. “Right now, we’re getting the word out to administrators and athletic directors and coaches.

“We will be getting input from them and other sources on which season we should use, how long the season should be and other basic rules and regulations. We will base some of that on interest levels in schools.”

Contributing: Associated Press

“The Rock” on the Tennessee campus is one of the school’s iconic traditions. The words and images painted on it change regularly and it has become a message board for the community.

The message on “The Rock” on Saturday was directed at five football recruits who were visiting campus. Their faces were painted on there with the text that read “Are You the Next Great Face of the Vols?” The five faces belonged to three five-star recruits and a pair of four star prospects: five-star receiver Kyle Davis from Archer (Lawrenceville, Ga.), five-star athlete Mecole Hardman Jr. from Elbert County (Elberton, Ga.), five-star cornerback DeAngelo Gibbs from Peachtree Ridge (Suwannee, Ga.), four-star linebacker Breon Dixon also from Peachtree Ridge and four-star athlete Maleik Gray from La Vergne, Tenn.

Dixon told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that players s are not allowed the pose in front of “TheRock” but here is what it looked like.

#RockyTop showing love to me and my bros today 🔶⚪️🔶⚪️ #VolNation http://t.co/G9n3yXpd3e—
Breon (@Breondixon_4) August 15, 2015