Marvin Harrison Jr., drafted No. 4 overall by the Arizona Cardinals, was considered by some to be not only the top wide receiver in the 2024 NFL draft but the top player overall. He started showing signs of his future stardom in high school — and signs that his four-star rating wasn’t high enough. At St. Joseph’s Prep, Harrison was ranked the No. 97 player on the 247Sports Composite No. 14 receiver in the country. Take a look at the Composite — it’s wild to think about now, but just another sign that ranking high school athletes is an effort of futility—though signs that he was a budding star ..read more

With the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears picked a player they hope will become the quarterback they have needed for oh so long to win a championship: Caleb Williams. The former USC star and Heisman winner’s championship pedigree goes back to his prep days, and as a sophomore at Gonzaga High School (Washington, D.C.) in 2018, Williams put together one of the best championship performances the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference has seen — and clinched it with one of the greatest high school football plays of the decade. Williams had led the Eagles to a go-ahead touchdown ..read more

One of the top football coaches in California is on his way to one of the nation’s premier prep coaching job. On Thursday, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) announced the hiring of Raul Lara as their next head football coach. Lara is an accomplished head coach in California, who is perhaps best known for his 13 years spent at Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, California) where he won five Southern Section championships while compiling a record of 142-30. Last fall, Mater Dei finished third in the nation in the final USA TODAY Sports Super 25. Mater Dei went 13-1 under head coach Frank McManus. The ..read more

The Horizon High School freshman baseball team in Arizona is making program history: This season, a girl made the baseball team alongside her twin brother. Chloe McKendry became the first girl in school history to make the team when she and her brother Aidan earned spots on the freshman team this season, according to AZ Family. “She was judged just like everyone else,” head coach Pete Crimando told the outlet. “We put her through same amount of drills, same amount of throwing and batting practice. She wasn’t given any breaks; just had to compete like everybody else.” Now 15, Chloe and Aidan st ..read more

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Top-ranked Katy continued to pace an unchanged first five in the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 for a fourth week. The (32-1-1) Tigers easily defeated Katy Taylor for the second time this season, 15-1 last Friday, but allowed just their second run in a nine-game stretch — which was also to the Mustangs in a 11-1 win on March 22. In its other game this past week, Katy blanked Liberty, 7-0 on Monday. The Tigers, who have outscored opponents 341-11 this season, open a best-of-three Texas Class 6A bi-district series with Fort Bend Dulles later today. No. 2 Northw ..read more

For as long as high school sports have existed, there have been arguments about from where the best players hail. Is it Texas? California? Georgia? NFL legend and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders weighed in when he appeared on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast in March. “Florida.” The discussion began when Sanders was asked the age-old question: “Where do the best kids in the country, the toughest dogs kids in the country, come from?” Coach Prime answered Florida immediately before elaborating. “I think the best football, high school-wise is played in Texas, but the dogs, man that’s Fl ..read more

With Jamison Kitna’s heritage, there’s no surprise that the Lakota East (Butler County, Ohio) quarterback is emerging as a Division I quarterback recruit receiving buzz from multiple universities. The son of former NFL quarterback and current high school coach Jon Kitna has visited Indiana twice, according to 247Sports. The junior spoke with the recruiting outlet at the Elite 11 Regional. In addition to Indiana, Kitna is getting buzz from Liberty and UAB, the latter of which has “seen [him] plenty of times now,” Kitna said. The outlet wrote that the three-star quarterback has impressed during ..read more

Three new teams land in the latest USA TODAY Sports/American Volleyball Coaches Association boys volleyball Super 25, highlighting a shift among the top teams as Week 8 action gets underway. 1. Loyola High School (Los Angeles, Calif.) Region: West | Record: 27-1-1 | PR: 1 2. Glenbard West High School (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) Region: Midwest | Record: 19-0 | PR: 3 3. Mira Costa High School (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) Region: West | Record: 32-3 | PR: 4 4. Huntington Beach High School (Calif.) Region: West | Record: 26-5 | PR: 7 5. Corona Del Mar High School (Calif.) Region: West | Record: 21-6 | PR: 2 ..read more

Here are the USA TODAY Sports/American Volleyball Coaches Association regional volleyball rankings as the 2024 season heads toward Week 8 action. Related: See the latest USA TODAY Sports/AVCA Super 25 West Region:  1. Loyola High School (Calif.) Record: 27-1-1 2. Mira Costa High School (Calif.) Record: 32-3 3. Huntington Beach High School (Calif.) Record: 26-5 4. Corona Del Mar High School (Calif.) Record: 21-6 5. Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.) Record: 26-6 6. Torrey Pines High School (Calif.) Record: 25-3 7. Sandra Day O’Connor High School (Ariz.) Record: 33-5-1 8. San Clemente H ..read more

Girls flag football is growing nationally and Colorado is the latest state to get on board with the momentum. On Tuesday, the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) permanently approved flag football as the eighteenth-sanctioned sport for girls in the state. The move sees Colorado become the eleventh state to approve flag football as a high school sport for girls. “Thrilled doesn’t even begin to cover it,” CHSAA Commissioner Mike Krueger said about the decision to approve flag football for girls as a high school sport. “This isn’t just about the game; it’s about empowerment, teamw ..read more