Photos by MaxPreps photographers / Graphic by Social Recluse Graphx
Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.) captured six state championships during the fall of the 2014-15 prep sports season to take the early lead in the MaxPreps Cup standings.
The Crusaders edged out last year's MaxPreps Cup champion Bentonville (Ark.) and Carmel (Ind.) for the top spot. Cardinal Gibbons has 628 points while Bentonville and Carmel are both tied with 580.
Connor Shaw, Cardinal Gibbons
Photo by Randy Rimland
Cardinal Gibbons won state championships in boys soccer, boys and girls cross country, girls volleyball, girls golf and girls tennis. The Crusaders were also nationally ranked in both boys cross country and girls volleyball.
The MaxPreps Cup is determined by ranking all schools that win a state championship or finish second at the state (or section level if there is no state competition) finals.
Points are also weighted, giving more points to states that have a high number of schools as well as more points to schools that compete in larger enrollment divisions. Sports are also weighted differently with football and basketball, among others, receiving more points than sports like golf and tennis.
Bentonville also fared well in the fall, winning state championships in boys tennis, girls tennis, girls cross country, football and volleyball and finishing second in boys cross country and girls golf.
Carmel won state titles in girls cross country and volleyball and finished second in boys tennis, boys cross country, football and girls soccer. The school was also nationally ranked in boys and girls cross country.
Rounding out the top five are Hinsdale Central with 530 points and Sioux Falls Lincoln with 468.
MaxPreps Cup Top 25
1.
Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, N.C.) - 628
2.
Bentonville (Ark.) - 580
2.
Carmel (Ind.) - 580
4.
Hinsdale Central (Ill.) - 530
5.
Lincoln (Sioux Falls, S.D.) - 468
6.
Webb (Knoxville, Tenn.) - 466
7.
Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.) - 445
8.
Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) - 434
9.
Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.) - 390
10.
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) - 386
11.
St. Paul's Episcopal (Mobile, Ala.) - 384
12.
American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) - 380
13.
Desert Vista (Phoenix) - 354
13.
Rio Rancho (N.M.) - 354
13.
La Salle Academy (Providence, R.I.) - 354
16.
Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.) - 350
17.
River Hill (Clarksville, Md.) - 348
18.
Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.) - 336
18.
Riverside (Greer, S.C.) - 336
20.
Jenks (Okla.) - 332
21.
Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.) - 326
22.
Olathe East (Kan.) - 324
23.
Red Bank Catholic (N.J.) - 322
24.
Brentwood (Tenn.) - 310
25.
Fayetteville-Manlius (Manlius, N.Y.) - 298
