The City of Palms Classic is an annual high school
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
tournament held in
Fort Myers, Florida.
History
The tournament began in 1973 as a high school boys' basketball tournament with a seven-team format. The earliest editions featured teams primarily from the
Fort Myers News-Press
''The News-Press'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper located in Fort Myers, Florida, serving primarily Lee County, as well as parts of Hendry, Collier, and Charlotte Counties.
The paper publishes several editions of its "Local & State" (metro) s ...
' high school coverage area, but there were some quality teams from around the state, including Lakeland High, Brandon, Pompano Beach, Glades Central and Okeechobee.
In 1985, Bill Pollock, a Fort Myers resident whose son, John, was a rising senior at
Fort Myers High School
Fort Myers Senior High School (also known as "FMHS") is a public school in Fort Myers, Florida. It was opened October 19, 1911, making it one of the oldest schools in the state of Florida, and the oldest in Lee County. It is managed by the Lee ...
, became involved in the tournament, as did the News-Press' preps editor, Donnie Wilkie. The two have teamed ever since, and the tournament, sponsored by Bank of America (formerly Barnett Bank and NationsBank), quickly skyrocketed into a major national event. Pollock's son led Fort Myers to the 1985 tournament championship against a still-mostly-local field. Currently, the tournament consists of a 16-team national bracket, with selected "Sunshine Series" games (featuring additional high school teams from Florida and Georgia) dotting the schedule throughout the typically six-day event.
Among the early breakthroughs for the tournament was a riveting, triple-overtime championship game in 1989, in which
Flint Hill School
Flint Hill School, founded in 1956, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school, in Oakton, Virginia, serving grades JK– 12. The school has separate upper and lower school campuses about a mile apart in Fairfax County, approximatel ...
, led by Randolph Childress, Cory Alexander and Serge Zwikker, defeated
Abraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn, New York), led by Norman Marbury and Tchaka Shipp, 70-68, on a last-second 3-pointer by Childress, who went on to stardom at
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...
.
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)
Oak Hill Academy is a co-educational, private, Baptist-affiliated secondary school in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, United States. Oak Hill enrolls approximately 140 students in grades 8-12, and is 100% boarding. It is accredited by the Virginia ...
made its lone appearance (the
Florida High School Athletic Association
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high schools in Florida. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Florida uses ...
will no longer sanction them to play) in 1991, finishing third after losing to Franklin Learning Center from Philadelphia in the semifinals. Two years later, in 1993, the tournament made history with a field that included Danny Fortson, Ron Mercer, Tim Thomas and future NFL quarterback Daunte Culpepper—all in consolation brackets.
Crenshaw High School
Crenshaw High School is a four-year public secondary school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, located on 11th Avenue in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
The school first opened in 1968 and currently enrolls arou ...
(Los Angeles, California) won that year's tournament, scoring 117, 99 and 98 points in three of its four games, and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the nation by USA Today.
St. Augustine High School The name St. Augustine High School could refer to:
In the United States:
* St. Augustine Academy (Lakewood, Ohio)
* St. Augustine High School (Laredo, Texas)
* St. Augustine High School (New Orleans), Louisiana
* St. Augustine High School (San Di ...
(New Orleans, Louisiana) won the following year and went on to capture USA Today's mythical national championship in boys' basketball. The success in the early and mid 1990s catapulted the tournament into national prominence.
The tournament has remained a highlight on the national schedule ever since, drawing the interest of major-college coaches and recruiting analysts alike. By 2015, 120 McDonald's All-Americans have played in this pre-Christmas event, and as of 2015, 94 players had been selected in the NBA draft.
Montverde Academy became the first school to win consecutive City of Palms Classic titles since the tournament expanded beyond local teams in 2013, defeating
Paul VI High School
Paul VI High School is a private Catholic high school located in Haddon Township, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As there is no post office in Haddon Township, the mailing address is Haddonfield. The school, founded in 1966, i ...
. Montverde's two championship wins were led by stars
Dakari Johnson
Dakari Naeem Johnson (born September 22, 1995) is an American professional basketball player, who most recently played for the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the University of Kentucky ...
(2012),
D'Angelo Russell
D'Angelo Danté Russell (born February 23, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected as a McDonald's All-American in 2014 and played college ba ...
(2012/13), and
Ben Simmons (2013). Montverde also played in the 2014 championship game, but was denied a three-peat by
Wheeler High School and star player
Jaylen Brown
Jaylen Marselles Brown (born October 24, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college basketball for the California Golden Bears, being n ...
. The final tournament played at Bishop Verot was won by Chino Hills High School, who defeated The Patrick School from Elizabeth, New Jersey. The Patrick School was coached by
Mike Rice, on the sidelines for the first time since being fired as the Rutgers coach.
In 2020, the tournament was canceled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. It was the first time in the 48-year history that the tournament was canceled. The tournament resumed the following year, in 2021.
Locations
The event has had five hosts in its 43-year history, including
Edison Community College (Fort Myers, Florida) from 1973–83 and twice more in 1990 and '93,
Cape Coral High School (Cape Coral, Florida) in 1984,
Fort Myers High School
Fort Myers Senior High School (also known as "FMHS") is a public school in Fort Myers, Florida. It was opened October 19, 1911, making it one of the oldest schools in the state of Florida, and the oldest in Lee County. It is managed by the Lee ...
(Fort Myers, Florida) from 1985–89 and the Harborside Convention Hall in downtown Fort Myers in 1991 and '92. The tournament found a long-term home when a new, 2,300-seat gymnasium was built at
Bishop Verot High School
Bishop Verot High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Fort Myers, Florida. It is located in the Diocese of Venice, Florida.
History
Bishop Verot Catholic High School was established in 1962 as Fort Myers Central Catholic High Scho ...
(Fort Myers, Florida), where it was played from 1994 to 2015. In 2016, the tournament moves to
Suncoast Credit Union Arena, a 3,300-seat facility on the campus of
Florida SouthWestern State College
Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW or Florida SouthWestern) is a public college with its main campus in Fort Myers, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System. The college has satellite campuses in Charlotte County and Collier Cou ...
.
Past winners
* 2021:
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida)
*2017:
University School
University School, commonly referred to as US, is an all-boys, private, Junior Kindergarten–12 school with two campus locations in the Greater Cleveland area of Ohio. The campus located in Shaker Heights serves junior kindergarten through eigh ...
(Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
* 2016:
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida)
* 2015:
Chino Hills High School
Chino Hills High School, abbreviated CHHS, is located in Chino Hills, California, United States and is a public comprehensive high school serving a student body from three cities in the Chino Valley Unified School District. The school was establ ...
(Chino Hills, California)
* 2014:
Wheeler High School (Marietta, Georgia)
* 2013:
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida)
* 2012: Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida)
* 2011:
Prestonwood Christian Academy
Prestonwood Christian Academy (PCA) is a private Christian School that serves more than 1,600 students enrolled at three campuses: PCA Plano in Plano ( Pre-Kindergarten 3 through 12th grade), PCA North in Prosper ( Pre-Kindergarten 3 through 10t ...
(Plano, Texas)
* 2010:
St. Patrick High School Academy (Elizabeth, New Jersey)
* 2009:
Paterson Catholic High School
Paterson Catholic Regional High School was a private four year Catholic high school located in Paterson, New Jersey that served students from 9th through 12th grade. It was under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. Due ...
(Paterson, New Jersey)
* 2008:
Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California)
* 2007:
St. Benedict's Preparatory School
St. Benedict's Preparatory School is a Catholic Church, Catholic college preparatory school in Newark, New Jersey run by the Benedictines.
The school serves boys and girls in kindergarten through twelfth grade on a urban campus. The school h ...
(Newark, New Jersey)
* 2006: Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California)
* 2005:
Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tennessee)
* 2004:
Niagara Falls High School
Niagara Falls High School is a public high school located at 4455 Porter Road in Niagara Falls, New York, United States. It was established and dedicated on September 1, 2000 and opened 5 days later, becoming the city's only public high school, ...
(Niagara Falls, New York)
* 2003:
Westchester High School (Los Angeles, California)
* 2002:
Rice High School (Manhattan, New York)
* 2001: Westchester High School (Los Angeles, California)
* 2000: Westchester High School (Los Angeles, California)
* 1999:
Ballard High School (Louisville, Kentucky)
* 1998:
Scott County High School
Scott County High School is a public high school in Georgetown, Kentucky, United States. The mascot is a Cardinal. School colors are Red and Blue, with white and black occasionally serving as secondary colors. In the 2018–19 school year, its l ...
(Georgetown, Kentucky)
* 1997:
Parkview Baptist High School
Parkview Baptist School (PBS) is a private K-12 Christian school located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.
Overview
With 1,260 students, Parkview Baptist School is the largest private school in Louisiana. The school began with students fr ...
(Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
* 1996:
Miami Senior High School
Miami Senior High School, also known as Miami High School, is a public high school located at 2450 SW 1st Street in Miami, Florida, and operated by Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Founded in 1903, it is one of the oldest high school in Miami ...
(Miami, Florida), ''Classic I'';
*
Lexington Catholic High School
Lexington Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic high school located in the Rosemill neighborhood in Lexington, Kentucky. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington. In 2007, it was named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
Histor ...
(Lexington, Kentucky), ''Classic II''
* 1995:
Dominguez High School
Manuel Dominguez High School is a four-year public high school located in Compton, California. It is part of the Compton Unified School District.
Name
Dominguez High School is named after Don Manuel Domínguez, a California rancher. Domínguez i ...
(Compton, California)
* 1994:
St. Augustine High School The name St. Augustine High School could refer to:
In the United States:
* St. Augustine Academy (Lakewood, Ohio)
* St. Augustine High School (Laredo, Texas)
* St. Augustine High School (New Orleans), Louisiana
* St. Augustine High School (San Di ...
(New Orleans, Louisiana)
* 1993:
Crenshaw High School
Crenshaw High School is a four-year public secondary school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, located on 11th Avenue in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
The school first opened in 1968 and currently enrolls arou ...
(Los Angeles, California)
* 1992:
Dunbar High School (Washington, D.C.)
* 1991: Miami Senior High School (Miami, Florida)
* 1990:
Gibbs High School (St. Petersburg, Florida)
* 1989:
Flint Hill School
Flint Hill School, founded in 1956, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school, in Oakton, Virginia, serving grades JK– 12. The school has separate upper and lower school campuses about a mile apart in Fairfax County, approximatel ...
(Oakton, Virginia)
* 1988:
Carol City High School (Miami, Florida)
* 1987:
Jackson High School (Miami, Florida)
* 1986:
Forrest High School (Jacksonville, Florida)
* 1985:
Fort Myers High School
Fort Myers Senior High School (also known as "FMHS") is a public school in Fort Myers, Florida. It was opened October 19, 1911, making it one of the oldest schools in the state of Florida, and the oldest in Lee County. It is managed by the Lee ...
(Fort Myers, Florida)
* 1984:
Cypress Lake High School
Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts is a secondary school located in Fort Myers, Florida. Cypress Lake High School is a high school in the South Zone specializing in five arts programs: Music, Dance, Media, Theatre, and Visual arts.
Cyp ...
(Fort Myers, Florida)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:City Of Palms Classic
High school sports in Florida
Basketball in Florida
High school basketball competitions in the United States
Sports in Fort Myers, Florida
1973 establishments in Florida
Recurring sporting events established in 1973