While COVID-19 prevented 17 states from participating in high school sports this past fall, 33 others went ahead with athletic competition. Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.) comes out on top as the best overall athletic program in the country for the dall season, according to the MaxPreps Cup rankings.
The MaxPreps Cup is an effort to rank the top high school athletic programs in the country. Points are awarded for state championships, state runner-up finishes and national rankings. Points are awarded based on popularity of sport, based on participation numbers, the size of the state, the size of schools in a playoff division and the number of teams participating in that playoff division.
Bolles won state championships in boys and girls swimming and girls cross country while grabbing runner-up finishes in football and boys cross country. With a total of 1,000 points, Bolles edges North Allegheny (Wexford, Pa.) (995) for the top spot in the nation. Due to its strong swimming program and cross country programs, Bolles has often finished near the top of the MaxPreps Cup rankings, 2020 marks the first time that it has finished at the top of the season rankings.
How the rest of the school year plays out will determine the final overall champion. The 17 states that did not field sports during the fall are making plans to have some sort of alternative fall season during the winter and spring months — along with the regular winter and spring sports. MaxPreps will have a Cup rankings update in March with final 2020-21 school rankings to post in July.
Bolles was the Florida 4A football runner-up and leads the 2020-21 MaxPreps Cup standings after the fall season.
Photo by Annette Wilkerson
1. Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.), 1,000
Fall state champions: Boys swimming, girls swimming, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country, football
2. North Allegheny (Wexford, Pa.), 995
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, girls volleyball, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Girls cross country
3. Boise (Idaho), 886
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, boys swimming, girls swimming, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Girls soccer, girls volleyball
4. Century (Bismarck, N.D.), 872
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, boys cross country, girls swimming, girls volleyball, football
5. Signal Mountain (Tenn.), 802
Fall state champions: Boys golf, boys cross country, girls soccer, girls cross country
6. Marist (Atlanta), 799
Fall state champions: Football, girls volleyball, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country
7. Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas), 754
Fall state champions: Boys cross country
Fall state runners-up: Football, girls cross country
8. Carmel (Ind.), 747
Fall state champions: Boys tennis, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country
9. Sioux Falls Christian (Sioux Falls, S.D.), 741
Fall state champions: Boys golf, boys soccer, boys cross country, girls volleyball
Fall state runners-up: Girls cross country
10. Brentwood (Tenn.), 735
Fall state champions: Girls volleyball, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Football
11. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), 725
Fall state champions: Football, girls golf
Fall state runners-up: boys golf
12. Sugar-Salem (Sugar City, Idaho), 687
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, football, girls volleyball, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Girls soccer
13. Greenwood (Ark.), 658
Fall state champions: Football, girls volleyball
Fall state runners-up: Girls cross country, girls golf
14. Skutt Catholic (Omaha, Neb.), 651
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, girls softball, girls volleyball
Fall state runners-up: Boys tennis
14. Champlain Valley Union (Hinesburg, Vt.), 651
Fall state champions: Boys golf, boys cross country, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Girls field hockey girls golf, girls soccer
16. Auburn (Ala.), 647
Fall state champions: Girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country, football, boys swimming
17. Oviedo (Fla.), 645
Fall state champions: Boys swimming, girls bowling
Fall state runners-up: Girls swimming
18. Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio), 640
Fall state champions: Boys golf, football
19. La Salle Academy (Providence, R.I.), 635
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, girls soccer, girls tennis, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Girls field hockey
20. ED White (Jacksonville, Fla.), 632
Fall state champions: Boys swimming, boys cross country, girls swimming, girls cross country
21. Lone Peak (Highland, Utah), 631
Fall state champions: Boys golf, girls volleyball, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Football, girls tennis
22. Pioneer (Ann Arbor, Mich.), 625
Fall state champions: Girls swimming, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Boys tennis
23. Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.), 618
Fall state champions: Boys tennis, football, girls cross country
24. Manhattan Christian (Manhattan, Mont.), 617
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, football, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Girls volleyball
25. Laurel (Mont.), 612
Fall state champions: Football, girls golf, girls soccer, girls cross country
26. Catholic-B.R. (Baton Rouge, La.), 598
Fall state champions: Boys swimming, boys cross country, football
27. Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.), 595
Fall state champions: Girls volleyball, boys cross country, boys soccer
28. Unionville (Kennett Square, Pa.), 590
Fall state champions: Girls golf
Fall state runners-up: Boys golf, girls volleyball
28. MICDS (St. Louis), 590
Fall state champions: Boys soccer
Fall state runners-up: Boys swimming, football
30. Westminster (Atlanta), 588
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, girls volleyball, girls cross country
31. Oak Hall (Gainesville, Fla.), 570
Fall state champions: Girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country, football
32. Mars (Pa.), 570
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, girls soccer
33. McCallie (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 569
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, football
Fall state runners-up: Boys golf
34. Greensburg Central Catholic (Greensburg, Pa.), 565
Fall state runners-up: Boys soccer, girls soccer, girls golf
34. Cranbrook Kingswood (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), 565
Fall state champions: Boys tennis, girls swimming
36. Pope (Marietta, Ga.), 554
Fall state champions: Girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Girls softball, girls volleyball
37. Lincoln (Sioux Falls, S.D.), 553
Fall state champions: Boys golf, boys cross country, girls tennis
Fall state runners-up: Girls cross country
38. Marquette University (Milwaukee, Wis.), 550
Fall state champions: Boys soccer
Fall state runners-up: Boys volleyball, boys cross country
39. St. Ignatius (Cleveland), 545
Fall state champions: Boys soccer
Fall state runners-up: Boys golf
40. Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.), 542
Fall state champions: Boys swimming, football, girls swimming
41. Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.), 538
Fall state champions: Girls volleyball
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country, girls cross country
42. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.), 534
Fall state champions: Boys golf, football
42. Bentonville (Ark.), 534
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, girls cross country, boys golf
44. Jackson Hole (Jackson, Wyo.), 533
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Boys golf, football, girls golf
45. Jackson (Jackson, Mo.), 530
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, football
45. Kirtland (Ohio), 530
Fall state champions: Football, girls soccer
45. Huntsville (Ala.), 530
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, girls swimming, boys swimming
45. DeWitt (Mich.), 530
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, football
49. Hilton Head (Hilton Head Island, S.C.), 529
Fall state champions: Girls volleyball
Fall state runners-up: Boys swimming, girls swimming, girls cross country
50. Ponte Vedra (Ponte Vedra, Fla.), 528
Fall state champions: Boys golf, girls volleyball
51. Morgan (Utah), 526
Fall state champions: Boys golf, girls soccer, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Football, girls volleyball
52. Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 523
Fall state champions: Boys golf, girls golf
Fall state runners-up: Girls volleyball
53. Father Ryan (Nashville, Tenn.), 520
Fall state champions: Girls soccer
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country, girls cross country
54. St. Xavier (Cincinnati), 519
Fall state champions: Football
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country
54. Rocky Mountain (Meridian, Idaho), 519
Fall state champions: Football, girls soccer
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country
56. Buford (Ga.), 516
Fall state champions: Football, girls volleyball
57. Sentinel (Missoula, Mont.), 512
Fall state champions: Boys golf, football, boys cross country
57. O'Gorman (Sioux Falls, S.D.), 512
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, girls volleyball, girls cross country
59. Wando (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.), 511
Fall state champions: Girls volleyball, girls swimming
Fall state runners-up: Boys swimming
59. St. Joseph's Academy (Baton Rouge, La.), 511
Fall state champions: Girls swimming, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Girls volleyball
61. Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.), 510
Fall state champions: Football, girls soccer
62. Lewisburg (Pa.), 508
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, boys cross country
62. East Greenwich (R.I.), 508
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, girls field hockey, girls soccer, girls cross country
64. Cathedral Prep (Erie, Pa.), 505
Fall state champions: Boys golf
Fall state runners-up: Football
65. Niwot (Colo.), 504
Fall state champions: Boys tennis, boys cross country, girls cross country
66. Pace Academy (Atlanta), 503
Fall state champions: Girls volleyball, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country
67. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), 495
Fall state champions: Boys golf, girls volleyball
Fall state runners-up: Football
68. Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.), 493
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, girls volleyball
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country
69. Lenawee Christian (Adrian, Mich.), 490
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, football
70. New Bremen (Ohio), 485
Fall state champions: Football
Fall state runners-up: Girls volleyball
71. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.), 484
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, boys cross country
72. Southside Christian (Simpsonville, S.C.), 475
Fall state champions: Football, girls volleyball
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country
72. New Albany (Ohio), 475
Fall state champions: Girls golf
Fall state runners-up: Boys soccer
74. Eastside (Taylors, S.C.), 474
Fall state champions: Boys swimming, boys cross country, girls swimming
75. Merrol Hyde Magnet (Hendersonville, Tenn.), 473
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country, girls cross country, girls soccer
76. Chiles (Tallahassee, Fla.), 470
Fall state champions: Boys golf
Fall state runners-up: Girls swimming
77. Cathedral (Indianapolis), 469
Fall state champions: Football
Fall state runners-up: Girls soccer
78. St. Thomas More (Lafayette, La.), 468
Fall state champions: Football
Fall state runners-up: Girls swimming, girls volleyball
79. Maryville (Mo.), 465
Fall state champions: Girls volleyball
Fall state runners-up: Football
80. Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 461
Fall state champions: Football
Fall state runners-up: Girls volleyball
81. Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger (Fort Wayne, Ind.), 460
Fall state champions: Girls soccer, girls volleyball
82. Fairmont Senior (Fairmont, W. Va.), 452
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country, girls soccer
82. Ankeny (Iowa), 452
Fall state champions: Football, girls volleyball
84. Windham (N.H.), 450
Fall state champions: Boys soccer, girls field hockey
Fall state runners-up: Girls soccer, boys cross country
85. Holy Innocents Episcopal (Atlanta), 448
Fall state champions: Girls volleyball
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country, girls cross country
86. Grapevine (Texas), 445
Fall state champions: Boys cross country
Fall state runners-up: Girls cross country
86. Boerne-Champion (Boerne, Texas), 445
Fall state champions: Girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country
88. Ravenwood (Brentwood, Tenn.), 441
Fall state champions: Girls soccer
Fall state runners-up: Boys golf
89. Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.), 438
Fall state champions: Girls field hockey, girls soccer
89. Lovett (Atlanta), 438
Fall state champions: Boys cross country
Fall state runners-up: Girls softball, girls cross country
91. Salpointe Catholic (Tucson, Ariz.), 434
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, girls cross country, girls volleyball
91. Harding Academy (Searcy, Ark.), 434
Fall state champions: Football
Fall state runners-up: Boys cross country, boys golf
93. Metairie Park Country Day (Metairie, La.), 431
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, girls volleyball
Fall state runners-up: Girls cross country
94. Montague (Mich.), 430
Fall state champions: Girls golf, football
94. Burroughs (St. Louis), 430
Fall state champions: Girls tennis, girls cross country
96. Creekside (St. Johns, Fla.), 425
Fall state champions: Girls swimming
Fall state runners-up: Boys swimming
97. Cody (Wyo.), 422
Fall state champions: Football, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Boys golf, girls swimming
98. Bishop England (Charleston, S.C.), 419
Fall state champions: Boys cross country, girls tennis
Fall state runners-up: Boys swimming
98. Bozeman (Mont.), 419
Fall state champions: Girls golf, girls cross country
Fall state runners-up: Boys soccer
100. Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 414
Fall state champions: Boys golf
Fall state runners-up: Boys tennis, boys cross country
