Team Massachusetts coach Bill O'Connell learned that his group of 18 All-Stars has gained an automatic entry into the GEICO High School National Championship in Dallas, Texas, from June 27-30. Team Massachusetts was originally required to advance from a regional tournament on June 16 and 17 at Rutgers University. The Northeast's lone team in the tournament will no longer have to go through the qualifying process.
"We're excited to represent Massachusetts and show the rest of the country what type of talent we have in our state," said O'Connell, head coach at Braintree High.
The National Championship Series will include All-Star teams from 20 states, with 360 of the best high school players in the classes of 2024 and 2025. The championship will be televised on ESPN. Each state’s All-Star team will have an 18-man roster. O'Connell plans to have practices for Team Massachusetts in late May and early June.
"We'll try to get together and gel a little bit," O'Connell said. "It's all of the top-notch talent from around the state. They all play for different club teams. It's great for them to all be on the field together as one state-wide team."
