The 2023 Chick-fil-A classic concluded Saturday with two teams with local ties being crowned champions of the American and National brackets. 

Columbia’s Ridge View won the American bracket after beating Georgia’s Grayson in a 58-53 thriller, and former Columbia native and Eau Claire High School alum Jermaine O’Neal led his team, Dynamic Prep from Texas, to a National Bracket championship with a win over Prolific Prep. 

“Sweat don't have an address, sweat don't have a zip code, so like everybody, they bust their tail, they work hard,” Ridge View head coach Joshua Staley said. “Their sweat is just as good as everybody else's. We’ll take our chances against anybody in the country.”

O’Neal is in his second year as the head ball coach at Dynamic Prep. The team won a 6A Texas championship in the first season and has now claimed one of the most prestigious holiday tournaments in O’Neal’s hometown. 

 “It's always good to be back home,” O’Neal said. “You get an opportunity to bring my son back to the grassroots of what really built me and really is part of his DNA as well. It's a good opportunity to play in front of family, friends, hometown folks, and also play against some of the best teams in the country.”

Both title games were close and came down to the wire. Dynamic Prep defeated Prolific Prep 76-70 in the first game after outscoring Prolific by seven in the final quarter. 

Leon Horner scored 22 points and was named the National bracket’s MVP after averaging 19.3 points across the team’s three contests, for the third-highest average amongst all participants. O’Neal’s son, Jermaine O’Neal Jr., added 14 points and was named to the All-Tournament team. 

A.J. Dybantsa led Prolific with 26 points and seven rebounds but the rest of the prolific team struggled to find similar success. Tyron Stokes finished the game with 10 points, five rebounds and six assists, and Winters Grady added 15. However, no other Prolific player added more than 10 points, five rebounds or five assists. 

“They have tremendous talent,  great coaching,” O’Neal said. “I think the fourth quarter is always built off who's tougher and more conditioned mentally, physically, emotionally. That's the one thing that we talk about. We always talk about staring down the barrel right in your face, and what are you going to do? Are you going to fall? Are you going to keep pushing forward? And tonight, I think you did a great job pushing forward.”

Ridge View defeated Grayson 58-53 in the American title game to improve to 14-0 on the season. The Blazers played from slightly behind for most of the game, but late in the fourth hit clutch shots to take and maintain the lead. 

It was a balanced offensive effort for the Blazers, which had only one player score more than 10 points. Malachi Cooper led the team with 15 points, but five other players scored six or more. 

Gicarri Harris led Grayson with 25 points, while Amir Taylor added 10 points and seven rebounds. Harris was named Most Outstanding Player of the American Division. 

Korie Corbett was named MVP after a nine-point and six-rebound performance, and Joshua Smith was selected to the All-Tournament team. 

“They worked so hard this off-season and continue to work during the season to have the opportunity to be successful,” Staley said. “We caught some good breaks tonight. The guys bust their tails. Grayson does a great job. It's a great team, a great program, and it shows that the work means something. It matters.”

All-Tournament teams and award winners

National

Ikenna Alozie (MOP) - Dream City Christian 

Leon Horner (MVP) - Dynamic Prep

Jermaine O’Neal Jr. - Dynamic Prep

A.J. Dybansta - Prolific Prep

Tyran Stokes - Prolific Prep

Clarence Massamba - The Rock School

Rakease Passmore - Combine Academy

American

Gicarri Harris (MOP) - Grayson

Korie Corbett (MVP) - Ridge View

Joshua Smith - Ridge View

Amir Taylor - Grayson

Yasir Cromer - River Bluff

Cedric Schofield - W.J. Keenan

Latrell Allmond - John Marshall

Five big performances 

Ikenna Alozie scored a tournament-high 35 points in Dream City Christian’s loss to Dynamic Prep.

Clarence Massamba scored 27 points on 11-13 shooting to lead The Rock School to a win over Hillcrest Prep.

Korie Corbett recorded 27 points and six rebounds in Ride View’s win over River Bluff on the tournament's first day.

Aiden Argabright scored 24 points for John Marshall in the team’s win over Lancaster. 

Brian Sumpter snagged a double-double with 16 points and a tournament-high 14 rebounds during Keenan’s victory over Imani Christian.

Full Chick-fil-A Classic and Carolina’s Challenge scoreboard 

Wednesday 

Northside Christian (NC): 62, Indian Land (SC): 44

Richland Northeast (SC): 54, Charlotte Christian (NC): 47

Charlotte Country Day (NC): 58, Irmo (SC): 40

 St. John's (DC): 80, W.J. Keenan (SC): 49

Grace Christian - Girls (NC): 58, Camden - Girls (SC): 52

Ridge View (SC): 64, River Bluff (SC): 59

Thursday

Grayson (GA) 86, Imani Christian (PA): 69

Dream City Christian (AZ): 65, The Rock School (FL): 49

Indian Land (SC): 86, Charlotte Christian: 53

DME Academy (FL): 62, Hillcrest Prep (AZ): 56

Charlotte Country Day (NC): 51, Richland Northeast (SC): 46

Dynamic Prep (TX): 65, Combine Academy (NC): 57

Northside Christian (NC): 70, Irmo (SC): 51 

Prolific Prep (CA): 63, Gray Collegiate (SC): 47

John Marshall (VA): 68, Lancaster (SC): 59

Friday

Combine Academy (NC): 69, The Rock School (FL): 59 

River Bluff (SC): 55, Lancaster (SC): 48

W.J. Keenan (SC): 61,  Imani Christian (PA): 46

Gray Collegiate (SC): 53, Hillcrest Prep (AZ): 47

Grayson (GA): 55, St. John’s (DC): 45

Dynamic Prep (TX): 72, Dream City (AZ): 69

Ridge View (SC): 58 John Marshall (VA): 53

Prolific Prep (CA): 60, DME Academy (FL): 45

Saturday 

The Rock School (FL): 57, Hillcrest Prep (AZ): 54

Lancaster: 65, Imani Christian (PA): 51

W.J. Keenan (SC): 57, River Bluff (SC): 46

Combine Academy (NC): 66, Gray Collegiate (SC): 59

John Marshall (VA): 72, St. John’s (DC): 70

DME Academy (FL): 57, Dream City (AZ): 53

Dynamic Prep (TX): 76, Prolific Prep (CA): 70 (National Championship)

Ridge View (SC): 58, Grayson (GA): 53 (American Championship)