LEXINGTON, S.C. — Ridge View rallied late to become the first team from South Carolina to win the Chick-fil-A Classic since 2019 when they knocked off nationally ranked Grayson (GA) 58-53 to win the American Bracket Championship Saturday night at River Bluff High School.
Malachi Cooper came off the bench to score 15 points and American Bracket MVP Korie Corbett added nine points to lead a balanced Blazers attack. It’s the second straight night Ridge View knocked off a team ranked in the top 25 by ESPN. They defeated John Marshall (VA) in the semifinals. The last team from South Carolina to win the tournament was Dorman in 2019. The last Midlands-based team to win a Chick-fil-A Classic title was Hammond in 2015.
Malachi Cooper came off the bench to score 15 points and American Bracket MVP Korie Corbett added nine points as the Blazers had contributions from multiple players in what was a very balanced attack.
Ridge View is now 14-0 and is the top-ranked team in the state in Class 4A.
America Bracket All-Tournament Team
Joshua Smith, Ridge View
Cedric Schofield, Keenan
Yasir Cromer, River Bluff
Latrell Allmond, John Marshall
Amir Taylor, Grayson
American Bracket Most Valuable Player
Korie Corbett, Ridge View
American Bracket Most Outstanding Player
Gicarri Harris, Grayson
In the National Division of the Chick-fil-A Classic, Dynamic Prep defeated nationally-ranked Prolific Prep from Napa, California 76-70.
This has been a homecoming for Dynamic Prep head coach Jermaine O'Neal who is an Eau Claire graduate. O'Neal went straight from winning a state championship under the legendary George Glymph to the NBA after Portland selected him 17th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, O'Neal spent 18 years in the league and now lives in the Dallas area where Dynamic Prep is based.
Back in May, O'Neal was in Columbia as he was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. Seven months later, O'Neal returned to the area and this time he will leave with a Chick-fil-A National Division championship.