47th HAECO Invitational Pre-Tournament Notes
Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center; December 19-22, 2023
For immediate release. Dec. 5, 2023
GREENSBORO, N.C. - - The 47th HAECO Invitational is set for December 19-22, 2023 at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center. Pre-tournament notes along with the tournament seeds and brackets are below:
► Tournament Venue Upgrade: For the first time in tournament history, the HAECO Invitational will be played in the Novant Health Fieldhouse, home of the Greensboro Swarm, the Charlotte Hornets’ G-League team. After many years playing the HAECO Invitational only in the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center, the HAECO Invitational will be played on the Novant Health Fieldhouse court and the tournament’s longtime “court 1.” This upgrade is made to enhance tournament atmosphere and provide players an opportunity to play where professionals play each year.
► New Earlier Tournament Dates…again: After playing before Christmas for the first time ever a year ago, the HAECO Invitational has new dates again in 2023. Because the Guilford County Schools calendar changed prior to the current academic year releasing for the winter break on Thursday, Dec. 21, the Greensboro Sports Council was forced to change the dates again. In order to complete the tournament before most travel for the holidays, the tournament expanded to four days playing the men’s opening round on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 6 and 7:30 p.m. and the women’s opening round on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 6 and 7:30 p.m. This change kept the reason for playing before Christmas in place: allow families more flexibility to rest, relax and enjoy the holidays. Subsequent tournament days will be played using a schedule similar to previous years.
► Championship Game Teams Celebrate at HAECO: As part of its effort to expose Piedmont Triad high school students to their industry and encourage them to discover the available career opportunities in the aviation and aerospace fields, HAECO Invitational championship and runner-up teams will be invited to HAECO for a championship celebration and tour of the facility. The four teams participating in the HAECO Invitational championship games will be invited to the celebration in January at HAECO’s Piedmont Triad International Airport headquarters. Winning teams in the four semifinal games will receive additional information after their semifinal victories.
► Contributions to the Schools: Many things make the HAECO Invitational exceptional, but what makes it unique is that tournament proceeds are donated to charity and the participating schools. Last year, the tournament donated $10,000 to each participating school for a total of $80,000. In recent years, the Greensboro Sports Council made the following donations to the HAECO Invitational participating schools: 2008: $96,000, 2009: $80,000, 2010: $86,000, 2011: $100,000, 2012: $108,000, 2013: $112,000, 2014: $112,000, 2015: $112,000, 2016: $100,000, 2017: $100,000, 2018: $80,000, 2019: $100,000, 2020: $22,000 (no tournament), 2021: $86,000, 2022: $80,000. That’s a total of $1,352,000 since 2008.
► Follow the HAECO: The HAECO Invitational is on social media – follow the HAECO on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook: @HAECOInvit.
► Charity: In addition to making its donations to the participating schools, the HAECO Invitational makes charitable contributions. This year, outgoing HAECO Invitational chair Charlie Hall selected Kellin Foundation, a Guilford County-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that strengthens resilience among children, families, adults, and communities through trauma-informed behavioral health services focused on prevention, treatment and healing. For more information, please visit www.kellinfoundation.org.
Past tournament proceeds have been contributed to Out of the Garden Project, Backpack Beginnings, Greensboro Urban Ministries, Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test, the American Cancer Society’s Coaches vs. Cancer, the Bryan Family YMCA, the Children’s Home Society, the Eastern Guilford High School Fund, the Joey Cheek Fund, North Carolina State Games, the Greensboro Aquatic Center’s ‘Learn to Swim’ program, The First Tee of the Triad, the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club, Ready for School, Ready for Life, Youth Focus and Hands for Hearts.
► Bill Lee Scholarship: The Bill Lee Scholarship is awarded to four HAECO Invitational participants each year. Since its inception in 2001, 93 high school seniors have been awarded this scholarship which was established in memory of Bill Lee, a Greensboro native and resident who was a major supporter of local sports. He was deeply involved with Greensboro’s minor league baseball efforts, basketball and golf. The Greensboro Sports Council established the scholarship following Lee’s death in 2001. Recipients are nominated by their schools, and the Greensboro Sports Council awards the scholarships. Each nomination is considered with the following criteria: 40% academic, 40% athletic and 20% civic. Four student-athletes receive a $2,000 scholarship each year.
► The Tournament: More than four decades ago, seven Greensboro Sports Council members envisioned a high school basketball tournament that would raise funds for its participating schools, Dudley, Grimsley, Page and Smith High Schools – the big four Greensboro public schools. The HAECO Invitational was founded in 1976 as the Little 4. At that time, the “Big Four” Atlantic Coast Conference schools, Duke, N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill and Wake Forest, competed in the Big 4 Tournament in the Greensboro Coliseum. The HAECO Invitational was created to mirror the tournament that showcased North Carolina’s ACC teams. In 1978, the tournament expanded to eight teams with Ragsdale, High Point Andrews, High Point Central and Thomasville High School joining the original four. In 1979 and ’80, the tournament returned to its original schools before expanding to eight teams permanently in 1981. The women’s side of the tournament began in 1980. For a more complete look at tournament history, please visit https://www.HAECOInvitational.com/.
► 2022 Tournament Recap: Last year’s HAECO Invitational added another chapter to the tournament’s storied history with first timer Bishop McGuinness winning the women’s tournament. The Villains defeated Grimsley and Dudley before outlasting the Smith Golden Eagles 45-39 in the championship game. Smith High School defeated Ragsdale and Greensboro Day School on the way to the championship game. The men’s tournament was a familiar storyline as Greensboro Day School defeated Smith High School 64-50 to claim the title. The Bengals defeated Bishop McGuinness and Southeast Guilford on the way to the championship game. Smith defeated Page and Grimsley on its way to the title tilt. It was the 19th HAECO title for both coach Freddy Johnson and Greensboro Day School.
► Tournament Notes:
■ The Greensboro Day School men won their seventh-consecutive tournament championship in 2017 and made tournament history. No other team had ever won seven-consecutive titles. Going back to their 2011 title, the Bengals won 23 consecutive HAECO Invitational games before losing to Northwest Guilford in the 2018 championship game.
■ Greensboro Day men’s coach Freddy Johnson is the only coach in tournament history who won seven-consecutive HAECO Invitational titles. His seven-year run (2011-’17) followed the four-year run he enjoyed during 2005-‘08. Johnson has 19 HAECO Invitational titles – more than any other coach in tournament history. Coach Johnson is a member of the North Carolina and Guilford County Sports Halls of Fame.
■ The Greensboro Day School men have enjoyed an impressive presence in the HAECO Invitational championship game. The Bengals played for the title in each of the last 11 tournaments and 15 of the last 17 tournaments.
■ The Page High School women (1988–’92), the Western Guilford women (1992-’95), the Greensboro Day School men (2005-’08) and the Northwest Guilford women (2014-’17) are the only teams that won four consecutive HAECO Invitational titles.
■ The Greensboro Day School men lead the overall HAECO Invitational history with 19 tournament championships; Page High School leads the women’s tournament history with 13 tournament titles.
■ Former Page High School coaches Luke McKeel, Deborah Jones and Kathy Turner won the Pirates’ 13 HAECO Invitational women’s championships. McKeel won seven of the first nine tournaments, Jones won four including three straight from 2011-’13 and Turner won the other two Lady Pirate titles.
■ Either Page High School or Northwest Guilford played in every women’s championship game from 2003 until 2021, a span of 18 tournaments (the tournament was canceled in 2020).
■ Page star Paris Kea is the only three-time MVP in tournament history earning that honor in 2011, ‘12 and ‘13. Five players did it twice, but only the former Page Pirate did it three times.
► Women’s Stats: The Page Pirates have won more women’s tournaments than any other school with 13 titles. The Lady Pirates have played for the championship 18 times, also more than any other team.
■ Championships ■ Title Game Appearances
■ Page High School - 13 ■ Page High School - 19
■ Northwest Guilford - 8 ■ Northwest Guilford - 14
■ Grimsley High School - 5 ■ Smith High School - 10
■ Western Guilford - 4 ■ Dudley High School - 9
■ Smith High School - 3 ■ Grimsley High School - 7
■ Northeast Guilford - 3 ■ Western Guilford - 6
■ Ragsdale High School - 2 ■ Northeast Guilford - 5
■ Bishop McGuinness - 1 ■ Ragsdale High School - 3
■ Southeast Guilford - 1 ■ Northern Guilford - 2
■ Dudley High School - 1 ■ Eastern Guilford - 2
■ Bishop McGuinness - 1
■ Southeast Guilford - 1
► Men’s Stats: Greensboro Day School has won more men’s championships than any other school taking top honors 19 times in 24 title-game appearances.
■ Championships ■ Title Game Appearances
■ Greensboro Day - 19 ■ Greensboro Day School - 24
■ Dudley High School - 10 ■ Dudley High School - 19
■ Page High School - 8 ■ Grimsley High School - 14
■ Grimsley High School - 6 ■ Page High School - 13
■ Smith High School - 2 ■ Smith High School - 10
■ Northwest Guilford - 1 ■ Northwest Guilford - 4
■ Northern Guilford - 2
■ Northeast Guilford - 2
■ Southeast Guilford - 1
■ Southwest Guilford - 1
■ Eastern Guilford - 1
■ Ragsdale High School - 1
► Coaching Statistics:
■ Women’s Wins by Coach: ■ Men’s Wins by Coach:
- Darlene Joyner (NWG) 7 - Freddy Johnson (GDS) 19
- Luke McKeel (PHS) 7 - Mac Morris (PHS) 7
- Deborah Jones (PHS) 4 - David Price (DHS) 7
- Ginger Moore (WG) 4 - Phil Weaver (GHS) 4
- Phil Weaver (GHS) 3 - Lee Reavis (NWG) 1
- Mike Bradley (NEG) 2 - Darren Corbett (GHS) 1
- Rick Hartsook (GHS) 2 - Bill Chambers (DHS) 1
- Kathy Turner (PHS) 2 - Jack Chatham (DHS) 1
- Brian Robinson (BMHS) 1 - Steve Hankins (DHS) 1
- Ben Bradford (RHS) 1 - Robert Kent (PHS) 1
- Haley Hackett (NWG) 1 - Jerry Fuqua (RHS) 1
- Kris Britton (DHS) 1 - Art Wade (SHS) 1
- Hank Bullard (SHS) 1 - Bill Walton (GHS) 1
- Crystal Hazelwood (NEG) 1
- Ashton Jeffries (SHS) 1
- Lou Roshelli (SHS) 1
- Rachel Clark (SEG) 1
► Winning Coaches: Of the 16 men and women coaching in this year’s HAECO Invitational, only three own HAECO Invitational titles. Freddy Johnson won all 19 of his HAECO Invitational titles at Greensboro Day; Brian Robinson led the Bishop McGuinness women to their first title in their first tournament appearance in 2022 and Darren Corbett led Grimsley to the title in 2009.
► Welcome New Coaches: The HAECO Invitational welcomes four coaches making their first HAECO Invitational appearances: Rashul Burney (Dudley men), Ray Davis (Southeast Guilford men), Brandon Harris (Page men) and Joe Henderson (Ragsdale men).
► Overtime Championships: The HAECO Invitational championship game has gone to overtime only four times, and all of them involved the Greensboro Day School Bengals. The first two were between Dudley and Greensboro Day. In 1987, Greensboro Day beat Dudley 57-55 in Greensboro Day’s first HAECO Invitational appearance. In 1992, the tables were turned as the Panthers beat the Bengals 66-63 when Vincent Whitt hit a three pointer at the end of overtime. In 2013, the title tilt included the Bengals and Page High School; the second-seeded Bengals upset the top-seeded Pirates 53-51 after one extra stanza. In 2018, second seeded Northwest Guilford upset the top-seeded Bengals 68-67 in overtime.
► 2023 Participating Schools: Bishop McGuinness High School, Dudley High School, Greensboro Day School, Grimsley High School, Page High School, Ragsdale High School, Smith High School and Southeast Guilford High School.
► Tickets: HAECO Invitational tickets are available through the participating schools or at the Greensboro Coliseum Box Office. Tournament books containing tickets for all games are $20. Single-session tickets are $10 for all days except championship day when they increase to $15. Single-session tickets are only available at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center box office.
► 2023 Women’s Seeds (Please see brackets below):
1. Bishop McGuinness High School
2. Greensboro Day School
3. Smith High School
4. Dudley High School
5. Page High School
6. Grimsley High School
7. Ragsdale High School
8. Southeast Guilford High School
► 2023 Men’s Seeds (Please see brackets below):
1. Smith High School
2. Greensboro Day School
3. Grimsley High School
4. Bishop McGuinness High School
5. Dudley High School
6. Page High School
7. Ragsdale High School
8. Southeast Guilford High School
About the HAECO Invitational:
The HAECO Invitational is an annual high school basketball tournament in Greensboro, N.C. Founded in 1976 as the Little 4 Invitational, the tournament features men’s and women’s teams representing eight high schools located in or around Guilford County. The tournament is played at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Tournament proceeds are donated to local charities and the participating schools; the HAECO Invitational is planned and presented by the Greensboro Sports Council. For more information, please visit www.HAECOInvitational.com and follow the event on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook: @HAECOinvit.