48th HAECO Invitational Pre-Tournament Notes

Greensboro Complex Special Events Center and Novant Health Fieldhouse; December 19-21, 2024

For immediate release.  Dec. 3, 2024 

          GREENSBORO, N.C. - - The 48th HAECO Invitational is set for December 19-21, 2024 at two Greensboro Complex venues, the Novant Health Fieldhouse and the Special Event Center. Pre-tournament notes along with the tournament seeds and brackets are below:

►        Tournament Returns to Novant Health Fieldhouse: After a very successful debut one year ago, the HAECO Invitational will once again utilize the Novant Health Fieldhouse. Playing in the Fieldhouse, home of the Greensboro Swarm, last year provided an electric atmosphere, and the Greensboro Sports Council looks forward to hosting the HAECO Invitational there again this year. The tournament’s second court will be the same as last year, longtime “court No. 1” in the Special Event Center located adjacent to the fieldhouse. With schools still in session when the tournament begins on Thursday, Dec. 19, the game schedule for both Thursday and Friday will be 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 6:30 and 8 p.m. with the second, third and fourth games starting 15 minutes after the previous game ends.  

►        Alternating Semifinals: New to the HAECO Invitational in 2024 is a slightly different format for the semifinal games. Since the tournament’s inception, the women’s semifinals were played in the afternoon followed by the men’s semifinals in the evening. This year, the semifinals will alternate starting with the first women’s semifinal followed by the first men’s semifinal and then back into the women’s bracket. With the mid-afternoon start due to schools still being in session, the second, third and fourth games will start 15 minutes after the previous game concludes. The National Anthem will be played prior to the opening women’s semifinal only. 

►        Championship Game Teams Celebrate at HAECO:  As part of its effort to expose central North Carolina 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 $7,500 in tournament tickets to each participating school for a total of $60,000. 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, 2023: $60,000. That’s a total of $1,434,000 since 2008. 

►        Follow the HAECO:  The HAECO Invitational is on social media – follow the HAECO on Instagram, X 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 James Gentry selected Operation Helo in support of their Western North Carolina hurricane relief efforts. Operation Helo, a 501(c)3 charitable organization located in Maiden, N.C., began its hurricane relief efforts flying helicopters full of essential supplies to communities unreachable by road due to Helene damage. Now, they are delivering fully-stocked campers to those who were displaced by the hurricane. To date, more than 60 families are living in campers donated by Operation Helo. For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.operationhelo.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, the Kellin Foundation 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, 97 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. This year’s winners are Josiah Beatty (Ragsdale), Addison Newkirk (Greensboro Day), Sophia Stevens (Southeast Guilford) and Candace Williams (Greensboro Day).

►        2024 Honorary Chairman:  The Greensboro Sports Council is proud to announce the 2024 HAECO Invitational Honorary Chairman, Mike Haley. Each year, the Council selects one person who made a significant contribution to the HAECO Invitational or the Greensboro Sports Council as its honorary chairman as a small token of its appreciation. Haley is a Greensboro Sports Council past president and a major supporter of sports in Greensboro as well as the Greensboro Complex.

►        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 First Horizon 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/.

►        2023 Tournament Recap:  The 2023 HAECO Invitational added another “first” to the tournament’s storied history with Greensboro Day School winning its first women’s championship. The second-seeded Bengals defeated Ragsdale and Smith before taking out top-seeded and defending champion Bishop McGuinness to win the women’s tournament. In the men’s tournament, top-seeded Smith High School claimed its third tournament title, and coach Derrick Partee won his first as Smith’s coach. The Golden Eagles defeated Southeast Guilford and Dudley High School on the way to the championship game. The Smith-Dudley semifinal was played in front of a capacity crowd in the Novant Health Fieldhouse. In the epic championship game, Smith defeated Page High School 68-65.    

►   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 15 of the last 18 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

Page High School - 13

Northwest Guilford              - 8

Grimsley High School          - 5

Western Guilford                  - 4

Smith High School               - 3

Northeast Guilford               - 3

Ragsdale High School          - 2

Bishop McGuinness             - 1

Greensboro Day School       - 1

Dudley High School              - 1

Greensboro Day School       - 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

Greensboro Day     - 19

Dudley High School    - 10

Page High School        - 8 

Grimsley High School - 6 

Smith High School       - 3   

Northwest Guilford      - 1

►        Coaching Statistics:

Women’s Wins by Coach:

Darlene Joyner (NWG)                 7

Luke McKeel (PHS)                      7

Deborah Jones (PHS)                  4

Ginger Moore (WG)                      4

Phil Weaver (GHS)                        3

Mike Bradley (NEG)                     2

Rick Hartsook (GHS)                   2

Kathy Turner (PHS)                      2

Brian Robinson (BMHS)             1

Ben Bradford (RHS)                    1

Haley Hackett (NWG)                 1

Kris Britton (DHS)                       1

Hank Bullard (SHS)                     1              

Rachel Clark (SEG)                     1

Crystal Hazelwood (NEG)         1                                 

Ashton Jeffries (SHS)                1                                 

Lou Roshelli (SHS)                     1

Tamera Thorpe (GDS) 1

►        Winning Coaches:  Of the 16 men and women coaching in this year’s HAECO Invitational, only five own HAECO Invitational titles. Freddy Johnson won all 19 of his HAECO Invitational titles at Greensboro Day; Darren Corbett led Grimsley to the title in 2009 and Brian Robinson led the Bishop McGuinness women to their first title in their first tournament appearance in 2022. In 2023, Derrik Partee won his first title for the Smith Golden Eagles, and Tamera Thorpe won her first title for Greensboro Day School in the Bengal’s first championship game appearance.

►        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.

►        2024 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 Complex 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 Complex Special Events Center box office.   

►        2024 Women’s Seeds:

1.     Bishop McGuinness High School

2.     Greensboro Day School

3.     Smith High School

4.     Grimsley High School

5.     Dudley High School

6.     Southeast Guilford High School

7.     Page High School

8.     Ragsdale High School

►        2024 Men’s Seeds:

1.     Greensboro Day School

2.     Smith High School

3.     Bishop McGuinness High School

4.     Dudley High School

5.     Grimsley High School

6.     Page High School

7.     Southeast Guilford High School

8.     Ragsdale 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 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 Instagram, X and Facebook: @HAECOinvit.