Photo By Stanley Leary

ATLANTA—St. Pius X High School finished second behind Bentonville High School of Arkansas in the 2013-14 MaxPreps Cup national rankings recognizing the top high school athletic programs in the nation. The St. Pius Golden Lions are coming off the best athletic season in school history with eight state championships, three state runners-up and 21 of 22 teams qualifying for state playoffs or competition. St. Pius X also won the Georgia Athletic Directors Association (GADA) Regions Director’s Cup for the fifth time in six seasons.

“Not only does this affirm the job that our student-athletes, coaches and parents are doing but is also affirmation of the foundation laid by the individuals that have attended St. Pius X over the years,” said Mark Kelly, the school’s athletic director.

The 2013-14 school year began with the fall sport programs setting the tone for the rest of the athletic department, capturing two state titles and one state runner-up. Boys cross country and volleyball both won state crowns. It was the fourth consecutive championship for the boys cross country team, while volleyball team captured its first ever state title. The girls cross country finished as state runners-up.

The winter sport season continued with similar success. The girls basketball team successfully defended its state championship from the previous season, while the boys swimming and diving team won its first ever state crown. The girls and boys swim team finished third at the state meet.

St. Pius X principal Steve Spellman said, “Everyone associated with St. Pius X is thrilled with the announcement that our athletic program was recently ranked as the second best program in the nation by MaxPreps. This recognition is significant as it validates the effort put forth by our student-athletes, coaches and parents in maintaining an exemplary program in every sport.”

In the spring, the boys and girls soccer programs each won a state title. For girls it was their fifth championship in the past six seasons and the boys team won its third in four years. The boys track and field team won the state championship as the girls track team finished as state runner-up. The boys tennis team captured the state title and the girls team finished as runner-up.

St. Pius X was one of only two schools from Georgia to finish ranked in the top 25. Atlanta’s Marist School was ranked fifth.

According to the MaxPreps website, the MaxPreps Cup rankings are compiled by assessing schools points for finishing first or second at the state level. For states that don’t have state competition, point totals were adjusted to award first and second-place teams at the section level. Points are also awarded for size of playoff division (championships won at the large school level were worth more than championships at the small school level), size of state (championships for Texas, for example, were worth more than championships for less populous states like Alaska) and type of sport (football championships were worth more than tennis championships).