No. 7 CIA-Bella Vista and No. 11 Montverde Academy face off in Chipotle Nationals final

The winner will be crowned The Sporting News High School Basketball National Champions

Apr. 4, 2026 at 3:19pm

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The Chipotle Nationals championship game is set for 12 p.m. EST local at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana. The No. 11 Montverde [FL] Academy Eagles, who have won the tournament seven times, will take on the No. 7 CIA-Bella Vista [Phoenix, AZ] Bears, who are playing for their first national title.

Why it matters

With the top four teams in The Sporting News' rankings all losing earlier in the tournament, the door is open for either Montverde or CIA-Bella Vista to claim the national championship. Neither team is guaranteed the title, but the winner will be crowned The Sporting News High School Basketball National Champions.

The details

Montverde Academy has made the Chipotle Nationals field 14 years in a row and has won the tournament seven times. CIA-Bella Vista is looking for its first national title. The top four teams in The Sporting News' rankings - No. 1 Dynamic Prep [Dallas, TX], No. 2 AZ Compass Prep [Chandler, AZ] Dragons, No. 3 Prolific Prep [Fort Lauderdale, FL] Crew, and No. 4 Paul VI [Chantilly, VA] Panthers - all lost earlier in the tournament, opening the door for a new champion.

  • The Chipotle Nationals championship game is set for 12 p.m. EST local on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
  • The Sporting News High School Basketball National Champions will be announced next week after all the results are in.

The players

Montverde Academy

A high school basketball powerhouse that has won the Chipotle Nationals tournament seven times and is making its 14th consecutive appearance in the field.

CIA-Bella Vista

A high school basketball team from Phoenix, Arizona that is playing for its first Chipotle Nationals title.

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What they’re saying

“It's the high school basketball national championship game. Or at least the closest thing we have to it.”

— Kendall Webb, Author

What’s next

The winner of the Chipotle Nationals championship game will be crowned The Sporting News High School Basketball National Champions, which will be announced next week.

The takeaway

With the top teams in the country all suffering early upsets, the Chipotle Nationals final is wide open, giving either Montverde Academy or CIA-Bella Vista a chance to claim the national championship in a tournament that has become the closest thing to a true high school basketball national title game.