History
The original sixteen-team national high school holiday tournament. The King of the Bluegrass, the Arby's Classic, and the City of Palms Classic all followed the format the Kingdom created.
Founder · 1974
The 24-Hour Bet
In the spring of 1974, a young coach named Jim Haley told Vanguard's principal he wanted to host a sixteen-team tournament. Told it could not be done in Florida, Haley committed all sixteen teams within twenty-four hours. The next day he and Bob Murphy cold-called Ocala businesses and raised the first $7,500 in sponsorships. An Ocala institution was born.
From the late 1970s through the 1990s the Kingdom grew into one of the premier high school tournaments in the country. Coach Haley passed in November 2018. The Vanguard court is named Jim Haley Court in his honor.
79 State Champions, 215 different Florida schools, and 140 out-of-state teams from more than 25 states, plus the Bahamas and Canada, have played in the Kingdom. Two national champions have been crowned on this floor.
Everyone Followed the Kingdom
King of the Bluegrass
The Kentucky tournament built on the Kingdom model.
The Arby's Classic
The Tennessee event, another spinoff of the Kingdom blueprint.
City of Palms Classic
Regarded as the top high school tournament in the country. It was an eight-team event until it changed format after seeing the Kingdom take off.
Ocala's tournament is the original sixteen-team event with national flair. The others came after it.
Fifty Years of Highs
- 136Most points, tournament · Teddy Dupay · Mariner · 1995
- 64Most free throws, tournament · Chris Corchiani · Hialeah Miami Lakes · 1985
- 376Most points, tournament (team) · Mariner · 1995
- 100-98Highest-scoring final · Dunbar (DC) vs Miami · 1989
The full vault has every individual and team record across five decades. Most people will not read all of it. It is there for the ones who will.