Jackson Cantwell's magical week; Inspiration on diamond: Top high school sports stories (5/19/2025)

High School On SI National High 5: Top 2026 football recruit picks Miami, sets national season shot put mark; Westminster Christian plays for cancer victim; Texas storm destroys Gordon facilities

Nixa football star Jackson Cantwell is setting records on the track and field as well. / Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

Welcome to the National High 5 from High School on SI, a regular look at five of the country's top, most talked about high school sports stories.

When applicable, we'll offer texture, context and even a little opinion. This from busy May 12-17.

1. Jackson Cantwell’s amazing week

Nixa High School offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 ranked high school football recruit for the class of 2026, announced he will play football at Miami during a ceremony on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. / Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Tuesday, Nixa (Mo.) junior Jackson Cantwell, one of the nation’s top 10 football recruits, committed to the University of Miami as his college football destination. On Saturday, the 6-foot-8, 320-pound offensive linemen finished off the week by resetting the national No. 1 mark in the shot put with a heave of 74 feet, 9.25 inches to win the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 5 District 6 meet. He broke his own national season best for the third time.

2. Florida’s team’s fight for child’s life

Westminster Christian's 2025 softball team out of Miami Florida / Photo courtesy of WCS Miami Warriors Softball Facebook

The fight for Maya Kirk’s life is now one to honor her on the Westminster Christian softball team out of Miami (Fla.). In this poignant story from Walter Villa of the Miami Herald, the Warriors had come back from six- and seven-run deficits — both in the sixth inning — to win playoff games, all inspired by Maya, the 10-year-old daughter of Westminster Christian soccer coach Josh Kirk, who was inflicted with a rare case of brain cancer. On Friday, Maya succumbed to the disease she had been battling for 15 months. The team has been wearing pink sweat bands with the shorthand of “P4M” (Pray For Maya) throughout the season. They will honor Maya in Tuesday’s Class 2A state semifinal against North Bay Haven Academy. “The girls are now playing for something bigger than themselves,” Westminster Christian softball coach Nic Varsi told Villa.

3. Texas storm takes down athletic facilities

A softball rests in the grass in the foreground of a destroyed facility that appeared to house sports equipment can be seen in a video posted by Gordon High School Athletic Director Mike Reed following Sunday's dangerous storms that devastated the campus. / Mike Reed

Two-time defending Texas state 1A football champion, the Gordon Longhorns, might not have a football field or weight room heading into the 2025 season after what is believed to be a tornado destroyed much of the school Sunday. “No more football and baseball stadium,” Gordon athletic director Mike Reed reported on Facebook. Gordon, 1.0 square mile city in Palo Pinto County (about 65 miles West of Fort Worth), has a population of 470. Gordon has gone a combined 30-0 the last two seasons. 

4. Transgender athlete advances; California schools take ‘stand’

Jurupa Valley's AB Hernandez, a transgender student-athlete, stands atop the winner's podium at the CIF Southern Section finals after winning the triple jump. / Courtesy of Jennifer Sey

AB Hernandez, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School in California, has been at the center of storylines the past two weeks during the CIF Southern Section high school track and field postseason. Hernandez is an outspoken transgender athlete competing in girls track and field. On Saturday, Hernandez won two CIF titles in the triple and long jump at the Southern Section finals at Moorpark High School on Saturday, May 17, taking the long jump at 19 feet, 2.75 inches and triple jump (41-4), while finishing seventh in the high jump (5-2). She advanced to next week’s Masters Meet, which is a qualifier for the state meet. Earlier this month, the presidents of JSerra Catholic High School, Orange Lutheran and Crean Lutheran signed a three-page letter from an attorney for California Justice Center stating opposition to CIF’s Gender Identity Policy, which it states “is in compliance with California law (Education Code section 221.5 (f).” 

5. Prolific Prep moves to Fort Lauderdale

Prolific Prep's Darryn Peterson goes up for two of his game-high 27 points in Saturday's win. / Photo: Greg Jungferman

Perennial national power Prolific Prep, a basketball academy out of Napa in Northern California, announced its plans Wednesday to move to Fort Lauderdale (Fla.), which should present many more showdowns with other top 10 teams in Florida, IMG Academy and Montverde Academy. During its 11-year run in California, Prolific Prep boasted such NBA talents as Josh Jackson, Gary Tren Jr., Jalen Green and Adem Bona. The 2024-25 team featured McDonald’s All-Americans in guard Darryn Peterson (Kansas signee) and 6-10 forward Niko Bundalo (Washington).