UNION - There are only a handful of high school teams each season with a legitimate chance to win an unofficial national championship, whether it be via top 25 poll or GEICO Nationals.

Those teams are never public schools, and rarely is it ever a private school like Ranney. Instead, the best teams in the country every year are more like Montverde Academy. The Orlando, Florida-area institution is not bound by the rules of its state association. It brings in the best players from all over the country, sometimes the world. It has sneaker company backing, it plays a national schedule, it churns out high-major Division I talent at all positions, some of which finds its way to the NBA.

This was what Ranney was up against on Friday night at the Metro Classic. A bigger, deeper, more physical outfit. The good news is, Montverde, which is coached by former St. Patrick of Elizabeth head coach Kevin Boyle, is the best team the Panthers will face this season. The better news is, Ranney doesn't have to see the Eagles again.

Ranney basketball: Montverde, Metro Classic offers test

Montverde quickly assumed control. It hit jumpers from all spots and forced turnovers early in building a 16-point first-quarter lead. The final three quarters were a foregone conclusion as the Eagles, ranked No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Super 25, downed No. 11 Ranney 89-51, in front of a capacity crowd at Kean University's Harwood Arena.

"A team like that, you have do things right," Ranney head coach Tahj Holden said. "You have to do things right consistently, and we did not do that today. I take most of the blame for this. I didn't have our guys prepared for what they were going to see, but we'll do a better job.

"We either learn from it or we don't. If we do, it'll be the best lesson we learn all year."

Shore scoring list: Ranney's Bryan Antoine claims top spot

"It's not something we didn't expect," Florida-bound Ranney senior guard Scottie Lewis said of Montverde's depth, the likes of which the Panthers had not seen this season. "We didn't have as much depth as they did, but we had to show more heart and play harder. We didn't do those things."

Compounding Ranney's issues on Friday night, Bryan Antoine took two hard falls in the first half, then emerged from the halftime locker room in street clothes. The Villanova recruit said postgame he reaggravated a left foot injury. His status for Saturday's game against Asbury Park was uncertain.

Ranney will begin its Shore Conference Tournament title defense on Thursday as the No. 1 seed in the round of 16.

Ranney hammers No. 1 Roselle Catholic in basketball

For as long as Boyle is the head coach at Montverde, it stands to reason he will bring his national powerhouse program to New Jersey each February.

The five-time NJSIAA Tournament of Champions-winning coach annually makes a pilgrimage home around this time for either the Metro Classic or the Primetime Shootout, sometimes both in the same weekend. Boyle is more than willing to take on whichever Garden State or metropolitan area powers tournament organizers offer him.

Ranney qualifies as a Garden State power, and Montverde acted accordingly Friday night. It shot 14-for-20 from 3-point range, it picked off a slew of bad first-quarter passes, and got out on the break the other way. Things began to feel like they were getting out of hand when 7-foot-1 Serbian-born Balsa Koprivica took a pick-and-roll feed from Cade Cunningham and dunked on Ranney's Phil Wheeler.

Max Holden gets loudest ovation at Ranney-Roselle Catholic game

Cunningham, a five-star, 6-foot-7 junior point guard, was the best player on the floor Friday in finishing with 9 points, 6 assists, and a host of passes and plays beyond his years.

If it wasn't Koprivica or Cunningham, it was junior shooting guard Moses Moody (20 points). If it wasn't Moody, it was 6-foot-8 forward Omar Payne, a future Gators teammates of Lewis. If it wasn't Payne, it was uncommitted McDonald's All-American Precious Achiuwa.

"We don't see that type of size all year, we won't see it again," Holden said. "Even Roselle Catholic isn't that big. The Patrick School has some size, but not like they did. They were strong, physical guys, and you don't see that too often in New Jersey."

Montverde was back at the Metro Classic Saturday night to face another TOC contender, Roselle Catholic. Between 6-foot-11 senior Cliff Omoruyi, and a bigger power wing in Kentucky-bound Kahlil Whitney, the Lions may be better-equipped to handle Montverde than Ranney was.

Roselle Catholic has played a handful of showcase games against Montverde since Boyle arrived there in 2011, and has generally been competitive. Last season, the Lions had the Eagles squarely on the ropes at the Metro Classic, but collapsed late in the fourth quarter in losing 60-59.

Staff Writer Josh Newman: jnewman@app.com; @Joshua_Newman