By Bill Mitchell

Special Writer

Columbia – There won’t be many new faces among the coaches at Batesburg-Leesville when the bell rings for the 2010-11 school year to be start and even the few will know their way around.

Christie Ann English takes over the girls tennis program from Cathy Watson and Teresa Taylor advances to coach the boy and girls cross country, replacing Jim McGowan.

It didn’t take B-L athletics director Gary Phillips a far and wide search to find his new folks. They were right under his noise.

English is an active tennis player and has been teaching in the Batesburg elementary school and Taylor worked with the Panthers. track program last spring and adds cross country to her duties. Ronnie James will be her assistant.

“I was worried about it until we got our applications in and found we could promote both of them,” said Philips. “It’s a big advantage when a coach knows the town and the program and can step right in.”

Other than that, the Panthers will go with a familiar crew for another year.

“The old hands are still here,” Phillips said. “We don’t have a lot of turnover in our coaching staff.  Once we get them here, they hang around a while.”

 Courtney McInnis is back at the head of the Panthers’ traditionally strong football program and his staff, includes assistants Gary Adams, Garrick Ball, Shane Bryant, Ross Cary, Raymond Davis, Jake Getson Eddie Cooper, Bob Rudybush, Greg Sawyer, Barry Thomas, Bernard Trotter and B. J. Wertz, are also ready for another tour.

Many serve as head coaches in other sports. Rudybush is the boys basketball coach and Bryant and Thomas work in the program as well. Getson is the boys tennis coach and Copper directs the golf program.

Adams and Wertz coach track and Sawyer is in charge of weight training.

Also back will be Heyward Bouknight as head softball coach assisted by Tim Covington and Trotter. Matt Covington leads the baseball program assisted by Ball and Mike Horne.

Jason Mouzon, whose team stunned seven-time champion Bishop England for the Class AA soccer title, is a basketball aide.

Tim Covington and Ashley Enwright combine to coach volleyball and Enwright is a basketball assistant to Jessica Dennis, a former B-L standout who heads up the girls basketball team. Jackie Barr and Marvin Summers also work with the girls program.

Vickie Boatwright, Andrea  Derrick and Nancy Rudybush direct the cheerleaders.

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