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BE Boy’s Working Hard Towards A Playoff Bid

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Daniel Island--Through 21 games of the season the Bishop England boys’ basketball team is (9-12, 5-4) and battling for a playoff bid with three regular season games left.

The team is head coached by former college player Bryan Grevey now in his second year after going 11-13 last season.

“Our strength is this team’s depth and we have several kids who can play multiple positions,” said Coach Grevey when the season started.  “We will rely on defensive pressure the entire game to be competitive. We graduated our two top scorers of last year. We hope to be very balanced on offense.”    

The team is led in scoring by senior forward Harold McGill who leads the team in scoring with 14.6 points a game and 5.8 rebounds. Against Stall recently he had 30 points and 14 rebounds. Junior guard Jacob Vecchiolla is next in scoring at 6.8 points a game. Senior forward Andrew Thatcher is averaging 3.9 points per game. Junior point guard Nick Theos has played well and he averaging 2.2 steals and 2.9 assists per game.  Andrew  Bunch starts at the shooting guard.

One up and coming player for the team is freshman sharp shooter B.J. Grevey who recently hit four three pointers in one game. Paul Teckenburg is a strong quick guard and 6-5 Jack Rubino is a back-up in the post.  Alec Swanson is good on defense and Griffin Herbert is a smart, big guard. 

“We are needing to play very well here at end of the season if we are going to make the playoffs,” said Coach Grevey “We have not shot as well as I had hoped coming into the season.”

The Bishops close out the regular season with key region games against Hanahan, Garrett, and Academic Magnet.

Bishop England Girls Remain Undefeated, Top Ranked In AA In South Carolina

By Billy G. Baker

Publisher

Daniel Island-The question for Bishop England’s girls’ basketball (20-0, 9-0); to be or not to be?

Coming into the school year it was well known around Bishop England, currently ranked number one in the state in AA, that football and girls’ basketball were the two sports that had not won a state title since the school started athletics back in the 1940’s. Now that the football team has won the Class AA Div. II championship, the 100th title in school history, it looks like the girls’ basketball team is capable of winning a title of their own also.

Two talented veteran seniors, shooting guard Amber Corbett and point guard Katelyn Grisillo, have teamed up well with top sophomore forward Michelle Boykin and sophomore prospect Mary Harriet Moore, a 6-1 post player with a lot of potential. Top junior volleyball prospect Ellie James is another tall player under the basket. “Elle can run the floor and she is six-foot and quite an athlete,” said Coach Runey. 

“We have four seniors who have been playing together for all four years and that makes a huge difference,” said coaching veteran Paul Runey who won his 500th game earlier this season. “All my seniors have started at some point this year. I have had eight different players start at some point.”

The top scorer on the team is Corbett averaging 14.3 points a game. She has made 12 three pointers this season and 28 of 33 free throws for 85 per cent. “Amber plays extremely hard and she has been on varsity since her freshman year and Amber is another one who can play multiple positions,” said Coach Runey. “She gets up the floor real well and runs the floor well.

“When Amber’s game is on she is hard to stop. She is a tough player too. Nothing fazes her. She just goes out there and plays with the same emotional level. I am happy she plays on my team.”

Coach Runey is also high on the team’s point guard.  “Katelyn (Grisillo) is tough, sees the court well, and leads the area in assists,” said Coach Runey. “She runs our offense. She’s the button that starts it off for us. This is her third year on the varsity.”  

Grissillo is averaging 10.9 points a game and is second on the team in steals with 65. She has an impressive 105 assists in 29 games.

The Bishops employs an up-tempo style of play. “In order to this effectively you have to share the ball and you can’t be a one man team,” said Coach Runey. “You have to share the ball and look for your teammate. If we are running and you don’t get the ball to the open man then you are going to sit. I think it helps when everybody is looking for each other because we are trying to push the ball up the court as fast we can.”

The Bishops have been beating opponents by 30 and 40 points. Wando did take BE into overtime before losing in December. North Myrtle Beach played the Bishops close until late in their game losing by double digits.

Boykin can play 1-3 on the court. “For a sophomore Michelle can handle the ball well and she plays great defense but she has been getting into foul trouble lately,” said Coach Runey. “She can rebound on the inside well and she has good court presence. She’s only going to get better as time goes on.”

Boykin is averaging 13.3 points and a team leading 67 steals. Moore is at 11.6 points per game and leads the team in rebounds with 6.5 a game. 

Coach Runey predicted that Moore would just get better and better. “Her height and the fact that she can score on the inside (had 18 tonight against North Charleston in just the first half) is impressive,” said Coach Runey.” She doesn’t know how good she can be. I have to get her a little bit tougher and a little stronger but she could really dominate.”

The Bishops are fortunate to have depth. Some key reserves include Megan Latorre, Erin Artitiques, and junior Michele Lussier who is real quick. ZiZi Archambault is playing well off the bench. Other players include Daria Smith, Katie Corbett, Mia Kierman, April Newton, and Camden Taylor.

“We have had two main things work in favor so far this year,” said Coach Runey. “We have been quick enough to pressure people. We have been able to run the ball and we were able to shoot for a good while, 50 per cent or better. If you can run the ball and be able to hit 50 per cent you should win some games.”

The AA playoffs start Feb., 15. “Marion is having a real good year and Marion is coming on along with teams like Manning and Marion,” said Coach Runey. “If we win the region we’ll be at home all the way to the Lower State championship game which will be in Florence this year.”

 

 

 

 

1.5 assists per game.
"Walker is a really good tennis player," DiBattisto said. "He's a jack of all trades. We need to get him to rebound a little more consistently. He can shoot it."
Leading the team in assists is junior guard Evan Solomon, who is averaging 2.2 assists per game.
The team's other starter is Mikell Fosberry.
"He's great defensively," DiBattisto said. "He's a tough, hard-nosed kid. He isn't afraid to get into somebody. That's where he really helps us."
Other members of the team include freshman guard Nick Theos, sophomore guard Glenn Lewis, sophomore guard Andrew Bunch, junior guard Matthew Puckhaber, sophomore forward Harold McGill, senior forward James Shahid, junior guard Christian Graham and sophomore forward Andrew Thatcher.
During the holiday break, Bishop England will be competing in the Hilton Head Ocean Front Classic.
"I think it's a great experience for us," DiBattisto said. "Having to play three games back-to-back-to-back means we're going to have to get into our bench. Every team is going to need to have a bench to win three games in three days. That's the No. 1 thing. The No. 2 thing is to win it."
Of course, one thing DiBattisto doesn't fret about is his team's handling of new surroundings. That's because during the preseason, the Bishops traveled to New York City and scrimmaged Ridge View at Madison Square Garden.
"We've told our guys there really shouldn't be anything at Bishop England that makes them nervous," DiBattisto said. "If they can play in Madison Square Garden, they can probably play anywhere. They're not allowed to use nerves or unfamiliar territory as an excuse for the rest of their careers."

Lady Bishops also off to 5-1 start
Charleston  (12/22/09) Bishop England is off to a 5-1 start this season. The Bishops have defeated Northwood Academy (48-46), St. John's (91-17 and 71-15), Academic Magnet (74-34) and Cardinal Newman (63-40).
Bishop England's lone blemish on the team's record was a narrow 71-70 loss to Class AAAA power Wando.
Leading the way for Bishop England has been senior forward Mallory Molony, a five-year starter for the Bishops.
Thus far, Molony is averaging 19.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.3 assists per game.
She's shooting 58 percent from the field, including a 35 percent shooting percentage from beyond the 3-point line. She's connected on 85 percent of her free throws.
The team's second leading scorer is Amber Corbett, a sophomore guard. Corbett is averaging 11.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.3 assists per game. She's shooting 54 percent from the field.
Also in double figures for Bishop England is junior forward Elizabeth Works, who is averaging 10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and three steals per game, while shooting 60 percent from the field.
Sophomore point guard Katelyn Grisillo is averaging 5.2 assists per game, plus averages 3.3 points and 1.8 steals per game.
Sophomore forward Mary Wyman Moore is averaging 4.7 rebounds per game.
Other members of the varsity team include freshman forward Mia Kiernan, sophomore guard Megan Latorre, sophomore guard Jane Vardzel, senior guard Julianne Runey and senior forward Stephanie Collier.