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Conroy staying busy as basketball coach at Hilton Head Christian

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Hilton Head – Forgive Kenny Conroy if he does not have a lot of time to chit chat these days.

As the head coach of both the boys and girls varsity basketball teams at Hilton Head Christian Academy, Conroy has a full plate indeed.

Conroy was hired late last spring to take over the boys basketball program at the school. In mid-October, he was asked to take over the girls program as well.

Conroy has both teams playing competitive basketball this season, each with a good chance to make the state playoffs.

The girls team is having its best season in several years, posting a 10-10 overall record and a 4-3 record in region play. The team was 3-27 last season and had not won a region game in two or three seasons.

“They have worked very hard and have improved a lot,” says Conroy, who led Bible Baptist to back-to-back class AA state titles before coming to Hilton Head Christian. “Once they tasted some winning, the confidence level grew and they have done a great job. Our losses have been to really good teams but against the teams that are on our level in terms of talent, we do quite well.”

Indeed the schedule has been tough this season. The combined record of the teams that have beaten the Lady Eagles is a whopping 156-40 this season.

Senior Lauren Davis is the team’s leading scorer at 14 points per game. Sophomore Francesca Guidibono is averaging seven points per game.

The other starters are senior Addison Bensch, sophomore Audrey Bensch and freshman Andy Anderson.

Coming off the bench are seniors Kelly Humes, Becky Woods and Kiki Gehrt, along with junior Julee Kurklinski and freshman Reilly Malphrus.

“I’m very pleased with their attitude and willingness to buy in to what I’m trying to do,” said Conroy. “They found out how fun this game can be when you work hard and play hard. Winning is a lot more fun.”

The boys team enters the final week of play with a 9-9 record overall and a 1-4 mark in region play. The Eagles stand a good chance of making the state playoffs as well due to a tough schedule.

“We started off really slow because of football and we had several players on the football team,” said Conroy. “We really did not have a lot of practice time before we played and really didn’t start to gel until late December. They have made a lot of progress and they play with great effort.”

Senior forward Taylor MacDonald is having a solid season, averaging 17 points per game to lead the team.

Sophomore point guard Brad Meccariello also averages in double figures, scoring 13 points per game.

Rounding out the starting lineup are seniors Zach Reynolds and Kyle Weaver, along with junior C.J. Evanofski.

Coming off the bench are seniors Clay Oliver, Connor Millen and Logan Cunningham, junior Jamario Williams, sophomore J.D. Lehman and freshman Caleb Lewis.

Football Trio sign scholarships

Three members of the Hilton Head Christian football program signed a letter-of-intent to play college football on February 1.

Offensive lineman Kyle Weaver signed with The Citadel and offensive lineman Cole Malphrus signed with Wheaton College. Wide receiver Alex Martin signed with Mercer University.

 

 

, noting that nine colleges, including USC, have expressed interest in Gort as a basketball player. "Along with averaging 11 points and six rebounds a game, he's also averaging three assists. That indicates he's mature enough to look for others out of the double team. He also hates to lose, and he's not afraid of contact."
Senior center Chris Ferraro skipped football this season so he could concentrate on basketball. That decision paid dividends early in the season, with the 6-7 Ferraro averaging a team-leading 13 points and eight rebounds a game.
"Chris is one of the most improved players I've coached," says Colella, noting that Ferraro was named MVP of the Christmas tournament.  "He's been more physical and aggressive. He's been a killer on the offensive boards."
"The Future," as he was dubbed in the seventh grade, is 6-4 sophomore forward Taylor McDonald. "He's a gym rat," Colella says. "He jumps out of the gym and is an incredible offensive player. We want to make his defense better. Although it's good at the moment, it's not at the level of the seniors."     
Playing in SCISA Region 3-AAA, HHCA is competing against state champion Pinewood Prep and Porter-Gaud, which defeated Hilton Head Christian in last season's quarterfinals of the state tournament. It's a constant challenge for these three teams to maintain their winning ways against opponents who have the added motivation of trying to knock off the best.
"Everyone who plays us will be fired up," Colella says. "We can't have any letdowns. We have to make sure we come out every single game and play to our level."

Hilton Head Christian girls start season with two wins
By Stephen Prudhomme
Special Writer

Hilton Head Island (12/21/09) The Hilton Head Christian Academy girls' basketball team played only two games before the holidays and won't return to the court until Jan. 5, when it takes on Thomas Heyward Academy in a SCISA 3-A Region III game.
The Lady Eagles, coached by Joni Colburn, will face the Lady Rebels with a perfect 2-0 record. Thomas Heyward has won three games in a row and has an 8-1 record. The Lady Rebels are averaging 52 points a game while holding opponents to an average of 34 points per contest. HHCA has a slightly higher point differential of plus-20, scoring an average of 59 points a game and surrendering an average of 39 points per contest. In its second game of 2010, on Jan. 12, Hilton Head Christian will face Hilton Head Prep, which is averaging 55 points a game and giving up an average of 27 and has an 8-1 mark.       
In its opening game of the season, on Dec. 11, Hilton Head Christian crushed Beaufort Academy, 68-32. After outscoring Beaufort Academy 19-12 in the first quarter, HHCA stepped up the intensity in the second quarter at both ends of the floor, outscoring Beaufort Academy 26-4 to put the game out of reach. In the second half, Hilton Head outscored Beaufort Academy, 23-16.
In its second game of the season, a league contest the following night against Ashley Hall, Hilton Head faced a much tougher challenge before emerging with a 50-46 victory.  
Running the offense for the Lady Eagles is point guard Ellie Patterson. Other players in the backcourt are Addison Bensch, Lauren Davis, Katie Woods and Brittany Chisholm. Anna Bensch plays both guard and forward.
The team's forwards are Erika Sonberg, Lizzie Pugatch and Janel Requet.