Christ Church continues to be one of the top Athletic programs in the state

Neill Kirkpatrick • July 22, 2024

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By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to the HSSR

Greenville – The Christ Church Episcopal School Cavaliers have one of the top sports programs in the state of South Carolina every year and while great athletes make all coaches look good and help post winning records it is the commitment and consistency of its coaching staffs that keep the Cavaliers competing at the highest level each year.

Heading up this juggernaut is Athletic Director Molly Miller. Coach Miller finished her seventh year as AD while also finishing her 13^th year as head coach of the girls’ lacrosse program. Her lacrosse squad made it into the upper state championship game this past season and finished the year with a 12-6 record.

The Cavaliers had an outstanding 2023/24 athletic year as they brought home four state championships (Girls Tennis, Boys Golf, Football and Boys basketball), five runner-up finishes (Boy’s and Girls soccer, Boy’s tennis, Girls track and field and Boys x-country) and they had three third place finishes (Girls Golf, Boys track and field and girls x-country)

The HSSR asked coach Miller what is one of the keys to the Cavaliers success. She said, “The collective commitment of our students, coaches, and community to pursue excellence daily. From pre-season workouts to post-season meetings where we reflect on ways we can continue to improve as a program and overall athletic department, and everything in between, all contribute to the success of our programs.”

Two of the four state championship teams repeated football and boys’ basketball while the girl’s tennis team three-peated. The boys golf team extended their state record golf state championships to 21.

The success at CCE is also rooted in the school’s core values; 1 - Commit to excellence, 2 - Compete with integrity, 3- Have fun and enjoy all aspects of the CCES school experience, 4 - Promote a Growth Mindset and resilience in the pursuit of mastery, 5 - Enhance a faith-based education, 6 - Respect academic programs and faculty, 7 - Support health and wellness, 8 - Cultivate a family environment and sense of belonging, 9 - Create a culture of responsibility, accountability, and ownership and 10 - Everybody matters.

“Our commitment to keeping our values at the forefront of our decision-making. We are intentional and reflective about building programs that balance the many "whys" for playing a sport - from our elite athletes with aspirations to play at the next level to those looking to get involved in our community outside of academics, we want to value the student experience while also emphasizing the qualities that are critical to compete at a high level consistently,” said coach Miller.

The coaching staff consists of; Baseball - Brian Simpson, BBB – John Butler, GBB - Jordan Filiatreau, FB – Quin Hatfield, BXC - Charlie Woodward, GXC - Ana Doran, BGolf - Cody Robertson, GGolf – Dan Wilkie, BLax - Joey Porchetta, BS - Anthony Esquivel, GS - Jacob Rawlings, SW - Matt Jacobsen, GT - Rae Sobocinski, T&F - Darrell Durham, VB - Alexis Coleman, WR - Kenneth Ramey, and Strength Coach- DJ Johnson.

Wallace Adams-Riley will be taking over the state’s premier boys tennis program. The boys’ team has won a state record 24 state championships but they have also finished runner-up another 15 times.

While CCE does not add new coaches often but when adding a new coach to the staff Coach Miller looks for coaches that are program leaders, knowledgeable in their field, and have a passion for working with young people.

Coach Miller said, “Coaches must recognize that there is a common goal outside of the win/loss record of their team at CCES. We are mentors, advisors, and educators. We collaborate as coaches and hold ourselves to a high standard of excellence.”

Rounding out the staff are Corrie Leonard (Administrative Asst) and trainers MJ Suber and Angie Johnson.

The vision statement for CCE is Athletics is an exemplary program that develops and promotes competitive, well-balanced students, coaches, and teams who faithfully pursue excellence with integrity in sport and their community.

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First Baptist Hires New AD and Football Coach

By David Shelton • July 30, 2025

By David Shelton Senior Writer Charleston – First Baptist School has new leadership within its football program and athletic department for the coming 2025-26 school year. Kevin Mapp was hired as the new head football coach in the early spring and Jay Godbolt was hired as the new athletic director at the start of the summer. Mapp has extensive coaching experience on both the college and high school levels while also working in law enforcement. First Baptist is his first head coaching position. Mapp last coached defensive linemen at James Island Charter High and has had coaching stints at James Madison, Hampden-Sydney, Georgetown, Marshall, Missouri State and Coastal Carolina. Mapp graduated from James Madison and was a defensive lineman on the 2004 Division I-AAA (now FCS) national championship team. “Coaching has always been my passion,” Mapp said. “Ever since I was playing, I wanted to be a coach. I have always found a way to coach while working in law enforcement. I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunities to do both.” Mapp has been with the Charleston County police department for the last 10 years. He took some time away from coaching to start a family. “I felt like First Baptist was the perfect fit for me and my family,” Mapp says. “It’s a great opportunity at a great place. The kids here work hard and there is a lot of support from the administration. I’m excited to be the head football coach at First Baptist.” Mapp has hired coordinators on both sides of the ball. Will McCombs , once the head coach of the program, will call the offensive plays. Chris Hart comes over from James Island as the defensive coordinator. “Our numbers are improving and the kids are working hard,” Mapp said. “I feel like we can be a competitive team. It’s year one of the building process.” Godbolt has been a coach and athletic director in the Charleston area for nearly two decades. As the boys basketball coach at Charleston Collegiate, Godbolt coached three state championship teams. He also has been a coach and athletic director at Lowcountry Leadership Academy. Godbolt has more than 450 career victories as a head basketball coach. Current First Baptist basketball coach Antoine Saunders was Godbolt’s assistant at Charleston Collegiate.