BE boys' basketball team suffers loss to No. 1 Porter-Gaud

The Bishop England boys’ varsity basketball team dropped a 64-54 decision to rival Porter-Gaud on Saturday night. After the game, you didn’t find Bishop coach Bryan Grevey sulking or searching for excuses – and for good reason.

After all, Porter-Gaud, 9-0, is ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 24 in the nation, according to MaxPreps, a website that specializes in coverage of high school sports.

“Porter-Gaud is very, very good,” Grevey said. “They probably have five Division I players on their roster and we played them very close. JP (John Pearson) does a great job and always has his team ready to play. Any other game, we would have won.”

Even with the loss, the Bishops have a very healthy 6-3 record heading into this week’s action. Porter-Gaud has pinned two of the losses on the Bishops while Class AAAAA entry Wando handed the Bishops their other setback.

The Bishops have the talent, experience and coaching to contend for the Region 8-AAA title this winter, but it won’t be easy. Lake Marion and Timberland both have won recent state titles in basketball and the region should be balanced from top to bottom.

The Bishops have a nucleus of Brendan McHale, Christian Drummond and Leo Albano, players who each contribute something unique to the Bishops’ attack.

McHale’s father coached basketball in North Carolina and it’s evident that McHale has learned from his father. He’s talented and extremely coachable. He began the season as one of the top five seniors in the state, according to the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association.

Drummond is a 6-5, 220-pounder who can score from inside or by hitting it from long distance.

“He provides problems for defenses because of his size,” Grevey said. “He is a tremendous shooter for his size.”

Albano is a three-sport star who also plays quarterback on the football team and pitcher on the baseball team. He also excels in the classroom.

“There is nothing but bright days ahead for Leo Albano,” Grevey said.

The other starters include senior guard Ben Quinque and 6-5 senior Brian Privett, who give the Bishops another inside force.

Grevey is happy with his team’s depth as well and rotates numerous players to keep fresh legs on the court.

The biggest factor in the Bishops’ success just might be team chemistry.

“The biggest factor is this team has so much fun out there,” Grevey said. “Everyone roots for each other. They don’t care who gets the glory. All they want to do is win and have fun. Everyone supports each other.”

The Bishops went 15-11 last year to record their first winning season since the 2007-08 campaign. This year, the Bishops are looking for another winning season and that means they will have to fare well in region play.

“It’s an entirely new region for us since we moved up to Class AAA,” Grevey said. “We have a big challenge ahead, but I like our chances.”