BE’s coach Grevey seeks 200 career wins, Runey breaks the 800 win mark

EDITOR NOTES: ORIGINAL STORY UPDATED 2.16.24 WITH FIRST-ROUND PLAYOFF SCORES.

 

Bryan Grevey recently retired from a successful, 30-year career as a lawyer. That was his vocation.

 

He currently is the basketball coach of the Bishop England High School boys’ basketball team. That’s his avocation.

 

Grevey comes from a basketball family, and success is in his family tree. His father, Norman, also was a successful lawyer and basketball coach in Ohio while brother, Kevin, was one of the greatest players in University of Kentucky basketball history.

 

Grevey took over as the BE coach in time for the 2011 season, and 13 years later he is on the verge of reaching 200 career victories. He was scheduled to go after the milestone on Feb. 13 when the Bishops hosted Kingstree in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs.

 

“What it all really means, what 200 wins means is that I’ve had really good players, and some very good coaches,” he said. “They, along with the administration, were very instrumental in what I’ve accomplished.”

 

Grevey is proud of his accomplishments. But he added that coaches don’t get into the profession to reach a specific number of victories.

 

“I’m happy about that,” he said. “But what 200 means is that I’ve had great families, players and coaches.”

 

The Bishops owned an 18-8 record with six victories in the last seven games to push Grevey close to 200. He is the second winningest boys’ coach in school history. Tommy Lavelle, who coached BE from 1977-97, owns the record with a 287-187 mark.

 

The state playoffs were scheduled to begin with first-round action slated for Feb. 13-14. The Bishops defeated Kingstree 60-46.

 

The girls’ and boys’ teams at Philip Simmons High School both qualified for the Class AAA playoffs and will be at home for the opening round.

 

The Iron Horse girls, coached by Dustin Williams, beat Aynor at home 49-29 on Feb. 14. The Iron Horses, who began the season with a 3-9 record, were seeking their 10th consecutive victory thanks to steady improvement from a young squad that has transitioned into veterans. Aynor, which entered with a 15-9 record, has lost two of its last three games.

 

The Iron Horse boys won their opening playoff game against Georgetown, 69-38 on Feb. 13 at the Phil. Coach Garrett Campbell’s squad entered the playoffs with a two-game winning streak and were 14-10 overall. They are set to play away against Lower Richmond on Feb. 16.

 

Finally, the Bishop England girls will bid for another deep playoff run under coach Paul Runey, who recently won his 800th game in a brilliant career. The Bishops won their opening playoff game against Mullins on Valentine’s Day, 64-32..

 

The Bishops claimed the Region 7-AA championship, but they did it the hard way. Oceanside Collegiate snapped the Bishops’ 20-game winning streak with a 36-33 decision and forced a one-game playoff. The Bishops bounced back for a 56-44 win as Lisse van de Erve scored 11 while Izzy Wood and Lily Hodge chipped in with 10 apiece. Bishop England owned a 23-2 record heading into the postseason.

 

With the win, Bel advances to the second round on Feb. 17.