Bishop England welcomes Billy Bitter as new girls’ lacrosse coach

Bishop England High School didn’t have to look far to find a replacement for girls’ lacrosse coach Jeff Weiner. They hired Billy Bitter as his replacement on June 4. 

 

Bitter, an assistant at BE since 2023, is a native of Manhasset, New York, a lacrosse hotbed on the northern coast of Long Island. He turned 37 on June 10.

 

Bitter was a two-time All-American at the University of North Carolina, named the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year in 2010, and earned all-ACC honors three years. All this while serving as a volunteer at soup kitchens and at the Ronald McDonald House.

 

He has been coaching for more than four years at the collegiate and high school levels and began his coaching career as an assistant at Boston College in 2021, the year the Eagles women’s team won the NCAA title. He served as head coach of Cohasset (Massachusetts) High School in 2022.

 

“I am thrilled to be part of the Bishop England Catholic High School community where faith, academics, and athletics are paramount,” Bitter said in a press release. “As head coach, my focus will be to capitalize on the program’s strong foundation by sharpening each player’s game IQ and skill set, as well as emphasizing the importance of teamwork and faith.”

 

He played for the Charlotte Hounds and Denver Outlaws of the outdoor Major League Lacrosse from 2011 to 2013.

 

He is one of six children born to Ward and Nancy Bitter, and all six played lacrosse at the college level. His father was inducted into the Boston College Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

 

Bitter and his wife, Christie, have three daughters: Elsie, Letty, and Emme.

 

“My wife and children are equally excited for this journey, and their support fuels my passion to lead this team,” he said. “I am eager to lead this team forward in a way that combines faith, fun, and competitive spirit. The BEHS girls’ lacrosse team will continue to be a force to be reckoned with on the field.”

 

ALL-STATE BASEBALL HONORS

 

Philip Simmons and Bishop England both had successful baseball seasons this spring, and both schools are well represented on the all-state teams selected by the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association.

 

Philip Simmons, which was an inning away from winning the Class AA state championship, landed Nolan Clifford and Pierce Mullen on the all-star squad.

 

Clifford was the Region 6-AA player of the year for the Iron Horses, who went 19-15 and won the first game of the Class AA state championship series against Batesburg-Leesville High School. However, B-L rallied to win the next two games to win the title.

 

Bishop England, which won its first region championship since 2018, also had two players earn top honors: Jackson Winer and     Will Rissmiller.

 

Winer, who pitched and played first base, was one of the top seniors in the state and the Region 6-AAAA player of the year. He will matriculate to Coastal Carolina in the fall. He also earned all-state honors last spring.

 

Rismiller was solid on the mound. He went 6-2 and posted a 2.51 ERA.