50 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com “The last two years we hung our hat on our senior leadership; this year we will have to rely more on a new group,” said LaPrad, who served as a team assistant for two years before being hired this past March. “We have a lot of great players; we just have to get them all playing as one.” LaPrad recalled 2024 when three big early losses seemed to put OCA out of state title contention. Yet both he and interim head coach John Patterson noticed that the players never reacted in a negative way, recognizing that the losses came against far better 5A opponents. The Landsharks then rallied to win all of their remaining games in 3A to finish 11-3 with another state trophy. “We believe in playing big teams early. We could go 0-5 early against them and still be in the running for another state title,” he said. OCA athletic director Mark Meyer added that LaPrad was his choice to lead the team into its next big decade and maybe more. “Brad is a large part of the reason our football team has had great success,” Meyer said. “I look forward to seeing him grow as a head coach.” As for keeping the players motivated for a formidable three-peat, LaPrad said collaboration between parents, coaches and players are to thank for it. “We believe in trust between us and them and telling the players to always put your best foot forward every game,” he said. “We have great kids who do things the right way and try to outwork opponents. And if we do that, we’ll have a shot in the end to win it all again.” JOHN REYNOLDS – Wando Warriors Boys Basketball In the school’s 52-year history, Wando Warriors basketball has often served to keep athletes in shape between fall and spring sports. It is this traditional mindset that new boys head basketball coach John Reynolds intends to change, with the goal of eventually turning the Warriors into a basketball power. “I’m excited about the challenge to build a program from the ground up,” said Reynolds, who Wando hired in April. “I’m aware of the school’s basketball history. But I don’t see any reason why that history has to be the future here.” One item in Reynolds’ favor is that he comes from a basketball background, having served for the past 18 years as an in-state assistant or associate coach with Presbyterian College, the University of South Carolina and most recently, The Citadel. Another favorable element to rebuilding is that Warriors teams in the last decade have been good only a few times, losing 22 games this past season, and posting an overall mark of 127-141 since 2014-15. Additionally, Reynolds himself is a former Citadel player, having helped turn a 6-24 team his freshman year in 2007 into a 20-13 squad in 2008. And he expects every Wando player over the next few years to come in with the same focus of taking the program in a positive direction. “I want us to be competitive right off the bat, and I’ve been happy with our progress so far,” said Reynolds, whose players have been working drills and honing skills under his watch during the sweltering summer. “There are a lot of qualities I see where basketball can take off here.” Reynolds’ rebuilding efforts, of course, will require some younger players to develop over the first several years. He expects to start the 2025-26 season with the play of multiple freshmen, a few sophomores and “maybe an eighth grader.” Then the work begins of returning the Warriors to the magical season of 2013-14 when they won a state basketball title – the only one so far since the school opened in 1973. Along the way through fast breaks, set plays, mental readiness and constant player conditioning, Reynolds wants the entire Mount Pleasant community to regard Wando basketball as their team. “It’s all a part of starting a new basketball era and building everything from scratch,” he said. “I do think our best years are ahead of us, but those years won’t come unless we build on it right now and begin with something that people in the community will come out and be a part of.” BILLY BITTER – Bishop England Lady Bishops Lacrosse Never mind his unusual last name, when it comes to lacrosse, new Bishop England girls head coach Billy Bitter already has his sights set on remaking and re-tooling the Lady Bishops into the second phase of a state power. Bitter, who served the past two seasons as a team volunteer, follows on the heels of Jeff Reiner, who retired this past spring after 15 years, seven state titles and a 118game winning streak across multiple seasons. “This is a our sports New Wando basketball coach John Reynolds is ready to take Warriors basketball to the next level.
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