Preseason poll gives local soccer squads high ranks

Going wire to wire in sports, beginning the season as No. 1 and finishing as state champions, can be like a high-wire act. Slip or make one wrong move, and it can be over in the blink of an eye.
 
Bishop England boys’ coach Ed Khouri knows the scenario all too well. Last year, the Bishops began the season as the No. 1 team in Class AAA, according to the South Carolina Soccer Coaches Association’s preseason poll, won all the big showdowns during the season and even celebrated Khouri’s 500th career victory at BE to remain in the top spot during the regular season. But the Bishops didn’t close the deal as they dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to Brookland-Cayce in the Lower State Championship, which was contested at Jack Cantey Stadium.
 
This season, the Bishops again begin the season as the No. 1 team in the Class AAA preseason poll. 
 
“I don’t know why we are ranked No. 1,” coach Ed Khouri said with a laugh. “I don’t want to be No. 1. You know, there’s mental pressure involved, so it’s a double-edged sword. It boils down to the players, their off-season preparation and their ability to maintain their togetherness and will to win.”
 
Six starters return for the Bishops. They include Zander Mullen, Matthew Pardieck, Jacob Koster, Ben Lordi, Connor Craig, and Easton Khouri. Mullen is the lone senior on the roster and Easton is the grandson of Khouri.
 
All four Bishop England and Philip Simmons’ soccer teams are ranked in the preseason poll. The BE girls’ team checks in at No. 5 in Class AAA. In Class AA, the Philip Simmons girls are No. 4 in the state, while the Iron Horse boys are No. 5 to begin the season.
 
The Bishop England girls’ team, one of the top programs in the state, regardless of classification, begins a new era this spring as a familiar face. Netha Kreamer takes over for longtime coach Dave Snyder, who retired after 19 years at the helm of the girls’ program.
 
She has been associated with the BE girls’ program since the school moved from its Calhoun Street location to Daniel Island in 1998. A native of Charlotte, Kreamer’s resume includes coaching experience at Ashley Hall School, South Carolina Surf, Mount Pleasant Soccer Club, Trident Academy Soccer Club, James Island Soccer Club, Cainhoy Athletic Soccer Club and, now, Bishop England.
 
Both teams at Philip Simmons have high hopes for the 2022 season as the Iron Horses compete at the Class AA level for the final time before moving up to Class AAA for the next academic year.
 
The Iron Horse girls went 11-4 last spring and have a new coach in Ed Liebe, who replaced Jay Watterworth. The girls’ team won a playoff game for the first time in the school’s history. Fourteen of the 18 players on the roster were expected to return.
 
Last season, the Philip Simmons boys’ team also recorded a first-round playoff victory over Greer Middle College. Coach Patrick Gunderson led the team to a 14-4 record and a Region 6-AA championship.
 

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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