Colleton Prep continues to grow athletic programs

Walterboro - In a perfect world, Colleton Prep athletic director Greg Langdale would love to offer as many sports opportunities as other small private schools in SCISA.

However, to have a lot of sports you need a lot of willing participants. While Colleton Prep’s participation rate in athletics is very good, there simply is not enough student-athletes to go around.

“There are very few high school kids in the school that don’t play something,” said Langdale, who is also the head football coach. “The participation rate for the kids that we have is really good. We have a good many athletes who are two sport athletes and several that play three sports. We just don’t have the overall numbers to add sports.”

Langdale says adding a boys soccer program and possibly getting more involved with track and field are on the wish list. However, the turnout of players for soccer was minimal, less than enough to field a team.

“We try every year but you can’t do it with five or six boys,” Langdale said. “We have good numbers in baseball during the spring. We just don’t have enough boys in the school to spread around.”

Colleton Prep has fielded a girls soccer team in recent years, joining basketball, volleyball, tennis and softball as girls sports are offered. Cross country is another sport that has been hit or miss in terms of participation numbers. There has been growing interest in wrestling and several wrestlers have competed well, though the roster for all weight classes is still incomplete.

One of Langdale’s primary tasks is making sure his teams have coaches. There will be a new varsity boys basketball coach this coming year as John Caldwell will step into that role.

Caldwell is replacing veteran coach Belinda McCoy, who last season coached the varsity and junior varsity in both boys and girls basketball. McCoy will remain as the girls coach but has added volleyball to her list of head coaching responsibilities.

“Four teams in basketball was just too much. It would be for anyone,” Langdale. “She is a great coach and she did a great job of establishing a winning attitude in basketball. She will do the same in volleyball.

George Smith will return to direct the cross country program and Mike McCoy will coach the boys golf team. Ladson Fishburne heads up the successful girls tennis program in the fall.

Returning as softball coach is Tiger Martin while Josh Craven will return as the head baseball coach. Both programs are perennial playoff contenders.