Olympic Remains Undefeated
Second year head coach, Jeff Bishop, and Olympic is one of the biggest surprise stories in the South Meck 4A conference this season. Last year, Olympic finished with a 2-8 conference record, 11-12 overall. After a convincing home win over traditional 4A power Ardrey Kell, Olympic moves to 16-0 and 5-0 in conference play. Now, they travel to Myers Park on Friday for battle of sole possession of first place. Let’s be honest, no one expected Olympic to be in this position, but let’s give tremendous credit to head coach Jeff Bishop. He has done a masterful job in transforming Olympic to a lofty mid-season state ranking and in the conversation for competing for the South Meck 4A regular season championship.
The first step was not looking too far ahead and allow Ardrey Kell to steal a proverbial “trap game.” After a sluggish and lethargic first quarter, where they trailed Ardrey Kell 13-8, Olympic went on 18-3 second quarter run to capture a 26-21 halftime lead. Olympic continued to stretch the lead and led by 16 entering the fourth quarter. While Ardrey Kell attempted a few runs in the second half, Olympic was able to capture a convincing 65-47 home game. Leading the way was 6’5 junior Kameron Taylor, who finished with 21 points six rebounds and three assists. Now, let’s take a look at the standout players for each team.
6’5 ’24 Kameron Taylor (Olympic)
Taylor is averaging almost a “double double” (17.9 PPG and 9.0 RPG) The smooth, fluid, and slender wing came alive in the second half. While he has a reputation of being a scorer, we were impressed equally with his passing ability and court vision. More importantly, the ball doesn’t stick in his hands. He’s efficient off the dribble and has the ability to make correct reads, not to mention he’s a very effective rebounder on both ends of the court.
6’0 ’25 Jaydon Terrell (Olympic)
Jaydon Terrell and Kameron Taylor make an potent 1-2 scoring punch. The best thing for coach Bishop, both are underclassmen and return for another season for Olympic. Terrell is a solid all-around player. He finished with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists, but impressed us this his overall hustle.
6’7 ’23 Devin Ragin (Olympic)
Devin Ragin brings instant energy on both ends of the court. While he finished with eight points, Ragin also collected six rebounds, blocked three shots and garnished three steals, many during the crucial second quarter run. The senior provides excellent leadership on the court and sets the tone with his hustle and energy.
5’6 ’25 Chandler Kennedy (Olympic)
The sophomore point guard creates havoc defensively and has the ability to set the tone offensively. Kennedy finished with nine points, but provided a glimpse of the future as the floor general for the next three years. Along with Kameron Taylor and Jaydon Terrell, the future looks bright for Olympic.
6’0 ’24 Delani Hammonds (Ardrey Kell)
Delani Hammons once again demonstrated his ability to become a legit collegiate level prospect. Hammonds simply knows the game and has the ability to create off the bounce or create scoring opportunities for his teammates. Hammonds finished with a team high 13 points and dished out five assists. Hammonds is a confidence floor general and has the ability to get to the rim on a consistent basis.
6’6 ’23 Brock Rose (Ardrey Kell)
Brock Rose didn’t get many open looks and we’ve seen more production in previous settings, but that didn’t stop Rose from playing from start to finish. He’s a hard worker on the court and has enjoyed better shooting performances, but his “no quit” attitude was impressive. Rose finished with 11 points and five rebounds.
6’7 ’23 Trenton Gerald (Ardrey Kell)
Really came away impressed with the grit, determination and sheer hustle on both ends of the court. Gerald finished with six points, but collected 11 rebounds. We’re talking about a young player that gives maximum effort every trip down the court. He battles, he competes and lays it all on the court. There’s absolutely no quit in his overall play/effort.
Sideline Professionalism
While Ardrey Kell is now below .500 for the season, Head Coach Mike Craft is a true gentleman on and off the court. He’s been on the receiving end of player transfers, but never makes an excuse. He plays the hands that is dealt. He’s one of the state’s best basketball coaches. He is a teacher of the game, but provides moral and ethical leadership from the sideline. As we stated earlier, Olympic’s Head Coach, Jeff Bishop, has done a masterful job with this year’s team. He does have talent, but not overwhelming talent. He, like Mike Craft, are what’s great about high school basketball. Both demonstrated professionalism from the sideline. In today’s culture where coaches are constantly complaining and arguing every call, we came away impressed with the conduct, mannerisms and professionalism displayed by both head coaches. It is quite refreshing.
