SPARTANS HEADED IN RIGHT DIRECTION

It was quite an eventful season for Bishop Walsh, which underwent wholesale preseason changes to its roster - and, as a result, a wholesale change to its record.

The Spartans improved from 14-14 to 20-8 in their first year under head coach Dan Prete, marking their first winning season since 2012-13.

Prete arrived last summer from St. James (Md.) and instantly invigorated the program with many  of his old St. James players and several other talented transfers. 

“I would say it was very successful for us for the first year, especially with the type of schedule we played," he said. "Getting everybody to play together was tough and takes time, but I thought they really did a good job and started to figure it out and it’s almost to the point where you wish the season was just starting now, 'cause they finally figured it out.”

The Spartans experienced their first taste of Alhambra success in years, winning their first ACIT game since 2011. To continue this upward trajectory, Bishop Walsh will need to replace four starters in Virginia Tech-bound wing Yavuz Gultekin, rapidly-rising forward Olivier Nkamhoua and guards Anthony Torelli and Callum Baker, as well as guard Jordan Miller.

The lone returning starter has Prete very excited for the future, though.

“[2021 guard] Jalen Miller coming back has two years of extreme experience, and now I think he’s ready to take over not only our team, but the DMV - I think he’s that good. For a kid that just turned 16 years old, to have the experience of playing teams like Oak Hill and all those guys that we get to play, I just can’t imagine what he’s going to be like by the end of his junior year and senior year.”

2020 forward Bendji Pierre, 2021 forward Caleb Furr, 2020 wing Patrick Strite and 2020 forward Wilson Ramabu are among the others who will be counted on to assume larger roles.