By Thomas Grant Jr.
Pictured above is Gray Collegiate Academy boys soccer coach Kevin Heise with his team after posting his 600 th. career win. (Photo by Kevin Heise)
There are fewer clubs more exclusive than the one with head coaches with 600 victories.
On April 22, Gray Collegiate Academy’s Kevin Heise became the second member in S.C. High School League boys’ soccer. The War Eagles’ 5-2 win over Gilbert allowed the longtime sideline leader to join fellow legends Phil Savitz (Irmo, River Bluff) and Billy Andrews (West Florence) in rarified boys’ soccer air.
“Kevin is the type of coach parents want their kids to play for,” said Savitz, whose relationship with Heise goes back over 30 years when he coached him at a University of South Carolina soccer camp. “He does things the right way and while people know him for the wins, it is the family atmosphere, character building and life lessons that really resonate in his team building each year.”
Heise holds the winningest coach in South Carolina history in equally high regard.
“First, Phil Savitz is unparalleled in what he was able to accomplish at Irmo and River Bluff during his career,” Heise said. “It’s truly remarkable and amazing. However, I think a lot of what Phil was able to do and what we have tried to do are very similar in the fact that both of us value and cherish “the high school game” in an era where club soccer and allegiances sometimes take precedent.
“We have tried to make the prep game important and that representing your school and community is one of the highest honors. There is pride in what you do and what you represent! I think that is probably the most gratifying part of prep athletics in general — you represent more than yourself”
Heise said “a laundry list of players” have reached out through social media offering their congratulations. So many of these players from his tenure at Brookland-Cayce and currently Gray Collegiate have greatly contributed to Heise’s success and he believes “each class represents a different era in (his program’s) evolution.”
“Of course, any time a milestone is reached, folks you have not heard from in quite some time find out and reach out and it does bring back a lot of memories and nostalgia,” Heise said. “But it’s just that — no big deal in the grand scheme of things.
“I have been very fortunate and blessed to have a lot of great players (and families) and assistant coaches over the years that bought into what we were trying to build and represent and for that I am very grateful.”
One of those assistants is Heise’s twin brother Kyle. Savitz cited both he and Kevin with playing a major role in growing the sport in Lexington County.
“When you talk about Kevin Heise, you almost have to include his twin brother Kyle also as they are a team in most everything they so,” he said. “So I want to congratulate them both on this 600-win milestone.”
This year’s War Eagle team sports a 19-3 overall record, 12-1 in Region 4-4A. Ironically, they play host to Heise’s former team Tuesday with a chance to wrap up the region title.
The latest Class 4A RPI ratings used to determine playoff seeding has Gray Collegiate first among Upper State teams and third overall. A top seed would mean the road to Memorial Stadium and a fourth straight title game appearance would go through West Columbia.
The Gray Collegiate Academy girls soccer team
The Gray Collegiate girls find themselves on a similar position. A win over Brookland-Cayce clinches an undefeated region record and homefield through the Upper State final.
