When Tommy Bayse took over the girls basketball head coaching position at Grafton High in 2009, he remembers his coaching buddies joking he would never win at a school known for volleyball, softball and soccer.
A little more than four years later, and Bayse is the winningest coach in program history.
Bayse won his 100th game at Grafton on Thursday night after the Clippers breezed past Tabb at home, 61-29. Without leading scorer Olivia Wilson, who was sidelined with strep throat, Hannah Olson (18 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, four steals), Hayley Marshall (17 points, seven steals, six rebounds) and Emily Beyer (nine points, seven assists, four steals) all stepped up and collectively smothered the Tigers with relentless defensive pressure.
While the 100 victories alone are a noteworthy accomplishment, how quickly Bayse — still in the first high school head coaching gig of his career — got to this point is equally impressive. In roughly four-and-a-half seasons, Bayse’s record is 100-25.
In his first season in 2009-10, when was picked by the Daily Press to finish in ninth place out of 10 Bay Rivers District teams, Bayse led the Clippers to a third-place finish in the district and 17-10 overall record.
The following season Bayse guided Grafton to a 24-5 overall finish and first of three consecutive regular-season district titles before losing in the state quarterfinals to eventual Group AA champion Liberty High. The Clippers also captured the program’s first regional title.
The past two, including the current season, have easily been the Clippers’ most dominant — at least in district play — as they have combined for a 51-8 overall record with just one loss in their last 34 games against district opponents.
Bayse said he was confident upon taking the position at Grafton in 2009 despite being told he was too competitive to be a basketball coach at a school known for excellence in other sports.
“I saw it as a challenge,” Bayse said. “I take a little pride in my coaching and the way I do things, but I never could have accomplished any of this without my assistant, Pat Huffman. And no matter how good a coach you are, you can’t win without at least some talent.”
Bayse says he has been spoiled with talent during his brief tenure.
Morgan Heath, a 2011 graduate, was the Region I Player of the Year her senior season after guiding the Clippers to their first region title. The following season, Rose Mulherin was voted the Bay Rivers District Player of the Year and earned first team all-region distinction. Last year, junior Olivia Wilson swept the district and region Player of the Year honors.
“I’ve been blessed with good players who believe and trust in my system,” Bayse said. “When you take a bunch of girls that are three-sport athletes, or basketball isn’t their first sport, and do something like this it makes you proud. But at the same time I’m not surprised because all the girls I’ve coached have been competitors and winners.”
