St. Pius Completes Directors Cup Three-Peat

It’s true all good things come in threes, which has never been truer for the athletic department. It just raked in its third consecutive Regions Bank Athletic Directors Cup award, given to the top school in each division in the state.

St. Pius was named the top AAA school in the state of Georgia after 21 of its 22 teams made it to the state tournament, with boys’ cross country, and boys’ and girls’ soccer winning the whole thing.

“To win, to even be in contention, we have to have everybody working together,” said Mark Kelly, St. Pius athletic director. “We have a good program, and you have to be good across the board, successful in everything. Everyone here is on the same page, we’re all working to the same purpose and goal.”

To win the Directors Cup Award, teams must rack up the most points in their division. Each team coming out of a region receives a certain amount of points, regardless of the school’s rank. And for each level they advance in the bracket they receive more points. St. Pius led the way in AAA.

“You really have to stay up with it because there are some really good schools in AAA,” said Georgia Athletic Directors Association president Bob Stinchcomb. “Mark does a good job and all of the coaches over there. It was a very impressive year for them. Not everyone is going to win one of the five cups. Hats off to them.”

Kelly said the main reason for the consistent level of good performance from the school is the consistency from the coaching staff, which is a mix of veterans and talented newcomers, including two of the coaches whose teams won championships this year.

“Across the board we have a blend of young coaches and then those that have been with our program a very long time,” Kelly said. “It’s just Ryan (McClay)’s third year (as track coach), but we knew he was gonna be a great coach. And Sara (Geiger) with girls’ soccer? Our girls’ soccer team hasn’t given up a GOAL in the playoffs in two years! And David (O’Shea) took a team, probably our biggest surprise team with boys’ soccer and they finished as undefeated state champions, which is pretty decent for his first year as a head coach.”

Consistency is definitely a model for St. Pius. Two years ago in their first Directors’ Cup win of their recent run, all 22 teams made the state tournament.

“This doesn’t happen by accident,” Kelly said. “Success begets success. If you believe you will be successful, then you will be. We believe if the kids put in the effort that they are capable of, then a certain confidence level kicks in because of the success the kids before them had.”

Each year the fight for the Directors’ Cup has gotten more intense. In its eighth year, the award is a highly coveted honor among Georgia schools.

“It’s a big deal,” Stinchcomb said. “Our website, GADAonline.net had double the hits this year that we had last year. People are checking the cup standings down to the last day before the announcement. It’s a great honor for the student athletes to win the cup.”

So St. Pius remains the top dog for another year, as it takes the summer off before preparing to defend its winning streak again next year. Whatever system they have, seems to be working.

“Our mantra is family,” Kelly said. “It takes a collaborative effort. That’s what good families do. You always have someone to help pick you up, and that’s what St. Pius sports is all about.”