Shane Reilly jokes that the goal was to build a super team.
But that’s not really what happened.
Reilly is a junior at Holy Ghost Prep High School, and when he was in eighth grade at Our Lady of Calvary, he played in a Coaches vs. Cancer game at his future high school. After taking part in the game and falling in love with his surroundings, he decided to go there.
His friends followed him.
“I remember being here for a game, and I fell in love with it,” said Reilly, whose father is a graduate of Holy Ghost. “I thought the gym was awesome, and I really got a sense of brotherhood that I really liked. I liked a lot of things. I liked the small environment.
“I said I was coming here first, and then a bunch of other guys decided. I don’t think it was me, but we all did it together. Now I went to school with four or five of the guys on the varsity team and two others on the JV team. It was a group decision, but not for basketball. We just really liked the school.”
Now they’re loving the school, especially the basketball aspect of it.
The Firebirds are 5-0 on the young season, and look to be on their way to competing for the District One championship.
Reilly is doing more than his part, averaging about 10 points per game in his first year as a starter.
It’s been a gradual process, going from deep reserve as a sophomore to starting at shooting guard this year.
“Last year, when the season started, I would come off the bench, but I wasn’t one of the first guys in,” said Reilly, who can also run the point but is more comfortable playing the wing. “Last year as the season went on, I would get in more. By the playoffs, I was one of the first guys, usually the second guy off the bench. This year is a lot different.
“I knew I would have to step up this year because we had some great players graduate. I knew I’d have to help with scoring this year. But we have a pretty good team, a lot of guys who can score. I just try to do my part.”
Reilly is having fun because they’re winning, but he also admits it’s a lot of fun to win with friends he’s played with for most of his life.
“It makes it easier and it makes it more fun, I think,” Reilly said. “I think because of a lot of us have played together so long, we know what we’re thinking and what we’re going to be doing. It helps a lot to have that chemistry. We are very comfortable playing with each other.”
Basketball is a big part of Reilly’s life, but he has other interests. One is playing baseball, where he works as a centerfielder and pitcher for the Firebirds.
“I think I like basketball better, but I try to give them the same amount of effort and treat them with the same amount of importance,” Reilly said. “I’m looking forward to baseball season, but I think basketball is my first sport. It’s close.”
Reilly also enjoys giving back.
One of his favorite activities is taking part in Athletes Helping Athletes, which pits high school athletes with special-needs athletes.
It’s a very popular activity, and Reilly gets a lot out of the relationship he has with his friends in the program.
“We haven’t done it this year because of COVID, but it means a lot to me,” Reilly said. “Every Sunday, we would play basketball with them, or whatever sport we were playing that week. It was like a humbling experience.
“You feel grateful for what you do have. It’s fun to make their day, they get to play, so you walk out feeling good every Sunday. I hope we can do it again soon.”
When he plays with his friends in the program, he has a lot of experience to draw from.
Reilly has played basketball for as long as he can remember, and growing up, not only would he play for Calvary, but he would attend basketball camps at Holy Ghost.
It’s paid off handsomely.
“My dad went here, so he would always send me to the camps and everything, so I’ve been involved with the school for a long time,” Reilly said. “I also love the school. I like that everyone knows you in all the classes. You know everyone’s names. And they can’t now, but usually we have a lot of people at our games. School spirit is really a big thing, I love that about the school.”
Imagine how wild the fans will go if the Firebirds make a run in the postseason.
Right now, that’s the goal, to go as far as possible in District One and then, hopefully, beyond.
“We don’t have a league anymore, we’re independent, so we aren’t playing for a league, so now the goal is districts,” Reilly said. “I’m working hard. I think I’ve gotten better, we all have. I’m trying to get better and I’ll do anything I can to win. Scoring, driving, dishing. I don’t care what I do, I just want to win.”
It will also help give him and his dad bragging rights in the house.
Reilly and his dad went to Holy Ghost. His brother and his mom are both Archbishop Ryan graduates. That makes for some interesting trash talk in the home.
“My brother was a good athlete at Ryan, he played basketball until his sophomore year and baseball all four years, that’s the same thing my dad did in high school,” Reilly said. “So my family has a good rivalry going.
“Ghost has been perfect for me. I like the school, the teachers, everything. I would love to help them win.”
