Tuesday, October 13, 2026
St. Christopher Academy Opens Preseason at The Border League East
The Sentinels play four games in three days in Rock Hill, S.C., against programs from New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado and South Carolina. Brodie Clifton and Isaac Bond return, and the practice data points to a team with real answers inside and out.
By HDJ
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WAKE FOREST, N.C. — The scoreboard doesn't count this weekend. Everything else does.
St. Christopher Academy plays four games at The Border League East in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Oct. 16-18, about two weeks before the official season opens Nov. 3 at Fayetteville Academy. Because the event is played in the preseason, it doesn't count against a scholastic team's schedule. That makes it a rare thing in high school basketball: a chance to see exactly where you are with nothing on the record to explain away.
For the Sentinels, that is the point. Nine athletes, four of them new to the program, will get four looks at four very different opponents in front of college coaches, media and a lot of strangers' scouting notes. Two of those athletes, guards Brodie Clifton and Isaac Bond, are coming back from injury and will make their return to game action.
The schedule
| Day | Tip (EDT) | Opponent | Home base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 16 | 7:40 p.m. | The Patrick School | New Jersey |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | 11:40 a.m. | Massanutten Military Academy | Woodstock, Va. |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | 3:40 p.m. | Green Mountain Basketball | Lakewood, Colo. |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | 9:00 a.m. | C.A. Johnson | Columbia, S.C. |
The Border League East is hosted at the Rock Hill Sports & Events Center. The event is a first for South Carolina. The invite-only league began in Arizona in 2020, runs a Las Vegas stop with national TV exposure, and expects more than 150 boys and girls teams in Rock Hill. Last year's Las Vegas edition drew more than 200 college coaches and 30 NBA teams, according to organizers.
A note on the numbers
Every stat below comes from the Sentinels' own practice scrimmages, logged live by staff over 13 sessions since Sept. 25. Scrimmage numbers run hotter than game numbers, with more possessions and looser spacing. They are still a fair guide to who does what, and how consistently.
The Sentinels
No. 0 Shreyas Mani, G (6'0", class of 2028). Mani pairs a lethal three-point shot with the burst to beat defenders to the front of the rim, and he is as comfortable setting the tempo as he is facilitating. The scrimmage numbers back it up: 99 points, second on the team, and 13 made threes on 30 tries (43.3%). He has 14 assists and 7 steals, and in the last week he went 11-for-19 from the field for 25 points. He is one of the newcomers to watch.
No. 1 Ky'Lee Fogg, G (5'10", class of 2030). Fogg impacts the game without needing the ball. In scrimmage he has 6 steals, 3 deflections and 13 rebounds at 5'10", a mix of quick hands and effort plays that tends to turn into points the other way. He is one of the program's younger newcomers.
No. 2 Kendrick Pulley, G (5'10", class of 2028). The point guard runs the team with quickness few defenders can match, and he is vocal and clear about it, keeping everyone in rhythm. He has 23 assists and 5 turnovers in scrimmage, a ratio of 4.6 to 1. No one else on the roster has more than 14 assists. He added 7 steals, 4 deflections and 8 made threes. From Oct. 7 to Oct. 9 he had 9 assists and a single turnover. If the Sentinels want to control tempo against a pressure team on Friday night, this is why they can.
No. 3 Brodie Clifton, G (6'4", class of 2030). An elite shooter and a true floor commander, Clifton directs the offense on and off the floor despite being one of the youngest guards on the roster. He reads the floor sharply and handles the ball with poise under pressure. He is back for game action this weekend, and the recent scrimmage numbers show his rhythm returning: over his last four sessions (Oct. 7-13) he scored 23 points and handed out 6 assists against a single turnover. He has 9 made threes and 3 steals overall.
No. 4 Dougie Jenkins, G (6'2", class of 2029). Harvey "Dougie" Jenkins gives the Sentinels something rare from a guard: relentless offensive rebounding. He has 32 rebounds in scrimmage, 13 of them on the offensive end. He slashes to the basket, is developing a mid-range jumper, and has the vision to find open teammates. He has 77 points (third on the team), 14 assists and 5 made threes.
No. 5 Isaac Bond, G (6'0", class of 2028). Bond is a physical guard who can score at all three levels, with mid-range, three-point and a polished finishing package at the rim. He pairs that with excellent court vision and passing instincts. He also returns from injury this weekend, and Friday night is the first game look at him in a Sentinels uniform.
No. 12 Landry Jenkins, G (6'0", class of 2030). A physical, defense-first guard who is already earning minutes at a young age. Jenkins stretches the floor with a live catch-and-shoot three and finishes at the rim. He has made a team-high 15 threes in scrimmage, to go with 63 points and 11 assists.
No. 15 Brantley Jenkins, G (5'10", class of 2031). The youngest Sentinel sets the pace and stays composed under pressure. He pairs a quick first step with a pull-up jumper that keeps developing. In scrimmage he has 11 assists against 4 turnovers, a clean ratio for any guard, let alone one his age.
No. 24 Sylva Okauru, F (6'8", class of 2029). The Sentinels' anchor. Okauru leads the team in practice scoring (119 points), rebounding (54) and blocks (13). The blocks are the number to circle: the Sentinels have 20 as a group, and Okauru has 13 of them. He is 58-for-102 from the field (56.9%) and has made a three. Over the five sessions from Sept. 30 to Oct. 6, he shot 39-for-64 (60.9%) with 80 points and 29 rebounds. He scores through contact, protects the rim and outworks people on the glass, and he is a real threat from mid-range. Against Massanutten's size on Saturday, the middle is where the Sentinels should feel most comfortable.
As a group, the Sentinels have a 47.7% effective field goal percentage in practice, with 56 made threes, 99 assists, 174 rebounds and 35 steals.
The opponents
The Patrick School (N.J.) — Friday, 7:40 p.m. The Patrick School was founded in 2012 after St. Patrick High School closed, and it carries that program's basketball tradition. Chris Chavannes is the head coach. Last February, as the No. 2 seed, the Celtics beat Peddie 97-68 in the NJ Prep Open Tournament semifinals. They also beat Hun 67-65 in January and lost to Bergen Catholic 64-54 in February. What to know: this is the biggest name on the schedule, and it comes in the first game, at night.
Massanutten Military Academy (Va.) — Saturday, 11:40 a.m. Massanutten, in Woodstock, Virginia, runs a postgraduate program that plays about 40 games a year. The school says more than 80 of its graduates have played college basketball, and five have reached the NBA, including Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Martin. What to know: postgraduate rosters are older and stronger. Expect physical, half-court basketball.
Green Mountain Basketball (Colo.) — Saturday, 3:40 p.m. Green Mountain is based in Lakewood, Colorado. Little about this group is published, which means there is no tape to study. What to know: the Sentinels will be playing their own game, on the second game of a doubleheader day.
C.A. Johnson (S.C.) — Sunday, 9:00 a.m. The Green Hornets are the reigning Class A state champions. They beat Bethune-Bowman 72-64 on March 7 at Colonial Life Arena for the program's third title and its first in more than a decade. Robert McCray is the coach. What to know: they are a short trip from home with a trophy to defend.
What to watch
- Whether Okauru's rim protection and rebounding hold up against Massanutten's size.
- How Pulley's assist-to-turnover ratio holds against a pressure defense.
- How quickly Clifton and Bond find their game speed.
- Whether the depth shows on the fourth game in three days.
The standings reset Nov. 3, when the season opens at Fayetteville Academy. The Sentinels will have a much better idea of who they are by then. Every athlete's goal is Division I, and the work of proving it starts Friday night in Rock Hill.
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