Bishop Leads the Charge

Wandering through a yard sale with his father, Wes Bishop came across a weird looking stick with a net on the end of it. The young Bishop continued to look at the stick. Although it intrigued him and he thought it was cool, he didn’t know what he held in his hands. Eventually his father told him it was a lacrosse stick and bought it for him.
Bishop went home and began throwing the ball around in his backyard. By the third grade he had started playing youth lacrosse and the position didn’t really matter all that much to him.
“Back then I’d play wherever the coach needed me,” he said. “I just wanted to get onto the field and play.”
By the fifth grade, Bishop began to specialize his play on the defensive side of the field as he was much taller than most of the other kids and had the legs to run. In fact, Bishop found himself being able to outrun most of the kids on the field due to his long strides.
Two years later Bishop found his way onto the Mass Bay Colonial team that travelled to Denver to take part in a lacrosse tournament, where his team made it to the finals before falling to a local team. Although it was a remarkable feat that the Massachusetts team made it all the way to the championship game, it was even more impressive that Bishop earned a spot on the team.
“I was one of only 26 to be chosen for the team out of 1,000 athletes trying out. I was also one of the youngest kids on the team being in only seventh grade at the time,” Bishop said. “It was an amazing experience. Once we got there I was so excited about playing I really didn’t care if we won or not.”
With the ability to earn a spot on such a prestigious team, Bishop knew that he was different than most lacrosse players – he knew that he had the talent to go places. In high school he knew that he had to play for the Warriors, but the tryouts were something he didn’t expect.
“It was a very humbling experience, and at that point I honestly didn’t care if I made the junior varsity or varsity team. I just wanted to play lacrosse,” he said. “Making the varsity team as a freshman was very exciting and I was taken in by the seniors who helped me become the player I am today.”
During his first varsity contest for King Philip, Bishop was like every other athlete playing a sport for the first time.
“It was against Oliver Ames and prior to the game there was definitely jitters and I was really nervous. Goalie Paul Macrina, a junior at the time, told me to relax and just go out and play my game,” he said. “I settled down and did just that. I even scored a goal.”
KP coach Hal Bean is entering his second year with the team and has noticed that Bishop is an exceptional individual.
“Not only does he have great speed on the field, he has a phenomenal stick and sees the depth of the field really well,” the Warrior coach said. “What’s even more amazing is that Wes sets the bar rather high and he continues to overachieve.”
Bishop believes he has to do this to be the best.
“I have high expectations to push myself to be mentally better as well as physically,” the KP defender said. “There is always someone better than you looking to take your job.”
As the team’s best defender, Bishop has the task of shutting down the opposition’s best attacker, a task the senior has no problems taking on.
As a four year varsity defender for the Warriors, Bishop will play his final campaign as a captain for the team. He will take the field and play his best each and every game while keeping the rest of the players prepared.
“I want to play the way we did last year, only harder in the tournament,” he said. “Losing to BC High (19-4) in the first round was a tough one to take.”
While Bishop and his Warrior teammates have been to the Division 1 South Tournament the past three years, King Philip has never gotten out of the quarterfinal round.
As Bishop’s final high school lacrosse season is getting ready to begin, the KP senior is hoping that he can help guide his team further into the playoffs. After that, Bishop has committed to play lacrosse for UMass-Boston next year.
“I think the school is a really good fit for my skills,” Bishop said. “I want to work hard and do my best, but I would have never been able to achieve these goals without the help of KP coaches Hal Bean and Greg Klim, Director of MBYLL Joey Picard, and all the coaches I’ve had in the KP community.”