St. John Paul II High School hired Pamela Drayton as the Lions’ Head Girls Basketball Coach, effective immediately. Drayton, Athletic Director Mark A. Santos, and Head of School Christopher W. Keavy made the announcement at a players meeting last week.
“Coach Drayton brings an excellent mix of playing experience, coaching experience, and life experience to the program. We are enthusiastic in seeing Coach Drayton as the leader of JPII girls basketball for many years to come,” said Santos.
Drayton is a career 1,000-point scorer at Jefferson Township High School (NJ) and a career 1,000-point scorer at the University of New Hampshire, where she is the school’s 12th all-time leading scorer. She taught at St. Patrick’s School (Portsmouth, NH) and coached girls basketball at Oyster River High School (Durham, NH). From 2001 to 2010, Drayton served as Campus Minister for the University of New Hampshire and SNHU InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
“I am excited to take charge of the JPII program, and I believe we have a solid core of high-character student-athletes. The girls will work hard, and I hope to build upon the team’s past successes,” Drayton said.
Drayton succeeds Michael Tierney, who coached the Lions for the past three seasons. The Lions qualified for the MIAA Tournament in each of the past six seasons, including all three during Coach Tierney’s tenure.
“Coach Drayton brings a sincere Christian faith, high-level playing experience, and the desire to make our student-athletes better persons. She will be a role model for our girls in many ways,” Keavy said.