Why “Killer Bees”?

The genesis of Killer Bees was a Facebook message from an old friend and classmate from Bridgehampton, Ronnie Gholson. Ronnie was a player on the 1987 team that defeated powerhouse Boys & Girls High of Brooklyn in the Martin Luther King Jr. Classic at the Nassau Coliseum and is currently coach of the Westhampton Hurricane Junior Varsity program. Bridgehampton Coach Carl Johnson told Ronnie he wanted to find filmmakers to follow the team for a season as they defended their 2015 Class D New York State title.  Since Carl was looking for locals who know the culture of Bridgehampton, our home town, and we’ve been making movies for some time, Ronnie though of us.

We both went to Bridgehampton and participated in the famed program on the 7th & 8th grade team that included Ronnie’s brother, Maurice, along with Darryl Hemby and Troy Bowe who went on to play college ball (Troy in Division One). We didn’t get many minutes but we did learn the fundamentals of the sport as well as a love for the game that will last a lifetime.

When we bounced around the idea of the documentary to a few friends the response was overwhelmingly positive but it became clear the film would inevitably deal with more that basketball. It would have to explore the issues of race and inequality in the community of Bridgehampton inherent in the school’s fight to survive and the history of the African-American population that came to reside in the middle of the home to the rich and famous now known as The Hamptons.

As with any good story, there was a twist: when we first met with Carl at the Candy Kitchen the day’s newspaper declared that Charles Manning, the team’s leading scorer and MVP of the state tournament, was transferring to Long Island Lutheran so Carl and the Bees would have to defend their state title without their star player.  We then got a quick education from Carl about some of the other challenges the team and the school have faced over the years, including a crazy boundary to the school district that keeps tax dollars away from the historically black Bridgehampton School as well as a vote to close the school in 1997 that was overturned thanks to the efforts of fans of the team. He also told us the origin of the basketball culture in Bridgehampton after a tragedy that led to the founding of the Bridgehampton Day Care Center and the installation of its basketball court where generations of Bees have learned to play.

We now find ourselves a month into the shoot of a film that gets better every day. The team is 4-0 and eager to prove they can repeat as state champs without their superstar. A freshman sensation who is the son of a former star has emerged to help fill that gap. His stunning play propelled the team to a last-second win over Class B Wyandanch High School that we’re still talking about. Another subplot is that the assistant coach of the Bees turns out to be a world famous painter. Then there are the school’s marimba program and award-winning robotics team which both prove there is more going on than just hoops.

The home opener for the Bees is Monday night at the Bee Hive. Pity the Ross School team that has to confront these Bees. Come see the best show in town if you are able; we’ll be there as we will for every game. If you do come out you’ll come to learn there’s a lot more going on in Bridgehampton than over-priced dinners at French bistros. There’s a vibrant culture that remains unseen and unknown by the doves who flock east aboard Jitneys. Unseen, unless of course, you know where to look. Tipoff is 6pm. The Bees will be swarming. Bzzzzzzzzz….