Bishops 9-1 record best since 2012, earn bye week

The Bishop England High School football team’s bid for a Region 5-AAA championship came up short. 

But the Bishops’ season was still successful as coach Logan Hall’s team received a first-round bye in the Class AAA playoffs. 

The Bishops defeated longtime rival Hanahan 31-14 on Oct. 30 at Jack Cantey Stadium to finish the regular season with a 9-1 record, including 3-1 in league play, which was good for second place behind Oceanside Collegiate Academy. Hanahan finished 8-2, including 2-2 in region action. 

The Bishops, the No. 4 seed in the Lower State, are off this weekend and will host the winner of the Darlington-Loris clash on Nov. 13. 

“They earned it,” Hall said. “They beat a lot of playoff teams on their schedule. They prepared the right way, overcame adversity and played as a unit. Fun to watch and I’m proud of them.” 

The 9-1 record is the Bishops’ best regular-season finish since the 2011 and 2012 teams finished with 9-1 records. The victory gave Hall a 26-8 record in his three years at the helm of the program. 

Will Donato, who moved to quarterback when Banks Luton was injured, was a one-man wrecking ball against the Hawks with 400 yards of total offense while accounting for four touchdowns. 

Donato was 16 for 28 passing for 198 yards and three touchdowns, and added 202 yards and a score on the ground. 

Cole Socci was his favorite target with four catches for 72 yards and a score while Trevor Tonon churned for 88 yards on 20 carries. 

The Bishops led 14-7 after one quarter and pushed the lead to 17-7 at halftime. Hanahan cut the lead to 17-14 after three stops but the Bishops scored two TDs in the final stanza to settle the issue.