Bishops score thrilling comeback

All that debate and worry about whether the Bishop England High School football team could compete at the Class AAAA level might turn out to be a case of needless nerves. 

 

The Bishops proved they belong with an impressive 28-24 Region 6-AAAA conquest of Bluffton on Senior Night at Jack Cantey Stadium on Oct. 25. 

 

“When I took the job, there was a lot of concern, a lot of worry,” first-year coach Logan Hall said. “Everyone asked, ‘Can we compete at the 4-A level?’ But we were not going to use that as an excuse. The kids have battled hard and have found ways to win.” 

 

The Bishops, who competed at the Class AA level last fall but were moved up to AAAA because of an enrollment multiplier employed by the South Carolina High School League to level the playing field because of attendance boundaries, just might be the biggest story of the pigskin season in the Palmetto State.

 

Not only that, but Hall could be the coach of the year.

 

The Bishops upped their record to 7-2, including 3-1 in the region. The seven wins equals the Bishops’ entire victory total for the past three years. It’s the Bishops’ best season since 2017 when they went 8-4 and reached the second round of the playoffs. 

 

But that was then, and this is now for a team that refused to quit against Bluffton thanks to a bond based on brotherhood. 

 

The Bishops trailed 24-14 in the fourth quarter when they scored two touchdowns during gut-check time. 

 

Early in the fourth quarter, the Bishops had third-and-goal on the Bobcats 1-yardline, but the ensuing play lost a yard. Hall rolled the dice and went for the endzone, and Quinn Mahoney threw a TD pass to Nick Brunetti to cut Bluffton’s lead to 24-21. 

 

Mahoney completed a 37-yard TD pass to Jacob Mackara with under three minutes to go to provide the winning points. 

 

The Bishops control their playoff destiny. May River High School and the Bishops both are 3-1 in league play with May River holding the advantage with a triumph over the Bishops. The Bishops can clinch at least second place with a win over Colleton County Nov. 1. 

 

The Bishops could win the region if they beat Colleton County and then Bluffton or Hilton Head beat May River in the next two weeks. The Hilton Head-area schools had games postponed because of Hurricane Helene and will finish the regular season a week later than BE. 

 

Mahoney was prolific with 20 completions in 30 attempts for 239 yards and two TDs – both in crunch time. He also gained 32 yards on the ground and scored a TD. 

 

Mackara caught six passes for 95 yards and a score while Zachary Balog was on the receiving end of nine completions for 81 yards. Brunetti had four receptions for 35 yards and a score. 

 

Mitchell Plaisance rushed for 40 yards and a TD while Nate Anderson chipped in with 39 yards. 

 

“If we go out and play for a championship and win it, that will be a stamp of approval for all the hard work the guys have put in,” Hall said.