A lackluster start to the second half and a couple of unfortunate breaks prompted Bishop England coach John Cantey to rally his frustrated sideline.
“Guys, four quarters. We play the game for four quarters,” Cantey reminded. “They’re not going to stop. We better not either. Finish this game.”
Seemingly on cue, the Bishops team that had dominated the first half reappeared. Bishop England scored three more touchdowns on the way to a 45-24 win over Hanahan in its Region 7-AAA opener Friday on Homecoming Night at Jack Cantey Stadium on Daniel Island.
Bishop England improves to 7-0 after a three-week layoff to remain one of just a handful of teams in the state still undefeated. Hanahan (2-6, 0-2) had won the past four games over Bishop England and 17 of the past 18. But this year’s Bishops team thrives on an element past teams have lacked.
“Chemistry,” Cantey said. “It’s really that simple. You saw it tonight. We could’ve gotten down there in the second half but these guys believe in each other and play together and it makes a huge difference.”
Bishop England opened a 24-3 first-half advantage, led by quarterback Leo Albano, who ran loose for 144 yards and three touchdowns in the first 30 minutes. Albano finished with a game-high 217 rushing yards and four scores. The Bishops defense forced four turnovers.
Albano scored on a 9-yard keeper with a Hawks defender tugging on his facemask on the Bishops’ opening drive. He pounded in a 1-yard score, extending over the goal line through a scrum early in the second quarter. Four minutes later, he left defenders whiffing on tackles as he tightroped the sideline into the end zone.
“The guys were making great blocks up front,” Albano said. “The defense kept tackling the dive. I made the reads, kept the ball and scored.
“We shouldn’t have gotten complacent though. We need to keep our foot on the pedal in situations like that and never let the game get in jeopardy.”
Hanahan struck twice less than five minutes into the third quarter with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Victor Colbert to Jamie Watson and a 12-yard touchdown run by Jerry Bailey to whittle the Bishops’ lead down to one score, 24-17.
Albano answered in impressive fashion on the ensuing drive with a 35-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-5, reversing field against the defense as he directed blockers out ahead. Jacob Shiver then reopened the Bishops three-score lead three minutes later with an interception returned 65 yards for the score.
“The same old story all season long. We can’t make a play when we need to,” Hanahan coach Charlie Patterson said. “Football is a simple game of blocking, tackling and holding on to the football. It’s tough to stop an offense like that when you don’t tackle.”
Bailey scored a 1-yard touchdown two minutes into the fourth quarter and, after Hanahan recovered the onside kick, the Hawks threatened inside Bishops’ red zone. Christian Greavu ended the threat with an interception off a deflection by Jack Grooms. Zach Pampu iced the win with a 51-yard touchdown run in the final two minutes.
Bishop England travels to Manning next week, while Hanahan returns home to host Lake Marion in a matchup of two teams searching for their first region win.
“We’re in a good spot right now,” Cantey said. “I thought we looked OK for having three weeks off. A lot of the things we did earlier in the season are paying off now in the region and if we can stay together and keep trusting each other, we should be fine.”
