Bishop England boys' lacrosse have experience and success

If the past can serve as a prologue, then last week’s Wando vs. Bishop England showdown in boy’s lacrosse could serve as a preview of this year’s state championship. After all, Wando entered the game undefeated, owning the No. 1 ranking in the state. Bishop England was undefeated and was No. 2 in the state.

That’s the good news if you are a Bishop England boys’ LAX fan. The bad news is that the gap between first and second is wide and deep.

Wando topped the Bishops 14-7 and now owns three victories against top-5 competition this season, outscoring the foes 38-14.

But the Bishops showed mettle, bouncing back over the weekend with an 18-1 victory over Spring Valley.

Andrew Pizzo, who leads the state in scoring with 29 goals, was one of three Bishops who scored a hat trick against the Vikings. Michael Gaffney and Connor Malark also scored three goals. The victory gave the Bishops a 6-1 record heading into Wednesday’s game against Socastee.

It was a far cry from the game against Wando in which the Bishops allowed seven goals and took only one shot in the match’s first 16 minutes.

“Wando’s depth is always an issue,” said third-year coach Jonathan David. “Their top six (players) can score. Their top eight can score. That’s unique in South Carolina, to have that type of depth. As the season plays out, we take what we learned against Wando and move on.”

Other than the Wando and Academic Magnet games, the Bishops haven’t been challenged this season.

The Bishops beat Porter-Gaud 20-2, Lexington 10-2, Myrtle Beach 14-0 and Hammond 17-6.

The Bishops trimmed Magnet 10-8. “Any time you play Magnet, it’s going to be a tough one,” Davis said. “We consider Porter-Gaud and Academic Magnet to be our rivals. They are always ready to play.”

The Bishops own six victories already thanks to an experienced team that has six seniors. That’s a big difference this season. There were only three seniors on the team in 2014 and only two last fall.

“This year, we have six seniors who are vocal, loud and provide leadership,” the coach said.

While Wando is the favorite to capture the state championship, there are other ways to measure success within the BE program.

“We use our own traditions,” Davis said. “The school record for wins is eight and we’ve never advanced past the first round. That’s something we can achieve this year. And we can get state recognition. If a player makes all-state, that’s a reflection and honor for the program.

“There’s a lot of ways to measure success,” Davis said. “We have good players and Wando has good players. We don’t make excuses, but sooner or later we have to step up and beat them.”

The state championship is set for April 30.