Bishops dominate Porter-Gaud, 42-21
The way Bishop England coach John Cantey talked, there might have not been enough game balls to award after Friday’s 42-21 victory over Porter-Gaud at Cantey Stadium.
All 11 players on defense had a claim to a game ball after forcing six Cyclone turnovers, including a flurry at the end of the first half and beginning of the second half, as the Bishops broke open a close game. The Bishops held the Cyclones to nearly half of its seasonal scoring average as Porter-Gaud fell to 3-1 on the season.
Then there was the play of quarterback Leo Albano, who arguably had the best game of his career. The lefty passed for a career high 237 yards and three TDs, while churning for 122 yards and another three TDs on the ground as the Bishops improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1977.
“I think Leo wanted to prove who was the best quarterback on the field,” said Cantey, a BE alum who was 3 years old back in 1977. “We loosen up the reins and let him call the plays at the line of scrimmage and he responds. They were stuffing the line of scrimmage and he called all the correct audibles. He’s like having a coach on the field who can see things a lot better than we can. He just might be smarter than me.”
Albano, who completed 73 percent of his passes, was masterful in a game that showcased two of the top quarterbacks in the Lowcountry. Porter-Gaud features Oliver Michaud. He completed 25-of-37 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown. However, he threw three interceptions.
The Bishops broke open a close game with three scores in the last 2:35 of the first half.
Albano scored on a 29-yard run with 2:35 remaining. The Bishops weren’t through. They recovered a pooch kick, and Albano tossed an 18-yard TD pass to Zach Pampu. The Bishops turned an interception into another score as Albano passed to Pampu for a a 12-yard TD, and just like that, the Bishops led 35-14 at halftime and were on their way to their 17th victory against Porter-Gaud in 23 games.
Pampu was the big-play receiver Friday night. He caught four passes for 119 yards and three TDs. He was on the receiving end of a 76-yard pass from Albano for the Bishops’ first score.
It was the Bishops’ best passing effort for a single game since 2011 when Danny Croghan was the quarterback and the Bishops were en route to their first state championship in school history
Matthew Kraft led the Bishops with seven tackles, including five solo. He also recovered a fumble. Jack Grooms and Sullivan Clair chipped in with six tackles. Jacob Shiver, Christian Greavu and Adam Milkuski all had interceptions.
The Bishops have three straight road games on tap and won’t return home until Oct. 14 when they host another intense rival: Hanahan.
The Bishops travel to Woodland this week and then board the bus for Academic Magnet on Sept. 23. They have an open date on Sept. 30 and then play at Lake Marion on Oct. 7.