Bishop England comeback stuns Iron Horses in empty stadium

The Bishop England High School football team defeated rival Philip Simmons, 21-14, on Friday the 13th at Jack Cantey Stadium to record its third consecutive victory.

 

It marked the first time since the 2020 season that the Battling Bishops were able to string together three straight wins.

 

You remember the 2020 season, the one season you’d like to forget. The COVID-19 pandemic shortened the schedule and forced teams to play their games in empty stadiums.

 

You might have thought you were in a time warp if you caught the highlights of the Bishops’ impressive rally over the Iron Horses on the late-night news Friday night. That’s because the House that Cantey built was empty other than players, coaches, officials and the necessary support staff it takes to play a high school football game.

 

Bishop England officials released a statement, announcing “out of an abundance of caution,” the game would be played without spectators because of “related concerns posted on social media across the state and country containing threats of violence, and due to the current climate between our fan bases.”

 

The Bishops used drama and clutch play from quarterback Quinn Mahoney, who got better as the game progressed as the Bishops topped the Iron Horses, who began the season as the No. 7 Class AA team in the Palmetto State.

 

Mahoney, who transferred from Oceanside Collegiate Academy, has provided the spark to an offense that sputtered and sputtered the past few seasons. The Bishops have scored 101 points in three games in 2024 after scoring just 141 points in 10 games last fall.

 

The Iron Horses led 14-0 entering the fourth quarter. That’s when Mahoney went to work, wheeling and dealing to send the Iron Horses to their second straight loss as they fell to 2-2.

 

Mahoney rushed for more than 100 yards in the deciding fourth stanza to will the Bishops to the win.

 

Mahoney scored on a keeper with just under eight minutes left in the game to cut the deficit to 14-7.

 

The Bishops forced a defensive stop and coach Logan Hall’s offensive machine switched to a higher gear. Mahoney scrambled for 40 yards and Nate Anderson ripped off a 41-yard to tie the score at 14-14 with 4½ minutes left in the game,

Mahoney’s big-play hat trick concluded when he scored the winning touchdown by scampering for a 24-yard TD with less than a minute remaining in the contest.

 

Darriel Porcher had a big game for the Iron Horses, finishing with 100 yards on only 10 carries. He raced 55 yards for the first score of the game. He finished with 152 all-purpose yards.

 

Brody Tonon excelled on both sides of the ball for Philip Simmons. He carried 12 times for 70 yards. He was a tackling machine as well with 15 stops, including three for a loss.

 

The Bishops have another rivalry game Sept. 20, hosting Porter-Gaud at Jack Cantey Stadium. The Cyclones enter the game with a 4-1 record.

 

Philip Simmons will try to snap a two-game losing streak when the Iron Horses travel to Beaufort to battle Whale Branch Sept. 20. 

 

The Warriors also own a 2-2 record.