‘Strike The Stone’

#StrikeTheStone is a hashtag the Bishop England High School football team uses on its social media platforms.

 

Bishops’ coach Logan Hall said the term originated with Jamey Chadwell, a former coach at Charleston Southern University who has been the head coach at Liberty University for the past two seasons.

 

“I always loved the message and took it from the credo by Jacob Riis,” Hall said. “‘When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps 100 times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the 100th, and first blow, it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.’”

 

Riis was an immigrant from Denmark who became a journalist in New York City in the late 19th century. He was best known for documenting the working class and the very poor.

 

The Bishops struck often and with a furious intensity last fall in Hall’s first year at BE. The team went 5-27 the past two seasons before his arrival.

 

But Hall changed the script in his first year as a head coach, posting a 9-3 record and claiming the Region 6-AAAA championship.

 

The team excelled on both sides of the ball and reached the second round of the playoffs.

 

As soon as the season ended, Hall stressed to his team that it lost its element of surprise. The Bishops were the hunters last fall. This fall, they will be the hunted. 

 

The Bishops are ready for the challenge. They are the No. 9 team in Class AAAA, in the South Carolina Prep Football Media Preseason Poll.

 

“I think we are building a program,” Hall said. “We are creating a culture of expectations – that is a privilege to have the pressure of expectations year in and year out. The goal is to build a powerhouse where people are moving to the area to attend Bishop England for high academics and athletics through the leadership of the Catholic faith.”

 

The Bishops upgrade in offense was noticeable as the Bishops went from averaging 14.1 points a game to 28.1. The defense’s improvement was just as impressive, as the Bishops went from allowing 30.2 to 17.8 last season.

 

“Offense sells tickets and gets you noticed,” Hall said “Defense wins championships. Coach (Karson) Mingo and his staff have done a great job creating a defense that gets 11 hats to the ball every snap and executes at a high level. They won and kept us in every game last year. Very proud of where we are on defense.”

 

Many times a team will have a banner year and then find the cupboard bare the next. That’s not the case with the Battling Bishops.

 

The Bishops return seven starters on offense including quarterback Quinn Mahoney and his favorite target Zach Balog. Mahoney should have excellent protection as Reilly Ford, Shep Hulen, and Patrick Verner return upfront. Mitchell Plaisance will handle the kicking duties and play running back. William Donato is a talented receiver who compliments Balog’s style.

 

The defense returns four starters, including linebackers Hunter Alex and Luke Russell, as well as defensive back Jacob Mahoney and defensive end Matthew Ponkow.

 

But the Bishops got a big boost when Philip Simmons High School standouts and brothers Brody, Trevor, and Chase Tonon transferred to Bishop England.

 

Brody is a bruising running back and linebacker. Trevor also is a linebacker, while Chase will see action in the secondary.

 

Two players were impressive in fall camp and should see quality snaps. Ben Turner, in his first season of football, has athleticism, while Sammy Garton is another talented receiver.

 

The Bishops begin the season with three home games to kick off the season. They host the St. John’s Islanders on Aug. 29.