BE soccer squads get state title shot in back-to-back games

The Bishop England High School girls’ and boys’ soccer programs, with a combined 29 state championships, will go after more gold and glory on May 24, when the Class AAAA state championships are contested at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.

 

The Bishop girls, who have won 12 state titles, will play A.C. Flora High School at 10 a.m. The Bishop boys, who own a state record of 17 state championships, will battle Daniel High School shortly after the conclusion of the girls’ championship.

 

The Bishop boys’ team defeated Gray Collegiate Academy 1-0 on a goal by Trey Hall to reach the Class AAAA state championship. The Bishops, 17-5, have recorded eight shutouts in their last nine games and have allowed only 12 goals in 22 games.

 

“The game was very competitive,” coach Brandon Costa said. “Gray Collegiate is a great team. But we were the better team.”

 

Goalkeeper Joed Rentas has been solid this spring, recording 4.5 saves per game, and Costa said his key defenders, Jonah Cooker, Nicholas Brunetti, Trey Ransone, and Patton Lyttle, form one of the best backlines of defense in the state.

 

Lucas Loor leads the team in scoring and provides leadership as a captain.

 

Coach Costa knows all about good defense: he was a keeper at BE and played on three of the state championship teams from 2007 to 2009. He was also named all-state his senior year after posting 13 shutouts for the Bishops.

 

Costa, now in his second year as the BE coach, saw his team go 7-6 last spring to reach the second round of the playoffs.

 

“We’ve played with more confidence this year,” Costa said. “We’re playing to win, and we are proactive. Last year, there were times we were timid.”

 

The Bishop girls, 21-4, reached the state championship with a 4-1 victory over Hilton Head High School, their ninth victory in a row thanks to a group of super sophomores.

 

Sophomore Ava Delpino led the win over Hilton Head with two goals and an assist. Teammate Reese Woodard collected a goal and two assists, while Sophia DeMarco tallied a goal and an assist.

 

The Bishop girls have outscored foes 39-8 during their nine-game winning streak.

 

Saturday’s championships will mark the first time since 2018 that both BE programs reached the title game.

 

PHILIP SIMMONS SOCCER

The Philip Simmons boys’ team completed one of its best seasons in the school’s brief history, although their bid for a state title came up short.

 

The Iron Horses dropped a 2-0 decision to Academic Magnet High School in the Class Lower State championship to conclude the season with a 21-3 record.

 

The Philip Simmons girls entered the May 16 Lower State Championship at Academic Magnet with a seven-game winning streak in which the Iron Horses outscored foes 46-2.

 

However, the Iron Horses couldn’t get their offense untracked as the Raptors posted a 4-0 victory to advance to the state championship.