Bishop, Iron Horse standouts shine in award season
The Bishop England High School football team posted an 8-4 record in 2025, and two players who helped the Bishops achieve that success ended their careers with school records: wide receiver Zach Balog and linebacker Hunter Alex.
Balog, at 6 feet, 180 pounds, set a school record with 1,027 receiving yards his junior year, averaging 15.8 yards per catch while scoring seven touchdowns.
He finished second in all-time touchdown receptions with 13 scores, and his 109 receptions rank third in all-time receptions.
Alex, a 5-11, 195-pound linebacker who was a three-year starter, finished his career as Bishop England’s all-time tackler with 322 stops. He recorded 146 solo stops, 176 assists, and was credited with 35.5 tackles for a loss, including 4.5 sacks.
Bishops' coach Logan Hall said Balog, a two-time all-region pick and team captain, was one of the hardest workers in the weight room.
“He was a leader by how he attacked each day,” Hall said. “He never came off the field and made massive plays in all three phases of the game.”
Alex also was a two-time all-region pick and was selected to be a team captain.
“He was a leader in all aspects for this program,” the coach said. “His preparation each week was unmatched, and it showed in how well he played on Friday nights.”
ALL-STATE VOLLEYBALL
Class AA girls state volleyball champion Philip Simmons was well represented on the Coaches Association of Women’s Sports all-state team with three selections, while Class AAAA state runner-up Bishop England had one player earn all-state honors.
The Iron Horses’ selections were McRae Stephenson, Dani Gehringer, and Gabby Kakalev. Gehringer and Kakalev earned all-state honors last season.
Gehringer recorded 549 assists, 55 serving aces, 166 digs, and 64 kills, while Kakalev tallied 254 kills, 54 aces, 271 digs, and 31 blocks. Stephenson led the state with a .518 hitting percentage. She tallied 69 blocks, 65 aces, 241 kills, and 86 digs.
Langdon Blackstock was BE’s all-state selection after recording 41 aces, 308 kills, and 223 digs.
PSHS' AFMAN SETS RECORD
Philip Simmons High School basketball player Hopper Afman set a school record with eight three-point goals to lead the Iron Horses to a 74-44 victory over Palmetto Christian Academy on Dec. 19.
The senior broke the record of seven three-pointers, which was held jointly by Robert Watson and Dylan Morris. Morris made seven of 13 three-point shots earlier this month in a win over Wando High School.
“Hopper is an elite shooter who truly believes he can make every shot he takes,” said Iron Horse coach Garrett Campbell. “His work ethic, passion, and confidence permeate throughout our team and make us better in many ways. We’re looking forward to what he and the rest of the team do in region play.”