Bishops' showdown against Hilton Head could pave path to region title
The Bishop England High School football team passed the non-region part of its schedule with flying colors, including a 52-6 victory over Woodland High School on Sept. 26 at Jack Cantey Stadium.
The smackdown gave the Bishops a 5-0 record and some impressive numbers on both sides of the ball, an indication they are winning the battle upfront. The high-octane offense is averaging 47.8 points a contest, while the stingy defense is allowing only 7.0 points per game.
Bishop England football coach Logan Hall was asked to give his team a midterm grade.
“The grade would be B+,” Hall said. “We have the potential to be a great football team by cleaning up some execution errors. We will find out how good we are when we hit region play. A lot of talent and well- coached football teams.”
The Bishops didn’t savor this victory when they stepped out on the practice field to prepare for a Region 6-AAAA showdown at Hilton Head on Oct. 3.
While the Bishops are just beginning region play, the battle against the Seahawks could go a long way in determining the league’s champion.
The Bishops and Seahawks finished 1-2 in the conference standings last season, and this year’s title could go to the winner of this game. The Bishops defeated Hilton Head 21-7 last year to claim the championship. Hilton Head enters the game with a 5-1 record, including 1-0 in region play. The Seahawks are coming off a victory over Bluffton High.
“Hilton Head is very well coached, very disciplined,” Hall said. “It should be a great football game. They are creative on both sides of the ball and have some great talent. It should be a great test to see where we are as a program.”
Once again, the Bishops used big plays on offense and a suffocating defense to dispose of Woodland.
The Bishops gained 375 yards in total offense, and quarterback Quinn Mahoney and running back Brody Tonon accumulated most of the yardage.
Mahoney, who was selected to play in the Touchstone Energy Bowl Game in December, passed for 191 yards and four touchdowns, completing 11 of 20 passing attempts.
Senior Ben Turner was on the receiving end of four passes for 90 yards. He scored two touchdowns. The always reliable Zach Balog caught three passes for 48 yards and two scores.
Brody Tonon, the oldest of three Tonon brothers on the Bishops’ roster, continues to impress as the season progresses. He needed only seven rushes to gain 102 yards and score a TD. He also caught two passes for 32 yards and a score.
Tonon, a 195-pound senior, has carried 36 times for 332 yards and averages almost 10 yards per carry. He totaled 111 yards and two touchdowns on only six catches.
Tonon also plays defense, as do his brothers, Chase and Trevor. The trio are known as the “Killer T’s.”
Trevor and Chase are twins and teamed up for some pretty impressive numbers against the Wolverines.
Trevor, a 6-1, 205-pound middle linebacker, tallied 14 tackles, including 10 solo stops. He was credited with 2.5 assists. Chase, a 6-1 free safety, logged 12 tackles, blocked a punt, and was in on a QB sack.