Bishop England a win away from first consecutive titles in 11 years

Bishop England began its playoff push a few weeks ago. The defending region champions were 4-9 midway through January, seemingly written off by their peers as they fell out of the state rankings. “Winning will take care of everything,” Bishops coach Bryan Grevey told his team. “There’s been a real sense of urgency. They knew they still controlled their own destiny. Win and they wouldn’t need anyone else’s help.” Bishop England has since reeled off five straight wins and now have a one-game lead for first place in Region 7-AAA. A win over Lake Marion in the regular-season finale on Wednesday would secure the Bishops’ first back-to-back region titles in 11 years. “They take a lot of pride in defending the region title,” Grevey said. “These guys have accepted the challenge to go out and repeat.” The winning streak was sparked by a dramatic last-second, two-point region win over rival Hanahan on Jan. 19. The Bishops cured any doubt on Friday, earning a decisive 10-point win in Hanahan to retain their one-game advantage in the region standings. Bishop England shot 51 percent from the field, knocking down 6 of 13 three-point attempts. Bishops senior Leo Albano scored a game-high 23 points with seven rebounds in a protective mask to shield his nose. Aidan McCool added 22 and six boards with a few crucial three-pointers late. Payton Doyle powered the Bishops early, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the first half. Bishop England led 22-13 after the first quarter and 39-25 at halftime. “We were just on fire,” Grevey said. “They were getting up and down really quick and getting great looks. Guys were making the extra passes and knocking down shots.” The win over Hanahan came just three days after Bishop England avenged its only region loss at Manning. The Monarchs entered the game ranked third in AAA, but tied with the Bishops for first in Region 7. Manning won the first matchup between the two by 14. Bishop England never trailed in the rematch. Monarchs guard Israel Brown evened the game at 40 with a layup plus the foul with four minutes to play. The Bishops, already in the bonus, went on to win it from the free-throw line, scoring just one basket in the fourth quarter and knocking down 15 of 20 attempts in the final five minutes. Bishop England’s win dropped Manning into second place and created a tie with Hanahan atop the region that the Bishops settled a few days later. Now it’s on to Lake Marion, a pesky, upset-minded opponent that took one of the Bishops’ better efforts to defeat two weeks ago in Santee. “The opportunity is right in front of us,” Grevey said. “It was a real ball game the last time we played Lake Marion up there. They gave us everything we could handle. We’re expecting another hard-fought battle on Wednesday.”

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Bishop England High School Athletics

BISHOP ENGLAND A WIN AWAY FROM FIRST CONSECUTIVE TITLES IN 11 YEARS

FRANKIE MANSFIELD

Moultrie News | 2/6/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Frankie Mansfield