COLUMBIA — Bishop England carried home the Hibernian Cup football trophy for the second year after beating Cardinal Newman 28-14.
In what has become an annual battle between the two Catholic high schools, Cardinal’s player Joey DeAngelis ran for 265 yards and a touchdown. However, Bishop England took advantage of a kickoff return and two Cardinal fumbles to prevail at George R. Watson Field Sept. 11.
Cardinal Newman (0-3) came out fired up on defense, forcing and recovering a fumble on the game’s first possession, but did not score. On their next possession, the Cardinals drove 53 yards to set up a field goal attempt, but it was blocked.
Bishop England (1-3) then drove 63 yards for their own field goal attempt, which was also blocked. The Cardinals took over at their own 19, but promptly fumbled the handoff, which the Bishops recovered. Three plays later, Cameron Swails scored from five yards out to give the Bishops a 7-0 lead.
The Cardinals showed some resolve on their next drive. Following shut outs in the two previous games this season, they were hungry for points. Six plays later they had a touchdown, a good kick and a tied score.
The Bishops battled right back with Swails’ 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. On Bishop England’s next possession, Andrew Bunch took the handoff and charged 61 yards to put them up 21-7 at the half.
Cardinal Newman did not back down, however. They took the second-half kickoff and drove 80 yards on 17 plays, most of them runs by DeAngelis, to get back into the game at 21-14. Stiles Monteith finished off the drive with a one-yard plunge. Bishop England then ran the subsequent kickoff back to the Cardinal 37, but turned the ball over on downs at the Cardinal 20 near the end of the third quarter.
As the fourth quarter began, the Cardinals were looking to tie it up, but DeAngelis was stripped of the ball on a nice play by Swails, who returned it to the Cardinal 21. Two plays later, Bunch found the end zone again for the final points of the game.
The Hibernian Cup is sponsored by the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Columbia and Charleston.
Submitted by George M. Kaupp.