Bishop England defense making the big plays

Defense wins championships.

Just glance at the Bishop England stat sheets, and it's proof the old axiom still rings true.

The Bishops' defense has caused 32 turnovers this season, while the offense has turned the ball over only nine times. That's why the opportunistic Bishops are 8-1 and Region 7-AA champs heading into tonight's regular season finale at Andrews.

The fourth-ranked Bishops shared the region title in John Cantey's first year as head coach in 2008. But you have to go back to the Jack Cantey era for the last time the Bishops won a conference title outright. That was in 1988, when John Cantey was a freshman.

The Bishops scored one of their biggest wins in recent history, stunning Timberland 17-3 last weekend, and the defense played well, holding the high-octane Timberland offense to only five first downs and 125 total yards. It was Timberland's first loss in conference play since 2004.

"Experience is huge," said Cantey, who has 14 seniors on the roster. "But the No. 1 thing is our turnover ratio. We've taken care of the ball and our defense has 21 interceptions. I don't recall the team coming close to having 10 interceptions since I've been here."

DeAngelo Stephenson, who has battled injuries this fall, leads the team with four picks. Reed Fosberry, Jacob Vecchiolla and Austin Wall have three interceptions apiece. Fosberry, a sophomore, also has three fumble recoveries and is third on the team with 47 tackles.

The Bishops have been stingy all year, allowing only 161 yards per game, including only 70 on the ground.

Linebacker Cameron Swails leads the team with 91 tackles, including 52 solos and nine tackles for a loss. The team's other linebackers, Teck Tecklenburg and Glenn Lewis, have combined for 87 tackles.

The offense hasn't been off the charts, but there's a reason. The Bishops have been involved in many lopsided games, allowing Cantey to let the backups play in the second half. The Bishops have scored 310 points, and 243 have come in the first half.

Senior quarterback Danny Croghan has completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,129 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 351 yards and six scores.

Andrew Bunch might be the most versatile player on the team. He plays in the secondary and has 29 tackles and two picks. On offense, he splits time at running back and receiver. He leads the team with 458 yards rushing and is second on the team with 225 receiving yards. Joseph McManus is the team's top receiver with 335 yards and three scores. But he was injured in the win at Timberland and will miss the rest of the season.

Griffey Loy, Nick Theos and Charles Clark also have key roles on the offense.

Kicker Drew Costa is another player who can provide critical points. He's 39 of 40 on PAT attempts and is 5 of 7 on field goals attempts, including a 47-yarder.

The Bishops could have the No. 1 seed in the Division II-AA playoffs depending on a few factors. But the only concern is closing out the regular season with a victory.

"We have 14 seniors who have provided leadership," Cantey said. "They persevered through a couple of poor seasons. We know our seniors will make sure the younger players have the right attitude. The seniors exude enthusiasm. They are having fun."

And the seniors are having a season to remember.

Follow Phil Bowman on Twitter at @pandcphil.