Croghan's maturity fuels Bishop England

Bishop England senior quarterback Danny Croghan and his classmates suffered some bumps and bruises in their first two years on the varsity team. The Bishops went 4-7 when they were sophomores and 5-6 last year when Croghan missed the final four games of the season with a injury.

But now, it's the opponents who are black and blue as Croghan and his teammates have developed into winners. The Bishops are 12-1 heading into today's Division II-AA Lower State championship game against Silver Bluff and Croghan has had a key role in the Bishops' success.

The 6-4, 220-pound quarterback is physical, mobile and has a strong arm. He's a threat on the ground and in the air. He's second on the team with 478 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. He's completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,541 yards and 20 touchdowns.

He also scores well in the intangibles category.

"This year he's more mature," said coach John Cantey, whose team hosts Silver Bluff at 7:30 p.m. at Jack Cantey Stadium. "He's developed into a leader, and you have to have that quality in a quarterback if you are going to be successful. Your quarterback has to have that confidence and must possess the ability to lead others. Danny does, and not only that, he does a great job of directing the offense. He can run the football for the tough yards. He's so physical he can get those extra two yards by just falling forward. And, he can throw the football. He can make the passes in all situations."

Croghan's statistics aren't among the best in the state. But all he's worried about is winning, and the Bishops have done just that. They lost to West Ashley 14-12 in the season opener. The loss to the Wildcats came down to the last play of the game, when Croghan's pass bounced off the hands of a receiver. Other than that, it's been a season to remember. The Bishops reached double digits in the win column for the first time since 1977 and are aiming for their first appearance in a state championship game since 1976, when they lost to Byrnes by a 34-0 decision.

"When we were freshmen, the team went 9-3," Croghan said. "That was coach Cantey's first year. Our sophomore season, a lot of us played but we were bad. But we didn't quit. We didn't give up. It gave us some much-valuable experience. This year, it's been crazy. We're really playing together. It's been a great experience and we just want to continue winning."

Croghan has had a key role in some of the Bishops' biggest wins this fall.

Croghan threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more to lead Bishop England to a 49-35 victory over Hanahan. It was the Bishops' first win against Hanahan since 1995.

In the team's signature win, a 17-3 decision over Timberland, Croghan threw for 120 yards and one touchdown, and added 78 rushing yards and another score as the Bishops won their first conference title since 1988.

It's performances like that made Croghan stand out when it came time for Jeff Cruce and his South coaching squad to make the picks for the annual North-South all-star game.

"I was sort of surprised because I don't have the numbers other quarterback have," Croghan said. "The one thing I focused on this year was the team. I think a lot of people underestimated us," Croghan said. "We're playing at a good level. I hope it continues."