True Homecoming

Bishop England High School will celebrate Homecoming on Friday when the Bishops battle Cane Bay on the football field.

But on Wednesday, it was a homecoming sophomore running back Andrew Bunch will remember for the rest of his life.

Bunch's father, Mark, is a contractor and reservist for the Army and is stationed in Kuwait and Iraq. He's been out of the country since May and has not been able to see his talented son run for a touchdown or make a tackle.

More importantly, he hasn't had a face-to-face talk with his son in five months.

But Mark Bunch flew 14 hours from Kuwait to Washington on Tuesday, and then to Charleston on Wednesday. His wife, Mary, picked him up at the Charleston International Airport, then drove him to Bishop England, where Andrew thought he was about to go to study hall before heading out to football practice.

The younger Bunch was talking with football coach John Cantey when he turned his head and saw the door to the study hall open.

And in walked his dad as the younger Bunch had to fight back tears. The two hugged and began a day that would include dinner at the family's favorite restaurant and then a night of watching videos of Andrew playing football.

Mark Bunch will be in town for two weeks and will be able to see his son play football this season before heading back to Iraq.

Andrew Bunch is one of the top sophomores in the area and rarely comes off the field.

He leads BE with 63 rushes for 456 yards. He averages 7.2 yards per carry and has scored seven of the Bishops' 13 TDs.

He also plays in the Bishops' secondary, recording 23 tackles and two interceptions.

Bunch began the season as a starter on defense, but was promoted to a starter on offense when Thomas Grimsley went down with an ankle injury in the Sertoma Classic.

His breakout game came in Week 2 against North Charleston, when he rushed for 137 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He broke off a 72-yard touchdown run and also had a 75-yard kickoff return.

Football has been a part of the Bunch family tradition. Andrew's grandfather, Bobby Bunch, was the quarterback at Summerville in coach John's McKissick's first year at the school. Andrew's father was a member of the Summerville program from 1978-81 when the Green Wave won two state titles and played for another one.

"I'm proud of what Andrew has accomplished on the football field," his father said. "The discipline and dedication are things you can use in every-day life. That's the good thing about sports."