2026 Preview: Bishop England Bishops

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For all the star power, all the defensive standouts and the potential on offense either via the run or pass, the point in time when everyone should have realized Bishop England wasn't simply a flash in the pan came near the end of the Prep RedZone Media Day at Philip Simmons on July 10.    That's when [player_tooltip player_id='1664589' first='William' last='Donato'] said something that should perk up some ears.   “Our O-line looks absolutely amazing right now,” Donato said. “This is one of the first times … that we have everyone over 200 pounds. They're just getting after it. I mean, it's awesome. I love seeing it. It's so much fun. I'm so excited to see what they do this year. They're looking really, really good.”   Donato (pictured) has a personal stake in that, as he's competing for the QB1 job. (If not, he'll be playing receiver and defensive back.)   And in a bit of full disclosure, coach Logan Hall said [player_tooltip player_id='1819646' first='Jake' last='Olsen'] (left tackle), guards [player_tooltip player_id='1819654' first='Gavin' last='Bailey'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1822193' first='Coleman' last='Runey'] and center John DiLiegro are the only four who have secured starting jobs, with a fifth spot still up for grabs. There's a pretty solid competition going on for that one, and it could ultimately mean Runey, Bailey or DiLiegro shifting a spot or two to the right.   But that's not really the point.    After three straight years of the Bishops pumping out defensive linemen capable of individual glory and some flashy offensive moments that produced a ton of yards, the offensive line's offseason and mid-week battles over the last two calendar years against all that talent on the opposing side have started to change the entire mindset of the program as a whole.   No team at any level is going to really contend without a stable group in front of the quarterback and tailbacks. And Hall knows that.   Bishop England won a region title in 2024 but was bounced from the playoffs in the second round. Last year's group won eight games but made it no further come pay dirt time.   “They haven't earned that yet. They haven't earned that right to be considered a team that is on top,” Hall said. “They have won the last two years, but we also have a lot of young guys coming up who are going to have to play a lot of football for us. We do have some pieces that are gonna pop up and we have some guys coming back who are exciting. And I'm excited to see what they do on Friday nights. We're moving them around a little bit to humble them a little bit.”   In other words, Bishop England wants to be the aggressor. And it's not simply looking to do that with a flashy spread offense that can't pick up a few yards on a handoff during crunch time.   All the developing pieces are starting to take their real shape, the coach believes. Players like brothers [player_tooltip player_id='1674089' first='Chase' last='Tonon'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1582108' first='Trevor' last='Tonon'] and defensive linemen [player_tooltip player_id='1172361' first='Matthew' last='Ponkow'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1640504' first='Luke' last='Russell'] will have a huge role in that. So will Donato (whose spot is still in the TBD range) and lesser-known names such as Jeb Hardy (defensive back) and [player_tooltip player_id='1819311' first='Connor' last='McGovern'] (tailback).    While Bishop England hasn't proved itself yet, that time may be coming, and the rest of Class 3A should be taking note.   “A lot of that is our past success. We won the region two years ago and now people are expecting us to be good,” Donato said. “We're just making sure we're focusing on ourselves. The most important is kind of figuring our concept and why we run what we run, fully understanding our offense and defense and developing not only our physicality, but our understanding of the game.”   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='1172361' first='Matthew' last='Ponkow'] DL, 2027 - We're not sure what else we can say about Ponkow that we already haven't. He's more than exceeded all expectation by putting up 28.5 tackles for loss (and 93 total stops) as a junior. Then, he blew the doors off the Carolinas Coaches Combine at Woodland in March by dominating some of the state's better offensive linemen. In short, he's found his inner fire. The only question is how hot it will burn.   [player_tooltip player_id='1674089' first='Chase' last='Tonon'] DB/WR/RB, 2028 - Everything we're hearing about Tonon's game since the end of last season screams he's about to have the type of role that puts him into elite category in the class of 2028. He's going to start at safety, where he made a serious impression last year, but he's also going to be a multi-faceted offensive weapon.    [player_tooltip player_id='1582108' first='Trevor' last='Tonon'] LB/WR/RB, 2028 - Remember what we just said about the other Tonon Twin (yes, they've earned a capital T on the “twin”)? Well, Trevor is there, too. Bishop England coach Logan Hall wants to use every bit of their athleticism not only to improve the Bishops' chances at success on Fridays, but to elevate their personal stock in the recruiting circles.    Jake Olson OL, 2027 - Bishop England's left tackle burst onto the scene last fall and immediately put himself solidly into striking distance of some significant attention. He then spent some time earlier this month impressing members of our national team at a prospect camp in the Northeast. Their reaction was similar to the one we had when we first started our in-state evaluation of him.   FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1640504' first='Luke' last='Russell'] DL, 2027   Russell missed the majority of the 2025 football season with a knee injury, but there are zero doubts that he has already returned to full force but that he can also be another crown jewel of this defense this fall. In just three games last fall before the injury, he racked up 26 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. He also forced a fumble. Opponents are going to focus on some of the established pieces first, and that could open a huge door for him to show he's even more potent than he was during his limited reps as a junior or his last full season in 2024, when he finished with 57 tackles and 12 TFL.     BIGGEST LOSSES   Quinn Mahoney QB - Mahoney used his two seasons at Bishop England to throw for 3,900 yards and 37 touchdowns, and that came with him missing some games last fall during his senior year.    Brody Tonon RB/LB - Tonon not only took on a big defensive role last fall, when he put up 61 tackles. He also did some damage as one of the team's primary ball carriers, rushing for 440 yards and seven touchdowns.    UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL   Jeb Hardy DB, 2029 - The 5-foot-11, 175 pounder will be making the jump from the JV team (where he played mostly linebacker) and is starting to look like he'll earn one of the team's starting safety spots. He won't be asked to carry a huge load, but rather assist some of the established defensive weapons.    [player_tooltip player_id='1850112' first='Luke' last='Balog'] DL, 2028 - Balog was a September addition to the varsity squad last fall and used his height and length to immediately impact the interior of the defensive line. He put up nine tackles for loss in eight games.     Mahoney didn't get a ton of time on offense last year. But made an impression when he took his second career varsity catch 49 yards. Defensively, he was a bit more of a consistent presence.    He finished his freshman season with 30 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a sack, two fumble recoveries and an interception. Given that small glimpse into his abilities, it makes sense that Bishop England wants the legacy involved in more.   Mahoney is slotted for a receiver/tight end role, and while he won't be the star, the Bishops are hoping he'll find some offensive holes while others are getting more defensive attention.

In honor of the five-site Prep RedZone Media Days series this June and July, we're giving everyone a 50% offer code on all subscriptions throughout July 31. Get access to more than 100 team previews and everything else we have in store for readers as we gear up for the 2026 football season. Simply head to our subscription page and use the code "przscmediaday2026" at checkout to take advantage of the savings.