Last year, The Bishop’s School made an improbable run to the Division V finals before finally being upended by perennial football power Francis Parker. With many of the team’s elite players set to return along — with some additional talent — the Knights could realistically take it one step further this season. “Anytime you make it to the championship game and return some big pieces of the puzzle, you’re always optimistic about the season,” said Knights head coach Joel Allen. “We’ve got one of the toughest schedules we’ve had in four or five years and it’s definitely going to be an uphill battle, but we’re excited.” Behind a Wing T offense, Bishop’s is a predominantly run-first team. But this year, it has a quarterback in Joey Moreno, who can stretch the field for big plays and quick scoring. The multi-talented sports star got off to an exceptional start at quarterback last season but suffered a broken ankle in the team’s second game. With Moreno back in action, many folks on the La Jolla campus are excited to see how he has recovered and what his talent can add to a team already on the upswing. “Joey is very talented,” Allen said. “He has a calmness and great poise as a quarterback. Last year, we were throwing three or four times a game. But with Joey, we can line up and throw 25 times if we want to.” The Knights also boast explosive running back Alec Fisher who, as a junior last season, ran for more than 1,400 yards, led the team in receiving with nearly 400 yards and totaled 16 touchdowns. Now a senior, Fisher is an early candidate to become one of the best offensive players in the area. On the other side of the ball, Bishop’s runs a 50 defense. In that formation, the Knights have three defensive linemen who line up with the two outside linebackers at the line of scrimmage. “Our safeties get real involved in the run game,” Allen said. Fisher was a standout on defense last year as well, ranking second on the team in tackles and grabbing an interception. His brother, Austin, led the squad in tackles as an outside linebacker and can do some damage as a running back himself. Other top defensive players include junior defensive back Dominique Love, senior middle linebacker Micah Seau (Junior is his uncle) and bruising senior linebacker Robbie Stiefler, who led the team in interceptions and was third in tackles. The Knights kick off their regular season at El Capitan on Friday, Sept. 3. The second game of the year is a natural rivalry, when Bishop’s travels across town to La Jolla Country Day in a battle for city bragging rights. The Knights finally host a game when Mar Vista visits La Jolla High — where Bishop’s plays all its home games — on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. Allen and his crew will see where they stand in the Coastal League when they welcome Francis Parker for a big match up Oct. 22. “Parker has to be the team to beat they’ve won two in a row,” Allen said. “Coach Morrison has done a great job over there. To say they’re not the team to beat would be foolish.” It would also be foolish to count out the boys from Bishop’s.