PSHS girls' basketball team captures Carolina Invitational title
New high schools have all the bells and whistles, and when it comes to athletics that includes diamonds, gridirons, courts and tracks, not to mention trophy cases.
Philip Simmons High School is no exception, and the school, which opened in time for the 2016-17 academic year, plans to have a great future based on the size of its trophy case.
However, it takes time to accumulate the hardware, and successful programs, like Rome, aren’t built in a day.
The girls’ basketball team, under the direction of coach Dustin Williams, has added its first trophy to the school’s collection. The Iron Horses, who start four eighth-graders, captured the biggest trophy in the recently contested Carolina Invitational. The Iron Horses hosted the Dunes Division and went 3-0 to capture the title.
They beat Academic Magnet, rallied past Charlotte Christian in overtime and topped University School of Nashville 44-38 to celebrate the holidays.
Now, the Iron Horses go for another trophy, and will battle foes that are closer to home. The Iron Horses want to make an impression in Region 6-AA, which includes basketball bluebloods Burke and North Charleston.
“Winning the tournament at the end of the first half of the season is a great accomplishment,” Williams said. “This is the result of long practices, long days in the weight room. Not every day has been great, but the girls have never stopped working to get better. To see them win it is gratifying. For the girls to get their first trophy, it is something special.”
Kylee Kellermann was named to the all-tournament team, averaging 10 points and four assists in the three games. Kennedy Rivers was the MVP, averaging 14 points. She scored 20 points in one of the games, with 13 points coming in the final period.
But now, it’s time to focus on region play.
The Iron Horses found the going tough in its region opener, traveling to North Charleston and falling to the Cougars by a 47-33 decision. The Iron Horses are 7-1 at home, but only 2-4 on the road.
“North Charleston has a great pedigree,” Williams said. “They got off to a fast start against us, and it was one of those games where we just came out flat. I don’t call it a loss. I call it a ‘learn.’ We just have to move forward.”
Williams said the success at home and struggles on the road were a result of tough competition and the youthfulness of his team.
“Winning at home is great, and we have great support at home,” Williams said. “They back us 100 percent. But if you win at home and lose on the road, you’re going to be a .500 team. We just have to take it one game at a time, take care of the basketball and play good defense. If we do that and lose, I’m good with it. If we compete to the end and lose against a better team, I can live with it. If we don’t take care of the ball and play good defense, that’s where it gets frustrating.”
The Iron Horses were scheduled to continue region play, hosting Burke on Tuesday night.