Green and Haight reach the 1,000-point milestone for Philip Simmons
For the second time in 14 days, a Philip Simmons High School boys’ basketball player topped 1,000 career points.
Jaylen Green is the latest Iron Horse to reach the milestone when he tallied 13 points on Jan. 21 in a victory over the Lowcountry Wildcats, 81-46. Two weeks earlier, teammate Marc Haight scored his 1,000th career point against Bishop England.
Green, a 6’4” senior who plays small forward, shooting guard and power forward, is very athletic. He has a 32-inch vertical leap and has command on the court. He’s almost guaranteed to score when he drives to the basket. He also has good defensive and rebounding skills.
He credits his four years of success and 1,000 points to the PSHS global village.
“I just have to give thanks to my teammates, my family and the coaching staff,” Green said. “It’s pretty exciting. I never really thought about scoring 1,000 points. I didn’t play much my freshman year (at Hanahan), but after my sophomore and junior years, I thought I might have a chance.”
“He’s been with us from the start,” Philip Simmons coach Garrett Campbell said. “He’s been there through the tough times, and he’s been a big reason for our success. He scored 20 points as a freshman at Hanahan, and the rest have come in the last three years. He’s scored a lot of points, but he’s more concerned about winning.”
Haight, who will probably play for Ole Miss or Alabama as a preferred walk-on, begins the week with 1,065 career points. Green, who has dreams of playing at the next level, but has yet to receive an offer, has tallied 1,014 total points in four years.
So who is next to reach 1,000 points for the Iron Horses? Campbell said junior Antonio Leake could top the fabulous figure next season, while underclassmen Jackson Jordan and Miles Haight also have the potential to reach the club.
The Iron Horses began play this week with a 9-12 record, including 1-3 in Region 6-AA. The schedule this week was demanding. The Iron Horses were scheduled to North Charleston on Tuesday and then were scheduled to head downtown Friday night to play Burke. North Charleston and Burke both had 3-1 records entering this week’s play, sharing the league lead with Oceanside Collegiate. Philip Simmons hold down fourth in league play, while Timberland is 0-4. Garrett Tech was scheduled to compete in the league, but did not field athletic teams during the 2019-20 academic season.
PHILIP SIMMONS GIRLS BASKETBALL
Meanwhile, the Lady Iron Horses entered competition this week with a 13-7 record, including 3-1 in league play. The varsity girls’ basketball team owned a three-game winning streak. North Charleston is on top of the region standings, followed by the Iron Horses. Burke holds down third place with a 2-2 record.
Both the boys’ and girls’ team conclude the regular season with games against Timberland on Feb. 11. The High School League’s state playoffs begin Feb. 17 and culminate the weekend of March 6-7 with the state championship games, which will be contested at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia.