Iron Horses in racing shape just in time for playoffs
Philip Simmons High School football coach Eric Bendig might have been forgiven if he had pushed the panic button as his team headed into an open date on Oct. 7.
After all, his usually rock-solid team lost two of three games, humbling losses of 34-14 and 52-31 to Beaufort and Aynor, respectively, to drop to 4-3 on the season.
But Bendig used the off week to push the reset button. After all, the Iron Horses had plenty of talent, finishing 11-2 last fall, with wins in 14 of their last 17 games before the slump.
The team healed its bumps and bruises, physically and mentally, refocused and prepped for the final three games of a 10-game, regular-season grind.
It turned out to be the perfect formula. The Iron Horses turned into thoroughbreds during the three-game run. They pounded Battery Creek 42-0 Oct. 27 to make it a three-game sweep. The Iron Horses also throttled North Charleston 42-6 and blanked Hanahan 22-0. Throw in the score of the Battery Creek conquest and Bendig’s team outscored foes 126-6.
“Having that week off was huge,” said Bendig, whose team owns a 7-3 record, and was 3-1 in Region 8-AAA to finish in second place and earn a first-round playoff game at home against Lower Richland on Nov. 4. “Overall, we are healthy and having a week off allowed us to try guys at different spots and in different roles. We used the time to focus on efficiency and to gear into the game plan as much as possible. I told our players we have to play smart.”
Battery Creek, which fell to 3-7, 1-3, never survived the Iron Horses’ first-half fusillade. Philip Simmons led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and pushed the advantage to 28-0 at halftime. It was the second straight shutout for the Iron Horses, who have allowed only one score in the last three games.
Tavien Orellana is in his first year as the starting quarterback and is becoming more of a veteran every week. He was dialed in, completing 12 of 17 passes for 258 yards and four touchdowns.
Orellana averaged 21.5 yards per completion. But the most important number might have been zero, which was in the interception column. The signal-caller found Jacque Greene open for six completions for 158 yards and three touchdowns, including a score that covered 65 yards.
Wide receiver Troy Stevenson had one catch, a play that went 48 yards for a score.
The running game wasn’t as emphasized as much as in past games, but still was as effective. Running back Sharod Williams carried 11 times for 68 yards and a touchdown, while Isaac Schimpf churned for 58 yards and a score on nine carries. The two runners have combined for 1,093 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground so far this season.
The defensive numbers were impressive as well, especially sophomore Devontay McNeil’s six tackles for a loss. The 6-1, 205-pound sophomore finished with 12 tackles, including nine solo. Junior Bryce Smalls recorded 10 tackles, including one for a loss.