Iron Horses breed 3 all-state selections, 2 honorable mentions

The Philip Simmons High School football team enjoyed another successful season with a winning record and a playoff appearance in its first year at the Class AAA level.

 

Three key players from this year’s squad earned all-state honors from the South Carolina Football Coaches Association, while another two earned honorable mention.

 

Linebacker Chip Carlson, defensive back Troy Stevenson and kicker Griffin Gore received all-state selections, while running back Isaac Schimpf and wide receiver Jacque Greene received honorable mention.

 

“We’ve been fortunate to have some great players, and this group is right up there,” said coach Eric Bendig, who guided the team to a 7-4 record. “Having this many players honored is a testament to the program.”

 

While talent abounds, the player who really stands out in this group is Stevenson, a 6-1, 165-pound junior who is on track to become the most highly recruited student-athlete in the school’s brief history. He’s already received 18 scholarship offers from schools such as Tennessee, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss.

 

Opposing teams didn’t challenge Stevenson too often and when they did, he showed his talent with two interceptions and eight passes defended. He also recorded 22 tackles, including 16 solo stops. Stevenson was a force on offense as well with 19 receptions for 443 yards and seven touchdowns.

 

Gore was one of the top special teams players in the Palmetto State and earned all-state honors for the second year in a row. He averaged 36 yards a punt but where he really shone was as a kicker. He converted 39 of 42 PATs and was seven of nine in the field goal department with a long of 42 yards. The senior was second on the team in scoring with 60 points this fall and ended his career as the program’s all-time leading scorer.

 

“We’re really going to miss him,” Bendig said. “He gave us a big advantage in special teams.”

 

Carlson is the latest in the line of hard-nosed linebackers for the Iron Horses. He played in 10 games and led the team with 95 tackles, including 55 solo stops. The 5-11, 175-pound senior was credited with two tackles for a loss and defended three passes.

 

“He was sort of an unknown factor around the state at the beginning of the season, but his hard work paid off,” Bendig said. “He’s the same type of linebacker that we had last year in Hunter Ramey and Dan Wojtech. There was no drop off at linebacker.”

 

Junior running back Isaac Schimpf earned honorable mention and is an early projection for all-state next fall if he continues his developmental path. Schimpf shared the running duties alongside Markellis Asbury and Sharod Williams, so his stats weren’t gaudy. Schimpf led the Iron Horses with 135 carries and 730 yards, averaging 5.4 yards. He caught eight passes for 117 yards and was third on the team with seven touchdowns.

 

Greene, a senior, earned honorable mention honors after leading the Iron Horses in scoring with 11 touchdowns. Greene accounted for 30 percent of the team’s receptions, finishing the season with 29 catches for 458 yards.