Kellermann out for season, suffers second knee-related injury

The Philip Simmons High School girls’ basketball team’s annual goals include winning the region championship, making a deep playoff run and contending for an elusive state championship.

 

The Iron Horses will attempt to complete the mission this season. But they must do it without star player Kylee Kellermann, who suffered her second season-ending knee injury in as many years.

 

“She will have surgery, hopefully sometime this month,” coach Dustin Williams said. “She just came down on it and fell awkwardly. We were hoping it was a sprain. But the MRI came back.”

 

Last season, Kellermann became the first Iron Horse girl to score 1,000 career points. But three days later, in early December 2021, she was sidelined by a knee injury. She injured the same knee in a recent game.

 

Kellermann, ranked No. 4 academically in the PSHS senior class, shone on the court before her most recent injury. She was leading the Iron Horses with 15.9 points per game and was third in rebounding with 4 per game. She was second in steals and assists with 2.5 and 2.6 per game, respectively.

 

“She worked so hard to get back from the (first) knee injury and then it happens again,” Williams said. “It’s a shame.”

 

The Iron Horse girls began Region 8-AAA play last weekend with a 46-33 victory at Beaufort. The victory pushed Philip Simmons’ record to 12-4, 1-0.

 

“The non-region part of our schedule always is a measuring stick of where we are as a team,” said Williams, whose squad will play region contender North Charleston at home on Jan. 13.

 

Williams wants to see his team move the ball around more for an open shot on offense, while getting better at boxing out and rebounding on the defensive end.

 

“You can’t give the other team a second or third shot,” Williams said. “We have to box out to get the offense running. Boxing out is an attitude.”

 

PS BOYS

 

The Iron Horse boys are 9-8, including 1-0 in Region 8-AAA after Jan. 6’s 48-43 victory over Beaufort. The Eagles fell to 3-11, 0-1. The Iron Horse boys will go after their fourth straight victory against North Charleston this weekend.

 

BE BOYS

 

Meanwhile, the Bishop England boys’ and girls’ teams had a busy schedule over the weekend. Both teams opened Region 7-AA play at home against Lake Marion and traveled to Wando in a non-conference game on Jan. 7.

 

The BE boys rolled past Lake Marion with a 77-37 victory. The Bishops outscored the visitors 30-5 in the third period. Jack Van de Erve poured in 34 to lead the win.

 

The Bishop boys outscored Wando 19-4 in overtime to gain a 66-51 victory. Van de Erve continued his strong play with 26 points. The Bishop boys are 9-7. 

 

BE GIRLS

 

On Jan. 6, the Bishop girls jumped to a 31-16 halftime lead against the Gators en route to a 46-35 victory.  

 

Then on Jan. 7, the Wando girls built an 11-point halftime lead and held on for a 43-37 victory over Bishop England, which owns an 8-8 record. Madison Riley led the Bishops with 11 points.