Iron Horses force turnovers to edge Woodland in defensive battle

The Philip Simmons High School football team managed only 156 yards in total offense in Oct. 4’s Region 6-AA clash at Woodland.

 

While the Iron Horses struggled on the offensive side, the defense was solid, forcing five turnovers in a 22-16 victory over the Wolverines.

 

After an open date, the Iron Horses gained their second straight road victory to improve to 4-2, including 1-0 in league play. Woodland, which opened the season with four consecutive victories, fell to 4-2, 0-1.

 

Corey Steed, Travaris Walker and Darriel Porcher intercepted passes for the Iron Horses, while Patrick Clarke and Roman Hood recovered fumbles.

 

The Iron Horses have tallied seven interceptions and recovered 11 fumbles so far in the 2024 season.

 

The collective effort has been critical as the Iron Horses adjust to losing some top-shelf players on offense, including the dynamic running back duo of KJ Asbury and Sharod Williams, and wide receiver Troy Stevenson, who now plays for Georgia Tech.

 

Those offensive standouts helped the Iron Horses post a 10-2 record last fall and rewrote the school’s record book.

 

The Iron Horses averaged 406 total yards per game in ’23, including 317 yards rushing. This season, the Iron Horses are averaging 258 total yards per game, including 146 yards rushing per contest.

 

“We lost some generational talent,” said Philip Simmons coach Eric Bendig, whose team won for the 14th time in their last 18 games. “We are trying to find our identity. We have always been a team that runs the football. We have to click on both sides of the ball.”

 

Woodland has one of the most athletic teams in the Lowcountry if not the state. The Wolverines’ defense has been solid, allowing only 16 points per game. Woodland along with Timberland and Andrews are the teams that will challenge the Iron Horses for region supremacy.

 

“That was a huge step in the right direction,” Bendig said. “They are athletic and battle tested, so it’s definitely a good win.

 

The Iron Horses, who had an open date last week, completed a challenging three-game road trip with a 2-1 record. They will host Burke this weekend in Friday Night Lights.

 

Walker, a senior, picked off a pass on defense and accounted for two touchdowns on offense. He carried 18 times for 101 yards, with a long of 30 yards. He also caught a pass for 17 yards. He has rushed for 378 yards on 82 carries this fall.

 

Kolten Kellermann, who has been solid this season, caught two passes for 40 yards and a touchdown. He played on defense with seven tackles. He now has 18 receptions for 227 yards and 29 tackles.

 

Quarterback Tavien Orellana completed 4 of 10 passing for 58 yards.

 

Trevor Tonon led the Iron Horse defense with 13 tackles.

 

The Iron Horse face a Burke team that is 1-4 and coming off a 53-6 loss to Timberland in a Region 6-AA game. The Bulldogs have scored only 40 points this season.