Iron Horses power to 3rd playoff round; Bishops shut out against No. 1 seed

The Philip Simmons High School football team continues to use a balanced offensive attack and a swarming defense in its playoff run. 

The one-two punch has proved to be the winning combination, as the Iron Horses defeated Atlantic Collegiate Academy 17-7 on Nov. 14 in a second-round Class AA playoff game that was contested at The Phil. 

However, the Bishop England squad had its season come to an end as South Florence High School flexed its muscle and posted a 43-0 home-field win in the second round of the Class AAAA playoffs. 

The Bishops finished with an 8-4 record in Logan Hall’s second year at the helm of the program. Hall is 17-7 in two seasons. 

Philip Simmons 17, Atlantic Collegiate 7 

The Iron Horses continued to get efficient offense and rock-solid defense, and that combo has pushed the Iron Horses’ winning streak to 10 games, the longest streak of the eight Class AA teams still alive in the postseason. 

Quarterback Hayes Goddard accounted for 230 of the team’s 333 total yards to lead the attack. He ran for a score and hooked up with receiver Patrick Clark for the other touchdown as the Iron Horses improved to 10-2. Atlantic Collegiate Academy, located in Conway, exited the playoffs with a 5-7 record. 

Goddard completed 15 of 24 passing attempts for 160 yards and ran for 70 yards on 13 carries. Running back Omonte Taylor was the workhorse, gaining 103 tough yards on 23 carries. 

C.J. Falitico added a 20-yard field goal to account for the Iron Horses’ other score. He has connected on 11 field goals, which ranks 60th best in the country, according to MaxPreps.com. 

Ethan Chisum led the defense with 15 tackles, while Roman Hood was in on 10 stops and logged five tackles for a loss. Junior Layson Stockton collected 13 tackles, including two for a loss. Alex Tchoryk had three tackles for a loss. 

The victory gave the Iron Horses a third-round home game against Central High School. It marks only the second time in the program’s eight-year history the Iron Horses reached the third round. 

Central advanced to the third round with a 49-28 decision over East Clarendon. Central is 10-1 and has played well on defense, allowing only 11.2 points a game. 

South Florence 43, Bishop England 0 

South Florence lived up to its No. 1 seed in the Class AAAA Lower State bracket with the shutout against the Bishops. 

It marked the first time since Oct. 19, 2023, that the Bishops were shut out. First Baptist beat the Bishops 42-0 in that game. 

The Bruins pushed their winning streak to nine games, settling the outcome in the first half as they took a 22-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and expanded it to 36-0 at halftime. The Bruins gained 374 total yards. They had 21 first downs, while the Bishops managed only five. 

The Bruins will host North Augusta this weekend in a battle of 11-1 teams. The Yellow Jackets pounded Gilbert High School to reach the third round.