Iron Horses, Bishops dominate in playoff openers, keep advancing

If you are looking for subplots to the first round of the South Carolina High School League’s football playoffs, one might just be “Domination on Daniel Island.”

 

Both Philip Simmons and Bishop England played first-round games in friendly confines, and the results proved the Iron Horses and Bishops are far more than just one-round wonders. 

 

In Class AA action at The Phil, the Iron Horses steamrolled Mullins, 45-12, in Friday Night Lights action. 

 

While it was good to be an Iron Horse in the Daniel Island area, it was a bad night to be a Thoroughbred at Jack Cantey Stadium. The Bishops dismantled South Aiken, 42-19, in a Class AAAA first-round contest. 

 

Both local teams will be at home for second-round showdowns that feature the top 16 teams in each class.

 

The Iron Horses will host Kingstree while the Bishops will entertain Gilbert. 

 

Philip Simmons 45, Mullins 12

The Iron Horses needed a quarter to get on track against the Auctioneers, who took a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. But once the Iron Horses started galloping, they didn’t slow down. They rallied for a 28-6 halftime lead and were in full control with a 45-12 advantage after three quarters.

 

The Iron Horse offense rolled to 327 yards in total offense as quarterback Tavien Orellana had a big night passing with 189 yards and five touchdowns, which set a school record. Kolten Kellermann, who missed four games with an injury, was on the receiving end of three of those TD passes while Ashton Kellermann added a TD catch. 

 

The defense, which has been rock solid all season and has allowed only 16 points per game, was strong against the Auctioneers. Alex Tchoryk had three tackles for a loss and Cameron Richardson recovered a fumble. 

 

Bishop England 42, South Aiken 19

The Bishops picked up their first playoff victory since 2017 by winning the battle of the middle quarters against the Thoroughbreds, who exited the playoffs with a 6-5 record.

 

After a scoreless first quarter, the Bishops took a 14-0 halftime lead and expanded the cushion to 35-7 after three stops.

 

Quarterback Quinn Mahoney continued to put up impressive numbers and solidified his position as a team leader as the Bishops won for the fourth consecutive time to push their record to 9-2.

 

Mahoney completed only 10 passes in 14 attempts, but each connection averaged 28.6 yards. The junior finished 10 of 14 for 286 yards and four TD passes. He carried 10 times for 47 yards and added a TD. 

 

Which receiver had a better night? Jacob Mackara or Zachary Balog? You could have flipped a coin for that answer and wouldn’t have gone wrong. 

 

Balog had seven catches for 174 yards and accounted for two TDs. Mackara caught three passes for 142 yards and two TDs. 

 

The Bishops face a Gilbert team that rebounded from a 3-4 record to enter the showdown with a 7-4 mark. Gilbert advanced with a 42-20 victory over Lower Richland.