Iron Horses shine in season-opener amid weather delay, technical difficulties

Philip Simmons High School’s first game at the Class AAA level included a two-hour weather delay to begin the game and a 30-minute delay when the lights at Andrews High School’s football stadium went dark in the third quarter.

 

The game concluded with the Iron Horses on top, posting a 27-8 victory in the season-opener.

 

“We didn’t start the game until 9:30 (p.m),” Philip Simmons coach Eric Bendig said. “We had the coin toss at 7:26 (p.m.) and shortly after that, there was lightning. That was the beginning. The lights were on a timer and went out at 11:15 (p.m.). It was a crazy night.”

 

The lightning, thunder and rain forced the Iron Horses to change their game. It included no frills, nothing fancy. It was strictly fundamentals as the Iron Horses gained their 12th victory in their last 14 games.

 

The Iron Horses arrived home late, but happy. Bendig could have pushed for the game to be postponed. But the cost to transport the team back to Andrews would have been expensive.

 

“And it was Friday night,” Bendig said. “We didn’t have school the next day.”

 

Bendig had concerns heading into the opener. The team lost some quality players to graduation, including quarterback Tripp Williams, who now plays for The Citadel. His replacement, Tavien Orellana, passed only nine times, completing three for 16 yards. He scored a touchdown on a short run.

 

“We were breaking in some new players and I was nervous because you never know until you see them in a game situation,” Bendig said. “It was nice to see the guys respond.”

 

The inclement weather was ideal for the Iron Horses’ running game, which was a big reason why the Iron Horses posted an 11-2 record last year. Isaac Schimpf, Que Greene and Sharod Williams took turns pounding the Yellow Jackets’ defense. The trio combined for just

over 1,600 yards rushing last fall and it was more of the same against Andrews.

 

Williams led the way with nine carries for 73 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown run. Greene collected 52 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, while Schimpf gained 49 yards on 13 carries. The Iron Horses tallied 213 total yards, with 194 coming on the ground.

 

The defense lost its top two tacklers from last year when it allowed only 12.8 points per game. But Bendig’s stoppers were ready for Andrews’ challenge. Senior linebacker Chip Carlson led the Iron Horses with 11 tackles, including seven solo stops. K.J. Asbury and Bryce

 

Smalls both had nine tackles, including seven solo. Asbury led the Iron Horses with three tackles for a loss and recovered a fumble. Williams also recovered a fumble.

 

Kicker Griffin Gore led the special teams with two field goals of 38 and 37 yards and was 3-for-3 in PAT attempts.

 

The Iron Horses will host St. James on Friday, Aug. 26. It will be the first of four consecutive home games. The Sharks will be the first Class AAAAA opponent the Iron Horses play in their brief history.