Philip Simmons energized, excited for home opener against Bishop England
If you are a Philip Simmons High School football fanatic who is ready to push the proverbial panic button, you might want to put that thought on pause.
The Iron Horses dropped a 35-7 decision to Porter-Gaud School on Aug. 28 to fall to 0-2 on the season. The Iron Horse defense, which was supposed to be a strong point for Coach Eric Bendig’s squad, has now allowed 69 points in its first two road games.
That was pretty much the same scenario last fall when the Iron Horses got off to a rough start at 0-2, allowing 75 points. However, the Iron Horses adjusted and rolled to 10 consecutive wins and the region championship, finally falling to Central High School in the third round of the playoffs to finish with a 10-3 record.
“We haven't started well on offense or defense this season,” said Bendig, whose team plays Bishop England High School at home on Sept. 4. “But it is very similar to last year. A lot of that falls on me to make sure our coaches and players prepare the right way to be in the best position to win. And in these two games, I have to do better to get our team prepared to make plays.”
Will history repeat itself with an Iron Horse rebound?
“We still have all the faith in the world in our guys that we will be where we need to be and make plays when needed,” Bendig said. “This team is capable, and we just need to practice better and take that into the game.”
Porter-Gaud tallied 503 yards in total offense as Cyclone signal caller Cam Werntz completed 13 of 18 passes for 360 yards and two touchdowns. Senior star Amir Chisolm gave the Iron Horses a case of double the frustration. He carried seven times for 61 yards and a TD and added 198 yards receiving on eight catches to finish with 259 all-purpose yards.
“Right now we are just not finishing plays, and that's really on both sides,” Bendig said. “We are not getting all 11 working in the same direction toward a goal of being the best unit on the field. That falls on me to make sure we are preparing the right way and coaching up all aspects of the game. It is all fixable, but we just have to do better at the little things every day, and that falls firmly on my shoulders.”
The Iron Horses need a victory when they host the undefeated Battling Bishops in a battle for Daniel Island bragging rights. That won’t be an easy chore since the Bishops’ defense didn’t surrender a touchdown against Porter-Gaud and followed that up with an impressive decision over Lucy Beckham High School.
“One of the cool things about this community is that we have these two schools that fall so close to one another,” Bendig said. “A lot of kids grew up together and have relationships with so many guys across both teams. Our students can feel the energy and so can their students. It has all the makings of a great rivalry. Location, great programs, awesome fan bases, exciting games historically... it brings so much to the area.”