Iron Horses aim to reload, not rebuild on gridiron

There was no question the 2021 season was the best in Philip Simmons High School’s brief football history.

 

The Iron Horses won Region 6-AA with a 5-0 record and reached the second round of the Class AA playoffs, finishing with an 11-2 record. The team had the top coach in the region – Eric Bendig – and best player – Tripp Williams. If you are into statistics, the Iron Horses averaged 36 points per game while allowing only 12.8.

 

But now, there are questions the program must answer as 12 seniors, including the talented quarterback, Williams, have graduated. The team will have different personnel which will result in a different chemistry when the Iron Horses kick off the season.

 

There will be growing pains, perhaps. But when it comes to growth, the program is off the charts as it prepares to move up to Class AAA in time for the 2022-23 academic year. This spring, there were three groups of Iron Horse gridders on the practice fields. There was the B-Team in one group, while there was a group just for freshmen. And, of course, there were the varsity gridders. In total, Bendig had 150-170 players under his watch. “Numbers-wise, the best is yet to come,” he said.

 

“It’s going to be different,” Bendig said of the upcoming season. “We are replacing a lot of guys who were five- and four-year players. They all had significant roles in our success.” 

 

And that includes Williams, who will matriculate to The Citadel. He was a two-sport star, and shone as the Iron Horse quarterback last fall with 1,898 total yards, including 1,570 yards in the air. Tristan Speaker, a wide receiver who had big-play capability, also graduated.

 

Winning, Bendig said, increases roster numbers. It also makes players work harder in the classroom, the weight room and on the practice field.

 

That will make competition for each position spirited and interesting to watch. That might be most evident at the running back position where rising junior Eric Schimpf had a breakout year last fall when he averaged 5.6 yards per carry, collecting 747 yards and seven touchdowns. But he will be pushed by classmates Sharod Williams and Markellis Asbury.

 

Williams was a breakaway threat who averaged 8.4 yards per carry, collecting 543 yards and seven touchdowns. Asbury was effective as well with 313 yards and four scores.

 

The running game should take some of the pressure off the new quarterback.

 

Rising sophomore Tavien Orellana showed potential as Williams’ backup in limited playing time. 

 

He completed all six of his passing attempts for 41 yards. He will compete with Goose Creek transfer Elijah Riley for the starting job.

 

As for defense, Bendig comes from the Bob Hayes coaching tree, when the two were at Wando High School. Before that, Hayes was the architect of the Stratford defense, which had a big role in the Knights’ state championship in 1999. Hayes’ defenses were rock solid, and so are Bendig’s.

 

The team’s spring game was last Friday night. After that, Bendig planned to decompress over Memorial Day Weekend and perhaps have a date night with his wife, Colleen.

 

Then it’s back to work on Tuesday as Bendig & Co. transition full force into the 2022 season. That’s the schedule of success.