Philip Simmons High marks 10th year with an Iron Decade

“How lucky are we?” football coach Eric Bendig remembers asking his fellow coaches and staff in 2017. 

“We got to build something from scratch.” 

Ten school years later, the answer is all around them – in Friday night crowds, championship banners, and a generation of graduates who can say they helped build Philip Simmons High School. 

When PSHS opened Aug. 17, 2017, it returned a high school to the Cainhoy area for the first time since Cainhoy High School closed in 1996, serving Daniel Island, Thomas Island, Huger, and the growing Cainhoy Peninsula. 

Even the name on the building carried the story full circle. Philip Simmons left Daniel Island as an 8-year-old in 1920, in part, to attend public high school in Charleston. Nearly a century later, a high school bearing the celebrated blacksmith’s name opened back in his home community. 

The first students arrived with plenty of room. 

PSHS began with about 250 students, only freshmen and sophomores. Baseball coach Joshua Kubisz remembers entire wings feeling empty. At his first baseball interest meeting, five students showed up. Three actually played. 

Today, his program has more than 60 athletes, while more than 830 students fill the school. 

“I remember the early weeks filled with optimism and excitement,” Kubisz said. “The students and faculty chose this place to be special, and that energy was evident in the hallways.” 

The adults were figuring it out right alongside them. 

Bendig, the first coach hired at PSHS, started months before opening day. 

“I remember it was ‘Go, go, go’ from the first day,” he said. “We had so many things to do and plan. We held so many meetings and functions. It was a whirlwind.” 

A blank slate came with a rare freedom: if PSHS was going to have traditions, somebody had to start them. 

English teacher Laura Garner arrived in Year Two, becoming the first AP English Language/Literature teacher and starting the literary magazine and student-run book club, both of which continue today. 

“PSHS truly is a blessed place to be for teachers and students alike,” Garner said. “If I could go back (10 years), I would reassure the original faculty that the Iron Horse family would coalesce with uniform community support. I would smile and say our students have multiple pathways to success and that any student who is willing can excel here.” 

A decade later, being an Iron Horse means something. The Phil fills up on football nights, traditions have taken root, and Kubisz feels a sense of pride whenever he drives down Clements Ferry Road. 

“I see kids wearing Philip Simmons baseball hats and football jerseys, and it makes me proud to be part of building a culture that doesn't just reach out to students but also reaches into our neighborhoods,” he said. 

The first 10 years have produced 21 athletic state championships, top test scores in the district, and graduates bound for colleges including Harvard, Dartmouth, Northeastern, and Stanford. PSHS has also maintained its STEAM focus while expanding its arts and career pathways.  

Librarian Constance McClanahan has one word for what PSHS has built: “Excellence.” 

“When Philip Simmons High School opened, no one really knew what to expect,” she said. “‘Would we be a tiny version of Wando? Could we hold our own against our nearby neighbor Bishop England?’ We began strong our first year and have continued to work hard to build our own reputation.” 

Not every piece of that history hangs from a trophy case. 

The 2021 football season remains one of Bendig’s defining memories. After years of building the program, the Iron Horses won their first region championship, led at quarterback by the late Tripp Williams. 

“He was one of the finest young men I have ever coached,” Bendig said. “He was the epitome of the term student athlete. His legacy and impact still hold strong in this entire community.” 

PSHS will spend its “Iron Decade” revisiting its history with “Where Are They Wednesdays” featuring alumni, homecoming celebrations, a winter arts event, and a culminating spring gala. 

Only seven original staff members remain, according to Kubisz. 

“Being one of the originals matters to me because I feel an ownership for what happens to this place,” he said. “It's up to us to keep up the traditions and excitement we established early on.” 

The freshmen arriving this year inherit something that the first class never had: a Philip Simmons history. Principal LaTanya Butler wants them to know it isn'tfinished. 

“Every choice and every contribution they make becomes part of our story,” Butler said. “This milestone year is a reminder that they have the opportunity to leave their own legacy while honoring the foundation built by those who came before them.”