Offensive firepower, unrelenting defense propel Iron Horses
The Philip Simmons High School football team switched offensive gears in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs against Whale Branch High School.
But the results remained the same.
The Iron Horses pounded the Warriors, 57-12, at the Phil on Nov. 7, as the host team turned to junior running back Omonte Taylor to provide a good portion of the offensive firepower on a night when quarterback Hayes Goddard had less than 200 yards passing for the first time since Sept. 12. Goddard saw limited action that night in a 71-0 victory over Military Magnet.
“You go in thinking that you are going to win every game,” Iron Horse coach Eric Bendig said. “But there’s still that unknown, which creates even more excitement in the playoffs.”
Taylor rushed 12 times for 130 yards for a nifty 10.8 yards per carry while scoring four TDs. He also caught two passes for 45 yards as the Iron Horses defeated Whale Branch for the second time this season. They posted a 46-14 home win over the Warriors in Week 5.
Taylor has displayed good instincts, speed, and can take a hit. His effort against Whale Branch marked the third time he topped 100 yards rushing. He has gained 650 of the Iron Horses’ 1,233 yards on the ground.
He’s also a lockdown cornerback with 21 tackles while breaking up four passes. He recovered a fumble as well.
“Omonte has been in the program since the eighth grade and played on our first B-team,” Bendig said. “He is an all-region guy at cornerback and has come along as a running back. He’s sort of taken the lead as our running back the last few weeks.”
The Iron Horses won their ninth straight game after opening the season with two losses. Philip Simmons will host Atlantic Collegiate Academy in a second-round game this weekend. The Armada defeated Woodland 14-0 in the first round to up its record to 5-6.
The Iron Horses rushed for 252 yards and six touchdowns in a victory in which Goddard completed 8 of 13 passes for 133 yards and added a TD on the ground.
While the offense sufficed, the defense was suffocating as the Iron Horses held the Warriors to only 114 total yards – 94 of which came on the last drive of the game when Bendig had pulled his starters.
The Iron Horses collected 14 tackles for a loss, including eight quarterback sacks.
Ethan Chisum and Roman Hood both logged 10 tackles. Hood was credited with three tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks. Junior Christian Cromedy tallied two tackles for a loss.
The win over Whale Branch marked the ninth time this season that the Iron Horses have allowed 14 points or less in a game. The Iron Horses have recorded four shutouts and are allowing only 12.2 points per game heading into the second round against ACA.
The Armada enters the showdown with a three-game winning streak. But the team has had issues on offense at times, scoring just 15.6 points a game.