Philip Simmons wrestling team offers promising group of grapplers

From the 106-pound weight class to heavyweight, Philip Simmons High School wrestling coach Anthony Sardelli has some athletes who have personality – and talent.
 
Take 106-pounder Alex Watson, who is in his first year in the program. Sardelli first saw Watson on the football field and could only dream of what he could do on the wrestling mat after seeing a dose of Watson’s athleticism. Despite being a wrestling newcomer, Watson is currently ranked fifth in the state in Class AA-A by SCMat.com. and owns a 20-3 record.
 
And then there’s the heavyweight Abram Wright.
 
“He’s like a big teddy bear until the match begins,” Sardelli said. “Then a switch flips, and he’s on the go. He’s another outstanding leader.”
 
Welcome to Sardelli’s world. He’s the coach of the No. 8 team in the state among Class AA-A teams. The Iron Horses are a group that doesn’t have a long history because the school has been open only a few years. But the Iron Horses are getting to the top with one eye
on the competition and the other on COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Two seasons ago, the Iron Horses sent seven wrestlers to the state. However, that number dropped to only four last winter as COVID-19 affected the schedule and the number of playoff entrants was limited.
 
This season, the Iron Horses have seven wrestlers who are ranked in the top 10 of the 14 weight classifications. That’s not too bad for a program that Sardelli built with a somewhat different recruiting pitch.
 
“If you’re breathing, fairly athletic and not playing basketball, I’m going to recruit you,” was Sardelli’s pitch in the hallways of the school a couple of years ago.
 
Freshman Jimmy Chambers finished third over the weekend in the Skip Parker Invitational, which was hosted by Fort Dorchester High School. He’s currently ranked No. 7 in the state in the 113-pound division.
 
Sophomore Drew McDonnell is ranked third in the 120-pound division. He was a state qualifier last winter in the 106 class.
 
Zion Beaufort has been slowed by injury for most of the season, but is ranked No. 5 in the state after qualifying for the state last winter at 120 pounds.
 
Senior A.J. McLanahan is ranked No. 3 at 132 pounds after qualifying for the state last winter at 138 pounds.
 
“He’s the rock of the team,” Sardelli said of McLanahan. “He’s the best leader I’ve ever been around. He sets an example by the way he works and never stops grinding.”
 
Sophomore Isaac Schimpf was a state qualifier at 170 pounds last winter and will bid for a state title in the talented weight class.
 
Wright, the heavyweight, is currently No. 6 in the state.
 
The Iron Horses have some stiff competition in the Lower State this season, including Berkeley County foes Cross and Timberland.
 
Timberland and Philip Simmons will battle for Region 6-AA supremacy.
 
“To win the Region 6-AA championship, you have to beat one of the best teams in the state,” Sardelli said. “You have to be one of the best teams in the state to win the region.”
 

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