40 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com as one – things you do every day to prepare as if you’re expecting to reach a championship game,” Perrin said. “And this is an opportunity to build something that will pay off in three, four or five years.” JAMEL SMITH – LUCY BECKHAM BENGALS One thing about Jamel Smith: Since becoming the first head football coach at Lucy Beckham in 2020, he has adopted a win-now philosophy – no matter what kind of team he fields in any given year. “We’re returning only three returning starters on offense and three on defense for this season,” Smith said. “So we’re rebuilding, starting from scratch.” But when asked about his team’s chances of making the postseason as the Bengals did in 2023, Smith stated, “Pretty good, despite having younger guys.” “We’re going to have a lot of sophomores and we’re very green right now,” Smith said. “But we have a solid foundation and a lot of room to grow. And my mentality is that we will be alright if we can stick through the early part of this season.” Against this tide of experience, the Bengals will field three-year starting senior quarterback Chalmers Ballard and three-year starting senior offensive lineman Sawyer Hearne, whom Smith said have “really taken the younger guys under their wings.” Rounding out the Bengals’ total veteran experience are senior wide receiver Trevor Reynolds, defensive tackle Jackson Edwards and linebacker Hank Aeppli. “We have a lot of positions to fill,” Smith said. “But our goal is to have our kids maximize their talents and play as a team and come through uninjured. And if we can get through our first five games, we could still make the playoffs again this year.” ERIC BENDIG – PHILLIP SIMMONS IRON HORSES One advantage for the Phillip Simmons football program is longtime head coach Eric Bendig. Entering his seventh season, Bendig has been with the Iron Horses since the school opened in 2017. He started from scratch when there was no equipment, uniforms or players. Since then, Bendig has overseen the birth and growth of a team that has so far made the state playoffs every year since 2019, posted a school-best record of 11-2 in 2021 and which is now poised to become a top-level program in AA Region 6. “We’re returning 17 seniors, 29 juniors and a few really good sophomores and freshmen,” said Bendig, who led the team to a 10-2 mark in 2023. “So I feel pretty good about making the playoffs again.” Veteran senior leadership will come from quarterback Tavien Orellana; wide receiver Kolten Kellermann; cornerback Darriel Porcher; running back T.J. Walker and offensive lineman Daniel Scarth – especially during several challenging road games. When asked how close the Iron Horses are to winning a state title of their own this season, Bendig said it will come down to how they respond to a loss; how they play Jamel Smith, Lucy Beckham Bengals head coach.
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