By Thomas Grant, Jr.
A.J. Brand and Donovan Murph had a “Yellow Jacket” reunion Sunday in Atlanta, Ga.
As both players embark on their respective college careers, their former team is off to a 2-0 start once again.
Irmo came away with a 37-32 win over J.F. Byrnes. It was the second consecutive road win over a ranked opponent.
Fittingly, it was Brand and Murph’s replacements who helped secure the victory. Quarterback Dre’von Dopson found wide receiver Maleek Miller for the go-ahead 12-yard touchdown reception with 32 seconds left.
Dopson has thrown five touchdowns in his first two games. Meanwhile, Miller has four touchdowns as he’s stepped into the role as top playmaker for Irmo.
“When all that happens, we’ve got to lean on our guy,” Irmo head coach Aaron Brand said. “Maleek Miller is our guy. He’s been our guy since Donovan Murph graduated and A.J. (Brand) left and we just had to find a way to give him the ball in some different situations.
“They were keying on him, double-teaming him. But he’s a resilient player. He’s what they call a ‘little dog’ now and he just made plays all night.”
The contest featured seven lead changes and Irmo trailed as many as 11 points in the first half. The Yellow Jackets were also without running back Amire White and lost All-State defensive lineman Jaiden Bryant with an injury in the first quarter.
Irmo begins a 2-game homestand against Butler N.C. The Yellow Jackets pulled out a 35-34 overtime road win as the Bulldogs failed on the 2-point conversion.
Photo by GoFlashwin.com
