By Thomas Grant Jr.
These days, Raymond Jennings does not actively seek the spotlight.
The former Ridge View and Darlington head coach prefers working in the background at his current job
at Irmo High School.
Yet as the defensive coordinator for the undefeated and third-ranked Yellow Jackets, Jennings finds
himself at the center of attention again. From the head coach to the players, he’s being credited with
turning this year’s defense into a dominating force.
“He does a tremendous job of holding his coaches accountable,” Irmo head coach Aaron Brand said.
“He’s made a huge difference,” said defensive lineman Jaiden Bryant following last Friday’s 38-6 win
over Ridge View. “He’s got us coordinated. He’s got the defense right. We went from a 1-star to a 5-star
defense. Nobody can really score on us.”
The numbers only tell a part of the impact Jennings has had on the Irmo program. Through seven games,
the Yellow Jackets (7-0, 2-0) have held five opponents to single digits and are allowing an average of 7
points a game.
The defense has also allowed a total of just 13 points in the fourth quarter. More important, Jennings,
head coach Aaron Brand and the entire coaching staff have remained on the same page with the
defense’s development since their first meeting.
“I met Coach Brand and before I knew any of the players, I knew how much he cared about them,”
Jennings said. “Coach Brand talked about each player on this team, about what expectation he had for
them. He talked about all this stuff.
“The bottom line is, I came in and I benefited. I truly believed that. But he had high expectations from
them. He told me that when I met him.”
Watching how the players worked in the weight room and their positive reception towards training
made it easy for Jennings to fit into the program. Even before meeting the players, he studied hours of
film to determine what fundamentals needed to be addressed with each one.
“I had an idea of technique-wise of where they can get better,” Jennings said. “But just meeting them,
they’re some passionate players, man. So I just think the communicating, the brotherhood and just
moving to the next stage of ‘we all grew up and let’s put it together and not accept anything.’ That was
really all I wanted to do.
“I wanted them to be aware of the technical part of defense. It ain’t about just running around. It’s
about being sound before the whistle snaps. That’s really what I try to bring to them. Being sound
knowing what your business is before the ball snaps.”
Jennings said the biggest difference at Irmo is being allowed to push the players by both Brand and the
parents.
“The head man (Brand) says get after them,” Jennings said. “They allow that, and the parents have them
here. There are non-negotiable about some things, and I really like that. So it was just a place that I
needed to be.”
Linebacker Marquel Lewis is one of the players Jennings said has stepped up as a leader both on the
field and in the classroom. He called him a “very passionate guy” who “teaches the younger kids what to
do” and has “good football sense.”
Those senses were valuable this past Friday when Lewis returned an interception 28 yards for a
touchdown. It was the second of three interceptions by the Yellow Jackets against a Blazers’ team
whose starting quarterback Breylon Boyd had not thrown a pick all season.
Lewis credits becoming a better student of the game under Jennings.
“We’ve got the best preparation probably in the state,” he said. “We break down every team to a T. We
watch the film. We’ve got the most film study probably in the state. Everybody knows what to do.
Everybody knows what they can do. People play to their strengths and since we trust each other, we’ve
got this close brotherhood, we can come off assignment and make plays and trust each other to do so.”
Other leaders cited by Jennings were linebackers Bryson White and Jylil Favor. He also pointed to his
defensive line which he referred to as his “sacrificial lambs” for taking on double teams to free up the
linebackers and a secondary that has stepped up to the challenge of facing future Division I
quarterbacks by Richland Northeast’s Will Wilson and a multiple-spread offense in Ridge View.
Despite the success, Jennings still believes his group has not “tapped out” in terms of reaching its full
potential. He sees young players in need of more experience and wants to address overall depth.
For now, Jennings is looking to “fall in line” in terms of staying consistent with Brand’s mission of
building a state champion.
“At the end of the year, all an assistant coach can do is meet with the head man and he says he’s going
to keep me again next year,” Jennings said. “So, that’s really where I was as a head coach, wanting to
find value in my assistants and as an assistant coach, I’m hoping he finds value in me.”
Irmo looks to move a step closer to its second region title in three years this Friday against A.C. Flora.
South Carolina Prep Football Class 4A Media Poll
1. South Florence (15) (6-0)
2. Northwestern (4) (5-1)
3. Irmo (6-0)
4. James Island (6-0)
5. Westside (5-1)
6. South Pointe (4-2)
7. Midland Valley (6-0)
8. Hartsville (4-2)
9. Lucy Beckham (5-0)
10. Ridge View (5-1)
Others receiving votes: Myrtle Beach, York, North Augusta, Catawba Ridge, Greenville
