By Thomas Grant Jr.
The offensive and defensive lines are blending in new talent and teams are putting a higher emphasis on defending All-State wide receiver Donovan Murph.
The one constant on the Irmo High School football team for this year remains quarterback A.J. Brand. In the 35-7 season-opening win at home against Oceanside Collegiate Academy, a team that claimed the Class 2A title last season and entered this year with a nine-game winning streak, the Virginia Tech commit kept the Yellow Jackets ahead with his arm and legs.
On Irmo’s second possession, he completed a short pass to wide receiver Maleek Miller who turned it into a 76-yard touchdown. Earlier in the week, the sophomore’s status was questionable after he was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.
Irmo wide receiver Maleek Miller
Brand then completed a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joseph Albritton to make it 14-0. This happened before Murph caught his first pass as the Landsharks surrounded him with as many as three players.
“We knew we had to take that away,” said Oceanside Collegiate head coach Chad Wilkes about their strategy against Murphy. “Obviously, Brand is an incredible athlete. But the Donovan kid is one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen on film I feel like. He is something special, so obviously for us, that was a really big emphasis and our guys did a really good job for a large portion of the game and we definitely made it hard on them.
After having two straight series end on interceptions by Matthew Blocker and Darius Goodson, Oceanside Collegiate scored its lone touchdown on a 4-yard run by Terrance Johnson. Irmo answered with a scoring drive to end the first half in fitting fashion.
From the Landsharks 21, Brand scrambled out of trouble to the right side of the field then reversed himself towards the opposite direction to reach the endzone.
In the fourth quarter, Brand found Kyle Mitchell from four yards for his fourth touchdown of the game. Irmo then turned to its running game on its final series as Anton Jones and Amir White picked up yards enroute to setting up the final touchdown.
“When you put two people on Donovan, you’re playing 10 on 11, so we were able to expose that 10 on 11 in our running game,” Irmo head coach Aaron Brand said. “I thought we ended up running the ball pretty good tonight.”
Brand also praised the play of his defensive line, specifically sophomore Jaiden Bryant.
“You don’t put two people on Jaiden Bryant, you’re in trouble,” Aaron Brand said. “Mark my word, he’s the best player in the Class of 2027 in South Carolina and the sky’s the limit for him.”
Irmo has now won 15 consecutive regular-season games dating back to the 2022 season. It faces another home challenge on Friday when it plays host to J.F. Byrnes. The Rebels are coming off a 19-16 loss to T.L. Hanna.
Dutch Fork
The Silver Foxes authored the “Greatest Story Ever” in rebounding from a 2-5 record to win eight straight victories to win the Class 5A title for the seventh title in eight years.
After having a bye in Week 0, they open the regular season at Spartanburg. The Vikings handed Dutch Fork a 17-6 loss in Week 1 in Irmo and are coming off a 26-25 win over South Pointe decided by a 21-yard field goal by Will Love with six seconds left.
Since 2015, Dutch Fork has only lost one in-state road game which was last season to White Knoll 17-14. The Silver Foxes avenged that loss in the Class 5A title game.
S.C. PREP FOOTBALL MEDIA POLL
Class 5A
1. Dutch Fork (16) (0-0)
2. Gaffney (1) (0-0)
3. Northwestern (2) (1-0)
4. Summerville (1-0)
5. Irmo (1-0)
6. JL Mann (1-0)
7. White Knoll (1-0)
8. TL Hanna (1-0)
9. Sumter (1-0)
10. Spartanburg (1-0)
Others receiving votes: Hillcrest, Boiling Springs, Lexington, Fort Dorchester, Ridge View, Clover, Byrnes
Class 3A
1. Belton-Honea Path (18) (1-0)
2. Dillon (1) (1-0)
3. Pendleton (1-0)
4. Oceanside Collegiate (0-1)
5. Marlboro County (1-0)
6. Mountain View Prep (1-0)
7. Woodruff (1-0)
8. Loris (1-0)
9. Chapman (0-1)
10. Christ Church (0-1)
Others receiving votes: St. Joseph’s, Newberry, Aynor, Broome, Keenan, Silver Bluff, Powdersville, Waccamaw, Hanahan, Orangeburg-Wilkinson, North Charleston
Feature Photo by Thomas Grant Jr. – Irmo running back Adon Jones Jr. with the carry against Oceanside Collegiate.
