Irmo Shuts Out Lexington; Brand Not a Fan of Bye Weeks

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By Thomas Grant Jr.

There was something more intimidating to Irmo head coach Aaron Brand last Friday than visiting rival Lexington — the dreaded bye week.

Despite Irmo’s dominant 35-0 win over the Wildcats in the annual Battle of the Dam, Brand wasn’t celebrating the break that lies ahead.

“The in-season byes just destroy me,” Brand said after the game. “Destroy my confidence. Destroy everything about us. So I don’t want a bye anymore. I don’t want to play bye anymore.”

Irmo, now ranked No. 1 in Class 5A, showed plenty of firepower. Senior quarterback Dre’Von Dopson threw for 229 yards and four touchdowns, two of them to junior wide receiver Maleek Miller, who finished with eight catches for 117 yards. Running back Amire White added 103 yards and a score on 14 carries.

Photos by GoFlashWin
Irmo wide receiver Corey Miller with the touchdown catch against Lexington.

Defensively, the Yellow Jackets were just as sharp. The front line of Jaiden Bryant, Major Taylor, and Tyrone Jennings helped limit Lexington to only 55 total yards. Each tallied at least seven tackles, with the trio combining for a sack and fumble recovery.

Still, Brand was frustrated with his team’s lack of discipline, as Irmo was flagged 13 times for 90 yards.

“We showed a little rustiness tonight early on — actually throughout the game,” Brand said. “I guess I’m not good at the bye weeks. I wanted to come out a little sharper. But that’s a good Lexington team, and I’m happy to get a shutout. It might be our first one this year.”

Now 6-0 overall and 1-0 in Region 4-5A, Irmo travels to The Swamp this Friday to face River Bluff, which looks to rebound after a 35-3 loss to White Knoll.

RPI Ratings (Division II – Lower State)

  1. Irmo (6-0) – 0.81071
  2. White Knoll (5-1) – 0.65817
  3. Lucy Beckham (4-1) – 0.65455
  4. Myrtle Beach (4-2) – 0.61798
  5. Berkeley (4-2) – 0.61172
  6. Lugoff-Elgin (4-3) – 0.54463
  7. Westwood (4-2) – 0.52419
  8. St. James (2-4) – 0.47214
  9. West Florence (2-4) – 0.46067
  10. Conway (2-4) – 0.43881

S.C. Prep Football Media Poll (Class 5A)

  1. Irmo (15) (6-0)
  2. Northwestern (3) (6-1)
  3. Dutch Fork (4-1)
  4. Summerville (5-1)
  5. James Island (6-0)
  6. Dorman (5-1)
  7. Greenwood (5-1)
  8. Ridge View (4-2)
  9. Byrnes (4-1)
  10. White Knoll (5-1)
    Others receiving votes: Gaffney, T.L. Hanna, Sumter, Greenville, Indian Land

Feature Photo by GoFlashWin.com – Irmo linebacker Brandon Goldsborough