By Thomas Grant, Jr.
Irmo football is ready for a new season.
After back-to-back Class 5A Division I runner-up finishes, the Yellow Jackets are ready to end their title drought.
This season, it will take place back in Class 4A. Irmo moves into the six-team Region 5-4A with CSRA schools Aiken, Fox Creek, Midland Valley, South Aiken and North Augusta.
“Hardly anybody remembers second place and we aim to get away from that,” said Yellow Jackets’ head coach Aaron Brand to 4th Quarter Friday. “We aim to get out of second place and find our way into first place and we’ve got a group of guys – I don’t want to call us a really good team yet…because we’re not yet.
“Sure, these guys are battle-tested as players. I’d like to see us fight a little bit harder when the chips get down and they haven’t gotten much the past couple of years. But I’d like to see us fight our way out of this little championship-winning funk until we get to the top of it.”
The Yellow Jackets’ focus this Friday is season-opening opponent Rock Hill. The two teams have split their two all-time meetings and are facing each other for the first time since 2009.
“Rock Hill is good,” Brand told the 4th Quarter Friday podcast. “I think they’re well-coached. I think they are on the cusp of doing something great. But I’ll let you know this. I don’t think we’re going to be the test dummy for Rock Hill.
“I don’t think this is the game…at least I hope not…that you’re going to start your momentum on. We’re expecting for that momentum to start for Rock Hill until Week Two.”
Brand is quite familiar with the Bearcats’ program and head coach Leon Boulware. He and Boulware have engaged in some back-and-forth banter on social media the past month.
Most recently, Brand called Friday’s matchup a ‘statement game’ and looked forward to knocking the Bearcats “off their sandbox”.
Boulware had this response on the Movin’ the Chains’ podcast.
“My guys have been training and speed working in the sandpits ever since we’ve been called out that we play in the sandbox,” he said. “So, we’ve been working in the sand the past couple of days, so we’re trying to get ready for that game.”
The matchup pits two rosters with college-level talent. When quarterback Britton Davis hands off the football, Great Fear High School transfer and Alabama commit Tai Phillips will look to run behind South Carolina commit Nate Carson on the offensive line.
Wide receivers Ethan Singletary and J.E. Eady will look to fill the void left by the transfer of Corey and Maleek Miller.
The Bearcats will have Lewisville transfer defensive lineman Jay’ Sean Culp and linebacker Cedric Wright to challenge upfront. Rock Hill’s secondary is expected once again to be elite with Miles “Jo Jo” Brooks, Nigel Lightner and South Pointe transfers Kaden Watkins and Zymier-Gordon Miles.
On offense, junior quarterback Jonah Young will have offensive linemen Christian Payton, Elijah Alcala, Michael Tadi and Campbell commit Ames Oliver looking to protect him from Miami commit defensive lineman Jaiden Bryant and Tyrone Jennings.
The Yellow Jackets are led in the secondary by Jamar Grissett.
“We want to test their manhood early,” Brand said. “See if they stay in front of us. If they can, then it’s going to be a dogfight. If they can’t, it’s going to get ugly.”
The game is on Fri, Aug 21, 2026 at 7:30 PM.
