Irmo looked dead and buried with eight minutes to go in their loss against Dutch Fork. 

The Yellow Jackets trailed 28-7 on a chilly Halloween night, and it appeared Dutch Fork had just buried the stake through their hearts, scoring a touchdown to go up three possessions in the fourth quarter.

However, a late spark resurrected Irmo’s chances, and the team made it a game again. The Yellow Jackets scored two touchdowns in two minutes and got the ball back with an opportunity to tie or take the lead. 

Irmo’s comeback effort ultimately came up short, but it was enough to give Dutch Fork a spook heading into the playoffs.

“The end was a little disappointing, but we dominated them up until eight minutes left in the game,” Dutch Fork head coach Tom Knotts said.  ”Just real proud of the way our guys responded when their backs were against the wall”

Yellow Jackets head coach Aaron Brand took the blame for his team’s loss. On their final drive, the team faced third-and-one, five yards from a tying touchdown. 

Brand called two consecutive passing plays, and quarterback Britton Davis launched the ball to a receiver in the endzone. Both throws fell incomplete, giving Dutch Fork the ball and ending the game. 

For Brand, it was every coach’s nightmare. Believing it was third down instead of fourth, he called the second pass play. Needing only one yard, Irmo never got the chance to run for the first down that could’ve kept the comeback alive.

“ I pride our team in knowing the situations, and then when it came down to the end, the head coach was unaware of the situation,” Brand said. “ I'll be better, but this one hurts, especially when the guys battled their butts off to get back in it.” 

Quintin Wilson and Kyle Henry had a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Silver Foxes.  Henry led the team with 96 yards. He also caught a touchdown from quarterback Jaxon Knotts. 

Knotts finished the game 17-of-27 for 105 yards and three total touchdowns. Stone Furrey was the leading receiver and had a touchdown reception. 

For Irmo, backup quarterback Britton Davis checked in for a struggling Dre Dopson. He gave the team an instant boost, going 4-of-6 on passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. 

 ”He's got a bright future. He's been playing the reserve role all year. Every time he's come in, he's made plays,” Brand said. “His time's coming. I hate that I couldn't come through for him at the end.”

Freshman receiver Corey Miller had a big game, hauling in three catches for around 170 yards and a touchdown. He made big plays when the Yellow Jackets needed, including the game’s first score. 

Irmo jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Dopson hit Miller deep downfield for a 79-yard score on the first play of the drive. But from there until late in the fourth, it was all Dutch Fork. 

The Yellow Jackets' offense went stagnant and failed to pick up a first down for the next two and a half quarters. Meanwhile, the Silver Foxes were moving the ball and scoring with ease. 

Dutch Fork tied the game early in the second quarter on a one-yard run by Wilson. 

On the next drive, the Silver Foxes converted a fake punt and capped the drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Knotts to Furrey.

Dutch Fork got the ball back one more time before the half and scored another rushing touchdown to go up 21-7. 

The teams traded punts to start the third quarter, but Dutch Fork extended its lead again a few drives later with a quarterback keeper from Knotts. 

From there, the Silver Foxes went into cruise control and it almost cost them. 

Dutch Fork’s offense cooled down and the team failed to score again. Irmo scored on its next drive to cut the score to 14. 

Knotts was stripped on the following possession and Irmo recovered deep in Silver Foxes territory. The Yellow Jackets scored quickly and forced a punt to set up the tying drive. 

“ 28-7, I guess there's eight minutes left, we were over there celebrating, and I got a queasy feeling in my stomach,” Knotts said. “They're too fast. They score in a New York second.”

Fortunately for Knotts and the Silver Foxes, the defense held on with their backs against the wall. The Yellow Jackets almost scored on the first of their final two pass attempts, but the ball bounced out of their receiver's hands in the end zone. 

Dutch Fork took over on downs, kneeled the game away and rushed the field in celebration. Coaches, players and fans stood arm-in-arm and reflected on their journey to the moment.

“It was fun for them to come out there,” Knotts said. “ We've got a group, a student body group that comes to all our games, no matter where we are, and they do a great job. I just wanted everybody to be part of this because it was a fun game.”

With the win, the team clinched the region title, secured a top seed in the 5A Division I playoffs and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs. 

Irmo suffered its first loss of the season, but still did enough to earn a high seed and first-round bye in the 5A Division II playoffs.

Week 10 scoreboard

Dutch Fork: 28, Irmo: 21

River Bluff: 38, Lexington: 17

White Knoll: 42, Chapin: 7

Brookland-Cayce: 20, Airport: 13

Gray Collegiate: 49, Gilbert: 0

Newberry: 43, Swansea: 0

Pelion: 50, American Leadership: 7

Batesburg-Leesville: 35, Saluda: 34

Camden Military: 56, Northside Christian: 37