Two of the last few remaining undefeated Lexington County football teams met under the lights of Irmo’s WC Hawkins Stadium and battled it out in a 5A Region 4 matchup. 

The Irmo Yellow Jackets relied heavily on its rushing attack as they sprinted past the River Bluff Gators 35-14. Irmo is now 7-0 this season and has won its 19th consecutive regular season game, dating back to 2022. 

Irmo has been a force this season, averaging over 38 points per game, while giving up just under 16 points per contest. Offensively, the team leans on its starting quarterback A.J. Brand. His dual-threat ability keeps opposing teams on their toes, and against the Gators, he got things done with his legs. 

Brand rushed for 210 yards and three touchdowns while adding 120 yards through the air. 

 “I don't want to run him as much until we get to the playoffs,” Irmo head coach and A.J. 's dad Aaron Brand said. “I am super excited about his ability and what he brings to the table. He's just a dog.” 

Amire White had a big outing too as Irmo’s lead back. He finished the contest with 118 yards on 18 attempts and had a touchdown. Maleek Miller also scored on the ground for Irmo. 

River Bluff moved the ball well as the game went on, but being down on the scoreboard forced the team to take more risks on fourth down, which resulted in scoreless possessions. 

Running back Hayden Myers led the team with 137 yards and a touchdown. Backup quarterback Brayden Moore got the start for an injured Parker Murray and threw for 142 yards and a touchdown. 

Irmo scored on its first drive of the game, moving the ball 64 yards downfield before A.J. Brand ran into the endzone from 21 out. River Bluff went three and out, giving the ball back to Irmo with good field position. 

The Yellow Jackets quickly went up two scores after getting the ball to the one-yard line and punching it in with White. 

Despite the quick start, coach Brand said there are still areas his team needs to improve to compete at the level they want. 

“It took us a while to get a rhythm as always, but one thing we always got in the bag is A.J. can tuck the football, and we can find where the mismatches are and find his lanes,” Coach Brand said. 

River Bluff was stopped again on its second drive. Irmo took the ball back and Brand scored his second touchdown less than two minutes into the second quarter to put the Yellow Jackets up 21-0. 

The Gators punted on its third drive but broke through on its fourth after forcing Irmo’s first punt of the game. River Bluff drove downfield and scored off a Myers run to cut the deficit to 14. 

River Bluff got the ball one more time before the halftime break and moved into scoring position. With not enough time for a touchdown, the Gators sent out last week’s hero Tripp Bryant for a field goal try. 

However, Terin Bowman broke through River Bluff’s protection and blocked Bryant’s kick, keeping the Gators off the scoreboard and preventing them from doubling up with a score on the first drive of the second half. 

Bowman does a great job, practices it. We work on that,” coach Brand said. “He practices it daily, and we do special teams daily, so we become a really good special teams bunch. I hope we can carry it on.”

Needing points, the Gators moved into the red zone on its next drive but kept the offense out on a fourth and short. River Bluff handed the ball to Myers, who was stuffed short of the line, resulting in a turnover. 

Irmo faced a fourth and short on their next drive, but unlike the Gators, the Yellow Jackets converted after A.J. tucked the ball and ran towards the end zone. Dodging tacklers from all sides, Brand hit the jets and scored his third touchdown of the game to extend Irmo’s lead.

Each team scored one more touchdown in the game. The Gators cut the deficit to 14 after a pass from Moore found Aaron Griffin. Irmo responded a few minutes later with the touchdown from Miller to seal the game. 

The loss drops River Bluff’s record to 6-1 overall and 1-1 in region play. The Gators are back in action at home next game against Chapin.

Irmo remained undefeated at 7-0 and 2-0 in region games. It is the first year Irmo is a member of 5A Region 4, and the team is hoping to win the conference and get good seeding in the playoffs. To do that, coach Brand made it clear the team needs to be better. 

“We are not any good. That's the chip,” he said. “We're not where we want to be. The chip is internal, and we got to do a better job coaching. We got to do a better job of executing, and once we can do that, we're going to be a tough team to beat.” 

Irmo will travel to White Knoll next game for a match with last season’s undefeated region champions. 

Full Area Scoreboard 

Dutch Fork: 38, White Knoll: 0

Lexington: 33, Chapin: 32 

Gray Collegiate: 50, Airport: 0 

Gilbert: 35, Midland Valley: 28

Strom Thurmond: 53, American Leadership: 0 

Batesburg-Leesville: 42, Ninety Six: 14

Saluda: 53, Pelion: 0

Northside Christian: 23, Orangeburg Prep: 14