A 35-point second half sparked the Irmo Yellow Jackets to a 42-0 win over the Westwood Redhawks in a Region 5-4A showdown Friday, October 21 at W.C. Hawkins Stadium.

” The quarterback had to play better. We saw some things in the first half we thought we could have connected on. We were just a little bit off, a shade here or there,” Irmo head coach Aaron Brand said. “A.J. lit it up in the second half. We were able to get some good runs from Anton Jones Jr. We were minus Erick Tucker. We hope to get him back next week. The guys responded after the halftime chatter, and we came out and lit it up in the second half. It’s a credit to the guys and the coaching staff. We just needed to figure out at halftime what we needed to do to make it better.”

Points were hard to come by in the first half. The first points weren’t scored until late in the second quarter. Following a blocked punt, the Yellow Jackets took over at the Westwood 14. One play later, Brand scampered 14 yards into the end zone for a 7-0 halftime lead.

Then came the third quarter. Irmo’s first possession began at its 35. After two running plays yielded one yard, the Yellow Jackets went to the air and Brand threw a short screen pass to Caleb Alexander who then outraced Redhawks defenders 64 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 10:32 left in the third quarter.

“We started out slow in the first half. We knew we had to pick it up if we wanted to win the game against a powerful Westwood team. That’s what we did,” A.J. Brand said.

The Yellow Jackets’ defense then held Westwood to a three-and-out. The Westwood punt was dropped and rolled into the end zone where it was recovered by Xavier Montgomery for a touchdown and a 21-0 lead with 9:46 left in the third quarter.

Late in the quarter, Irmo began a drive at its 40 following a Redhawks’ turnover on downs. Brand found Telvin Smith for 19 yards to the Westwood 41. Brand then ran for two and found Alexander for a 1-yard pass to the 38. Brand converted a third-and-long with a 10-yard run to start the fourth quarter. A 4-yard run by Anton Jones Jr. moved the ball to the 24. Then Brand found Smith for a 24-yard touchdown pass to lead 28-0 with 10:22 left in the fourth quarter.

Later in the quarter, Irmo’s Omari Stone-Marshall recovered a fumble to give the Yellow Jackets the ball at the Westwood 44. One play later, Brand connected with Terin Bowman for a 44-yard touchdown pass and a 35-0 lead with 7:53 remaining.

Irmo tacked on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Mason Burdette to Alexander to set the final score at 42-0.

“We definitely needed to make a statement tonight,” A.J. Brand said. “We’ve been losing some games we shouldn’t have and know we have to fight to get into the playoffs.”

” We just haven’t played well the last few weeks,” Aaron Brand said. “A.J. has done a remarkable job all year getting our team in good situations, but we need to learn how to finish. Getting some people back, like Telvin Smith, really helps. Hopefully, we come out of this not too hurt, and we can be full press next week.”

Brand completed 9-of-13 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 72 yards and one touchdown on eight carries.

Jones Jr. rushed for 44 yards on six carries. He also had one catch for 56 yards. Alexander had six catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Smith had three catches for 61 yards and one touchdown.

With the win, Irmo improves to 5-4 overall and 1-3 in the region. The Yellow Jackets win along with losses by Richland Northeast and Lugoff-Elgin have created a four-way tie for third place in the region. Irmo concludes the regular season by hosting Lugoff-Elgin Friday, October 28. The winner clinches a playoff bid, while the loser will have its season come to an end.

For Westwood, Dylon O’Neal completed 5-of-16 passes for 24 yards. Jayden Harrison rushed for 160 yards on 25 carries. Dominic Young had three catches for 25 yards.

Westwood, 2-7 overall and 1-3 in the region, is in the same position. The Redhawks are a part of that four-way tie and travel to Richland Northeast October 28 with the winner qualifying for the playoffs.

October 27, 2022 | Columbia Star, The (SC)
Author/Byline: Josh Cruse; joshc@thecolumbiastar.com | Section: Article