WHAT WE SAW: Irmo 14, North Myrtle Beach 7
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COLUMBIA | For most of the game, AJ Brand AJ Brand 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB Irmo | 2025 State SC didn’t look like a potential top-flight quarterback. The Irmo sophomore’s first 12 pass attempts went for a whopping…
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Continue ReadingCOLUMBIA | For most of the game, AJ Brand AJ Brand 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB Irmo | 2025 State SC didn’t look like a potential top-flight quarterback.
The Irmo sophomore’s first 12 pass attempts went for a whopping 18 yards, and the Yellow Jackets had put up only seven points against a North Myrtle Beach team that entered the game with two wins on the season.
Just as it looked as if the game may slug its way to overtime, Brand made three special plays that elevate his team to a 14-7 victory and a second-round playoff game.
Play No. 1: On a third-and-21 with a little under 7 minutes to go and the game tied 7-7 (and after a long Brand run was negated by a holding penalty), the quarterback threw a perfect pass into tight coverage for a 35-yard touchdown to Tevin Smith to give Irmo the lead.
Play No. 2: After forcing a Chiefs’ put on the ensuing possession, Brand had a first down on his own 39-yard line. He took the snap, scrambled off tackle and didn’t stop until he’s put up 14 yards for another first down.
Play No. 3: Teammate Eric Tucker (more on him later) rushed for 4 yards on the ensuing first-down play. On the next snap, and with North Myrtle Beach now out of timeouts after burning their final two on the previous two plays, Brand tucked it, picked up a tough 7 yards and iced the game.
After the game, we asked Brand’s coach and dad about those three plays and how others like it often outweigh his inexperience.
“I think everybody thinks he’s such a dynamic athlete, ‘We can play him somewhere,’” fourth-year Irmo coach Aaron Brand said. “He wants to play quarterback, but if it gives him a chance to further his education – he’s got a couple offers obviously – but if it gives him an opportunity to play on a bigger stage, he’ll do whatever he needs to do. … He shouldn’t have to be the best player as a sophomore. He’s our best player. It’s that simple.”
The younger Brand stepped in at times against the Chiefs and played some safety. And it wouldn’t be out of the question to see him take snaps elsewhere, too, if the need arises.
But against North Myrtle Beach, he made sure everyone knew he has a gift for the quarterback position.
OTHER YELLOW JACKET STANDOUTS
Tucker has been dealing with some injury issues of late, so Aaron Brand wasn’t interested in pressing him into more action than he was capable of.
Against North Myrtle Beach, the 5-foot-8, 180-pound senior was limited in carries but not in production. He carried the ball seven times for 73 yards. Most of that was on a 41 yarder that set up the Yellow Jackets’ first score of the game – a 1-yard Tucker reception on a nifty bootleg play.
Junior Jylil Favor Jylil Favor 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB Irmo | 2024 State SC is a shining example of what Irmo can get out of some of its two-way players. The part-time fullback, full-time linebacker only got one carry (the play immediately prior to Tucker’s touchdown reception), but that’s in part because he was already spending so much time in the Chiefs’ backfield. He ended the game with 4.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks to go along with 6.5 total tackles (five solo, three assisted).
FUTURE CHIEF WATCH?
Clearly there hasn’t been a ton to write about North Myrtle Beach this season. But if the trend the last few weeks continues, we think we’ll be hearing plenty about three players in the years to come.
Sophomore defensive lineman DJ Gause (6-foot, 215 pounds) added four more tackles to his tally this season.
Junior linebacker Trenton Fredericks (5-foot-11, 160 pounds) ended the night with 6.5 total tackles and two tackles for loss.
And easily the Getting Off The Bus Award goes to sophomore offensive lineman Dylan Witt. At 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds, this project could be a game changer with a little bit of development before the start of the 2023 season.