What We Saw: Irmo 42, River Bluff 0

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>IRMO |</strong> The final score sometimes does not tell the complete story.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With five touchdowns, Irmo quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='272713' first='AJ' last='Brand']</strong> (No. 1 above) was dominant in the 42-0 win over River Bluff. He completed 11-of-14 passes for 154 yards and four touchdowns - two each to receivers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='377560' first='Donovan' last='Murph']</strong> and<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1142759' first='Caleb' last='Alexander']</strong> - and rushed for 52 yards and a score. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brand also stood out on special teams as a punter. While presenting a dual threat to run and pass when he lined up to punt, he was also very efficient in averaging 39 yards on four attempts. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This included a 52-yard punt which backed the Gators up to their own 2-yard line. River Bluff quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='464884' first='Parker' last='Murray'] </strong>threw an interception to linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='996940' first='Jylil' last='Favor']</strong> on the drive, which Irmo turned into an<strong> Anton Jones</strong> 6-yard touchdown run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For all of Brand's efforts, Irmo's point total did not show the offensive impact of running back<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='267430' first='Jaden' last='Allen-Hendrix']</strong> - who accounted for 204 rushing yards on 26 carries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While he did not reach the end zone (a 26-yard touchdown was erased by a penalty), the challenge of bringing down the hard-charging, physically imposing 6-foot 2, 225-pound senior running at high speed was overwhelming for River Bluff.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"He's a load," Gators' head coach Blair Hardin said. "We knew that (Brand) and (Allen-Hendrix) are really good players. They're big up front and they made plays and we didn't." </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Said Allen-Hendrix: "When I started making big runs, it started opening up AJ's running game and see how Murph and Caleb made big plays for us and scored."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On numerous occassions, the Gators needed multiple players to bring down Allen-Hendrix. This helped open up the passing game for Brand, who showed an ability to throw accurate passes across his body while running out of the pocket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Every time he gets the ball, I know something decent is going to happen," Brand said. "He's like a big brother to me and he just helps out the whole team a lot."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Allen-Hendrix and Brand also had an imposing offensive line, specifically on the left side with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='996935' first='Bryant' last='Ham']</strong> and<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='771219' first='Elijah' last='Williams']</strong> blocking in front of them. Penalties were a problem for this group as it was whistled for seven holding penalties; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1157979' first='Ryan' last='Love'] </strong>was also ejected in the fourth quarter for unsportsmanlike conduct. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Irmo defense also had a strong showing with four turnovers. A fumble recovery by <strong>Darius Goodsen</strong> ended River Bluff's promising first possession as it moved the football deep into Irmo territory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Running back <strong>Trace Nettles</strong>, who finished with a team-high 102 yards, and <strong>Toriun Leaphart</strong> provided initial success on draw plays. The drive stalled, however, after Murray overthrew [player_tooltip player_id='464880' first='Stephen' last='Collier'] in the endzone and the ensuing turnover. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was River Bluff's only scoring opportunity of the game. Murray was picked off three times in finishing with a season-low 23 passing yards and Collier was held without a catch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Offensively, it was an extremely poor performance," Hardin said. "We didn't finish the first down. A lot of three and outs. A lot of turnovers and (Irmo) came up with some big plays and we got our butt kicked. Very simple." </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"The attention to detail on the defensive side of the football was outstanding," Irmo head coach Aaron Brand said. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->