Class 5A, Division-II Lower State Third Round Preview

Irmo.   If you asked 100 experts around the state who is coming out of the Lower State bracket of the Class 5A, Division-II playoffs, maybe 95 of them would have answered with that response prior to the postseason kicking off two weeks ago.   But the joy of high school football is that the Yellow Jackets still have to prove it.   Enter White Knoll, which played Aaron Brand's team better than anyone else in the state so far this fall after a pair of close games in 2024. So, yes, while the Yellow Jackets should probably be considered the favorite, again, it's almost time to take the conversation out of the theoretical and into real time.    On the flip side is the game that few are talking about.    Berkeley and Myrtle Beach are one-time powerhouses trying to rekindle old glory. They're going to put up some points, and probably do so in unconventional ways.   Those same 100 fans probably still had something to say about favorites and underdogs and anything else the last few days. But on Friday, we will cut down from four to two. Let's break down the two games and everything they bring to the table.    NO. 4 WHITE KNOLL (8-3) AT NO. 1 IRMO (10-1)   The Irmo offense has been well documented for the better part of the last three seasons. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='860400' first='Drevon' last='Dopson'] has kept the Yellow Jackets extremely potent after the graduation of AJ Brand and [player_tooltip player_id='1822804' first='Donovan' last='Murph'] and others. Granted, having guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1422528' first='Maleek' last='Miller'] and [player_tooltip player_id='755890' first='Amire' last='White'] sharing the load hasn't hurt. Irmo isn't averaging 39.7 points per game this year by accident. They scored 35 on Oceanside and Byrnes to start the year, and casually dropped 50 points on the likes of Carolina Forest and Myrtle Beach, two other Class 5A programs who are still in the playoffs entering the third round.    But what's often lost in the headlines is how good the Irmo defense has been, too. Many of the 183 points scored on the Yellow Jackets this season have come after games were decided. We bring all that up first because Irmo has bolstered its defensive attrition from 2024 with names like [player_tooltip player_id='1824910' first='Jevonte' last='Hill'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1820288' first='Branden' last='Goldsborough'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1172366' first='Tyrone' last='Jennings'] to go along with bigger name returners [player_tooltip player_id='755914' first='Jaiden' last='Bryant'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1604012' first='Jamar' last='Grissett'] and a number of others.    But if anyone knows what it takes to stay on that level, it's White Knoll. This will be the fourth meeting in the last two seasons. Why might this one be different? It begins with junior Jhais McKiever at quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id='1036740' first='Tiyon' last='Fanning'] at tailback and whatever position [player_tooltip player_id='1025815' first='Caleb' last='Geronomi'] (pictured) - normally a top-flight defensive back - lines up at on offense. Those three are the key. But we're also thinking this might be a good time for left tackle [player_tooltip player_id='1663209' first='Jeaden' last='Johnson'] to have a huge night. If he does, it opens the door for the aforementioned three to do their thing.   Offensive Lineman to Watch: For all of Irmo's flash, and even for its high-profile linemen on either side of the ball, [player_tooltip player_id='209335' first='Kieron' last='Vauls'] at left guard plays an integral role in setting much of what the Yellow Jackets want to accomplish on offense. From Dopson to White to Miller, getting players in space doesn't happen with a bunch of pressure coming up the gut. That's where Vauls comes in to the picture. Last time, he held his own and was able to move the bodies in front of him. Yes, Irmo only scored 14 points, but it also wasn't behind the sticks like some other Timberwolves opponents have been this season.    NO. 3 MYRTLE BEACH (8-3) AT NO. 2 BERKELEY (9-2)   A week ago, West Florence took the fight to Myrtle Beach by slowing down the game and minimizing chances for a talented (but slightly overlooked) receiving corps to do any more damage than it did. [player_tooltip player_id='1664545' first='JJ' last='Brown'] caught only two passes for 55 yards, [player_tooltip player_id='816753' first='Rayvon' last='Green'] had only one catch, short-yardage slot [player_tooltip player_id='1603757' first='Amare' last='Brown'] had three (for just 11 yards) and [player_tooltip player_id='1267320' first='Jon' last='Kelly'] added a seven-yard reception. Instead, quarterback Tanner Gaddy went to tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1823730' first='Michael' last='Cohen'] three times, and one of those turned into a 30-yard touchdown in the opening quarter. The Gaddy-Cohen connection wasn't a monster surprise, as the two have linked up 26 times this season.    And while it's worked well at times, Myrtle Beach is going to have little choice but to work the receivers back into the mix more. Cohen and [player_tooltip player_id='1267229' first='Antonio' last='Brown'] - normally a linebacker but who also runs the team's Rhino packages - will both get their carries, but Berkeley's linebacker unit will be back to full strength this week, as well. [player_tooltip player_id='1165076' first='Marcus' last='Henderson'] (59 tackles) and [player_tooltip player_id='1267216' first='Kevin' last='Rivers'] (37 tackles, five tackles for loss) will welcome back [player_tooltip player_id='1639678' first='Gehad' last='Sneed'] after the fellow senior was out last week while serving a mandatory one-game suspension for being one of the players ejected from the playoff opener. Sneed's tackling ability is important, but so, too, is his ability to pressure the backfield and break up the occasional pass.    Their collective job, of course, is to get the Myrtle Beach offense off the field and the ball back into the hands of quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1036733' first='Henry' last='Rivers'] (955 passing yards, 607 rushing yards, 20 total touchdowns). Between he and LJ Washington (105 yards and a touchdown in the second-round win over Westwood), the Stags have little issue moving the ball, even if the offense has fallen off slightly since last year. We wouldn't be surprised if both teams went back to their roots some in this one, as both defenses have been prone to some bigger point totals.   Offensive Lineman to Watch: Berkeley left tackle [player_tooltip player_id='1267220' first='Zion' last='Britt'] has spent the better part of the last three years proving why he's one of the best at his position in the state. He's reliable and consistent, and rarely has a bad series, let alone a bad game. Myrtle Beach's best shot at disrupting the Stags' rhythm will be by getting to Rivers' from his blind side and/or sealing off his running lanes when he tucks it and runs. But if Britt does his job, Berkeley will have every opportunity to advance.

Irmo.