The Irmo Yellow Jackets faced a 24-14 defeat against Rock Hill in their 2026 high school football season opener on August 22, 2026, at W.C. Hawkins Stadium. The game, a matchup of highly-ranked South Carolina teams, saw Irmo rally in the second half but ultimately fall short.
Rock Hill established a 17-0 lead by halftime. Irmo quarterback Britton Davis provided a spark in the third quarter, accounting for both of Irmo’s touchdowns. He connected with Jay Eady for a 39-yard touchdown pass and also scored on an 8-yard run, narrowing the deficit to three points at 17-14.
Despite the second-half surge, Irmo’s comeback efforts were thwarted by Rock Hill’s secondary, which secured two interceptions in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Zymier Gordon-Miles intercepted Davis with 3:44 left, and Donovan Franklin made another interception near the Irmo 20-yard line with less than three minutes remaining, returning it to the 2-yard line.
Irmo head coach Aaron Brand expressed frustration with the team’s performance, citing three turnovers and 22 penalties as significant factors. He described the plays as self-inflicting mistakes and acknowledged the need for better coaching and player discipline. Brand noted that running back and Alabama commit Tai Phillips had a 17-yard touchdown run called back due to a penalty, highlighting missed scoring opportunities.
Defensive lineman and University of Miami commit Jaiden Bryant recorded a sack for Irmo, with University of South Carolina offensive lineman commit Nate Carson also occasionally joining the defensive front. The game was marked by a high number of penalties, with both teams combining for nearly 35 infractions, including offsetting personal fouls on back-to-back plays.
This loss marks the second consecutive defeat for the Yellow Jackets, following their Class 5A Division I final loss to Northwestern.