Yellow Jackets reign! Irmo basketball wins sixth state championship
Irmo coach Tim Whipple talked all during the playoffs about living in the moment and Thursday was another big one for the Yellow Jackets.
Irmo used a dominant first half on its way to a 58-45 win over Lancaster in the Class 4A championship game at USC Aiken Convocation Center.
It’s the school’s sixth state championship, all under Whipple, who picked up his 843rd victory. Whipple has led Irmo to 11 state championship appearances in his 40-plus years as head coach.
Whipple has won a state championship in four different decades.
“This entire year, we have tried to live in the moment. We haven’t looked ahead and we haven’t looked behind,” Whipple said. “We haven’t let the good things or the bad things bother us. We never looked at what was ahead and took care of business.
“Right now, I am living in the moment, and I am having a hard time with this. But I am trying to enjoy this moment the best I can because this is a special group of young men. I am so happy for Irmo High school and our community that we are able to bring home a state championship trophy.”
Whipple definitely was soaking things in. As the final seconds ticked down, he gave high-fives to his players as they exited from the game. After the buzzer sounded, his daughter jumped in his arms with tears down her face.
When he entered the locker room after the game, he stood there soaking things in as players showered him with water.
Whipple also didn’t sound like a guy who was ready to ride off into the sunset of his hall-of-fame coaching career. But he wasn’t ready to make any decision on his future just yet.
“I have said for years that if I find guys as motivated as I am, and want to do things the right way then I want to be there for him. I feel like I can have a positive impact,” Whipple said. “Tonight was a perfect example of that. How long could I do this? I don’t know. I’m going to enjoy the moment.”
Madden Collins led Irmo with 16 points while AJ Brand added 15. Center Brandon Crawford had 12 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots.
It was Crawford’s return to the lineup that was a big catalyst to Irmo’s postseason run, which culminated in another championship. The senior, who Whipple called the most dominant big man he has ever coached, missed three weeks with mononucleosis.
Irmo had a two-game losing streak before Crawford’s return and then lost his first game back before winning its final 10 games of the year. Crawford scored in double figures in nine of his 10 games back and had four blocked shots or more during the span.
“With me coming back, it started to click and we started playing better basketball together ... and we hopped on it,” Crawford said.
Crawford was held in check in the first half, but Brand and Collins picked up the scoring slack. The two guards combined for 18 points as the Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 32-9 halftime lead and quieted the large contingent of Bruin fans decked out in yellow T-shirts.
“Our start was huge,” Madden Collins said. “We didn’t want them to have any momentum at the beginning of the game. We kept that intensity all of that first half, and it was big for us.”
The Bruins shot just 12 percent in the first half and scored just three points in the second quarter. Lancaster tried a variety of things including replacing their starters out of the lineup on a couple of occasions.
Lancaster, which was playing in its first title game since 1950, eventually started to make shots. Jordan Watford scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half, but the deficit was too much to overcome.
The Bruins were averaging 66.9 points but were held to their second-lowest point total of the season.
“They had a few nerves. The guys wanted to do well. We missed some shots,” Lancaster coach Jerron Cauthen said. “My guys competed as much as they could. It was still a successful season. I am proud of them. The guys fought hard.”
L: Jordan Watford 25, Cloud 9, Kirk 5, Gladden 1, Small 3, Brown 2. I: White 3, Summons 7, Madden Collins 16, Brandon Crawford 12, AJ Brand 15, Mason Collins 5.
This story was originally published March 2, 2023 at 9:20 PM.
