Hometown pride: Dutch Fork, Irmo give community hopes of two state championships
The community of Irmo has a chance this week to be the high school football centerpiece in South Carolina.
The area has two teams, Dutch Fork and Irmo high schools, competing for football state championships this weekend at S.C. State’s Oliver Dawson Stadium. Dutch Fork will take on Summerville in the South Carolina High School League’s Class 5A Division I championship on Friday, while Irmo plays Northwestern for the Class 5A Division II title on Saturday.
“I guess we passed Rock Hill as the football capital of the United States,” Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts joked this week. “It is right here in Irmo right now. (Irmo quarterback AJ) Brand over there is special. Our record and our statistics speak for themselves. We have a lot to be proud of here in Irmo.”
For decades, Rock Hill has claimed the moniker of “Football City, USA,” and rightfully so. The town of 75,000 has produced almost two dozen players who have gone on to play in the NFL, including the likes of Jadeveon Clowney, Stephon Gilmore and Mason Rudolph. The city was profiled by ABC News last year.
The Rock Hill-area high schools also have won their share of football state championship, with South Pointe, Northwestern and Rock Hill all winning multiple titles in the 2000s. Northwestern and South Pointe each won titles in 2015, something the two Irmo-area schools hope to duplicate this weekend.
Curtis Cannon, a C Team coach at Dutch Fork, called the community of Irmo a “hidden gem” and credits the various recreation departments and middle schools for helping build up the football tradition. Players have grown up playing against each other in Seven Oaks Park, Crooked Creek and Friarsgate and then continue it through middle school and high school.
“I think it is big for our community. We are a hidden gem and have a lot of players here,” Cannon said. “Just to see those guys playing big-time ball now is a testament to our community.”
Dutch Fork High, which opened in 1992, has been the most dominant program in the state’s top classification since Knotts arrived at the school more than a decade ago. The Silver Foxes are appearing in their 12th state championship in the last 13 years and going for their ninth title.
Now, Irmo High (founded in 1928) has joined its Lexington-Richland 5 school district counterpart on the big stage. The Yellow Jackets are making their first title appearance since 2016. The program made it to the state semifinals in 2023 before losing to South Florence.
Irmo and Dutch Fork are in the same athletics region, but with Class 5A now split into two groups, the Yellow Jackets are in the smaller division and Silver Foxes are in the bigger one. The classifications are grouped by enrollment size.
“Those guys are kind of used to it. We are kind of the little brother tagging along. We are happy to be there, though. I think it is really exciting for the community,” Irmo coach Aaron Brand said. “The community will get behind both ball teams like they have all year. It is amazing that this much football comes out in that community. Best of luck to Coach Knotts and Dutch Fork. I know he feels the same way about our team.”
The community being behind both programs was evident when the two teams played each other in the regular-season finale on Nov. 8. It was a standing-room-only crowd as the Silver Foxes defeated the Yellow Jackets to win the Region 4-5A championship.
Both teams also have several high-level college prospects, including Irmo’s AJ Brand (Virginia Tech signee and SC Gatorade Player of Year) and Donovan Murph; while Dutch Fork has Division I signees Elgin Sessions (Georgia Tech) and Josh Smith (South Carolina).
“I’m happy for those guys,” Sessions said. “They have worked for it. I’m happy for everyone because we are able to showcase what Irmo, South Carolina is. Definitely one of the most talented classes to come through this city.”
Championship schedule
Listed times are for game kickoffs; TV broadcasts begin on the hour or half-hour
- 2:06 p.m. Thursday, Class 2A: Barnwell vs. Clinton
- 7:36 p.m. Thursday, Class A: Cross vs. Abbeville
- 2:06 p.m. Friday, Class 5A Division I: Dutch Fork vs. Summerville
- 7:36 p.m. Friday, Class 4A: South Florence vs. Westside
- 12:06 p.m. Saturday, Class 3A: Oceanside Collegiate vs. Belton-Honea Path
- 6:06 p.m. Saturday, Class 5A Division II: Irmo vs. Northwestern
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 9:45 AM.
