Irmo tops White Knoll in 2 OT
A wild night on the ground between Irmo and White Knoll Friday night at W.C. Hawkins Stadium was decided by a tipped pass on a 2-point conversion.
After the Timberwolves took a 35-28 lead to start the second overtime, Irmo’s Mason Lassiter found Trajan Jeffcoat for a short passing score. Then, after a time-out, the Yellow Jackets lined up for a pass play. Lassiter rolled to his right and threw to right corner of the end zone.
Two White Knoll defenders tipped the pass, but it landed in Raekwon Heath’s arms to seal the Yellow Jackets’ 36-35 victory over the Timberwolves.
“I made the call to go for two,” Irmo head coach Reggie Kennedy said. “It paid off tonight.”
In the Region 5-5A matchup. Irmo (1-2, 2-5) had as much difficulty trying to stop White Knoll’s Maurice Jones as the Timberwolves (1-1, 4-2) had trying to stop Shakeem Bradley
Jones, who rushed for 166 yards and caught a 43-yard touchdown pass, scored a TD in the first overtime.
Bradley, who rushed 22 times for 139 yards and a TD in regulation, also had a score in the first overtime.
The game was tied at 21 at the end of the fourth quarter. Both White Knoll and Irmo attempted field goals late in the game, but both were blocked.
TURNING POINT
Down 21-14, White Knoll drove 80 yards on 11 plays with 7:11 left. Albert Hope ran into the end zone for the score that tied the game at 21 and forced an overtime when neither team could kick a game-winning field goal.
KEY PERFORMERS
Shakeem Bradley: The Irmo running back had 139 yards and a touchdown in regulation. He also had a score in overtime.
Maurice Jones: The White Knoll running back caught a 43-yard TD pass. He had 158 yards on 23 carries in regulation, and a touchdown in overtime.
KEY NUMBERS
49: Total yards rushing for White Knoll besides Jones’ yardage, on 14 attempts
284: Total yards rushing for Irmo, on 54 attempts. Most came from Bradley and Jeff Tharp, who finished the night with 96 yards and a TD.
THEY SAID IT
“We went into an overtime game in the first game of the season. I told my kids we were going to get into another one. We were going to learn from that game, and I was going to be aggressive.” – Irmo head coach Reggie Kennedy
“They’re a good team, we’re a good team. It’s two good teams playing ball. He (Coach Kennedy) made the right call right there. His team was 1-5 and he needed to make something happen. We played it, but it bounced through two or three guys’ hands, but they deserve it.” – White Knoll head coach Dean Howell
HOW THEY SCORED
1st Quarter
I – Mason Lassiter 2 run (James Dooley kick) 6:54
2nd Quarter
I – Winston Hill 13 pass from Lassiter (kick failed) 8:10
W – Maurice Jones 43 pass from Jacob Jeffcoat (Josue Hernandez kick) 7:01
3rd Quarter
W – Sam Hayes 5 pass from Jeffcoat (Hernandez kick) 3:35
4th Quarter
I – Jeff Tharp 1 run (Tharp pass from Lassiter) 11:12
W – Albert Hope 2 run (Hernandez kick) 7:11
1st OT
I – Shakeem Bradley 1 run (Dooley kick)
W – Sam Hayes 5 pass from Jeffcoat (Hernandez kick)
2nd OT
W - Hope 5 pass from Jeffcoat (Hernandez kick)
I - Trajan Jeffcoat 6 pass from Lassiter (Raekwon Heath pass from Lassiter)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: White Knoll – Maurice Jones 24-158, Albert Hope 6-28, Jacob Jeffcoat 3-6, Douglas Summers 5-17. Irmo – Jeff Tharp 18-96, Shakeem Bradley 22-139, Mason Lassiter 13-46.
Passing: White Knoll – Jacob Jeffcoat 11-16-1. Irmo – Mason Lassiter 7-13-0.
Receiving: White Knoll – Clayton Lindsey 4-55, Sam Hayes 3-14, Maurice Jones 1-43, Jayllen Crosby 1-12, Albert Hope 1-5, Brayd Clariday 1-4. Irmo – Jeff Tharp 2-10, Winston Hill 1-13, Trajan Jeffcoat 1-6, Shakeem Bradley 1-2, Raekwon Heath 2-7
This story was originally published September 30, 2016 at 11:27 PM with the headline "Irmo tops White Knoll in 2 OT."