Patriots expecting hungry Irmo team | Sports | Summerville Journal Scene

Printer friendly version |

E-mail to a friend

Patriots expecting hungry Irmo team

Published Thursday, September 01, 2011 11:40 AM

By Roger Lee
Summerville Journal Scene ®

Tonight Fort Dorchester hosts an Irmo team hungry for a win.

The Yellow Jackets opened their season with a pair of games against very formidable AAAA opponents. In Week Zero Irmo lost 24-0 to Dutch Fork and last week Goose Creek stomped the Jackets 51-7.

However, Patriot coach Steve LaPrad is more concerned with Irmo’s tradition than he is the team’s current record.

“I’m expecting to face a normal Irmo team,” LaPrad said. “They have a good running game, good size and good speed. It’s going to be a heck of a test for us. Last year they beat us for the first time in a while, but they knocked us around pretty good. I’m glad this game is at home.”

The Jackets won last season’s contest 42-13 en route to an 11-3 record and an appearance in the Division I semifinals. The 2010 season marked the seventh time in the past 10 years that the Jackets reached double figures in the wins category.

Irmo has a new quarterback this season, but again has impressive running backs. Marcus Smith returns to the team after rushing for more than 600 yards in limited action last year. Now that he is the featured back, he has his eyes set on at least doubling that figure.

Irmo had to replace five starters on the offensive line this summer and the inexperience at the position showed in the team’s first two games. However, Irmo coach Bob Hanna has 17 years of experience when it comes to helping young players develop and a lot of lessons can be learned in eight quarters of football.

Though it fared well in 2010, the Jacket defense was young last season. If anything, the unit should be stronger this year.

However, it will face a Patriot offense much more experienced than it faced last year. The Fort lost its top two running backs, but returned starters to every other position.

The Patriots carry a 1-0 record into the game after winning their season opener at Woodland last week by a 35-24 margin. The Fort outgained Woodland 447 yards to 131 in the game, but made some costly turnovers.

The new starters at the running back position, Daitwan Commodore and Charles Loftland, combined for 138 yards. Quarterback Ethan Long completed 20 passes for 289 yards as three Patriot receivers had multiple catches.

Rodney Gibbs and Chris Rouse both had seven receptions while TJ Smith had four. All three finished with more than 80 receiving yards and Gibbs had a pair of TD catches.

The Fort defense turned in what most would consider a good performance last week considering turnovers factored into all but one of Woodland’s scores.

The Patriots have good defensive speed and have matured considerably on that side of the ball since they last faced Irmo.

Contact Roger Lee @ 873-9424 ext. 213 or rlee@journalscene.com

Comments

Notice about comments:

Journalscene.com ® is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Journalscene.com ® does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not Journalscene.com ®. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.

Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by reading our terms and conditions, and then signing up below!

Full terms and conditions can be read here.