North Augusta Beats Irmo 25-16: 5 Takeaways From Region 5-4A Showdown

North Augusta didn't need much from its offense in the second half Friday night.

Its defense and special teams took care of the scoring.

No. 17 North Augusta broke a 16-16 tie with nine unanswered second-half points and defeated No. 20 Irmo 25-16 at W.C. Hawkins Stadium in a matchup of two South Carolina Region 5-4A football contenders.

Deandre Darden returned an interception 37 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 3:41 remaining, while North Augusta's defense shut out Irmo after halftime and forced three turnovers.

Running back Jayden Hatcher and quarterback Collin Tillman scored North Augusta's first-half touchdowns.

Here are five takeaways from North Augusta's 25-16 victory over Irmo.

1. North Augusta Takes Early Control of Region 5-4A

North Augusta entered the season as one of the favorites in Region 5-4A.

It now has an early advantage over another of the region's top contenders.

The Yellow Jackets improved to 2-0 in region play with Friday's road victory and head into their bye week with a one-game lead in the standings.

“Any win on the road is big,” North Augusta coach Richard Bush said. “Winning's hard. But to come on the road, to come to this environment, come play this team on the road, it's huge. It's a big win for our program.”

Irmo coach Aaron Brand recognized the opportunity his team let get away.

“It's still early in the region, but this game was a chance to put the winner in the driver's seat,” Brand said. “It looks like those guys are the lead drivers.”

There is plenty of region football remaining, but North Augusta couldn't have asked for a much better start.

2. North Augusta's Defensive Front Takes Over

Friday's game featured three defensive linemen recently selected to represent South Carolina in the 90th Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.

North Augusta's Simeon Jones and Irmo's Jaiden Bryant and Tyrone Jennings will become teammates Dec. 19 in Spartanburg.

On Friday, Jones helped North Augusta's defense control the second half.

Jones and Dexter Davis created problems up front as North Augusta limited Irmo's running game, forced three turnovers and didn't allow a point after halftime.

“Sim answered the bell tonight,” Bush said. “We challenged him this week and he made some big plays when he needed to make plays.”

Jones, a James Madison commit, is looking forward to joining Bryant, Jennings and Dutch Fork defensive lineman Jaden Wuerth on the South Carolina Shrine Bowl defensive front.

“We've all got chemistry together,” Jones said. “We all know each other. It's going to be a field day.”

Bush also likes the group South Carolina will take to Spartanburg.

“There better be one good offensive line for North Carolina,” he said. “All those guys are extremely talented.”

3. Deandre Darden Delivers the Deciding Play

North Augusta needed one of its seniors to make a play with the game tied late in the fourth quarter.

Darden delivered.

With 3:41 remaining and the score tied 16-16, the senior defensive back intercepted a tipped pass from Irmo quarterback Brittain Davis and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown.

It was North Augusta's second interception of the fourth quarter and provided the only touchdown scored by either team after halftime.

“He's a heck of a football player,” Bush said. “You look and you say, ‘Where does he need to play?’ He needs to be on the field. The kid can make plays.”

Bush was particularly pleased to see a senior deliver with the game on the line.

“When you get in games like this, you're looking for seniors to make big plays and game-changing plays,” he said. “That's a senior making a play.”

4. Turnovers and Special-Teams Mistakes Cost Irmo

Irmo's defense gave the Yellow Jackets opportunities to win.

Its offense and special teams couldn't take advantage.

The loss dropped Irmo to 3-3, with the Yellow Jackets committing multiple costly mistakes along the way.

Irmo threw two interceptions, including Darden's go-ahead pick-six, and was shut out in the second half.

The special-teams problems were just as damaging.

Irmo lost a fumble on a kick return for the second consecutive game, had an extra-point attempt blocked and surrendered a safety after North Augusta blocked a punt.

The mistakes left Brand frustrated after his team had two weeks to prepare for its region opener.

“We had two weeks of practices during the bye week. Apparently, we haven't mastered it,” Brand said. “It's frustrating, but we're just not as good as we need to be. We're just flat out not, from the head coach to the last player on the roster.”

Irmo has now lost three games this season, already more than its combined loss total over the previous two seasons.

5. Alabama Gets an In-Person Look at Tai Phillips

Irmo running back Tai Phillips had a familiar college program watching from the sideline Friday.

Alabama running backs coach Robert Gillespie attended the game to see Phillips, who has committed to the Crimson Tide.

Phillips finished with 110 rushing yards despite North Augusta keeping Irmo off the scoreboard throughout the second half.

He was one of several college commits on the field.

Irmo defensive lineman Bryant is committed to Miami, while defensive back Jamar Grissette is committed to Appalachian State. Jones, one of the leaders of North Augusta's defensive effort, is committed to James Madison.

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