A neighbor’s setback turns into a golden opportunity.

With Dutch Fork’s 24-game losing streak ending in abrupt fashion last Friday against Oceanside Collegiate, the opportunity opened for another Irmo-based team to take the top spot in Class 5A.

Riding a 5-0 start for the third straight year, the Yellow Jackets were voted Tuesday the new number one in Class 5A by the S.C. Prep Football Media. They received 18 first-place votes in moving up a spot ahead of Northwestern, the team that did them in last year’s Class 5A Division II final.

The Silver Foxes dropped to third place in the poll. It’s their lowest showing in the rankings since 2023 when it was unranked after a 2-3 start. They went on to win eight straight games and the Class 5A title for the eighth time. Both Dutch Fork and Irmo a

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