Summerville will face an opponent it knows well in the opening game of the 2024 football season.
The Green Wave will make the short trip to Stratford to play the Knights on August 23. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
There have been years when the two teams have been the two best teams in the region, and both during those periods and independently, it is not uncommon for them to meet twice a year: once during the regular season and once during the playoffs.
“This is a long-standing rivalry,” Summerville coach Ian Rafferty said. “I’m sure they’ll be ready for us. They played us hard last year and they play us really hard most years. We try to compete against teams that give us serious competition and I think Stratford will do that.”
Both teams won their region in 2023 and return enough talented players to seriously aim for a repeat. Among the players returning for the Knights is Jachin Davis, one of the region’s best quarterbacks.
Summerville also has its quarterback back. Senior Jaden Cummings helped the Green Waves to the 5A Lower State Championship game last season. Cummings has committed to Dartmouth College and Davis has several colleges interested in his abilities as a dual-threat QB.
Summerville faced a tough test on August 16 when it faced Irmo for two quarters during the Dorchester County Showdown Jamboree. Irmo took a 17-14 victory, but overall Summerville did well considering the competition.
“We just ran out of time,” Rafferty said. “It was a good contest. Irmo has a good football team and we have a good football team. Offensively, we had some drives, but then one got stopped on fourth down. I’m happy with our defense, even though they gave up a lot of yards. We fought back and forced them to a field goal early. We need to get a little better, but we still have a good team.”
Irmo quarterback Aaron Brand threw a 36-yard touchdown pass on the Yellow Jackets’ final possession to secure the win for his team.
Summerville took a 7-3 lead on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Cummings to tight end Keshon Washington. Then Brand hit Donovan Murph on a 7-yard touchdown pass to put Irmo back in the lead.
Cummings threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Jaiden Kelly-Murray and gave the Green Wave a 14-10 lead with Bennett Kelly’s second successful PAT, but Summerville’s defense could not stop the Yellow Jackets’ offense again.
