The Road to Irmo

I had the tremendous opportunity to ride the Wade Hampton Generals bus from Greenville to Irmo for the SCHSL AAAAA Basketball Playoff Game 3.

This Basketball season has been very surreal for me. It’s the first season I ever followed in its entirety. Admittedly, it’s because Adrian is on the team, but it has brought my feelings of a sport that I used to not really care about to something I am now rather passionate about! Taking the action photography for the Generals Basketball team has turned into something I love doing.

When I boarded the bus, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The coaching and support staff sat in the front, and the players moved to the middle and back. Thank I sat my backpack with my camera gear in the seat behind the driver’s seat, and was told quickly to that that seat is reserved! There is a bit of superstition – got it! No problem, I moved a few rows back. I surely didn’t want to be the reason for an L tonight!!

The players quickly became quiet after eating at Chick-fil-A, headphones went in, and rest was the main activity for most of the way to Columbia SC.

About thirty minutes out from Irmo High School, things started to get hyped up !

AirPods Came out, and an intense mood engulfed the whole bus…

The guys took the court to warm up about an hour before game time. The atmosphere was calm, and there were little to no emotions that I could see while snapping some warm up shots while trying to calibrate my cameras to the dimly lit gym with its old fluorescent bulbs.

Fans started filtering in, some for Irmo, but I was really proud of all the Wade Hampton fans that came! There was a solid turn out of parents, friends and students, I knew the guys had to love the fact that they were going to be cheered on!

The game…

Wow! What a game! It was a great close race for the chance to play at the Bon Secures Wellness Arena on Saturday.

While shooting the game, Bonnie was posting to our Instagram account, and I started tweeting updates for the folks back home. I had never done that before while shooting a game . It was a lot to keep up with, but I enjoyed doing it! It definitely made the game FLY by – for me anyway!

The last two minutes of the game seemed to last so ling though! It was a close game, but Irmo kept fouling our guys, which allowed them to push a lead that could not be regained for the Yellow Jackets.

With just 5 seconds on the clock, and our ball, Nick Brenegen took the ball in to wind down the clock… GENERALS WIN!!! 49-44

The celebrations started! The young men in the locker room were pumped! Then coming out, they were cheered by their friends and families!

We are so proud of these young men, and are looking forward to seeing them play Dorman on Saturday at the Wellness Arena!

Stepping back on the bus, I was ROCKED as the players literally rocked the bus in celebration!

A quick bite to eat at Rush’s put most everyone in a food coma back on the bus. Most slept, some talked, the coaches talked basketball, and I finished this blog post.

The road to Irmo… I had no idea how this trip was going to end when I first got on the bus, but I can say, I am blessed to have this opportunity,and to have the access to the team and behind the scenes incredible journey.

Come out and cheer these Generals on this Saturday as they face Dorman!