Irmo -- The Dutch Fork High School football team put an end to the doubt.
The Silver Foxes, down 30-21 to J.L Mann with little more than two minutes left in the
AAAAA upper state championship game, scored on a touchdown pass from Jon Hunt to Boykin
Bickley, and after the defense stopped the Patriots on the ensuing possession, Justin Welch
nailed a 39-yard field goal with two seconds left to give Dutch Fork a 31-30 victory and a chance
to defend its state championship against Region 4 rival White Knoll.
“We struggled early,” said DFHS head coach Tom Knotts. “We've had numerous injuries.
Sometimes we couldn't get out of our own way. I think we've turned it around, and I think we're
clicking now. We're playing our best football of the year right now.”
Dutch Fork has reeled off seven straight wins since losing to White Knoll 17-14 in the
region opener for both teams on October 6. Following that game, Knotts was hoping the Silver
Foxes would get another chance at facing their Lexington County rival, whose head coach is
Knotts’ old defensive coordinator Nick Pelham, in the state playoffs.
With the teams in Region 4, which is a flex region that places teams in both the upper state
and lower state playoffs, White Knoll went into the lower state playoffs while second-place Dutch
Fork went to the upper state bracket. They will face off for the state title on Friday at South
Carolina State’s Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg beginning at 8 p.m.
“We're ready to come see ya, Coach Pelham,” Knotts said in a joking manner during the
South Carolina High School League’s YouTube press conference on Tuesday.
Probably to many Silver Foxes fans, the season seemed lost after the loss to White Knoll.
Doubt set in among the coaches, Knotts included.
“Of course, that’s only human nature, and I’m sure all the players had some doubt too, you
know,” Knotts reflected. “But we just kept saying ‘Just keep battling, just keep battling.’ We’re
too good for this, we’ve got too good a tradition, too good players.”
Senior defensive tackle Dakota Jordan said he and his teammates had to put everything in
perspective before turning things around.
“We had to figure ourselves out,” Jordan said. “t Last year ww were used to winning so
many games, by so many points. This year, we started slow. We tried to build our team and
struggle through.
“After our fifth loss. we said, 'We can't lose no more.' We practiced harder, we played harder.
The coaches hyped us up and helped us get through the season.”
“We’ve got a little winning streak now,” Knotts said. “We’re a typical Dutch Fork now.”
The Silver Foxes are an incredibly balanced team. Dutch Fork has 2,362 rushing yards to
2,310 passing yards, and it has rolled up those offensive totals by committee.
Ethan Offing, a sophomore, has 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns to six interceptions with
a 60.2 passing percentage. He is listed as the starter, but he suffered a high ankle sprain against
Mann, giving Hunt the opportunity for his heroics. Offing was on crutches early in the week.
Hunt has a 55.9 completion percentage with 988 yards and nine TDs to seven
picks.
Jacob Hamilton and Trent Lodge are the top two receivers, with Hamilton coming down
with 43 catches for 567 yards and three touchdowns and Lodge pulling in 39 catches for 526
yards and four TDs. The other starting wide receivers are Jayden Westbrook with seven catches
for 62 yards and Kye Fulton. Ron DiPietro has 16 catches for four scores. Bickley has played in
just seven games but has 14 catches for 198 yards and the score that set up Welch’s game-winning
kick.
Boone Miller, who has 19 catches for 335 yards and two scores, and Carlos Sexton are the
tight ends. Sexton has four catches for 30 yards and one score.
Maurice Anderson is the team’s leading rusher with 664 yards and 15 touchdowns on 100
Carries, but Lodge is listed as the starter. Lodge has is the second leading rusher with 590 yards and
10 touchdowns on 94 carries.
Offing has also proven to be a running threat with 412 yards and three scores on 115 rushes.
Handling the blocking chores up front are junior Josh Benton at left tackle, senior Cam Myers
at left guard, junior Connor McGee at center, junior Ky-Mani McLeish at right guard and senior
Chase Meggett at right tackle.
Defensively, Dutch Fork has held opponents to 17.0 points per game. Junior linebacker Deon
Winsley leads the team in tackles with 114, including 11 tackles for loss and a quarterback sack, along
with three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, 10 pass breakups and nine quarterback pressures.
The other starting linebackers are senior Bryce Nutall and sophomore Raleigh Salters. Nutall has
92 tackles, a team high seven sacks, 12 TFLs, one FF, one FR, five PBUs, six QBPs and a 62-yard
interception return. Salters has 83 tackles, 12 TFLs and 15 QBPs.
The Silver Foxes have two Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl selections on the defensive front in
Jordan and end Terrance Wells. Jordan has 52 tackles, five sacks, 14 TFLs and 18 QBPs. Wells has 33
tackles, eight TFLs, one sack and 14 QBPs.
Also starting on the D line are junior end Josh Smith and senior tackle Jadon Cook. Smith has 61
tackles, a team high 19 TFLs, six sacks and 18 QBPs, while Cook has 53 tackles, 18 QBPs, five TFLs and
two sacks.
Dutch Fork has a Shrine Bowler in the secondary in strong safety Tyler Jones. Jones has 69 tackles,
three FRs, three PBUs and one QBP. Senior free safety Peyton Betts is the team leader in interceptions with
five to go with six PBUs, 40 tackles and one TFL.
The cornerbacks are junior Elgin Sessions and senior Rob Holliday. Sessions has 39 tackles, four TFLs,
and two INTs.
‘ Of course, Welch is a major weapon. He is 57-for-58 on extra point attempts and is 9 of 12 on field goal
attempts.
Just as they share quarterbacking duties, Offing and Hunt share the punting duties as well.
DFHS has returned five kicks for touchdowns. Anderson has returned two kickoffs for scores, while
Hamilton has returned two punts for scores. Westbrook also has a TD on a punt return.
Offense
QB - 4 - Ethan Offing, So.
or - 19 - Jon Hunt, Sr.
RB - 39 - Trent Lodge, Sr.
or – Maurice Anderson, Jr.
WR - 14 - Jacob Hamilton, Sr.
WR - 8 - Jayden Westbrook, Jr.
WR - 6 - Kye Fulton, So.
TE - 81- Boone Miller, Jr.
or – 36 Carlos Sexton, Jr.
LT - 74 – Josh Benson, Jr.
LG - 64 - Cam Myers, Sr.
C - 51 - Connor McGee, Jr.
RG - 56 - Ky-Mani McLeish, Jr..
RT - 67 - Chase Meggett, Sr.
PK - 1 – Justin Welch, Jr.
Defense
DE - 40 – Josh Smith, Jr.
DT – 55 - Dakota Jordan, Sr.
DT - 98 – Jadon Cooke, Sr.
DE - 57- Terrance Wells, Sr.
LB - 22 – Deon Winsley, Jr.
LB – 50 – Raleigh Salters, So.
LB - 45 – Bryce Nutall, Sr.
CB - 7 – Elgin Sessions, Jr.
CB - 12 – Rob Holliday, Sr.
FS - 25 – Peyton Betts, Sr.
SS - 5 - Tyler Jones, Sr.
P - 4 - Ethan Offing, So.
or - 19 - Jon Hunt, Sr.
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