Shutout win, statement game: Dutch Fork blanks Spartanburg to reach state finals

The Dutch Fork defense wanted to make a statement in a season full of statements.

Mission accomplished. In the process, a school record was set.

The Silver Foxes dominated Spartanburg for the second time this season with a 24-0 victory Friday night in the Class 5A Division I state semifinals. It keeps Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts undefeated (12-0) in the state semifinals and takes the Silver Foxes to their 12th title game appearance in school history.

The Silver Foxes defense recorded its sixth shutout of the season, a school record.

“It’s just a testament to our preparedness and the work we put in during the week, and then how we execute on game days,” Dutch Fork linebacker and USC signee Josh Smith said. “This is something we’ve been looking forward to. This is the best defense Dutch Fork has ever seen, in my opinion, and it’s just great we have the record. This was a goal.”

Dutch Fork (12-0) will face Summerville in the 5A Division I state Championship next Friday at 2:06 pm at South Carolina State’s Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg. The Green Wave knocked off Sumter, 35-6, in the other state semifinal.

The Silver Foxes are going for a ninth state championship and fifth unbeaten season in school history.

“It means a lot,” Knotts said. “I think we’re doing things the right way. We have 31 seniors, and they’ve won a lot of games. Sometimes that’s a double-edged sword because they have a lot of confidence. Sometimes I have to bring them down a rung or two on the confidence ladder.”

Led by Smith and defensive end Julian Walker, the Silver Foxes limited the Vikings to 75 yards in the first half and 161 yards for the game.

Spartanburg finished with seven first downs, three of which came in the first half. Smith finished with 10 tackles (three for loss) and two sacks. Dutch Fork as a team had six sacks and eight tackles for loss.

It was evident the shutout was on everyone’s mind. When Spartanburg got the ball back with just over a minute remaining, Knotts sent the first-team defense back on the field. When the Vikings had the ball at the Silver Foxes’ 23-yard line with 13 seconds remaining, Knotts implored his team to not give up a score.

Smith and Daniel Williams ended the game with sacks on the final two plays.

“It was going to be a school record for shutouts and (defensive coordinator Scott Braswell) works so hard and works so diligently,” Knotts said. “He puts this before everything, so I wanted the guys to know how important it was to get the shutout for him.”

The Dutch Fork offense struck early and quickly to leave little doubt about the outcome.

On the second play from scrimmage, quarterback Ethan Offing connected with Boykin Bickley on a 71-yard touchdown strike to give Dutch Fork a 7-0 lead just 59 seconds into the game. The team’s second drive took seven plays — including a 43-yard pass from Offing to Bickley — that ended when Offing connected with KJ Smith on a 10-yard touchdown pass.

“The two long passes to Bickley sort of set the tone,” Knotts said. “It took them out of what they wanted to do.”

It was a stalemate for the remainder of the half. Dutch Fork added a 21-yard Justin Welch field goal with 2:13 remaining in the second quarter.

If there was any doubt of the outcome, Offing salted that away with the first drive of the third quarter. The Silver Foxes went 58 yards in 10 plays, with Offing powering in from five yards out to make it 24-0 with 6:14 remaining in the third quarter.

Offing finished 15 of 21 passing for 267 yards and rushed for 93 yards. Bickley had four catches for 164 yards.

This story was originally published December 6, 2024 at 11:30 PM.