Football Friday Rewind: Dutch Fork holds off Ridge View to extend winning streak
Jaxon Knotts has watched a lot of big moments at Fox Field. On Friday, it was the Dutch Fork junior quarterback’s turn to have his big moment.
Knotts led a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter and scored the go-ahead, 25-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left to help the top-ranked Silver Foxes past Ridge View, 28-21.
It was Dutch Fork’s 23rd straight victory.
“It feels pretty great,” Jaxon Knotts said. “It has been a long-time coming. I have been waiting for this so long and I am glad we got it done.”
Knotts, the son of DF head coach Tom Knotts, has been on the sidelines since he was a kid. This year, he was moved into the starting role this season and is off to 2-0 record as starting quarterback.
With the score tied at 21-21, Dutch Fork got the ball back at its own 6 with 5:40. Then, Knotts helped guide the Silver Foxes to the game-winning score. He hit Stone Furrey on a big pass to the RV 44. Furrey led the Silver Foxes with six catches for 158 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown on a double-reverse pass from Knotts in the first half.
In the fourth quarter, Dutch Fork faced a third-and-two from the RV 25. Silver Foxes coach Tom Knotts just hoped to get in field goal range but his son had other ideas as he took a designed run to the left and cut back to the right for the game-winner.
Jaxon Knotts was 17-of-23 passing for 295 yards, three touchdowns. He also ran for 47 yards and a TD.
“We won a lot of games with good kicking but he squirted through there and showed that Knotts’ speed. Then, the rest is history,” Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts said. “Jaxon did play hard and made some big plays. I am proud of my son but I am more proud of the collective group. They are all my sons.”
Ridge View got it to the Dutch Fork 38 but Michigan commit Julian Walker sacked Ashton Chapman on the final play of the game.
The Silver Foxes fought a tough effort from Ridge View, which was playing its first full game without starting quarterback Tre Howard. The junior dislocated his foot in the first quarter of last week’s 35-28 loss to defending 5A Division II champion Northwestern.
Tre Howard was at the game with his leg elevated on a scooter, cheering his team on throughout.
Chapman did a good job in Howard’s spot and his talented receiving group made some big plays for the Blazers.
Junior Khristian Jackson returned to the opening kickoff of the second half back to give Ridge View a 14-7 lead.
Dutch Fork tied it on Knotts’ pass to Braydon Johnson to make it 14-14 in the third quarter.
The Blazers regained the lead on Chapman’s pass to Carter Coleman to make it 21-14 with 7:38 in the third.
Knotts tied it for Dutch Fork when he scrambled and found running back Kyle Henry for an 8-yard touchdown on third-and-goal to make it 21-21.
Henry and Sheldon Shine split time at running in place of Colione Martin, who suffered a linsfranc injury against Spartanburg and is out for the season.
Ridge View had a pair of chances to take the lead in the fourth, including a first-and-goal at the 9-yard line after a Jordyn Best’ interception return. But the drive stalled, and the Blazers missed a field goal.
“We are hard-working young men and they are going to give their best every single time out there. I don’t know if there is anything we learned,” RV coach Derek Howard said. “But we have to continue to get better and find ways to make plays in moments that cause you to win games.”
Chapman was 17-of-29 passing for 230 yards and a TD. Jackson had five catches for 76 yards and Coleman had four for 73. Spencer Bobian rushed for 53 yards and a TD.
Irmo 42, Butler (NC) 14
Defensive end Jaiden Bryant scored a pair of defensive touchdowns in the Yellow Jackets’ win.
Bryant had an interception return for a TD and also a fumble return. The junior also had three sacks.
QB Drevon Dopson had two TD passes for Irmo. Maleek Miller ran for a pair of scores and caught a TD pass. Jay Eady had a TD catch.
Camden 41, Hartsville 31
Greyson Rimpf hit Tylin Drakeford with the go-ahead touchdown with 9:57 left to help the Bulldogs rally past Hartsville.
Camden trailed 28-14 at halftime but got within 31-28 on Drakeford’s 77-yard run with 2:30 left in the third quarter. Drakeford finished with 136 yards rushing.
Then, Rimpf found Drakeford on a 27-yard pass with 9:57 left to put Camden ahead, 34-31. The Bulldogs added another TD later in the fourth.
Navier Boykin rushed for 128 yards and a TD for Camden.
Newberry 41, Clinton 12
Quarterback Kenton Caldwell ran for four touchdowns and threw two as the Bulldogs knocked off the defending 2A champs.
South Carolina commit Jamel Howse and Jamere Crooks had TD catches for Newberry.
Caldwell rushed for 206 yards and was 19-of-23 passing for 191 yards.
AC Flora 41, Southside Christian 6
The Falcons moved to 3-0 with a win over Southside Christian.
Roper Wentzy threw four touchdown passes, three to Blake Betette and one to Josh Davis. Azel Banag and Treyvon Gary had TD runs for the Falcons.
Gray Collegiate 27, Marlboro County 14
Trevon Williamson ran for three touchdowns in the War Eagles’ win.
Corey Gleaton had a TD catch from Tyler Waller. Gleaton also returned an interception for a TD.
Hammond 14, Porter-Gaud 7
Ben Kiser ran for a TD and Cade Amell threw a TD pass to Jack Thomas in the Skyhawks’ victory.
White Knoll 49, Brookland-Cayce 13
Tiyon Fanning rushed for two touchdowns in the Wolves’ win over the Bearcats.
QB Jhais McKever threw a TD to Caleb Geronomi and also ran in a score. James Smith returned a fumble for a TD.
Midland Valley 21, Lexington 17
The Mustangs scored with less than a minute left to beat the Wildcats.
Markel Boyd rushed for 106 yards and two TDs for Lexington.
Keenan 34, Battery Creek 27
Hunter O’Neal rushed for a school-record 426 yards and five touchdowns in the win for the Raiders.
O’Neal’s final TD of the game was a 73-yarder in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Keenan trailed 14-0 at one point in the game.
Spring Valley 7, Chapin 6
Zion Bennett had a TD run in the second half to help the Vikings to a win over the Eagles.
Lower Richland 28, Colleton County 0
Gerald Gipson had an 80-yard TD pass to Chad Wilson in the Diamond Hornets’ win.
Solomon Kelson, Zion Yates and Sergino Samuels had TD runs for LR.
Westwood 53, Richland Northeast 14
Jovan Howard had four touchdown runs in the Redhawks’ win.
Angelo Rios had and Quentin McGill added TD runs for Westwood. Carrington Carter threw two touchdowns to Jaylen Donaldson.
Dreher 42, Lakewood 0
Brandon Mack ran for two touchdowns and the Blue Devils also scored a pair of defensive TDs.
Jordan Brown and Hadid Jabali returned interceptions for touchdowns for the Blue Devils, who had their first shutout since 2018.
Nation Ford 20, River Bluff 17
Kason Canupp hit Asher Beck for a 24-yard touchdown with 43 seconds left to help Nation Ford past River Bluff.
Canupp was 25-of-38 passing for 306 yards. Jayden Scott led the team with nine catches for 92 yards.
Hayden Myers had a TD run and Brayden Moore threw a TD pass to Hamp Pitts for the Gators, who led 17-7 at halftime. Myers finished with 201 yards rushing.
Moore was 17-of-26 passing for 193 yards. Darius Carter had six catchs for 71 to lead RB.
Fort Mill 33, Blythewood 7
Broden Mitcheson rushed for 134 yards and a TD as FM improved to 3-0 on the season.
Noah Hardy kicked a pair of field goals for the Yellow Jackets.
James Veasey had a TD pass to Chance Johnson for Blythewood.
Lugoff-Elgin 45, Darlington 21
EJ Richardson had three touchdowns in the Demons’ win.
Richardson scored TDs by rushing, receiving, had a kickoff return for a touchdown and finished with 143 all-purpose yards. Quarterback Zach Williams had two passing TDS and and threw for 110 yards.
Juju Harris returned an interception for a score. Jarkese Grant and Cash Major had rushing TDs and Aiden Fitzgerald caught a TD pass.
North Central 26, Columbia 0
Quayson Peoples scored twice and the Knights forced seven turnovers in the win.
Abbeville 23, Batesburg-Leesville 15
KD Whit had an 80-yard kickoff return for a TD and caught a 79-yard TD pass in the loss for the Panthers.
Clear Dot Charter 22, American Leadership 19
Dillon Hughey had two touchdowns and Collin Pinckney had one in the win for Clear Dot.
Hughey caught a 32-yard pass down to the 1-yard line and then ran in the game-winning score with 1:39 left.
Swansea 35, Wagener-Salley 0
The Tigers moved to 3-0 with a win over W-S.
Deandre Caldwell had two rushing TDs and Kendall Wright threw two TD passes for the Tigers.
Fairfield Central 56, CA Johnson 0
The Griffins recorded a shutout in winning their second straight game.
Mid-Carolina 17, Whitmire 6
The Rebels picked up their first win of the season.
Wilson Hall 35, Ben Lippen 14
Five different players had TD runs in the Barons’ win over the Falcons.
Florence Christian 14, Heathwood Hall 13
FC blocked an extra point to hand the Highlanders their first loss of the season.
Patrick Belk threw two TD passes for Heathwood, the second to Chip Ravenell, to give the Highlanders a 13-7 lead. Florence Christian answered and took the lead with eight minutes left.
Heathwood got the ball to FC 40 yard-line but turned it over downs.
This story was originally published September 6, 2025 at 12:03 AM.
