Dutch Fork looks to make most of second chance against Fort Dorchester

It’s a moment Tom Knotts hasn’t forgotten.

The Dutch Fork coach remembers Fort Dorchester players’ celebrating and the chants of “overrated, overrated” while leaving the field after their 41-25 win on then No. 1-ranked Silver Foxes’ home field on Sept. 1.

That moment has been talked about and used as motivation for the Silver Foxes in case they got a second chance to face Fort Dorchester. Dutch Fork gets that chance Friday night when the two teams meet in the Class 5A Lower State championship for the second consecutive year.

“To me to walk off the field and hear Fort Dorchester yell overrated, that stuck with me all year. We made a big deal about that,” Knotts said. “We made a sign talking about that. We have taken every measure to make sure we had a second chance at them. It has come to fruition. Sometimes you gotta be careful what you wish for. They are a great team, but we are looking forward to playing them.”

Knotts’ players also remember the feeling they had after losing the game and watching Fort Dorchester’s celebration. Senior Bryce Thompson said the Patriots had every right to celebrate.

“Last game, we wanted it to be a talking match, and they didn’t want to talk. They weren’t about that, and they came out there strong,” Thompson said. “We were riding the big horse and had the big head. They wanted it more. We got to match their aggression. We just got to shut up and play.”

In the first meeting, the Silver Foxes had four turnovers and Fort Dorchester converted all four into touchdowns.

The Patriots forced seven turnovers in the 66-24 win against Spring Valley last week.

The Silver Foxes’ offense has improved since the first meeting. Sophomore Ty Olenchuk has taken over as the starting quarterback. Sophomore Jalin Hyatt has been Olnchuk’s top target, catching a TD pass in seven consecutive games.

Thompson is more involved in the running game and on defense, and sophomore Ron Hoff has provided a big lift to the running game after missing several games with a foot injury.

“I asked a little too much of the quarterbacks early in the year, and they got a better grasp now,” Knotts said. “Ty is throwing the ball well and we got Ron back and I can move Bryce around on offense and defense.”

Dutch Fork must find a way to contain quarterback and South Carolina commit Dakereon Joyner. Knotts compares the Mr. Football finalist to former Clemson and current Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson for their ability to affect a game by throwing and running.

Joyner has accounted for 3,064 yards of offense and 48 touchdowns this season. In the first game, he rushed and threw for more than 100 yards with four touchdowns.

“He is probably in the top two or three I have ever seen in high school,” Knotts said of Joyner. “We got to keep him in the pocket. He is a good pocket passer but he is even better when he is in green grass running around.”

This story was originally published November 22, 2017 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Dutch Fork looks to make most of second chance against Fort Dorchester."