From ballboy to QB, Dutch Fork’s Ty Olenchuk ready for championship moment

Ty Olenchuk knows what it’s like to be on the sideline during a state football state championship game.

Olenchuk was a Dutch Fork ball boy in 2012-2013 when his brothers Kyle and Derek played in state championship games. But on Saturday, the sophomore quarterback won’t be running in footballs to referees.He will be leading the Silver Foxes against Dorman in the Class 5A title game against Williams-Brice Stadium.

“During the time I was watching my brothers, it was pretty sweet. I never thought I would actually be there at South Carolina playing in the big game,” Ty said Tuesday at practice. “So it is pretty sweet to actually be there and experience it like my brothers did. Instead of running balls out, I am actually throwing the balls in the game. It is pretty cool.”

Olenchuk’s two older brothers played for Tom Knotts at Dutch Fork. Derek, a quarterback who currently plays baseball at Newberry, played on the Silver Foxes’ 2012 state runner-up team. Both Derek and Kyle were teammates on Dutch Fork’s 2013 championship team and Kyle, who played center and currently plays golf at Bob Jones University, played on the 2014 team, which lost to Hillcrest.

Ty said his brothers gave him advice last weekend when they were home for Thanksgiving. He will wear the towel Derek wore while playing at Dutch Fork in Saturday’s championship game.

The older brothers were tough on their younger brother like older brothers usually are. But they are happy to see their younger brother have success in his first season as a starter.

“Oh yeah, we were really hard on him. That’s why he’s so tough and it’s hard to get under his skin now,” Derek said. “It’s surreal to see him playing QB and leading a team me and Derek played on not but a few years ago. It’s crazy to think about where he’s come from and how he’s matured as a player and a person. It feels like just yesterday I was going to his Pop Warner games and Little League baseball games, and now he’s in high school competing for a state championship.”

Ty Olenchuk, the team’s JV quarterback last year, committed to play baseball at Clemson and was thought of more as a baseball player than football, but that is changing.

Ty began the season sharing time with sophomore Graeson Underwood. During the early part of the season, the two were alternating plays in the first meeting against Fort Dorchester.

Olenchuk also dealt with a shoulder injury but finally took over the reins in the team’s eighth game against White Knoll.

Olenchuk completed 61 percent of his passes for 1,751 yards and 17 TDs including a five-TD, 309-yard game against Irmo. In last week’s Lower State championship game, he was 11 -of -17 for 221 yards and a TD.

“He has got a cannon for an arm and he is an Olenchuk and that is good blood. He has got good bloodlines,” Knotts said. “We were struggling, and I told him ‘Ty, you need to be in there.’ He had the shoulder injury and wasn’t sure. But finally, he said, “I’m in’ and we started going with him.”

Olenchuk credits his coaches and teammates for encouraging him and sticking with him during his early struggles. He said he is a lot more comfortable now and thinks he can excel at both sports in his high school career.

“I thought I was a baseball guy, but playing in the playoffs and last few games in the season, I think I am both now,” Olenchuk said. “I wasn’t where I needed to be, but coach Knotts said ‘This is yours if you want it.’ I think that is what I did, and I bought in the process and got my team ready for the playoffs.”

This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 4:44 PM with the headline "From ballboy to QB, Dutch Fork’s Ty Olenchuk ready for championship moment."