Dutch Fork football embraces first road playoff game since 2013
The only road Dutch Fork’s football team has faced recently is the short journey to Williams-Brice Stadium, where the state championship games are held each year.
That changes this week as the Silver Foxes hit the road for Friday’s third-round Class 5A playoff matchup against West Florence. It is Dutch Fork’s first road playoff game since 2013 when it defeated Byrnes 31-21 to advance to the state title game.
Since then, Dutch Fork has been on the fortunate side of the draw of the playoff brackets, which are predetermined by the S.C. High School League if both teams have the same seeds. Both Dutch Fork and West Florence won their regions this year and are No. 1 seeds.
“It doesn’t matter where we are playing. We would like to play here,” Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts said. “But look at Fort Dorchester last year, they had to come up here despite beating us in the regular season. So, it doesn’t matter. It is a football game, it doesn’t matter where we go to play.”
The players don’t seem concerned about playing on the road at Memorial Stadium, one of the state’s oldest venues built in 1949.
“We’ve just got to do us, do the Dutch Fork way,” receiver Jalin Hyatt said. “It doesn’t matter if it is home or away or where it is at. We are just going to play the Dutch Fork way, the way coach Knotts and the other coaches taught us. We are just going to go out there and play.”
“Never really had an away game in the playoffs before,” senior defensive lineman Josiah Commander said. “But at end of day, it is football. If we can get our fans there that would be great.”
If Dutch Fork wins this week, another road trip is on tap next week. The Silver Foxes would face the winner of the Berkeley-Summerville in the Lower State championship game.
“We are taking it one game at a time but knowing we could be on the road for the lower state championship, the first time we ever done that, will be tough,” Dutch Fork quarterback Ty Olenchuk said. “But we are taking it one game at a time and we have to go out and do our thing.”
At home or on the road, Dutch Fork has been the most dominant team in Class 5A this season. The Silver Foxes, who have a 22-game winning streak, have outscored their opponents 603-83 and have scored 50 points or more in each of their 10 games this season.
Dutch Fork is averaging 552 yards of offense per game and have turned the ball over just six times all season. The Silver Foxes have punted only six times this year and trailed just once, last week for a few minutes against West Ashley.
West Florence hasn’t been this far in the playoffs since 2003 when it played for the Class 3A title against Greer. The Knights lost to Dutch Fork, 42-14, last year in the first round and had a coaching change in the offseason.
Former Aynor coach Jody Jenerette has stepped in and the Knights have won 11 games, two shy of the school record set in 2003.
Mr. Football finalist Aliym Ford has been the workhorse of the West Florence offense and has rushed for 2,364 yards and 32 touchdowns this season. Quarterback Cooper Wallace ran for 156 yards in last week’s win over Fort Dorchester. Wallace has rushed for 1,375 yards and 27 TDs.
Dutch Fork’s defense is allowing 74.1 yards a game on the ground and has given up more than 100 yards rushing to a team four times this season.
“They gave us all we wanted,” Knotts said of last year’s meeting with West. “All those young guys are back. Their quarterback is tremendous and reminds us of quarterback from Hillcrest we played in the championship. Their running back is a Shrine Bowl running back. That speaks for itself.”
This story was originally published November 21, 2018 at 9:55 AM.