Dutch Fork defense, Will Taylor’s big night lift Silver Foxes to 5A title game
Dutch Fork football is one step closer in its Drive for Five.
Backed by an impressive defensive performance, the Silver Foxes defeated Sumter 24-0 on Friday in the Class 5A Lower State championship game.
“Last week, I didn’t recognize the Dutch Fork defense,” Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts said. “But this week against a good offensive football team, we bounced back, played hard, got some turnovers and got some third-down stops, fourth-down stops. They played Dutch Fork football. I’m proud of them.”
Dutch Fork will face T.L. Hanna next Friday at Benedict College in the Class 5A championship game. The Silver Foxes are going for their fifth-straight state title and are making their eight championship appearance in nine years.
No public school team has won five straight state championships.
“It is expected, demanded and what we work towards,” Knotts said of playing for a championship. “Anything less than that is not good enough. We talked about it since last year’s championship. We are a year-round program. It’s not for everybody, but we got 100 guys out here and all bought into it.”
After giving up a season-high 42 points and 575 yards to Carolina Forest last week, the Silver Foxes’ defense shined like it has much of the season. Dutch Fork held Sumter to 82 yards in the first half and the defense forced three turnovers in the game, the last coming on Trace Danley’s interception in the third quarter. Danley’s brother, Landon, also had an interception in the game.
Dutch Fork limited Sumter to just 10 yards passing.
“We knew what we had to do,” Trace Danley said. “We listened to coach (Nick) Pelham (defensive coordinator). He drew up a good scheme and we executed tonight.”
A play after Danley’s interception, Will Taylor hit a diving Elijah Spencer in the left corner of the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-0.
Taylor hit a wide-open Antonio Williams on an 83-yard touchdown to make it 24-0 with 1:52 left in the third quarter.
The Silver Foxes kept the shutout with a goal-line stop on Sumter’s Malik McKenzie late in the game.
Taylor, a Clemson two-sport commit, is in his first season at Dutch Fork after transferring from Ben Lippen. The senior was bothered by ankle injury early in the season and didn’t run as much until the last two playoff games.
Taylor rushed for 90 yards and a TD Friday and also was 12-of-17 passing for 213 yards and two TDs.
“Coach Knotts always says comfort destroys progress,” Taylor said. “I had to get out of my comfort zone a little bit, come over here and test myself. That was my goal to compete for a state championship.
“The goal and expectation here is to get to a state championship. If not, it is kind of a loser season. Now, we are here and it is time to take care of business.”
Williams led Dutch Fork with eight catches for 134. It was his fourth 100-yard game of the season. Jarvis Green added 98 yards rushing. Dutch Fork gained 422 yards of offense.
Nathan Harris-Waynick led Sumter with 171 yards rushing.
HOW THEY SCORED
First Quarter
DF - Taylor 23 run (Unlutaskiran kick), 7:57
DF - Unlutaskiran 28 FG, 3:30
Third Quarter
DF - Spencer 33 pass from Taylor (Unlutaskiran kick), 8:55
DF - Williams 83 pass from Taylor (Unlutaskiran kick), 1:33
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: S: Harris-Waynick 31-177; Brown 8-37; Vasquez 3-15. DF: Green 17-98; Taylor 12-90; Taylor 3-13; Williams 2-8.
Passing: S: Vasquez 2-8-2 10. DF: Taylor 12-17-1 213
Receiving: S: Redwood 2-10. DF: Williams 8-134; Spencer 2-60; Reid 1-12; Green 1-7.
This story was originally published November 27, 2020 at 10:29 PM.
