By Thomas Grant Jr.
If the results of this past week’s Capital City Classic are any indication, it looks like a special season ahead for Dutch Fork boys’ soccer.
The Silver Foxes’ 8-0 shutout over Lugoff-Elgin in the Silver Division final played Sunday at Gray Collegiate Academy was a punctuation point on their four-day performance. A 33-0 margin of victory in five games served as testament of Dutch Fork’s dominance over its bracket field.
It started with an 9-0 victory over American Leadership Academy, followed by a 6-0 win over Richland Northeast, an 8-0 rout of Camden and defending town rival Irmo 2-0 in the semifinal played at Chapin High School.
“We’re kind of in a rebuilding process,” Silver Foxes’ head coach Todd Woodward said. “Last year, we lost four seniors. We’re very young. It’s like 10 or so freshman and sophomores. So just that rebuilding process and how these guys have really come together this year, this is my second year back coaching. So I took over again last year and just having these guys really come together in my second year being back really coming together as a team and that focus and intensity, they bring in the game and also at practice is coming together quicker than expected.”
In the win over the Demons, junior Max Werner posted a hat trick with three goals. Senior David Liboyi was name the Silver Division MVP.
“From last year to this year, he has really stepped up,” said Woodward about Liboyi. “He’s captain. His energy level has been wonderful for us. I think the more energy he puts on to the field, the more it generates from everybody else. The more high energy he is, the more high energy our team is and that reflected in the wins we had and the play that we had on the field. So it starts with him.”
Dutch Fork was one of two Region 4-5A teams to win titles Sunday. River Bluff defeated another region team Chapin 2-1 in the Gold Division final.
Photos by Thomas Grant Jr.
