(Photos by GoFlashwin.com)
By Thomas Grant Jr.
Dutch Fork and Irmo are not only competing in different Class 5A Division brackets.
Their Friday opponents in the third round also offer a contrast in frequency.
J.F. Byrnes at Dutch Fork
When the Rebels (8-3) visits the top-ranked Silver Foxes (9-1) for the third-round Division I matchup, it will be just the fifth overall meeting and fourth in the post-season. Dutch Fork has won the past three meetings, including the last one 56-25 in 2021.
The Silver Foxes are coming off a 42-7 win over Boiling Springs. In defeating the Bulldogs for the ninth straight time and third consecutive year in the playoffs, Dutch Fork held them to 99 total yards of offense and collected three sacks.
Defensive end Julian Walker accounted for 2 ½ sacks. Afterwards, he reaffirmed his verbal commitment to Michigan and plans to attend the Nov. 29 game against archrival Ohio State.
Quarterback Jaxon Knotts threw for 313 yards and accounted for four touchdowns in his playoff debut. With reliable senior target Stone Furrey due to injury, senior wide receivers Kye Fulton and Chase Butts filled the void with five receptions each for a combined 200 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Kye Fulton had five catches for 118 yards. Chase Betts had five catches for 82 yards and Brayden Johnson finished with six receptions for 58 yards. Wyatt Warner accounted for a 27-yard touchdown reception.
“I’ve always known Kye and Chase can play,” said head coach Tom Knotts, who improved to 16-0 in playoff openers at Dutch Fork. “But they’ve battled foot injuries. They’ve had one issue after the other. But when they got their chance, they rose to the occasion and did it.”
The Rebels are coming off a 37-21 win over Rock Hill. They split two meetings with common opponent Spartanburg and Irmo, losing to the latter late at home.
Dutch Fork looks to extend several winning streaks:
-30 consecutive home playoff victories
– 18 straight home victories (regular season/playoffs)
– 15 straight postseason wins (the longest active streak in public and private school high school football).
A victory would also give Dutch Fork its ninth straight 10-win season and 13th under Knotts. The Silver Foxes would also earn a 13th state semifinal appearance where it has never lost with Knotts.
Friday’s winner faces Dorman or Ridge View in the Upper State final.
White Knoll at Irmo
In Irmo’s case, Friday’s Division II opponent is a very familiar Region 4-5A foe.
This is the fourth meeting in 12 months with the Timberwolves (8-3). Irmo (10-1) has won all three previous meetings, two in the regular season and last year’s Lower State final.
White Knoll is visiting W.C. Hawkins Stadium for the second time this season. It lost the October meeting 14-3 in a low-scoring but highly physical affair.
Irmo head coach Aaron Brand remembers facing Mallard Creek three times in a year during his tenure at Vance High School in North Carolina. He knows his team will have to prepare for an opponent that knows them as well as they know White Knoll.
“You’ve got to come up with a little new nuance every time,” he said. “But White Knoll is good. There’s just flat out got a really good football team and we’ve got to try to be more physical than they are and they are very physical. We’ve got to put our big boy britches on and go out there and try to hit them in the mouth.”
Brand said quarterback Dre’Von Dopson has to manage the game as well as he did the first meeting in distributing the football. The Yellow Jackets also hope to avoid a slow start like last Friday against Lugoff-Elgin.
After setting in offensively, the Yellow Jackets broke the game open for a 41-16 win. Dopson threw four touchdowns to Corey and Maleek Miller, who also had a punt return for a touchdown, and Jay Eaddy.
Along with his usual high level of play upfront on defense, Jaiden Bryant had a rushing touchdown and linebacker Jamar Grissett blocked two field goals.
White Knoll is coming off a 14-10 win over Lucy Beckham. Richmond wide receiver commit Caleb Geronomi had a touchdown reception from Jhais McKiever who scored the go-ahead touchdown on a run in the second half.
The winner faces Myrtle Beach or Berkeley in the Lower State final.
