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Dutch Fork Rolls Past Fort Mill. Six Takeaways from Second-Round Win.

The Silver Foxes opened their 'Drive for Five (Part II)' by remaining perfect in playoff openers in the Tom Knotts era.
Thomas Grant, Jr.|
Dutch Fork quarterback Jaxon Knotts with the carry against Fort Mill
Dutch Fork quarterback Jaxon Knotts with the carry against Fort Mill | Photo by Thomas Grant Jr.

There was plenty of ‘buzz’ on social media regarding Dutch Fork’s Class 5A second-round South Carolina football matchup with Fort Mill.

It had less to do with the Yellow Jackets’ nickname and more regarding the 4-time defending Class 5A champions. From questioning the strength of region to quality of wins, prep observers were not shy about pointing out the Silver Foxes’ perceived vulnerabilities.

Those concerns grew louder with the uncertain status of quarterback Jaxon Knotts. He suffered a thumb injury to his throwing hand in the regular season-finale against White Knoll.

Friday night at home and with Knotts at the helm, Dutch Fork made its own playoff statement in the 42-14 win over Fort Mill. It overwhelmed the Yellow Jackets upfront on both sides of the football to cruise into the third round of the Upper State.

Dutch Fork improved to 17-0 in playoff openers under head coach Tom Knotts.

Knotts Leads Offense

Despite wearing a protective glove and stiffness in his right thumb, the senior did not alter his aggressive playmaking style.

He was 4-11 passing for 128 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for two touchdowns as the Silver Foxes as part of a ground attack that finished with 337 yards.

He admitted the challenges of throwing quick passes with the gloves and timing long passes against Fort Mill’s cornerbacks who playing deep. At the same time, he praised the offensive line led by center Brody Lorenzo for allowing opportunities for himself and running backs Michael Robinson, Quinton Wilson and Kyle Henry.

Robinson had 159 rushing yards and a touchdown to lead the Silver Foxes.

“The offensive line dominated upfront,” Knotts said. “They (Fort Mill) didn’t have a chance. We’ve got too many guys that can run the ball.”

Wuerth Makes ‘Mr. South Carolina Football’ Case

Just two weeks after being named a finalist for the Palmetto State’s top award, the Clemson commit put forth an inspiring performance.

His constant pressure led to three sacks and a fumble recovery. His efforts helped the Silver Foxes hold the Yellow Jackets to 130 total yards, 36 rushing.

“Our preparation, I feel like the guy did what we needed to do this week,” Wuerth said. “I felt the energy during school, just coming into the weight room, we were just ready to go.”

Getting Quality Two-Way Play

Both Lorenzo and wide receiver/defensive back Corey Miller made contributions on both sides of the football.

In addition to leading the offensive line at center, Lorenzo helped solidify the Silver Foxes’ run defense. His ability to plug the middle at nose tackle shut down the Yellow Jackets’ ground game.

He also had one of Dutch Fork’s five sacks.

As for the younger Miller, he had an interception as part of a 51-second stretch in which both teams had three consecutive turnovers. In the second half, he turned a screen pass from Knotts into a 55-yard touchdown.

Maleek Miller Gets In-State Offer

Meanwhile, Miller’s older brother once again contributed in various ways for the offense. On the opening series, he lined up in the Wildcat and scored on a 29-yard run.

Miller also had a 54-yard reception in he and his older brother’s first playoff game at Dutch Fork after transferring from Irmo.

“(The negative talk about Dutch Fork) motivated me and my team tremendously,” he said. “I just felt like a lot of people disrespected us and we just had to make a lot of plays and do what we do. Play Dutch Fork football.”

This week Maleek received a scholarship offer from the University of South Carolina. He also has offers from Wake Fort, North Carolina and North Carolina State.

“I love USC,” he said. “Been a USC fan since I was a little kid.”

Streaks Continue for Dutch Fork

With Friday’s win, the Silver Foxes extended a number of winning streaks:

-19 straight wins (both overall and post-season)

- 25 straight overall wins

- 31 straight home playoff wins

Making Comparisions

Fort Mill completed a 9-3 season in which two of its losses were to Northwestern and Dutch Fork.

With those two teams a victory away from meeting in the Upper State final, Yellow Jackets’ head coach Rob McNeely was asked about comparing them.

“It’s hard to compare,” he said. “They’re both big and physical upfront and they’re very athletic. They’ve got a lot of team speed. That’s about as much a comparision as I can give.”

Dutch Fork plays host to J.F. Byrnes and Northwestern is at home against Dorman.

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Thomas Grant, Jr.
THOMAS GRANT, JR.

Thomas Grant Jr. is a graduate of the University of South Carolina where he majored in journalism. He has covered high school athletics in the Palmetto State for close to 30 years, writing award-winning stories for newspapers in Beaufort, Orangeburg, Lexington and now Irmo. He has covered numerous players who have gone on to future success in college and the pros and some of the most successful head coaches in state history. He has been contributing to High School On SI since 2023.

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