Dynasty not done: Dutch Fork adds to championship legacy with win over White Knoll

Tom Knotts is used to winning state championships, but not many came together like this season.

Some wrote off the Dutch Fork football team after its 2-5 start. On Friday, the Silver Foxes wrote their own ending to the story of the 2023 season with a 21-6 win over White Knoll in the Class 5A championship football game at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

It’s the program’s second-straight title and eighth in school history. The eight titles, all since 2013, are tied for seventh in state history. The championship is the 15th for Knotts, who also won seven in North Carolina.

Knotts and his team are calling this title the “Greatest Story Ever” after the tumultuous first seven games of the season. The team chanted “GSE! GSE!” for greatest story ever as the seconds ticked down in Friday’s championship game.

The Silver Foxes (10-5) finished with eighth straight victories, including a pair of last-second wins in the playoffs, to close the season.

“It is a pretty good story, starting out with five losses, but it is not how you start — it is how you finish,” Knotts said. “... We weren’t very good at the beginning, but I am proud of our seniors for hanging with us, and we got it turned around. And that is how Dutch Fork plays football. That’s how we roll.”

For White Knoll (14-1), the loss capped the best season in program history that featured its first state championship appearance. The Timberwolves’ faithful showed out at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in big numbers.

During his postgame meeting with the team, White Knoll head coach Nick Pelham reflected on the journey and the hard work they put in. He also had his 34 seniors stand up to show appreciation for their dedication shown to the program since he took over three years ago.

“Tonight is hard, tonight is rough, but they will definitely see the benefits of what they have done,” Pelham said. “This won’t be the last time we get together. And the next time we get together, in the next week and the next few months and next few years, we will have happy memories of what we were able to accomplish.”

Pelham gave no excuses to the loss, saying Dutch Fork beat them in all three facets — offense, defense and special teams.

The state title game was a rematch between the Region 4-5A foes. White Knoll defeated Dutch Fork, 17-14, on Oct. 6, handing the Silver Foxes their first region loss since 2017. Dutch Fork players and coaches hoped to get the rematch when the playoff brackets were released.

White Knoll came into the game with one of the best defenses in the state, allowing 7.1 points a game. But it was the Dutch Fork defense that stole the show Friday.

The Silver Foxes held White Knoll to 114 yards of offense for the game and just three first downs in the second half. The Timberwolves entered the game averaging 364 yards a game.

White Knoll was 1-of-11 on the third-down conversions.

“That is what we do. That is us. Our defense, we are a great second-half team,” said Raleigh Salters, who led the team with eight tackles and two sacks.

Knotts said his team came out flat for whatever reason in the first half. Just like he challenged them to step up after their rough start to the season, he challenged them at halftime Friday. The team responded.

Dutch Fork’s defense set the offense giving them short fields to work with on their scoring drives in the second half.

“The defense played lights out and really dominated the third quarter and enabled us to get three touchdowns.,” Knotts said.

White Knoll’s only score came on defense in the first half. On fourth-and-1, Dutch Fork lined in the shotgun and the snap went past quarterback Jon Hunt, rolling several times and kicking in the end zone. White Knoll’s Lincoln Illunga jumped on it to give the Wolves a 6-0 lead with 1:53 left in the first quarter.

The score stayed that way going into the third quarter, when the Silver Foxes scored on back-to-back possessions on a pair of Hunt runs to take a 14-6 lead.

Hunt finished the game with 135 passing yards and 23 rushing. His celebration after the game was cut short after he was taken to the training to get stitches for an in-game hand injury.

The Silver Foxes added another touchdown in the fourth quarter on KJ Smith’s 2-yard run with 6:03 left in the game.

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

WK — Lincoln Illunga fumble recovery (Kick failed), 1:43

Third Quarter

DF — Hunt 2 run (Welch kick), 6:53

DF — Hunt 2 run (Welch kick), 1:05

Fourth Quarter

DF — KJ Smith 4 run (Welch kick), 6:03

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — WK: Evans 10-55; Fanning 5-17; Earl 1-0. DF: Lodge 10-58; Hunt 12-23; Starks 4-21; Anderson 3-5; KJ Smith 4-5.

PASSING — WK: Sharpe 8-17-0 56; Cunningham 0-1-0 0. DF: Hunt 13-20-1 135.

RECEIVING — WK: Earl 4-30; Cunningham 3-20; Henderson 1-6. DF: Westbrook 3-33; Lodge 3-10; Shuler 2-42; Hamilton 2-18; Miller 1-14; Bickley 1-14; Starks 1-8.