No. 3 St. Frances too much for Dutch Fork. White Knoll starts 6-0 for first time

Dutch Fork football’s regular-season win streak came to an end Friday night against one of the top programs in the country.

Third-ranked St. Frances Academy (Md.) used a dominating defensive performance to defeat the 25th-ranked Silver Foxes 26-7 in front of a large crowd at Fox Field. The loss ended Dutch Fork’s 43-game, regular-season winning streak that dated back to Sept. 1, 2017.

“That is a fine football team,” Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts said of St. Frances. “I have never seen a team as big and as fast. In 42 years, I have never seen a defense that good. … They were just special.”

Both teams were nationally ranked for what was one of the most anticipated games for the Silver Foxes in Knotts’ 11 years as head coach.

Dutch Fork was able to hold its own on the defensive end and Chandler Perry’s 41-yard interception return cut the Panthers’ lead to 8-7 with 8:41 left in the first half.

But St. Frances answered with a pair of Michael Van Bure-to-Kyre Benton touchdowns and led 20-7 at halftime. Benton’s second TD catch was a 45-yard leaping grab on third-and-9 with 13 seconds left in the third quarter.

Van Buren was 16-of-25 for 176 yards. Benton caught six passes for 88 yards. Running back Durell Robinson, a Boston College commit, rushed for 93 yards and a TD.

Dutch Fork had some life when it recovered the opening kickoff of the second half. But one play later, Boston College commit Brian Simms came up with a sack and forced fumble, and returned the ball 58 yards to make it 26-7.

Simms is part of St. Frances’ defensive line, which resembled a college front four. All four players are Power 5 commits, including four-star prospect Da’Shawn Womack (LSU), Sam Greene (Southern Cal) and Isaiah Neal (Pitt).

The defensive line made things tough for the Silver Foxes’ offense and held them to 121 total yards. The 7 points were Dutch Fork’s lowest total losing to Greenwood 24-10 on Aug. 21, 2015.

“Now I know how the rest of the state feels playing us the last few years,” Knotts said. “It was entirely frustrating as an offensive coach. Our defense played as tough as they could for as tough of a position our offense put us in all night.”

Dutch Fork (5-1) is off next week before starting Region 5-5A play against White Knoll.

St. Frances (4-0) will leave Monday for its cross-country road trip at Kuhuku (Hawaii).

White Knoll 48, Lancaster 7

The Timbwerwolves moved to 6-0 for the first time in school history with a win over Lancaster.

Jesse Ross rushed for three touchdowns and Landon Sharpe threw two scores. Ross finished with 83 yards rushing while Sharpe was 14-of-21 passing for 183 yards.

Austin Cunningham and Hasan Lee each caught TD passes.

AC Flora 47, Chapin 21

The Falcons (5-0) jumped out to a 21-0 lead on their way to a win over the Eagles.

Markel Townsend rushed for two touchdowns, his fourth straight game with multiple touchdowns, and had more than 200 yards.

Quarterback Carew Bates threw four touchdown passes for the Falcons. Aiden Moseley ran for a TD and also caught a touchdown.

Dorman 39, River Bluff 23

DJ Porter and Demetrius Foster each had big nights on the ground as the Cavs defeated the Gators in a matchup of unbeaten teams in Class 5A.

Porter rushed for 211 yards and a touchdown, and Foster added 115 yards and two scores. Porter’s 80-yard TD run put Dorman (5-0) up 32-15 with 8:15 left.

River Bluff quarterback Parker Murray threw for a season-high 225 yards and two touchdowns. Stephen Collier and Blaine Blose had TD catches for the Gators (5-1). Cooper Johns was held to 89 yards and a TD.

Camden 55, Lake City 14

Cortez Lane ran for two touchdowns and the Bulldogs (3-3) won their Region 6-3A opener and snapped a three-game losing streak.

Lane finished with 127 yards rushing.

Grayson White, Aiiji Gray and Machi Wilson each had TD runs for Camden. Dylan Locklear returned an interception for a touchdown and Aidan Herriot had a kickoff return for a score.

Gray Collegiate 51, Mid-Carolina 29

Running back Caleb Ford had 180 yards rushing and two touchdowns as Gray Collegiate (3-3) won its third straight game.

Devin Johnson scored three touchdowns and had more than 150 yards in total offense. Zai Offord returned a punt for a score.

Irmo 37, Airport 0

Quarterback AJ Brand was 19-of-30 passing for 318 yards and four touchdowns in his first game back from an ankle injury.

Running back Erick Tucker rushed for 138 yards and also caught 8 passes for 114 yards and two TDs for the Yellow Jackets (4-1). Telvin Smith caught 7 passes for 123 yards.

Saluda 33, Gilbert 21

Tyleke Mathis rushed for two touchdowns as the Tigers (5-0), the No. 1 team in Class 2A, handed the Indians their second straight loss.

Running back Brayden Williams also had two touchdown passes to Jamarcus Mobley for Saluda. Mathis finished with 127 yards rushing. Mobley had seven catches for 123 yards.

Alias Graham-Woodberry and Jaden Allen-Hendrix each rushed for more than 100 yards in the loss for Gilbert (3-2). Allen-Hendrix had a touchdown rushing and receiving.

Drake Braddock and Chance Jennings threw TD passes for the Indians.

Hammond 65, Camden Military 6

Rucker Brannon picked off three passes and returned two for touchdowns in the Skyhawks’ victory.

Omari Bennett caught two touchdown passes and Aidan Canzater had two TD runs for Hammond (4-2). Quarterback Dylan Richardson ran for a TD and also threw for one.

Heathwood Hall 21, Augusta Christian 17

Patrick Belk hit Dylan Lesane on a touchdown pass with 42 seconds to give the Highlanders (4-2) their their third straight victory.

It was the second straight game decided in the final minute.

Belk finished with two touchdown passes for Heathwood. Will Frick threw a TD pass to Pierce Avery on a botched field goal attempt.

Ben Lippen 63, Cardinal Newman 28

Bryce Craft had three touchdown runs and Blake Bost returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the Falcons’ victory.

Quarterback Dobson Ricks threw a touchdown and ran for a score. Jed Essig picked off two passes for Ben Lippen, which improved to 4-2.

Duncan Skehan threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores in the loss for Cardinal Newman (2-3).

Columbia 20, Eau Claire 13

Jamel McDaniel hit Jakur Wilson on a 30-yard TD pass on fourth-and-17 with 1:18 left to give the Capitals (2-4) the come-from behind win.

McDaniel also had a TD run for the Capitals.

Eau Claire had a chance to tie it on its final possession but the pass was knocked away in the end zone.

Samir Holloway had a TD pass and run for Eau Claire (0-5).

Nation Ford 33, Richland Northeast 20

Carson Black threw for two scores and AJ McCollum ran for two TDs in Nation Ford’s win over the Cavs.

Will Wilson had three touchdown passes in the loss for RNE.

CA Johnson 61, Hemingway 6

The Green Hornets (3-3)got back to .500 on the season with a big win on homecoming.

Dawan Rice and Caleb Pearson each scored three touchdowns, while Deshawn Winn and Terrell Hopkins each had one.

Keenan 36, Newberry 21

The Raiders (3-3) got their first region win with a victory over the Bulldogs (0-5).