ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Dutch Fork defeated Summerville 40–20 on Saturday night at South Carolina State University to capture the SCHSL Class 5A Division I state championship, securing a historic second four-peat in nine years and further cementing its status as one of the most dominant programs in South Carolina high school football.
The victory marked Dutch Fork’s 10th state title, tying Woodruff for the fifth-most in state history. It also extended the Silver Foxes’ postseason winning streak to 18 games.
Head coach Tom Knotts added another milestone to his decorated career, earning his 10th state championship at Dutch Fork, tying W.L. Varner and John McKissick for the most by a coach in South Carolina history. Knotts now owns 17 total state titles in his career and improved his record at Dutch Fork to 190 wins.
Dutch Fork set the tone early with a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and carried a 20-14 advantage into halftime. The Silver Foxes took control in the fourth quarter with 20 unanswered points to pull away and secure the title.
Defense powered the win, as Dutch Fork finished with eight sacks. South Carolina commit Julian Walker led the effort with 3.5 sacks and added a fumble recovery for a touchdown, while Jaden Wuerth contributed 2.5 sacks. Defensive back K.J. Dupree recorded two interceptions.
Summerville’s offense, led by running back Jayvyn Williams, managed 175 rushing yards and a touchdown, but struggled to sustain drives and protect quarterback Max Stafford, who completed 22 of 35 passes for 127 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Dutch Fork quarterback Jaxon Knotts threw three touchdown passes and rushed for 103 yards in the win. The Silver Foxes finished with 157 rushing yards as a team and averaged 6.3 yards per play.
For Walker, the performance capped a standout career.
“It means the world to me,” Walker said of closing his high school career with a state championship.
Dutch Fork, now the first program in South Carolina history to secure two separate four-peats, remains the defining standard of the modern era of high school football in the state.