The Dutch Fork Silver Foxes picked up a 42-14 home playoff win over the Boiling Springs Bulldogs on Friday night.

The Silver Foxes got three touchdowns from senior running back Maurice Anderson, including two on the ground, to advance in the SCHSL 5A Division I football playoffs.

“We did a lot of good things,” Dutch Fork head coach Tom Knotts said. “We’re not very consistent, but we did a ton of great things. I thought that was a really good football team. We’ve made big, explosive plays against them two years in a row now.”

Early in the first quarter, the Silver Foxes took a 7-0 lead when quarterback Ethan Offing tossed a 34-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver K.J. Smith. The Bulldogs’ second drive ended in a punt after a tackle for loss by Dutch Fork defensive end Daniel Williams.

Midway through the first quarter, a 38-yard punt by Offing pinned Boiling Springs inside its own 2-yard line. On third down, quarterback Lincoln Huskey’s pass was broken up by Silver Foxes’ defensive back Malachi Smith. 

Dutch Fork wasted no time to take advantage of the favorable field position, as wide receiver Jayden Westbrook returned a 41-yard punt to the end zone, giving Dutch Fork a 14-point lead.

After consecutive three-and-outs by both offenses, Boiling Springs’ offense began to gain momentum when Husky connected with wide receivers Grayson Crowe and Kyle Patterson for first downs. 

Facing fourth down at Dutch Fork’s eight-yard line, Husky found Patterson again, this time for a touchdown in the back of the end zone. The catch made it a 14-7 Silver Foxes’ lead.

“They need to grow up a lot when it comes to the game of football,” Knotts said of his team. “On any given Friday, just like Saturday or Sunday, anybody can win.”

Boiling Springs’ defense followed the score with a stop after Offing threw three consecutive incomplete passes. Offing struggled through the air in the first half, going 4-12 for 56 yards in the first two quarters.

The Bulldogs’ next offensive drive was derailed after Dutch Fork defensive end Julian Walker and linebacker Raleigh Salters combined for a tackle for loss on third down. On Boiling Springs’ punt, a 32-yard return by Westbrook gave the Silver Foxes quality field position.

Late in the first half, Dutch Fork’s offense began to emphasize the ground game. Anderson capped the drive with a 14-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Silver Foxes a 21-7 lead at the break.

“The gameplan was to throw it around some, get them a little tired and unleash number 30 on them,” Knotts said. “We thought we could run the ball after we tossed it around a little bit

The Silver Foxes kept the offensive momentum going to begin the third quarter when wide receiver Boykin Bickley caught a 12-yard pass on third down. Offing found success with his legs on the drive, as he ran for a 14-yard gain to move the ball into the red zone. Anderson ended the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run, making it a 21-point Dutch Fork lead.

With around seven minutes to go in the third quarter, Boiling Springs’ offense continued to go backward when Dutch Fork defensive end Luciano Cesario sacked Husky on third down. 

Anderson followed the stop with a 29-yard run. However, the Silver Foxes were stuffed on third down at the Bulldogs’ 18-yard line, forcing a field goal attempt by kicker Justin Welch, which was no good.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Walker made another tackle for loss, ending any threat by the Bulldogs’ offense. After the stop, Anderson continued to carry the load for the Silver Foxes. 

The senior running back added a 12-yard run on the drive. The biggest play for Dutch Fork’s offense on the night came when Anderson took a screen pass 55 yards for a touchdown, giving the Silver Foxes a commanding 35-7 lead with around eight minutes to go.

“That team is good enough to beat us,” Knotts said. “They’ve just got to learn to eliminate the explosive plays that we get, and they could play us close.”

After another punt by Boiling Springs, Dutch Fork wide receiver Braydon Johnson made several big plays, including a 10-yard touchdown run to make it a 42-7 game with around four minutes left.

With time running out on its season, the Bulldogs put together a scoring drive thanks to wide receiver Eli Mobley, who caught a pair of passes for 13 and 16 yards, respectively. For the final score of the contest, tight end Graham Guest caught a 29-yard touchdown, making the final score 42-14, Silver Foxes.

Dutch Fork (10-0) will host River Bluff (10-2) on Friday in the Lower State 5A Quarterfinals. The two teams met on Nov. 1, a 41-14 Silver Foxes’ road victory. Knotts believes his team is still learning how to handle success.

“Success is a double-edged sword,” Knotts said. “Sometimes you don’t think that you’ve got to work as hard as what you need to work to achieve what your goal is. Sometimes they put on the green, the silver and the white hat and think it’s an automatic victory.”