After nearly a year, Dutch Fork got its revenge.

The top-ranked Silver Foxes defeated host team Gaffney 51-28 in the Class 5A Upper State final.

In avenging last year’s state title loss, Dutch Fork also picked up its first win in three tries over the Indians. It was also the Silver Foxes’ 42^nd consecutive road victory, improving their state semifinal record to 10-0 and playoff mark under head coach Tom Knotts to 45-6.

“I’m running a sprint, not a marathon,” Knotts said. “I’m ready to go and they grow weary of me sometimes pushing and pushing and pushing, but this is the way. We’re going back to state and we’re going to get what’s rightfully ours.”

Seniors running back Jarvis Green and quarterback Aliam Appler accounted for Dutch Fork’s offensive output. Appler threw for 147 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 78 yards and two scores.

As for the South Carolina Mr. Football finalist and Shrine Bowl selection, Green rushed for 182 yards and three touchdowns, had four receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown and had a momentum-swinging 80-yard kickoff return for a score in the third quarter.

“It feels great,” Green said. “We couldn’t do it without the team. Aliam played an amazing game. We just wanted to come back here and beat Gaffney and shut up all the noise and we did that today.”

Defensively, the Silver Foxes forced two turnovers and were led by Jaylen Hinton's 11 tackles and two sacks by  Josh Smith. 

Dutch Fork moved the football into the red zone on its first series. A false start penalty stalled the drive and it settled for a 34-yard field goal by Justin Welch.

Gaffney (9-4) answered on its first possession with a 66-yard touchdown pass by Duke commitment quarterback Grayson Loftis to Edward Jefferies down the home sidelines. The PAT was blocked, leaving the Indians up 6-3.

The Silver Foxes answered with 21 unanswered points courtesy of Applier. He scored two touchdown runs of 15 and 18 yards in the first quarter. Following a J’Von Mack interception, Applier threw a screen pass to Green that he turned into a 39-yard touchdown to open the second quarter.

Down 24-6 with 3:12 left in the first half, the Indians drove downfield and Loftis found Jamarcus Smith from 16 yards. The two-point conversion was dropped at the goal line and Dutch Fork answered with a seven-play, 68-yard scoring drive capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Appler to Isaiah Jones.

Gaffney blocked the PAT with 1:07 left but entered the locker room down 30-12. It was the Indians’ second biggest halftime deficit of the season, right behind trailing J.F. Byrnes by 20 points after two quarters before losing 30-21 on Oct. 28.

Gaffney opened the second half with a 12-play, 74-yard scoring drive capped by a three-yard touchdown pass by Loftis to Smith. Another two-point conversion pass brought the Indians within 30-20 with 7:19 left in the third quarter.

Catching the kickoff from the Dutch Fork 20, Green capitalized off an opening created on the left side of the field and broke free 20 seconds later for his second kickoff touchdown return of the season.

After the Indians were forced to punt, Dutch Fork added to its lead as Appler found an open Prince Ross to make it 44-20.

As the fourth quarter started, Loftis lofted a 31-yard touchdown pass to Drew Medley. He then completed a two-point conversion pass to Emazon Littlejohn to bring Gaffney within 44-28.

The Reservation faithful became even more hopeful after Garrett Werts was unable to field kicker Poom Pattan’s skying kick and it was recovered by Gaffney at the Dutch Fork 42.

Loftis managed to go 3-3 on third-down conversions in leading the Indians to the Dutch Fork six-yard line. On fourth down, he was pressured by the Silver Foxes into an incomplete pass.

After runs by Appler provided breathing room for Dutch Fork, Green ran 32 yards to the Gaffney 30. Back-to-back personal foul penalties moved the football to the 8-yard line where Green rushed it in with 6:09 left.

Gaffney’s final drive ended with a Loftis interception to Landon Danley. The Silver Foxes ran off the final 5:13 to celebrate another trip to Charlie W. Johnson Stadium for the Class 5A championship.

Awaiting Dutch Fork (13-1) at noon Dec. 3 in the state title game is Fort Dorchester, a 24-10 winner over Summerville. The Silver Foxes are 7-1 all-time against the Patriots, including last years’ 21-14 win in the Lower State final.