In a key 5A Region 4 football matchup, Dutch Fork notched a 42-0 road win at Lexington to remain unbeaten.

The Silver Foxes dominated the Wildcats’ offense and overcame turnovers to pick up the road victory.

“I thought we were full of ourselves in the first half, but our defense is still playing lights out,” Dutch Fork head coach Tom Knotts said after the game.

On the game’s first possession, Lexington’s defense got off to a strong start, forcing a three-and-out by Dutch Fork’s offense. The Wildcats followed the stop with a blocked punt, setting up its offense at the Silver Foxes’ 23-yard line.

After the turnover, the Wildcats’ offense lost two yards in three plays, forcing a 43-yard field goal attempt by kicker Gavin Kovac. The kick was successful, but roughing the kicker penalty kept the Wildcats’ drive going. 

At the Dutch Fork 12-yard line, Lexington’s offense continued to go backwards. Kovac’s second field goal attempt of the drive was blocked by Dutch Fork defensive back Elgin Sessions.

On its second possession, Dutch Fork’s offense went on a long drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown by running back Isaac Shine, giving the Silver Foxes an early 7-0 lead. 

A quick stop by the Dutch Fork defense was followed by another big special teams play. A punt return touchdown by wide receiver Jayden Westbrook made the score 14-0, Dutch Fork.

The Wildcats’ offense struggled to gain ground against the Silver Foxes’ defense throughout the first half. After another Lexington three-and-out, Dutch Fork went on a lengthy drive. However, the drive ended when a fumble by quarterback Ethan Offing, which was recovered by Lexington’s defense.

“It’s just the nature of football,” Knotts said of the turnovers. “You talk to them about sudden change and things like that. Just play the game, put the last play behind you and move on to the next one.”

Midway through the second quarter, the Silver Foxes got another quick stop, and after a poor punt, got the ball back for its offense at Lexington’s 15-yard line. Dutch Fork took a commanding 21-0 lead when Shine caught a 16-yard touchdown pass, his second touchdown of the night.

Late in the first half, the Wildcats drove the ball to Dutch Fork’s 31-yard-line when quarterback Brennon Carter connected on a pass for a big gain. 

Despite the big play, the drive was derailed when Silver Foxes’ defensive lineman Tyler Norris sacked Carter on third down.

“At the end of the half we gave up a wide-open guy down the middle of the field that they just missed,” Knotts said. “They missed opportunities and didn’t take advantage.”

With time winding down in the first half, the Silver Foxes continued to move the ball against Lexington’s defense. But the Wildcats made another big play when defensive back Landon Flenniken intercepted Offing. 

After the turnover, the Wildcats again failed to take advantage of quality field position, and the score remained 21-0 Dutch Fork at halftime.

“Offense, just totally unacceptable in the first half. Disgusting,” Knotts said. “We were flat when we came out. We thought we were the big bad wolf.”

In the second half, the Silver Foxes continued its dominance over the Wildcats, finding the end zone three more times. Early in the third quarter, Lexington stopped Dutch Fork’s offense on fourth down but went backwards on its next offensive possession.

The Silver Foxes quickly responded with a drive deep into Wildcats’ territory, but an intentional grounding penalty against Offing derailed the promising drive. After the penalty, Dutch Fork kicker Justin Welch missed a long field goal attempt.

Midway through the third quarter, Lexington’s offense picked up a 27-yard completion but failed to keep the momentum going. Dutch Fork answered with a long touchdown drive that included three catches for 42 yards from wide receiver Boykin Bickley. 

The drive was capped by an 11-yard touchdown run by wide receiver K.J. Smith, making the score 28-0, Silver Foxes.

Dutch Fork’s offense kept rolling in the fourth quarter when it went on a quick scoring drive. The Silver Foxes took a 35-point lead when running back Braydon Johnson found the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown.

“It’s the mark of a good team,” Knotts said. “You can’t play great all the time, but you sure aspire to.”

With around eight minutes left in the game, Carter was intercepted by defensive back Malachi Smith, giving Dutch Fork’s offense great field position. Following the turnover Dutch Fork scored the final points of the contest on a long touchdown run. With a 42-point lead, a running clock commenced, and the final score was 42-0, Dutch Fork.

With the win, Dutch Fork moves to 7-0 (3-0 5A Region 4), while Lexington falls to 5-3 (1-2 5A Region 4). The Silver Foxes travel to River Bluff next Friday, while the Wildcats head to White Knoll.

“We’re ready for the playoffs,” Knotts said. “But we’ve got two more games and River Bluff is a solid team. They’re the second-best team in the conference, so we’ll have our hands full.”