What We Saw: Dutch Fork 42, Boiling Springs 14

Ian Guerin November 22, 2024 @ 11:21 PM

IRMO | For the first 21 minutes Friday, Boiling Springs was very much in its second-round game against perennial powerhouse Dutch Fork.   It didn't matter that the Bulldogs had punted on five of their first six possessions or that it had allowed a [player_tooltip player_id='275995' first='Jayden' last='Westbrook'] punt return or that starting tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1254206' first='Javen' last='Chhim'] went down in the first quarter with a game-ending injury. [player_tooltip player_id='1012707' first='Lincoln' last='Huskey'] put together a solid second-quarter drive that made it a one-score game after his nine-yard touchdown pass.   What did matter was that Dutch Fork's defense had already effectively slammed shut any chance of the state's biggest upset from happening by showing why it can be so dominant.   [player_tooltip player_id='1025776' first='Raleigh' last='Salters'] had eight tackles and two tackles for loss, Daniel Williams finished with seven tackles and two stops behind the line of his own and Dutch Fork finished with 11 total tackles for loss en route to a 42-14 win at home.    All that defense gave tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1012701' first='Maurice' last='Anderson'] time to finally bust through the Boiling Springs defense for 147 total yards of offense and three scores.    “When we see the defense is shutting the opposing offense down, we just know it's time to step up,” Anderson said. “We were in the locker room and TK told us we needed to put in some work.”   TK, of course, is legendary Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts. And, again, another solid opponent fell by the Silver Foxes' wayside.    For Anderson (pictured), it was a better-late-than-never type of night. At halftime, he had just 18 yards on the ground, with 14 of those coming on his touchdown run with 1:02 left in the second quarter.    After the break, the senior got going. He scored on a six-yard touchdown run on the team's opening drive (a 4:37 series that sucked up time and for all intents and purposes ended any real threat). He then delivered the blow that reminded everyone who was playing when he took a short screen pass on a third-and-18 and took it 54 yards for his third touchdown of the night.    It led to yet another lopsided score from the state's most dominant team over the last 12 seasons.    OTHER DUTCH FORK STANDOUTS   [player_tooltip player_id='1025776' first='Raleigh' last='Salters'] | 2026 LB   Salters' stats only told one half of his night. The junior was working extremely hard sideline to sideline and made plays in a triangle directed toward the backfield all night.    [player_tooltip player_id='275995' first='Jayden' last='Westbrook'] | 2025 WR/KR   Westbrook's 38-yard punt return for a touchdown wasn't even his best return of the game. With less than 3 minutes left in the second quarter, he field Boiling Springs' fifth punt of the game at his own 21-yard line and flipped the field by taking it to the Bulldogs' 44. The Silver Foxes needed just five plays to score on Anderson's first touchdown of the night to make it a two-score game going into the break.   [player_tooltip player_id='1267290' first='Ethan' last='Offing'] | 2026 QB   Much like Anderson, Offing struggled in the first half. He had just 50 passing yards, with 34 of those coming by way of his 34-yard touchdown pass to [player_tooltip player_id='1013047' first='KJ' last='Smith'] in the opening quarter. The second half was a different story. He completed six-of-seven attempts to finish the night with 153 passing yards, the two aforementioned touchdowns and another 62 rushing yards.    BOILING SPRINGS STANDOUTS    [player_tooltip player_id='1360379' first='Kyle' last='Patterson'] | 2025 WR   Patterson and Huskey were responsible for 90 of the Bulldogs' 222 yards of offense on the night. He caught a late 27-yard touchdown pass after the game was well in hand. The senior also scored the Bulldogs' only points of the first half. On a fourth-and 5 from the 9-yard line in the second quarter, Patterson made a nice over-the-shoulder catch on the side of the end zone.    [player_tooltip player_id='1359247' first='Gavin' last='Calhoun'] | 2025 LB   Calhoun, who transferred to Boiling Springs in the offseason from Abbeville, wrapped up his impressive senior season with nine tackles and a tackle for loss.    John Michael Simmons | 2026 DL   Simmons solidified himself as a name to watch next fall by recording a game-high three tackles for loss. On two of the plays, he was charged with stopping much faster players in the open field behind the line and didn't disappoint.

IRMO | For the first 21 minutes Friday, Boiling Springs was very much in its second-round game against perennial powerhouse Dutch Fork.