A couple weeks back The Charlotte Observer named the best Mecklenburg County high school football players and coaches in the region since 1984- a Forty Year Look. Not surprisingly, Tom Knotts was named the best Head Coach for the period. The Observer went on to say he was probably best coach statewide over the past 40 years in NC, and included likely SC as well. Some might disagree and say McKissick, Bentley, Davis etc. might warrant that title in SC, but also "not surprisingly" he gets my vote for the best in SC. His overall record is 462-87-1 and he is 121-23 in playoffs...let that sink in. At DF he is 165-27-1 with 11 trips to the state championship and 8 titles in 14 seasons.
They interviewed Coach Knotts, and he still has the fire, and is fired up about coaching his son, who is a rising sophomore at Dutch Fork. The thing that struck me is what he said about Dutch Fork HS- it's "the perfect storm" for a high school football coach (his words); affluent district with the resources needed for a program to be successful; a supportive administration and community; and most importantly an incredible level of talent walking the halls at DF year in and year out. Years ago...probably 2006, on another site I stated that DF had more talent walking the halls than any other school in SC (ok places like Fort D etc. are close) and if a HC could get most of it on the field they would be a force each year. Of course folks like Slick and JB told me I'd been drinking too much and sober up before I logged on again. I was hoping for a really good coach, not the best coach- but he came. Not a lot of history as far as head coaches at DF- relatively new school which Coach Knotts is just the second HC they have had. Eventually, he will retire but given his success and his testimony about the potential at DF, I know his successor will be a winner- personally, I hope DF can lure Coach Pelham away from White Knoll...just have to wait and see.
I think the DF faithful had a feeling about the 2018 team, and also watching the 2022 team coming up, even with the loss of Devin Hyatt to IMG, we thought that group of seniors would be special, and once they got healthy they rolled through the playoffs as well. Looking ahead the next three seasons look extremely promising with a special set of talent coming through...if they stay healthy....and that's a BIG IF given the past couple seasons, this may be some of the best football DF has seen to date. I remember last season I think it was on Friday night HS TV coverage of games a SCISA school, can't recall which one, won a big game and the student body started chanting "We Want Dutch Fork", like the "We Want Bama" chants you hear at some college games....
My response was..."um, are you sure about that?"
Fear The Fox...