Gaffney topples Dutch Fork for AAAAA SC state football title, upsets Silver Foxes

COLUMBIA — Gaffney shocked the world.

Behind two touchdown passes from quarterback Grayson Loftis, two interceptions from senior linebacker Landon Bullock, and a second-half comeback – the Indians have toppled a dynasty.

Saturday night in the Class AAAAA high school football state championship, Gaffney took down Dutch Fork, 22-19, to win the state championship and hand the Silver Foxes their first loss since September 2017.

The championship is Gaffney’s 18th in school history. It’s also the programs first since the 2012 season, which also came against Dutch Fork in the two teams only other meeting.

"It feels great," Gaffney coach Dan Jones told reporters after the game. "You don't get that many opportunities, how else would you rather win one than 22-19? As long as my heart medicine is working I think I can handle it.

"The biggest thing is these kids, this is something they'll always remember. Even when they get as old as me."

With 3:30 left in the game, Gaffney wideout Suga Jefferies caught a 40-yard touchdown pass, that helped give the Indians a 22-19 lead and Gaffney forced a turnover on downs with 1:44 left in the game to disrupt the dynasty. Dutch Fork had won five Class AAAAA state football titles coming into Saturday's game.

The Gaffney win, which came even after the Indians trailed 13-7 at the half, ended Dutch Fork's streak of 62 games without a loss.

"This is the most incredible feeling I've ever felt," said Bullock, who had six tackles and who's second interception setup the Indians second touchdown of the game. "Last game of my high school football career ... it's incredible."

Indians use passing attack, defense to pull off win

Loftis started the game strong: the Indians first touchdown of the game came on a 47-yard bomb down the middle of the field to junior wideout Jefferies. The play cut the Dutch Fork lead to 13-7 with under two minutes left in the opening quarter and lit the path for a big night by Jefferies.

Jefferies had 153 receiving yards, seven catches and two touchdown grabs to lead all Indian pass catchers. His second touchdown, another dime from Loftis, helped the Indians pull ahead for good. Jefferies and four-star Dutch Fork receiver Antonio Williams were the stars of the show: Williams had 12 grabs for 155 yards and a score.

Gaffney had been in the position they found themselves at the half, several times this postseason. The Indians had trailed at the half of the Upper State championship against Spartanburg and also trailed 10-0 at the half against Northwestern. The Indians took two quick punches from Dutch Fork in the first quarter – Silver Foxes quarterback Davin Patterson had two rushing touchdowns to kickoff the game.

"We went down 14 at Dorman, down 10 at Northwestern, down three last week," Loftis said. "So we knew we had to just keep battling, keep playing, we had been there before. We persevered ... and came out on top."

After Gaffney fell behind 13-7 at the half of Saturday's title game – and Loftis had thrown two first-half interceptions – things looked bleak for the Indians.

"I don't think the kids really felt down (at halftime)," Jones said. "Our kids didn't let up."

But the Indians stayed resilient. Even down 19-7 in the fourth quarter. Bullock's second interception of the game setup a 4-yard rushing score from senior tailback Tyler Smith (Smith, a star for the Indians this season, had 107 rushing yards on 25 carries).

"I had gotten to my drop, then I began to see the quarterback start scrambling a little bit," Bullock said. "He looked like he was about to throw it ... so I just took off and sure enough, he did, and I got there."

Then a turnover on downs with 7:07 left in the game gave the Indians the football. All game, Gaffney's defense came up big ( and helped spark an offense that struggled for stretches of the second-half.

"We went down but we kept fighting," Smith said. "We know that they've been on a run, so knowing that we broke the streak ... it's a great feeling.

"It feels great ... going out as a champion? You can't beat it."

After the turnover on downs – Jefferies cemented himself in Gaffney lore with the touchdown heard all across South Carolina. Dutch Fork was ranked No. 22 in USA TODAY's Super 25 rankings coming into Saturday's championship game. The Super 25 ranks the top 25 high school football teams in the nation.

And the Indians pulled off an upset that will be remembered for years to come.

Gaffney completes perfect season

Gaffney senior Keyshawn Hemphill sat near the 30 yard line as pandemonium ensued around him. He and the rest of the Indians seniors had done something not done since 2006 – the Indians won the state title to cap a perfect season.

A senior-heavy Gaffney team had been tested and passed each one during every stage of their season. And that showed in the playoffs as the Indians rattled off wins against Spartanburg (Region 2-AAAAA champions), T.L. Hanna and Northwestern on their way to the title.

The last time the Indians had an undefeated, state-title season was 2006. That year Gaffney defeated Irmo for the title. Now this year's Indians team will live in history, and toppled Dutch Fork's dynasty in the process.

Joe Dandron covers high school sports for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. You can contact him at jdandron@gannett.com. Gaffney was voted the state champion in 1961, and so was Greenwood. But the SCHSL only recognized 16 state titles coming in Saturday.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Gaffney defeats Dutch Fork to win the Class AAAAA state championship