LIVE Updates - King's Fork (7-1) at Deep Creek (7-1)

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Greetings from Nathan T. Hardee Stadium as the Deep Creek Hornets (7-1) play host to the King's Fork Bulldogs (7-1) in a pivotal Southeastern District matchup with Class 4, Region A playoff ramifications.

Deep Creek's lone loss came a couple weeks back to Oscar Smith, while King's Fork fell in week two at home against Western Branch in a game they led by double-figures.

A win by Deep Creek inches them closer to a #1 seed for the playoffs, but a loss could put them as the #3 seed when the postseason arrives. As for King's Fork, they can get the #1 seed by winning out - which would mean also beating Oscar Smith next week - but two straight losses would likely drop them to the #6 seed.

Follow along for updates all evening long here and through my Twitter feed @ hatfieldsports

 

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Deep Creek goes 3 and out to start the game - with two runs gaining just one yard - and a pass on third down being incomplete.

A nice tackle for loss on second down by junior DT Jayree Hardy - transfer from Lakeland who is playing alongside big-time sophomore prospect Treyshaun Mitchell.

 

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King's Fork begins its first possession at their own 32 with 10:17 to go in the opening quarter.

Facing a 3rd & 6 from their own 36 - Bulldogs QB Justin German hits Bobby Boone on a slant pattern to pick up 27 yards. Boone showed off some nice speed after the catch to get some YAC (yards after the catch).

But a personal foul penalty by the Bulldogs backs them behind the 50. Penalties have been the bug-a-boo of King's Fork this year, often getting flagged 12-15 times a contest.

 

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Can't blame King's Fork for going for it there. They actually got moved up closer after a personal foul penalty on Deep Creek on a third down pass play.

Hornets begin second series at their own 35 at the 7:16 mark of the opening stanza.

 

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Deep Creek QB Tesean Jones - making his first start since getting hurt against Indian River earlier this month - finds Antoine Flora on a quick pass. His receiver Flora takes off and nearly scores, but ends up gaining 43 yards before being knocked out at the King's Fork 22-yard line.

For some reason though, the Hornets go away from the run and throw three straight incomplete passes. One, however, could've - and probably should've - been caught for a TD.

Even worse for Creek, the drive ends without points.

 

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Couple nice runs by Darran Butts worth 16 yards had King's Fork on the move, but the drive fizzles again. A wide open receiver drops a pass that would've gained a good 15 to 20 yards on 3rd & 6 from their own 41.

Bulldogs punt it away. Deep Creek starts their 3rd series at heir own 43 with 4:15 left in the opening period.

 

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Flora has 2 grabs 92 yards and the Hornets are no longer one-dimensional as they appeared to be in previous weeks.

 

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King's Fork needs an answer as they start at their own 12 with 2:51 in the quarter.

A 6-yard catch by Cherrod Joe brings up 3rd & 5 from their own 33. With bunch trips left, the Bulldogs give it to Darran Butts, who appeared to be tackles two or three times, but keeps his balance and runs forward to move the chains.

 

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King's Fork is 5 of 7 for 50 yards passing with 33 yards rushing on 10 carries. Darran Butts has 7 rushes for 27 yards.

Deep Creek is 2 of 7 passing for 92 yards - both completions to Antoine Flora. They have run it 4 times for 9 yards with a TD run from Damion Everette (3Car. 6Yds.).

 

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King's Fork is mixing up the run and the pass well, but Deep Creek's defense has been really sound and disciplined. They are giving King's Fork underneath routes, but tackling well in space. Ten different Hornets have made a tackle and of course they start 11 guys. Am sure Coach Andre Twins is happy to see that so far.

 

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A big momentum-swing potentially created by the Bulldogs defensive front with 8:01 to go in the second quarter. Just a couple plays before that, King's Fork called a time-out and made a defensive switch to what looked to me like a 4-4 alignment. Either way, Deep Creek has thrown the ball more than I expected the whole night here in the first 17 minutes of action.

 

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King's Fork has gone to a lot of wide-open formations and with the Deep Creek defense expecting run with Darran Butts between the tackles potentially, they get it to the speedster Boone on a jet play in space and he finds the end zone with ease.

 

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Penalty - which I'm not so sure it warranted a flag - aside, the two defensive tackles by King's Fork of Hardy and Mitchell make up one of the best run-stuffing tandems in the area, possibly the state. They've made it extremely hard for the Hornets to move the ball on the ground tonight.

 

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Both offenses move the ball a little, then the defenses buckle. King's Fork is punting it away on 4th & 11 from their own 49 with 2:39 before the break. Still deadlocked at 7-apiece.

 

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A wicked hit by Shearin to prevent a completion. Deep Creek goes 3 & out with the first completion netting 6 yards, then the next two passes are incomplete.

Hornets punt it away, although Shearin muffs the punt return for a second straight time, and amazingly for the second time in a row, he recovers the ball. This time, Deep Creek had five players around the pigskin... no idea how they didn't get the recovery.

 

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Turner was real disruptive on that last series.

King's Fork doesn't do anything with it as they gain just 4 yards on three plays. The Bulldogs will punt it away with 49 seconds from their own 25 after Deep Creek called a time-out.

Creek has come close to blocking a couple of punts tonight.

 

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We'll have some stats momentarily...

 

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For Deep Creek at the break:
Tesean Jones - 3-15 for 98 pass yards, 0-1TD/Int. ratio
Damion Everette - 4Car. 10Yds. TD
Antoine Flora - 2Rec. 92Yds.
X'zavion Evans - 2Car. 10Yds.
Antonio Turner - 5 Tackles (4 Solo)
Isaiah Jennings & Lawrence Claiborne - 4 Tackles apiece

Hornets - 25 plays for 109 total yards (10Car. 11Yds; 3-15 for 98 pass yards); 1 turnover on lost fumble; 2 penalties for 30 yards; 0-5 on 3rd down

For King's Fork at the break:
Justin German - 8-14 for 75 pass yards; 5Car. 12Yds.
Darran Butts - 10Car. 27Yds; 2Rec. 123Yds.
Bobby Boone - 2Car. 8Yds. TD; 2Rec. 28Yds.
Cherrod Joe - 2Rec. 20Yds.
Bryan Walker - 3 Tackles
Garrett Williams - 2PBU

Bulldogs - 32 plays for 125 total yards (18Car. 50Yds; 8-14 for 75 pass yards); 0 turnovers; 4 penalties for 41 yards; 2-6 on 3rd down

 

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King's Fork begins the second half with the ball at their own 28-yard line. First play is a QB keeper and LB Gabriel Fuster - formerly of Bishop Sullivan - does a nice job of getting to him. On second down it's a run with Darran Butts out of a doubles/spread look.

Then the Bulldogs go to a wide open formation and the pass on 3rd down is a big gainer as German finds Cherrod Joe into Deep Creek territory. It was a simple slant across the middle and Joe is one of the most sure-handed wideouts in all of Tidewater.

A good start to the second half for Coach Scottie Littles and his crew.

 

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Kassim Rawlings with a catch in the flat on 3rd & 10 for 5 yards. If he didn't fall down after making the catch, he might've moved the chains. On 4th & 5 from the Deep Creek 30-yard line, the Bulldogs go for it, but the pass is incomplete.

That's the second time tonight that the Deep Creek defense stops King's Fork on 4th down with them driving in Hornets territory.

 

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That came one play after the second sack of the night by King's Fork sophomore DT Treyshaun Mitchell. Bryan Walker comes up with a sack on first down and now the Hornets are looking at another 3rd down - this one 3rd & 3.

But it's Kemionta Hoggard blasting through the A-gap untouched for a tackles for loss. Deep Creek loses 5 yards, and even worse, the punt is shanked and goes just 2 yards.

So King's Fork begins at the Creek 47-yard line.

 

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It's getting physical and intense out there... action coming fast and furious, too.

 

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Deep Creek's defense is bending, but not breaking.

 

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Deep Creek has found something offensively tonight with the quick screen game to Flora. Surprised King's Fork hasn't found a way to corral him.

 

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END 3RD QUARTER - DEEP CREEK 7, KING'S FORK 7

 

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Holding penalty on Deep Creek - when it appeared a horse collar might get called on King's Fork - hurts the Hornets dearly. Their drive stalls and they end up punting. It's a good one, too.

King's Fork starts at their own 11 with 10:08 left in regulation as we're still knotted up at 7-apiece.

 

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The defensive line of Deep Creek has once again been great, and in particular, the likes of Antonio Turner from his end spot and Reggie White in the middle. King's Fork's outstanding RB Darran Butts has just 36 yards on 15 carries tonight. He came in averaging over 10 yards per attempt.

Creek takes over at own 45 with 6:01 to play, tied at 7.

 

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Just a simple pitch out and Everette used his speed to take it the distance. PAT is good.

Deep Creek 14, King's Fork 7 with 5:03 to play.

 

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Then it's Wes Stone - the secret weapon in the kicking game for Deep Creek - booming a touchback. That's a big deal because King's Fork will now have to march 80 yards to tie this one.

 

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Just a deep post and German hit Boone in stride, letting him use his speed to do the rest. PAT is good.

Tied at 14 with 4:14 left to play.

OT? I'd be okay with that....

 

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5 yard run by Damion Everette. 1 yard run by Everette. 3rd & 4 pass is knocked down by Bulldogs DE Sam Dunn.

Deep Creek facing 4th & 4 from their own 31 will punt it away with Zachary Patterson.

 

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Bad time to get called for your first penalty. Deep Creek starts over at their own 36 with 2:20 to play.

 

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Time-out with 48 seconds left - tied at 14 and Deep Creek facing 3rd & 17 from the 44-yard line of King's Fork.

 

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Offsides on King's Fork, so now 3rd & 12 from KF 39 for Deep Creek.

29 seconds left - 4th & 1 for Creek at the KF 28.

 

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20 seconds left and KF starts own 45-yard line.

 

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Deep Creek's Antonio Turner with the sack. Time-out with 12 seconds to play.

 

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Horse collar on the Bulldogs, so Creek will get a shot to take a heave from their own 47.

 

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T.J. Hart broke up the heave try by Deep Creek.

This has been the most competitive game I think I've seen this year, just surpassing the Creek/Indian River game from a few week ago.

 

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