CHESAPEAKE – King’s Fork held Deep Creek to no first downs in the second half and the Bulldog defense set up the night’s winning touchdown in the third quarter as King’s Fork got a Southeastern District victory 22-14 over the Hornets.

Despite Deep Creek coming into the night with an 0-4 record and off a 55-6 loss last week against Western Branch, the Hornets gave the Bulldogs a fight.

King’s Fork head coach Joe Jones said, “I told our guys Deep Creek was not an 0-4 team…they’re coached very well and they have good running backs and they could hurt us.”

Deep Creek’s two main backs, Josh Bell and Charles Arnold, hurt the Bulldogs with long touchdown runs. Bell ran 60 yards for a score 55 seconds into the game.

KF answered late in the first quarter. Laray Kindred finished a 39-yard drive with a run around the right end from three yards out, but two plays earlier on the drive keyed the Bulldogs.

On 3rd-and-3 at the 22, Derek Bennett dashed 14 yards to set up 1st-and-goal. On the 1st-and-goal play, Kindred ran to 1, was hit hard, and fumbled. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, center Keith Jones dove on the ball at the 3 to save the possession.

DC’s Arnold put the Hornets back in front with a 37-yard dash with 6:14 left before halftime.

On KF’s ensuing possession, Dominique Walker intercepted a Kindred pass to give the Hornets the ball at the KF 28.

With DC facing 3rd-and-5 at the 23, the Hornets fumbled the snap and KF’s Bryant Bailey recovered the loose ball.

After the Hornet turnover, the Bulldogs moved 76 yards in 3:00 to tie the game just before the half. A 38-yard pass from Kindred to Mike Mason down the right sideline moved KF to the DC 10; then on 2nd-and-goal, Kindred fired to Mason in the back of the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown pass.

After giving up 146 rushing yards in the first half, KF’s defense changed everything after the half. DC didn’t gain a first down in the second half and wound up with -19 yards of offense.

Another DC turnover set up KF for its go-ahead touchdown, but this one was more of the forced variety.

On DC’s first possession of the second half, a swing pass toward the right sideline was broken up when Stephen Riddick crushed the receiver with a big hit. The pass wasn’t a forward pass, and despite a couple seconds when most of the players thought the play was over, no whistle was blown and KF’s Junior Camaya dove on the ball at the DC 21.

Going for it on 4th-and-8 at the 19, Kindred hit Mason in stride on a crossing route for the first down and Mason sprinted the last few yards into the end zone. Kindred improvised on the point-after attempt after a bad snap as he scrambled to the right, then passed to Derek Wright for two points.

“It was big to get that score early in the second half,” said Jones, “then we even had a little luck on our side on the extra point. That was big though, to go up eight points, since one possession couldn’t beat us then.”

DC fumbled a pitch on the first play after the Bulldog touchdown and Riddick gathered the recovery.

In the fourth period, DC started possessions on the KF 41 and the KF 47, but both times, the Bulldog defense held.

Kindred finished the night 11-for-16 passing for 109 yards. Mason caught six passes for 80 yards. Bennett rushed 18 times for 54 yards.

The Bulldogs (3-2, 2-2) host Lakeland this coming Friday. King’s Fork will be going for its third straight season with a city sweep.