The last time — and only time — King’s Fork beat Oscar Smith was in 2017, when the Bulldogs pulled off the improbable with a 29-23 victory that snapped the Tigers’ 99-game Southeastern District winning streak.
Current Bulldogs coach Anthony Joffrion was then an assistant at King’s Fork.
“It was a very competitive game,” he said, “but in my opinion we didn’t reach our ultimate goal that season as a football program.”
The Bulldogs have their eyes set on the Class 4 state championship game on Dec. 10 at Liberty University.
But winning a Southeastern District title along the way wouldn’t be bad, either. Oscar Smith, ranked No. 1 in Hampton Roads, visits the fifth-ranked Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Friday.
Oscar Smith has won at least a share of 16 of the last 17 district titles. The Tigers and Bulldogs shared the title in 2017.
If the Bulldogs are victorious, they would have the inside track to the title as they would finish the season against Hickory (1-5), Lakeland (1-6) and Nansemond River (4-2).
Joffrion has ties with Oscar Smith head coach Chris Scott. He was an assistant coach at Oscar Smith under Scott before he got the head coaching job at King’s Fork. He also played for Scott at Ocean Lakes from 2008-11.
“It’s great to go against my high school head coach and a lot of my high school teammates,” said Joffrion, who has several former teammates on the Oscar Smith coaching staff.
Oscar Smith senior lineman Brock Stukes knows how important this game is.
If the Tigers win, they would move a step closer to another district title, with games remaining against Nansemond River (4-2) and Western Branch (6-1).
“King’s Fork is a very good team,” he said. “I feel like as a team, we’re more locked in this week. We’re ready to play.”
The Tigers are ranked No. 58 nationally by MaxPreps and No. 145 by High School Football America.
But Stukes knows those rankings don’t mean a thing. The Tigers nearly learned that the hard way two weeks ago, when they had to battle back from a 17-point deficit to beat Indian River 19-17.
“We went in there thinking we could just run them over. But they gave us a game,” Stukes said. “We learned we’re not as good as we think we are. We got to lock in and play together as a team.”
The Bulldogs (6-0) are led by quarterback Cameron Butler (1,251 all-purpose yards, 17 TDs) and running back Javon Ford, who has more than 700 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
The Tigers are using a two-quarterback system with Cade Cox (611 yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT) and Parker Lancaster (406 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT). They also have running backs Jamauri Knox and Isaac Huffman, who last week combined for 256 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Great Bridge. Knox, who also had four receptions for 35 yards, leads the Tigers in receiving with 23 catches for 421 yards and three touchdowns.
Joffrion knows it’s going to be packed and fans will be expecting an exciting game between two unbeatens.
“This is just another game on the schedule for us,” he said. “We are focused on getting better every single week for the playoffs.”
Larry’s pick: Oscar Smith 28-26
Marty’s pick: Oscar Smith 21-14
Thursday’s games
BAY RIVERS DISTRICT
Smithfield (2-4) vs. Tabb (0-6) at Bailey Field, 7 p.m.
Larry: Smithfield 20-13
Marty: Tabb 27-21
Warhill (4-2) at Poquoson (5-1), 7 p.m.
Larry: Warhill 34-27
Marty: Warhill 21-13
PENINSULA DISTRICT
Heritage (3-3) vs. No. 9 Warwick (6-1) at Todd Stadium, 7 p.m.
Larry: Warwick 34-14
Marty: Warwick 27-13
Friday’s games
757TEAMZ TOP 15
Ocean Lakes (1-6) at No. 3 Green Run (6-0), 7 p.m.
Larry: Green Run 41-6
Marty: Green Run 45-0
No. 4 Maury (4-1) at Manor (1-5), 7 p.m.
Larry: Maury 56-13
Marty: Maury 55-6
Hickory (1-4) at No. 7 Western Branch (6-1), 7 p.m.
Larry: Western Branch 37-13
Marty: Western Branch 38-7
Landstown (3-3) at No. 10 Cox (5-1), 7 p.m.
Larry: Cox 34-20
Marty: Cox 31-14
Bethel (3-4) vs. No. 11 Woodside (4-1) at Todd Stadium, 7 p.m.
Larry: Woodside 24-20
Marty: Woodside 27-6
King William (5-2) vs. No. 12 Lafayette (5-1) at Wanner Stadium, 7 p.m.
Larry: Lafayette 26-14
Marty: Lafayette 35-16
No. 13 Salem (5-1) at No. 6 Kempsville (6-1), 7 p.m.
Larry: Salem 28-26
Marty: Kempsville 21-17
Lakeland (1-6) at No. 14 Indian River (3-3), 7 p.m.
Larry: Indian River 27-13
Marty: Indian River 48-7
No. 15 Churchland (4-2) at No. 8 Lake Taylor (5-1), 7 p.m.
Larry: Lake Taylor 36-33
Marty: Lake Taylor 34-17
BAY RIVERS DISTRICT
Grafton (3-3) at New Kent (3-3), 7 p.m.
Larry: New Kent 21-20
Marty: New Kent 14-13
Jamestown (0-6) at York (4-2), 7 p.m.
Larry: York 41-6
Marty: York 45-0
BEACH DISTRICT
Bayside (3-4) at Kellam (3-2), 7 p.m.
Larry: Bayside 27-20
Marty: Bayside 33-20
Tallwood (1-5) at First Colonial (2-4), 7 p.m.
Larry: Tallwood 28-27
Marty: Tallwood 28-20
EASTERN DISTRICT
Booker T. Washington (2-4) at Norcom (5-2), 7 p.m.
Larry: Norcom 27-13
Marty: Norcom 45-23
Norview (3-4) vs. Granby (0-5) at Powhatan Field, 7 p.m.
Larry: Norview 27-6
Marty: Norview 38-6
SOUTHEASTERN DISTRICT
Grassfield (0-6) at Great Bridge (2-4), 7 p.m.
Larry: Great Bridge 23-21
Marty: Great Bridge 23-7
Nansemond River (4-2) at Deep Creek (4-2), 7 p.m.
Larry: Deep Creek 34-31
Marty: Nansemond River 21-20
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Norfolk Academy at Nansemond-Suffolk, 7 p.m.
Norfolk Christian at Fuqua, 7 p.m.
Northampton at Portsmouth Christian, 7 p.m.
St. Anne’s-Belfield at Catholic, 7 p.m.
Virginia Episcopal at Greenbrier Christian, 7 p.m.
Saturday’s games
No. 2 Phoebus (6-0) vs. Kecoughtan (5-1) at Darling Stadium, noon
Larry: Phoebus 35-6
Marty: Phoebus 27-7
Gloucester (1-5) vs. Menchville (3-4) at Todd Stadium, noon
Larry: Menchville 20-7
Marty: Menchville 21-6
Hampton (1-6) vs. Denbigh (0-7) at Todd Stadium, 4 p.m.
Larry: Hampton 27-13
Marty: Hampton 42-0
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Atlantic Shores at Blue Ridge, 2 p.m.
LAST WEEK
Larry: 17-5, 124-27 (82%)
Marty: 19-3, 131-20 (87%)
Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com Follow @LHRubama on Twitter.
Marty O’Brien, 757-247-4963, mjobrien@dailypress.com Follow @MartyOBrienDP on Twitter.