The King’s Fork High School Bulldogs had a clear mission they wanted to accomplish when they took to the gridiron on Friday night against visiting Lakeland High School.

“We wanted to come out and redeem ourselves from last week,” KF coach Joe Jones said, referring to the Bulldogs’ first loss of the season, a 33-6 rout at Indian River High School.

Redemption was theirs to the tune of 35-11 against a Cavaliers squad that they ran over early.

“We knew we had to come out strong, and I was proud of them,” Jones said of his players. “We did.”

King’s Fork junior feature back Deshaun Wethington scored the first of his four touchdowns on a nine-yard run just over three minutes into the game.

“I thought our offensive line did a great job early just opening up big holes for him,” Jones said.

Lakeland coach Bryan Potts knew his team would have to contain Wethington to be competitive, but Wethington was anything but contained.

“They just did a great job of running up the middle,” Potts said of the Bulldogs.

Jones was pleased with some big plays on the Bulldog defense that further aided King’s Fork’s quick start.

Senior linebacker Duke Santora forced a fumble at the Lakeland 23 to set up a 26-yard rushing touchdown by Wethington, helping make it 14-0, still inside the first five minutes of the game.

Wethington scored once more before the first quarter ended, via a one-yard run.

“We don’t have enough depth to overcome that 21-0 lead,” Potts said. “We’re not there yet.”

Lakeland did show some life in its ensuing drive, which began near the end of the first quarter. It was kick-started by an Alajuwun Langston kickoff return to the Cavaliers’ 39-yard line.

Senior quarterback Miles Goodman found some running room and several receivers, including senior running back Jordan Stokley, who took the ball to the Bulldogs’ 14, but Lakeland did not find the end zone on the drive.

Instead, Lakeland sophomore kicker Adam Worley hit a 32-yard field goal with 5:51 left in the second quarter.

King’s Fork’s response was immediate, as Wethington took the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown.

“Holding them to a field goal was good and returning the kickoff just punched it out that much more,” Jones said, alluding to the Bulldog lead, which had grown to 25 points by then.

Jones decided to rest up Wethington in the second half and help him avoid taking unnecessary hits. He finished with 11 carries for 117 yards and three touchdowns, and he had 211 yards gained, including the kickoff return.

King’s Fork featured a new face at quarterback for most of the night in the effort to rest junior Ryan Kluck, who was still recovering from being banged up a bit against Indian River. Junior Terry Tubbs filled in for Kluck.

“He struggled through some things, but he made a couple good throws, and I thought did a good job for his first start,” Jones said.

Two of Tubbs’ throws did end up in the hands of Lakeland senior defensive back Convon’Tra Revell, who had a big night despite his team’s loss.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers’ only touchdown was set up when junior defensive back Williams Barnes blocked a King’s Fork field goal attempt. Revell scooped the ball up near his own end zone and returned it to the Bulldogs’ 15.

Sophomore fullback Demetrius McKinney ended up scoring on the ground from one yard out.

King’s Fork’s last touchdown came prior to that in the third quarter on a 57-yard scamper by junior slotback Quadarius Boyd.

The Bulldog defense intercepted Miles Goodman three times, as senior defensive backs TyQuan Weston and Kane Miskel and senior linebacker D’Angelo Dillard had picks.

Next Friday night, King’s Fork (5-1) visits Nansemond River High School (3-3), and Lakeland (1-5) travels to play Hickory High School.