It would be hard to cast a 9-1 football team headed to the state tournament as David, but the 99-0 team that King’s Fork High School faced at home on Friday could surely be thought of as a Goliath among high school football teams in Hampton Roads.

The last time Oscar Smith High School lost to a Suffolk or Chesapeake team — prior to Friday night, at least — was in 2006. Even facing the 9-1 Bulldogs, the Tigers surely had reason to expect that their winning streak would go to triple digits.

But giants are meant to be faced, and King’s Fork laid this one low with only 1:14 to play in the game, as quarterback Justin German hurled the football 53 yards to receiver Cherrod Joe on fourth-and-10, bringing to mind David’s historic felling of Goliath by hurling a stone from a simple sling. Perhaps German is the giant-killer in this modern retelling of the biblical classic.

From tortured metaphor, we move to unqualified praise for this King’s Fork team, which deserved it even before Friday’s unexpected win.

The Bulldogs have the top seed for the Class 4, Region A playoffs that begin on Friday. They will host either Jamestown or Woodrow Wilson in the first round. They have earned their place in team history.

To be sure, the team will have a hard time moving past the exhilaration of Friday’s win, but we wish for them the ability to focus on the next step along the path of this great season.

Go ‘Dawgs!