As another football season prepares to kickoff, the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets are also preparing to make some moves.
Fort Mill coming off a 1-8 season last year, looks to improve this season with the help of new offensive coordinator Bret Story. Story comes from East Gaston where he was head coach last season. Before that, he was offensive line coach at Hickory Ridge and has coached at both the high school and collegiate level in places like Carson-Newman, Angelo State, Kentucky Christian, and Newberry just to name a few.
“He has brought in a new system and the kids are responding well to it,” said Fort Mill head coach Rob McNeely. “It fits our personnel a little bit more. He is able to take a lot of stuff off my plate. He plays to our strength and takes what the defense gives him. The kids are responding well.”
McNeely said Fort Mill is utilizing more defensive guys on the offense side of the ball.
“We have to pick and choose, because we need to be great on both sides of the ball,” he said. “We need to limit their reps, but involve them on both sides of the ball.”
One thing McNeely said the team needs to do better this year is to run the ball better. Josiah McKenzie returns to help do just that for Fort Mill.
“We have to be able to run the football to set up the passing game, not the other way around,” he said.
Fort Mill will have two capable quarterbacks again this season in Quinn Kelly and Broden Mitchenson.
“I see them both playing,” McNeely said. “Both of them have their strengths and weaknesses. Broden brings a lot to the table athletically. Our past offensive system wasn’t the best for Quinn, but he is seeing he can thrive in a new system.”
Senior Joseph Duey feels like Fort Mill can be competitive this season.
“I am super excited for the outlook this season,” he said. “We have struggled a little bit on the offensive side of the ball, but now it has really picked up this spring and in the summer. I am really excited about how the season is looking.
“The first game of the season, we are going to have to come out swinging and show other teams what we can do on both sides of the ball.”
Senior Gray Patterson said the team is more focused this season.
“I think we have a lot of guys that have been contributing for a while so we finally have a year where we can do something I think,” he said. “We are more motivated than we have been in past years.”
Noah Hardy will be back kicking field goals and extra points, and will also be looking to pin people deep as well for Fort Mill.
“It is able to keep return games on their toes with him,” he said.
Fort Mill will be participating in the Bill Pate White Rose Classic later this week on Aug. 15 at York Comprehensive High School.
The Jackets will open the season at home on Aug. 22 against Ballantyne Ridge, which was Fort Mill’s lone win last season in a 56-0 blowout of the first-year school. From there they will have three more non-region games at Chester and Blythewood and then host the Lancaster Bruins, before opening Region 3-5A play at Catawba Ridge.
Fort Mill will have home region games against Clover, Indian Land, and Nation Ford; while hitting the road to Rock Hill and Northwestern in back-to-back weeks.
“We are going to try to be the best version of ourself from week to week,” McNeely said. “We have to stop beating Fort Mill. It is hard enough to win a football game. We have to do the little things exceptionally well. We have to win the turnover battle. Our offense has to control the ball better.”
John Turner contributed to this story.
2025 Fort Mill football schedule
Aug. 22 vs. Ballantyne Ridge
Aug. 29 at Chester
Sept. 5 at Blythewood
Sept. 12 vs. Lancaster
Sept. 19 at Catawba Ridge
Sept. 26 vs. Clover
Oct. 3 at Rock Hill
Oct. 10 at Northwestern
Oct. 17 Bye
Oct. 24 vs. Indian Land
Oct. 31 vs. Nation Ford
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
