ROCK HILL – After starting the season 4-0, Fort Mill had lost its last three as they made a return trip to District III Stadium to battle the Northwestern Trojans.
Fort Mill rallied against Northwestern to pull within two in the fourth quarter, but the Trojans pulled away for a 56-40 win over the Jackets.
Most people have Northwestern as the best team in Region 3-5A and one of the best teams in all 5A in South Carolina, so the Yellow Jackets seemed to be overmatched from the get go. But, that’s why they play the game.
Fort Mill won the toss and took the football to try to take the Northwestern crowd out of it early. But they had to start their first drive at their own two after Broden Mitcheson fumbled the kickoff out of bounds.
The Jackets would pick up a first down to their 15, but the drive stalled.
Northwestern wasted no time putting points on the board as Jeremiah Cannon had a strip of the ball causing a fumble and Nolan McKinnon ran it in from 8-yards out at the 10:31 mark to give the Trojans the early 7-0 lead.
Fort Mil would go three and out on their second possession giving the Trojans another short field to work with. Another 14-yard pitch and catch this time to Jonathan Spurgeon as Northwestern went up 14-0 with 7:11 to go first quarter.
But Fort Mill would respond almost immediately. It looked like the Jackets would have to punt, but head coach Rob McNeely designed a perfect fake punt as Joseph Duey would rumble for 30-yards keeping the drive alive. Fort Mill quarterback Quinn Kelly threw a missile to a wide-open Jameson Terrell who raced 70-yards to put the Yellow Jackets on the board with 6:29 showing on the first quarter clock it was now 14-7.
Northwestern would put together a nice drive that chewed up over five minutes ending in a 48-yard scoring scramble by Means on what was basically a busted play making it 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Fort Mill had the ball to start the second quarter, but was unable to keep the drive alive and Northwestern took advantage again. Means weaved his way through the Yellow Jacket defense from 22 yards out and with 10:22 to go second quarter it was all Northwestern 28-7.
Fort Mill struggled to find rhythm on offense most of the first half giving up the ball in short order punting it back to the Trojans.
This is when the game turned. Fort Mill finally puts together a balanced drive ending in a Mitcheson 3-yard touchdown run with 5:55 to go second quarter. However, the PAT was blocked. It was the first miss all season for kicker Noah Hardy. That blocked kick is worth only a point but it had a massive impact on this game.
Northwestern would again drive down the field and put another score on the board and it began to look like a blowout again as the score was 35-13. Fort Mill didn’t give up as the Yellow Jackets stayed balanced as Mitcheson would score his second touchdown of the night with 48 seconds to go first half. The extra point was good cutting the Northwestern lead to 35-20 which ended up being the halftime score.
If you thought the first half was something, the second half was even better.
Northwestern got the ball to start the second half of play but quietly went 3 and out as Fort Mill had life. Jackets put together another balanced drive putting up another score cutting the Northwestern lead to 35-27.
The Trojans really struggled to find any kind of success in their three drives in the third quarter only picking up 27 yards in the process. However, they would break out of their mini slump as Means would run it again as the Trojans stretched the lead to 42-27.
Jackets would be undeterred. Kelly found a wide-open Terrell on a quick slant and he raced 74 yards for the score and putting Fort Mill within striking distance 42-34.
On the ensuing drive Means would get picked off by Gray Patterson who took it to the house from 43 yards out and Fort Mill was within a 2-point conversion 42-40. McNeely wanted to go for two, but Kelly got injured on the Terrell touchdown and had to wabble to the sideline. Unfortunately for Fort Mill he was unable to return.
Mitcheson would have to play quarterback, but the designed run was stop as the Trojans kept their two-point lead.
Then the Trojans went back to the passing game to open the run. Means would score mid fourth quarter as Northwestern took momentum back making it 49-40.
The Yellow Jacket offense looked different without Kelly in there as the Trojan defense brought pressure from all angles. Fort Mill kicked it away and again it was Means to ice it at the 2:12 mark fourth quarter. That is the most points a Yellow Jacket team has ever scored in a game against Northwestern.
The Yellow Jackets fall to 4-4 on the season and 0-4 in region play. They will have next Friday night off and then play Indian Land at home on Oct. 24.
