A record-breaking season continued for the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets football team with an opening-round playoff win over the Lexington Wildcats.
Fort Mill’s last playoff win came on Nov. 13, 1998, against Greer in the second round of the playoffs when the Jackets were a 3A school. Nearly 28 years later, the Jackets strong armed Lexington 58-21 with the help of four turnovers by the Wildcats. Fort Mill will now travel to face four-time defending state champion Dutch Fork in the second round of the playoffs on Friday, Nov. 13 in Irmo. The Jackets improved to 9-2 on the season with the win.
“I am proud of how the first group worked,” said Fort Mill head coach Rob McNeely. “We got fortunate in the first quarter with some turnovers. We controlled the line. I was proud of our line.”
Fort Mill quarterback Harper Love broke a school record in the game with the most passing yards in a single season and tied a record with the most number of touchdown passes in a game with four. That record is shared with Quinn Kelly (2025) and Brian Dove (1973). Love has 2,220 passing yards for the season breaking JT Marr’s school record from 2017.
Three plays into the game, Fort Mill’s Keegan Heisler picked off a Lexington pass at the Wildcats’ 30-yard line and returned it to the 17-yard line. Three plays later, quarterback Harper Love found Nate Gerhart alone in the left corner of the end zone to put the Jackets ahead less than two minutes into the game.
A Wildcats’ punt buried Fort Mill deep in their own territory. A fumble a couple of plays later gave the ball back to Lexington at the 1-yard line. They would score on the next play to tie the game with about 5:30 left in the first quarter.
The Jackets’ offense struggled on their next drive but got a new life after Lexington fumbled inside the red zone and got the ball back at the Wildcats 14. Three plays later, Broden Mitcheson caught an over the shoulder pass from Love to put Fort Mill ahead. Love broke the single-season passing record on the drive for Fort Mill. He already owned the single-season touchdown record for the Jackets coming into the game with 21.
The Jackets picked off Lexington again on the next drive by Mason Burt taking them to the 9-yard line. Mitcheson then ran in from 9-yards on the next play extending the Fort Mill lead.
The Jackets opened the second quarter not wasting any time keeping their drive going between quarters. The six-play drive was capped off with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Love to Keiran McCormack just 95 seconds into the new quarter.
The Jackets’ defense made a stop at midfield as they continued to give Fort Mill good field position to start. Love continued to be strong under center as he led them down the short field and hit Jerrell Douglas for a 15-yard touchdown on an eight-play drive. The touchdown for Love was his fourth touchdown of the half.
The Jackets opened the second half with a nine-play drive as Noah Hardy hit a 25-yard field goal at 7:51.
Fort Mill’s Chase Fitzgerald got the Jackets’ third interception of the game giving the ball back to them at the Wildcats 33-yard line. The Jackets would then score seven plays later, on a Mitcheson 7-yard run. Mitcheson would make history as well in the game with the most number of carries in a career. He came into the game needing just 11 carries to break the school record. He had 22 for the game and is the first Fort Mill running back to ever have more than 500 carries for his career.
Fort Mill started substituting starters in the third quarter on both sides of the ball. Lexington took advantage of that and scored a touchdown about 75 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Fort Mill got the score back as Aiden O’Hara ate up a lot of yards on runs up the middle scoring on a 5-yard touchdown run.
Lexington continued to battle scoring on a 44-yard run with about 6:30 left in the game.
O’Hara capped the game off for the Yellow Jackets with a 9-yard touchdown run, his second of the game with less than two minutes remaining. O’Hara rushed for 133 yards on 15 carries to lead Fort Mill.
Mitcheson rushed for two touchdowns and caught another as he collected 91-yards on 22 carries. Love was 11-of-20 for 120 yards and four touchdowns but didn’t play much of the second half. McCormack led Fort Mill with 48 yards receiving on four catches and a touchdown.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
