Nation Ford’s Trevor Keaton got his biggest goal of the season at the biggest time.
Keaton scored the match winner over Fort Mill with 11 seconds left to give Nation Ford a 11-10 win in the 5A Division II playoffs to send them to the Upper State Championship on Tuesday, April 29 at Greenville. The win pushed the Falcons to 10-7 overall this season.
The Falcons struggled in the first half, but rallied with seven consecutive goals between the second and fourth quarters.
“We made some good adjustments at the half,” said Nation Ford head coach Cory Turner. “We decided to push all our chips in the middle. It was a total team effort. I am proud of the guys. I am happy we were able to get by. Fort Mill is a good team.”
The teams split the season series with the home team winning at each location. Thus, the match on Saturday was the rubber match with more than just bragging rights.
Fort Mill won the opening faceoff and came out firing. Patrick Yarborough scored 20 seconds into the match for Fort Mill. Charlie McGuire came back two and half minutes later to score giving the Jackets an early 2-0 first quarter lead.
Nation Ford was able to get one back with a goal from Dylan DeJute at the 5:41 mark. Fort Mill didn’t panic with another goal from Gavin Gordon. Yarborough came in the final minute of the quarter for his second goal to give Fort Mill a 4-1 lead.
The Falcons opened the second quarter with a goal from Lukas Billings cutting into the Fort Mill lead. The Jackets bounced back with two goals from Carson Maloney and McGuire, his second of the match.
McGuire got the hat trick two minutes later taking advantage of driving lanes to the net putting the Jackets up 7-2 with 3:45 left in the half. That score would stay until halftime.
Fort Mill came out more selective with their shots and Nation Ford tightened up their defense.
The Jackets controlled possession through much of the third quarter, and came away with four shot attempts on one possession, but failed to convert before turning the ball over.
Midway through the third on Nation Ford’s second possession, Holden Kestnbaum scored for the Falcons.
Fort Mill was able to break through the Falcons defense scoring with 3:49 left in the quarter with a goal from Maddox Baucom.
Devin Moll scored for Nation Ford cutting the Jackets lead in half with less than 90 seconds left in the quarter. He would add a second goal with nine seconds remaining pulling the Falcons within three.
The Falcons kept their foot on the gas and scored a minute into the fourth quarter with a goal from Chase Murray. Nation Ford’s Trevor Keaton came right back 30 seconds later to cut even further into the Jackets’ lead.
Nation Ford’s Josh Ameo tied the match at eight with seven minutes left in the match. Kestnbaum put the Falcons ahead with six minutes left for Nation Ford’s sixth consecutive goal of the second half.
Ameo would put the Falcons up by two at 10-8, but the Jackets came back to quickly tie the match with goals from Gordon, his second, and McGuire, his fourth.
Fort Mill finished the season with a 10-7 record overall.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
