Fort Mill boys’ soccer coach Mark Seren pledged his team would regroup following a tough 2-1 home loss to Region 3-5A foe Clover Monday night at Bob Jones Stadium.
The Blue Eagles used two first-half goals to power their way past the Yellow Jackets and spoil Senior Night for a large contingent of Fort Mill faithful.
Clover is undefeated in region play heading into two final region contests against Rock Hill and Blythewood. The Blue Eagles also hold home and away wins against the Yellow Jackets, who fell to 11-6-1 overall and 7-2 in region.
Seren said the humidity of the warm April night wore down his players.
“It would have been a special night for the seniors to take it to (Clover),” Seren said. “As things cooled off, I don’t think Clover played the way they did in the first half. For that reason, it was more balanced.”
Clover controlled the tempo for large stretches of time and created most of the shooting opportunities.
The Blue Eagles nearly took the lead just three minutes in when senior Cory Lownds’ left-footed shot nearly looped over Fort Mill’s Nicky Gritz, forcing the goalkeeper into a quick reaction save.
Senior Brayden Hunsicker went close for the Yellow Jackets in the ninth minute, but Clover keeper Cohen Brinkley was equal.
The Blue Eagles took a 1-0 lead through Sam Sykes in the 14th minute. Landon Sykes fed his brother Sam with a smart through-ball from just outside the box, and the striker took his shot just under Gritz’s left arm.
The Yellow Jackets responded in the 28th minute through a sophomore striker. Hunsicker played his way into the Clover box before playing a clever outlet pass to Juan Gomez, who tucked a hard shot past Brinkley and set off a Fort Mill bench celebration.
But Clover was back on top just three minutes before halftime when a well-worked corner routine worked out well for the Blue Eagles. Landon Sykes took charge of a short corner pass and rocketed a hard shot past Gritz, who couldn’t defend the shot from a narrow angle.
Seren said his team has battled through injuries over this season, including the loss of Ryan Seitz in the middle.
“They’ve done a tremendous job stepping up,” he said of his 11 seniors who were honored on Monday night. “They’re dedicated to working hard. It’s been a great season to date.”
While the tempo slowed, Clover still took advantage of the best chances in the second half. Grady Pierce saw his 59th minute header fly wide of the Fort Mill goal from a long cross. A minute later, James Jenkin rushed into the Fort Mill box from a corner and nearly gave his side a two-goal cushion, but Gritz was equal to the shot.
Fort Mill has just one region game left this season, a rivalry showdown at crosstown rival Nation Ford Friday, April 19.
“That’s still a big rivalry,” Seren said, of the upcoming game against Nation Ford. “We’ve played that team well, but there’s nothing to rest on our laurels. We’ll regroup and get better. This stings, but we’re still in play for second place in the region.”
