By Jack Veltri
Correspondent
It is the matchup that everyone has circled on their calendars, regardless of sport. Most people refer to it as the “Milltown Showdown.” But for others, it’s simply known as Fort Mill vs. Nation Ford.
In the men’s soccer edition of the rivalry, Fort Mill came away with a 1-0 win over the Falcons in overtime Friday night. It is a big win for the Yellow Jackets as they move to 8-7-1 overall and 4-2 in Region 3-5A. As for Nation Ford, it was one of few duds on the schedule so far. It moves to 12-5 overall and 5-2 in region play.
Things were nip and tuck in the early going. Neither side could find the back of the net in the first half. Although, the Falcons kept the ball in their possession most of the time. But while they had plenty of scoring chances, they couldn’t get anything by Fort Mill goalie Noah Churchill.
Before either team could fight for another goal-scoring opportunity, a downpour of rain ensued. This caused the game to head into a nearly 30-minute delay at the tail end of the first half.
Once the rain came to a halt and the game resumed, it continued to be a struggle for the teams to score in the second half. They kept going back and forth, trading shot for shot, but had nothing to show for it.
The Falcons’ best chances to take the lead came in the final minutes. They had multiple corner kick opportunities, nearly converting on a few. But as was the case the entirety of the game, Churchill kept making big saves.
“A lot of those were pretty scary,” Churchill said. “That was a little bit nerve-wracking. But I knew they were really good on set pieces. That’s kind of what we studied before the game. So, I just knew if we kept our heads in it, everybody was on their toes and focused, then we could pull it through.”
It would ultimately take an overtime period for the scoring to be settled. And in the end, Fort Mill prevailed with a game-winning goal from Austin Lux.
“It’s great to beat our crosstown rivals,” Churchill said. “It was a very tough game. I wish we could’ve put it away earlier, but it was fun, and it kept everybody on their feet.”
Both teams will have a few days off before taking the field again. Fort Mill hits the road to face Spring Valley, while Nation Ford hosts Rock Hill. Each game will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 18.
