By Lee McManus
Special to Fort Mill Prep Sports
INDIAN LAND –The Fort Mill Yellow Jackets used a ball-control offense to stay in the game in the first half, but faltered in the second half against the Indian Land Warriors.
The Warriors’ running attack and pass rush held off Fort Mill in the second half for the 20-6 win.
The Warriors took the lead just three plays into the game. Jackson Conner intercepted Fort Mill quarterback Broden Mitcheson and returned it 45 yards for the score. Conner broke a couple of tackles and went straight up the middle into the end zone.
Two Noah Hardy field goals for Fort Mill, from 35 and 32 yards, cut the Warriors’ lead to 7-6 at halftime.
The Yellow Jackets used a clock-eating, grind-it-out offense to keep the game close. Fort Mill picked up 12 first downs to just one for Indian Land. The Warriors picked up their only first down on their final drive off the first half.
Indian Land leaned on its most reliable offensive player, Jamol Horton. Horton picked up 62 of his 89 second-half rushing yards to put together two scoring drives in the second half. Horton finished with 109 yards on 23 carries.
Both drives would be capped off with Matt Kucia to Sequel Patterson touchdown passes for Indian Land. From five yards, the first one saw Patterson outjumping two Fort Mill defenders in the near corner of the end zone. On the second Kucia found Patterson open in the near side of the end zone from 28 yards. Those two touchdowns stretched Indian Land’s lead to 20-6 at the end of the third quarter.
Indian Land’s defense made sure Fort Mill could not rally. The Warriors sacked Mitcheson six times, five in the second half. They also held the Yellow Jackets on fourth down three times. Indian Land’s defense yielded just three first downs in the second half for Fort Mill.
The Warriors kept the Yellow Jackets in the game with 11 penalties for 112 yards. Several penalties gave Fort Mill first downs, keeping the ball out of the hands of Indian Land’s offense.
Fort Mill dropped to 1-7 overall on the season and 0-5 in Region 3-5A. Despite their struggles this season, Fort Mill can possibly clinch a playoff spot if they beat Nation Ford next week in their final game of the regular season.
