BLYTHEWOOD – Shaking off a slow start, the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets played consistent football to run away from the Westwood Redhawks.
The Jackets won 63-21 as Broden Mitcheson scored four touchdowns in the game. Mitcheson came into the game needing 22 yards on the ground for 2,000 for his career. He ended the game with 141 yards on 18 carries.
Fort Mill is now 5-0 on the season. The Jackets came in looking to continue their hot start to the season before Region 2-5A games start next week.
“They had us a little off balance defensively,” said Fort Mill head coach Rob McNeely. “We made some adjustments at halftime. Penalties killed the offense in the first half. We need to be more disciplined. I’m proud of the guys for the second half effort.”
The Jackets punted on their first series after getting the opening kickoff. Westwood had some positive yardage as the Jackets’ defense struggled on the Redhawks opening drive to stop them. Despite a long drive, the Redhawks turned the ball over on downs.
Fort Mill was unable to do anything on its next drive and also turned the ball over on downs back to Westwood.
Defensively, the Jackets had trouble stopping the Redhawks run game. That eventually led to a Westwood scoring with 59 seconds left in the first quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run.
Fort Mill finally put a scoring run together to open the second quarter. That capped off a six-play, 41-yard drive with Mitcheson running in from 10 yards out to tie the game after a Noah Hardy extra point.
As the second quarter wore on, the Jackets finally shook off the slow start. They took the ball back over on the Redhawks 41 and again made quick work on offense. Mitcheson scored on five plays for the touchdown from 15 yards out to put Fort Mill ahead 14-7.
The Jackets’ defense was a mixed bag at times holding the Redhawks despite penalties sometime derailing their momentum. Those penalties would eventually bite them as Westwood came back to tie the game at 14 with 28 seconds remaining in the first half.
Fort Mill wasted no time regaining the lead as quarterback Harper Love found Greyson Love for an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the next possession for the Jackets putting them ahead 21-14 at the half.
Westwood fumbled on their first play of the third quarter. That gave the ball to Fort Mill at the Redhawks’ 14-yard line. The Jackets were able to get to the two-yard line before Mitcheson punched it in for this third touchdown of the game.
The Redhawks again fumbled deep inside their territory giving the ball back to the Jackets at the Westwood 19. Three plays later Harper Love hit Nate Gerhart for a 9-yard touchdown pass extended the Fort Mill lead.
Fort Mill continued to pile on the points as Aiden O’Hara scored on a 7-yard run on the Jackets next series with about 90 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The Jackets opened the fourth quarter scoring in 45 seconds as Harper Love found Greyson Love for the second score in the game on just a three play drive.
Despite holding a 49-14 lead, the Jackets had a defensive let down as Westwood would go 80-yards to score their third touchdown of the game with about 8:35 left.
That momentum was short lived as Mitcheson took the kickoff back 90-yards for his fourth touchdown of the game on the ensuing kick.
Fort Mill picked off a pass on the next offensive play from Westwood and scored for plays later on O’Hara’s 8-yard touchdown run. O’Hara ended the game with two touchdowns and 42 yards on seven carries.
Harper Love was also key throwing for 218 yards on 12-of-17 passing and three touchdowns. Greyson Love had four catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
Fort Mill opens region play next week at home facing Dorman.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
