A Homecoming night comeback effort came up short for the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets as they fell to the Rock Hill Bearcats 28-23.
Bob Jones Stadium was buzzing on Friday night as the Yellow Jackets welcomed the Bearcats for Homecoming 2024. That great feeling was short lived, however, as Rock Hill took the opening kickoff and marched 82 yards in only four plays in an incredibly efficient 34 seconds capped by a 14-yard touchdown run by Zac Jackson to go up 7-0.
The Yellow Jackets put together a nice drive on their first possession getting all the way to the Bearcat 27-yard line. However, two holding penalties and a sack forced Fort Mill to punt from midfield.
A good punt from Noah Hardy forced the Bearcats to start at their own 8-yard line. Rock Hill was able to get a couple of first downs to get out of the shadow of their end zone, but a holding penalty would force a Bearcat punt. Fort Mill would have the ball at their own 32-yard line as the first quarter came to a close with the score still 7-0.
The second quarter started in a shocking manner as Rock Hill’s Kaiden Watkins would pick off a Broden Mitcheson pass at the 25-yard line and take it back all the way to midfield. Rock Hill cashed it in with a five play, 50-yard drive ending with a 15-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kason Canupp. With 9:34 to go before half, Rock Hill doubled their advantage to 14-0.
Once again, the Yellow Jackets offense was able to piece together a decent drive taking down to the Rock Hill 48-yard line. The Bearcat defense swallowed up Mitcheson for no gain giving the Bearcats excellent field position.
Watkins was the man of the drive, and of the night for Rock Hill, taking a handoff and rushing 11 yards on first down. On second down and 23, Watkins caught a Canupp pass to set up a third down and 21 situation. Rock Hill head coach Randy Birch decided to go for it, but the Yellow Jacket defense rose to the occasion stopping Canupp short of the line to gain forcing a turnover on downs. Neither team was able to do much offensively the rest of the quarter so the teams headed to their respective locker rooms with Rock Hill leading Fort Mill 14-0.
Fort Mill would get the ball to start the third quarter going three and out. On fourth and 9, the Yellow Jackets tried a fake punt, but the pass fell harmlessly to the ground giving the Bearcats a chance to make it a three possession game almost immediately. However, Rock Hill would fumble the ball on their first play giving the Yellow Jackets the ball right back at the 33-yard line.
Mitcheson was the leading rusher on the night for Fort Mill and he took punishing hit after punishing hit including this third quarter drive. Braylon Thomas made a circus catch down the sideline keeping a toe inbounds giving Fort Mill a first down at the Rock Hill 19-yard line. Fort Mill was finally able to get on the board with a 44-yard field goal from Noah Hardy.
With 6:59 left to play third quarter, Fort Mill had cut the lead to 14-3. Watkins would take the kickoff and run it back 94 yards breaking two tackles along the way to take the starch out of the hometown crowd giving Rock Hill a 21-3 lead in only 15 seconds.
On their next possession, Fort Mill would have a 40-yard pass from Mitcheson to Josh Welch wiped out on a holding call that drew the ire of the Yellow Jacket faithful forcing a Fort Mill punt. On the night, Fort Mill was called for 13 penalties for 115 yards. Not to be outdone, Rock Hill was called for nine penalties for 81 yards.
With the ball at their own 40-yard line, Rock Hill would strike gold as Canupp threw up 50/50 ball into the end zone. Fort Mill’s Jeremiah McNeil appeared to catch it then have it stripped away by Rock Hill’s Malik Clark. However, the official standing in the end zone called it a touchdown and Rock Hill had sewn the game up now leading 28-3. Or so it appeared.
Fort Mill started the fourth and final frame with the football putting together an impressive 11 play, 60-yard drive finding the end zone for the first time in eleven quarters of football on a Josef Anderson 1-yard run.
With 9:31 to play the lead had been cut to 28-10, Rock Hill decided to change quarterbacks putting in Ian Grissom. Grissom tried to use his feet to eat up the clock, but the Yellow Jacket defense forced a punt after only five plays. The punt was short, but took a Bearcat roll inside the Fort Mill 30-yard line. Yellow Jacket returner McNeil, with three Rock Hill defenders around him near the sideline decided to pick it up and got blasted out of bounds drawing a personal foul penalty.
It only took three plays covering 55 yards as Mitcheson found pay dirt from 11 yards out cutting the Rock Hill lead to 28-17 with 5:20 left.
Grissom was still in for the Bearcats hit Watson on first down for 12 yards, then running for more yardage in what appeared to be a good drive. Penalties cost Rock Hill forcing them to give the ball back to the Fort Mill offense with only 2:37 left to play.
Josh Welch, who normally plays linebacker, caught a pass over the middle for big yardage. Mitcheson would show off his running skills some more setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Bo Blankinship and just like that Fort Mill had cut the 28-3 down to 28-23 with 1:24 left.
Fort Mill would go for two but the long pass back across the field was incomplete. The Yellow Jackets would try an onside kick which Rock Hill fumbled causing a rugby scrum around midfield.
The Bearcats were able to recover the fumble. Fort Mill was out of timeouts as the Bearcats bled the clock out to sneak out of Bob Jones Stadium with the win.
Fort Mill falls to 1-5 on the season and 0-3 in Region 3-5A play. Yellow Jackets welcome Northwestern next Friday, Oct. 11 to Bob Jones Stadium.
