FORT MILL, S.C. — Under a damp, chilling evening, the Fort Mill High School boys lacrosse team broke a losing streak spanning more than four years against rival Nation Ford, securing a hard-fought 9-7 victory Wednesday. Fort Mill established dominance early, building a commanding 7-2 lead by halftime fueled by strong offensive play and capitalizing on opponent miscues. Patrick Yarborough scored the game’s opening goal, setting the tone for the Yellowjackets.
Charlie McGuire extended the lead to 2-0 with 1:49 left in the first quarter, an advantage Fort Mill held heading into the second.
The Yellowjackets continued their surge after the break. A goal assisted by Carson Maloney made it 3-0, followed quickly by another strike from McGuire for a 4-0 lead. Fort Mill consistently won face-offs and employed aggressive checks, forcing numerous Nation Ford turnovers. Yarborough took advantage of Nation Ford clearing difficulties, scoring two quick goals before adding another, assisted by Kayden Klapheke, to push the lead to 7-0.
Nation Ford called a timeout to regroup and finally got on the board before halftime. Quinn Tauzin broke the shutout with 46 seconds remaining, and Josh Ameo scored shortly after to cut the deficit to 7-2 at the intermission.
After Fort Mill controlled much of the third quarter clock, a turnover led to a Nation Ford goal, making the score 7-3. Though the Falcons forced another turnover, Fort Mill’s goalie denied the shot attempt. Maddox Baucom then scored for the Yellowjackets, increasing the lead to 8-3 with 4:22 left in the third.
Maloney added a goal for Fort Mill early in the fourth quarter to make it 9-3. Nation Ford mounted a late comeback attempt, sparked by Ameo, who scored two consecutive goals to narrow the gap to 9-5.
As Fort Mill worked to manage the clock, Ameo scored again following a Yellowjacket turnover, cutting the lead to 9-6. After a Nation Ford timeout with 1:56 remaining, Ameo tallied his fourth straight goal, bringing the score to a tense 9-7 with 1:01 left.
Fort Mill won the critical ensuing face-off and called a timeout. Nation Ford managed to force one final turnover but could not convert the opportunity. The Yellowjackets held on for the victory, marking their first win against the Falcons in lacrosse since before 2020.
Fort Mill closes out the regular season at 9-6 overall and 3-3 in Regiona 3-5A action. Nation Ford has two more non-region games remaining where they can hope to rebound. The team falls to 9-5 overall and 3-3 in Region 3-5A.
