FORT MILL, S.C. – Nation Ford mounted a remarkable second-half comeback Saturday afternoon, overcoming a five-goal halftime deficit to stun Fort Mill 11-10 in a thrilling playoff lacrosse contest. The Falcons’ dramatic victory sends them to the upper state finals.
“The roar of the crowd was electric,” Nation Ford head coach Cory Turner, exclaimed, adding, “Our team displayed tremendous grit today. That comeback after falling behind truly demonstrates the collective effort and spirit of this team.”
Fort Mill (10-7) came out firing, establishing an early 2-0 lead before Dylan Dejute put Nation Ford (10-7) on the board. The Yellow Jackets responded quickly, with Gavin Gordon and Patrick Yarbrough extending their advantage to 4-1 by the end of the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Fort Mill pushed their lead to 4-2, but Nation Ford began to show more aggression on the rides, forcing turnovers and giving the Yellow Jackets a different look. Despite the increased intensity, the referees kept their flags in their pockets as both teams stepped up their physical play.
Yarbrough scored again for Fort Mill, followed by a goal from Charlie McGuire, making it 6-2. Fort Mill goalie Jack Annin proved a formidable presence in the crease, turning away several Nation Ford shots. The Yellow Jackets maintained their energy, extending their lead to 7-2 with 3:45 remaining in the second quarter.
Nation Ford struggled to find offensive consistency, and a timeout with 2:14 left in the half couldn’t stem Fort Mill’s momentum. At halftime, the Yellow Jackets held a commanding 7-2 lead.
The third quarter began much like the first half, with Fort Mill maintaining their intensity. The referees continued their trend of minimal penalty calls despite numerous potential fouls. Fort Mill’s close defense stifled Nation Ford’s attack, limiting their shots on goal, while their offense controlled possession and took smart shots. Nation Ford’s defense, initially slow to respond, started to become more aggressive.
Trevor Keaton found Holden Kestenbaum to narrow the gap to 7-3 with five minutes left in the third. Devin Moll, assisted by Josh Ameo, added another for Nation Ford, making it 8-4. Moll scored again just before the end of the third quarter, igniting a late surge for the Falcons and closing the gap to 8-5.
Nation Ford carried that momentum into the fourth quarter. Ameo fed Chase Murray for a goal, making it 8-6 with 11 minutes remaining. Keaton then scored to bring the Falcons within one, 8-7.
Ameo tied the game at 8 with seven minutes left, and then Kestenbaum put Nation Ford ahead 9-8 with six minutes on the clock. Ameo wasn’t done, scoring again to make it 10-8 with 4:30 to play.
Fort Mill broke the streak with a goal off the ensuing face-off, pulling within one at 10-9 with 4:22 remaining. The Yellow Jackets then tied the game again at 10 after another face-off win.
With 2:15 left, Fort Mill called a timeout during a transition. A turnover resulted in a Nation Ford shot on goal, prompting a Falcons timeout to strategize for the final 1:30.
Controversy struck as Nation Ford was called for an illegal stick coming out of their timeout, giving Fort Mill possession. However, Nation Ford’s defense clamped down and forced a turnover. With just 15 seconds on the clock, Nation Ford’s Ameo feed the ball to Keaton who drove to the crease and scored the go-ahead goal, securing an improbable 11-10 victory.
Nation Ford advances to the upper state finals, where they will face Greenville Tuesday night. The winner of that matchup moves to the state finals this coming Saturday in Columbia.
