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Published: Friday, Sep. 07, 2012 / Updated: Friday, Sep. 07, 2012 11:53 PM

Long gains, turnovers mark wild win for Fort Mill

FORT MILL -- 

Coming off its first loss of the season, Fort Mill was able to bounce back Friday night, beating the Ridge View Blazers 26-21 in a wild game.

It was a tale of two halves for Fort Mill, as the Yellow Jackets lead 20-7 at the half, but struggled in the second half and was outscored 14-6.

Fort Mill had the ball in the red zone four times in the game and came away with just six points on two field goals. However, the Jackets’ defense that forced five turnovers, four of those on interceptions that helped win the game.

In the fourth quarter, Ridge View scored with about four and a half minutes left to pull within five points at 26-21 on a three-play drive as senior quarterback Nolan Randolph hit senior Tyric Robinson for a 16-yard score. The play was set up for the Blazers by a bad punt that gave Ridge View the ball at the Fort Mill 21-yard line.

Fort Mill (2-1) was able to hold on during the last four minutes. picking up some crucial first downs to keep the ball – and the clock – moving.

“We kept fighting and we persevered,” said Fort Mill head coach Ed Susi. “I don’t care how we win. That was a great win for us. We have been on them about finishing. Our defense bailed us out. We have lost a lot of games like that [in past seasons]. That was a darn good team we beat.”

Ridge View came out in the second half and marched all over the Yellow Jackets’ defense, moving the ball 73 yards in 10 plays. The drives were aided by a Fort Mill facemask penalty that gave the Blazers a 15-yard gain.

Blazers junior running back Tevin Adams scored on a four-yard run to get Ridge View back in the game at 20-14.

Another good drive by Ridge View got it to the 28-yard line of the Jackets, but senior linebacker Kelly Batt intercepted a Blazers pass and returned it 61 yards to get Fort Mill into the red zone.

After a couple plays that went in the negative for the Jackets, Fort Mill had to settle for a 39-yard field goal.

At times, both teams struggled with turnovers in the first half as Fort Mill coughed it up three times, two of which it recovered, as the Jackets used its running game to do most of the work.

On the Blazers’ first drive in the second quarter, Fort Mill’s Breshon Simpson picked off a Ridge View pass at the Blazers’ 30-yard line and returned it to the 10, where Fort Mill punched it in two plays later with a five-yard run from junior Deryan Sanders.

Fort Mill gave up big gains at times against Ridge View as the Blazers moved the ball, mostly on the ground, but the Jackets’ defense held strong to keep Ridge View out of the red zone.

After another Fort Mill fumble, senior Tony Godbolt intercepted a Blazer pass and again got the Jackets down to the five-yard line. Despite the good field position, Fort Mill couldn’t knock it in turning the ball over on downs at the one-yard line.

Fort Mill scored just 39 second into the game, led by a big 45-yard run from sophomore Malik Long on the first play from scrimmage. Aided by two Ridge View penalties, that put the Jackets at the five-yard line and senior quarterback Rylan Wells ran it in on the next play for the score.

That is where it got interesting.

Ridge View’s Demario Evans returned the kickoff 90 yards to tie the game and on the ensuing kickoff back to the Jackets, Long went 70 yards to put Fort Mill back on top.

All that happened within the first 69 second of the game.

Fort Mill 26, Ridge View 21

Fort Mill;14;6;3;3;-;26

Ridge View;7;0;7;7;-;21

Scoring Summary

FM – Rylan Wells five-yard run (Wells kick)

RV – Demario Evans 90-yard kickoff return (kick good)

FM – Malik Long 70-yard kickoff return (Wells kick)

FM – Deryan Sanders five-yard run (kick failed)

RV – Tevin Adams four-yard run (kick good)

FM – Wells 39-yard field goal

FM – Wells 36-yard field goal

RV – Nolan Randolph 16-yard pass to Tyric Robinson (kick good)

Team Statistics

FMHS;RVHS

First downs;16;17

Rushes-yards;49-200;36-204

Comp.-Att.-Int.;4-10-1;11-23-4

Passing yards;90;93

Fumbles-lost;3-1;2-1

Penalties-yards;6-35;11-61

Individual Statistics

Rushing – Ridge View: Nolan Randolph 6-9, Gary Bradshaw 23-164, Tevin Adams 6-22, Mitchell Price 1-9.

Fort Mill: Rylan Wells 19-25, Deryan Sanders 9-46, Tony Godbolt 12-41, Malik Long 5-47, Breshon Simpson 4-52.

Passing – Ridge View: Nolan Randolph 11-23-4 93.

Fort Mill: Rylan Wells 4-10-1 90.

Receiving – Ridge View: Tre’van Howell 7-58, Tyric Robinson 2-19, Mitchell Price 1-10, Tevin Adams 1-6.

Fort Mill: Breshon Simpson 2-31, Josh LaFoe 2-59.

Records: Ridge View 2-1, Fort Mill 2-1.