Fort Mill was squeezed out of the playoffs last year by the South Carolina High School League's point system. Head coach Ed Susi says he and his Yellow Jackets have moved on. They have a new season to prepare for and new challenges ahead of them.

This year Fort Mill is faced with the loss of 42 players to graduation and perhaps one of the toughest schedules in the state.

Susi had the good fortune last year to have a lot of experience on a senior-laden roster. He will contend with the polar opposite in 2008. He has just little more than a baker's dozen seniors to work with.

"We were a very experienced team last year. We had four all-region players. Now it is quite the opposite. We are very young. We're down to 14 or 15 seniors," Susi said.

Not only did the team lose seniors but they have fewer players on the field for 2008.

"We are replacing a lot of kids and we don't have the numbers we had. We'll have a lot of guys go both ways playing offense and defense. Last year we had 100 kids but we are down to about 75," Susi said.

Nation Ford High School has pulled away some of Fort Mill's players. But Susi understands it is part of the growth Fort Mill has experienced.

"It is just something we have to go through. Nation Ford did it last year and we will do it this year. It will all level out," Susi figured.

Fort Mill played an option offense in 2007. Susi said they will use the same philosophy in '08 with some different sets. Danny Till will be the quarterback with Max Simons at fullback. Till saw some time under center last year and has a pretty good idea of the offense according to Susi.

Defensively Fort Mill was stacked a year ago.

"We were a great defensive team. We were in the top three in most defensive categories," Susi said.

The Jackets run a 4-3 defense. Susi said they will stay mostly with that and rely on linebacker Dustin Smith.

The Yellow Jackets were 7-4 overall last year and 3-3 in region 3-AAAA. The South Carolina High School League employs a point system to determine playoff participants. Teams are awarded more points for the strength of schedule.

Fort Mill was passed over for the postseason by Rock Hill. The Bearcats finished 4-7 overall and 1-5 in the region. The snubbing didn't sit well with Jackets fans.

"It was pretty simple, we needed to win another game," Susi said matter-of-factly.

Fort Mill won't have to deal with Rock Hill in the region this year. The Bearcats, along with South Pointe and Lancaster, have been moved to Region 4-AAAA.

But don't think for a moment that Fort Mill's schedule will be an easy one.

Clover and Gaffney will be a challenge for the rest of region 3-AAAA. Clover won the AAAA Division II state title last year. Gaffney lost in the third round of the Division I playoffs. Many believe Gaffney will be the team to beat.

The revamped Region 3-AAAA also includes York, Northwestern and Nation Ford.

Susi knows what his team is up against.

"This may be the hardest schedule around. I need to talk to our AD (athletic director, Bailey Jackson) about this," he quipped. "You talk about Gaffney, Northwestern and Clover in our region. There are a lot of state championships. It's a great schedule for us. You've got to play the best to be the best. I think it is as competitive a schedule as you can put out there."

Fort Mill has improved each of the last three seasons. They were 3-7 in 2005, 7-5 in 2006 and 7-4 last year. Susi, in his second year at the school, has his work cut out for him.

The Yellow Jackets' toughest stretch could start on October 10. They play at Clover that day followed by a home game against Gaffney two weeks later and then a road game at Northwestern.