Rebuilt Fort Mill High Yellow Jackets face challenges if they hope for a three-peat

After back-to-back region titles, the Fort Mill boys basketball team will have to rebuild this year if the Yellow Jackets hope for a three-peat.

The Jackets lost 95 percent of their scoring from last year to graduating players and only return two players with any significant minutes played from last season in seniors Ryan Heriot and Josh Amigo.

“We are very inexperienced and we don’t have much size,” said head coach Dwayne Hartsoe. “We are going to keep working hard. This is a good group. They are doing what we ask them to do. I have been pleased with their attitude and how hard they have been working.”

This year’s squad is made up of seven seniors and seven juniors. The tallest player on the team fis senior Josh Velez at 6-3. Due to the fact that Fort Mill isn’t tall, second chance points may be hard to come by for the Jackets.

Because of the lack of height, Hartsoe said that is an issue the team will have to work around, but he said it isn’t a weakness. For the Jackets to be successful, they will need to rely on their speed and quickness and run their offense to get the higher percentage shot.

“I feel like we can create some match up problems for some teams because of our size,” Hartsoe said. “We have to do a good job in executing and taking care of the ball. We have to work for good shots.”

Fort Mill opens up the season this week at the Border Battle at Marvin Ridge High. The Jackets will host their first home game of the season against South Pointe Dec. 6. Fort Mill will again play in the Lowes Classic at Chesnee over the Christmas break and will host an Australian travel team Jan. 9.

The Jackets open Region IV play Jan. 12 against Rock Hill on the road.

This story was originally published November 21, 2017 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Rebuilt Fort Mill High Yellow Jackets face challenges if they hope for a three-peat."