Falcons open at York, Jackets travel to Lexington

Both the Fort Mill and Nation Ford high school football teams have road games to open the 2015 4A Division II state football playoffs this week.

While Fort Mill heads down Interstate 77 to Lexington, Nation Ford has a shorter trip – just 30 minutes to York.

At 7-4 on the season, Nation Ford gets a chance to avenge one of those losses. The Cougars defeated the Falcons 42-28 Oct. 16 in Fort Mill. York enters the playoffs at 8-3 and seeded sixth. Nation Ford is the 11th seed.

Falcons head coach Michael Allen said there are some good and bad points to drawing a team you have played earlier in the season.

“Sometimes it’s good to draw someone you haven’t seen,” he said. “But it beats the alternative of us driving to Conway. I really didn’t want to drive to Conway. But I think it’s going to help both of us. It’s going to help York, too.”

Allen also said he hopes the relatively short drive to York means more Nation Ford fans will show up at the game.

“It should be a good crowd,” he said.

Fort Mill faces 10-win team

No. 4 seed Lexington enters the playoffs at 10-1. Fort Mill head coach Ed Susi is confident his team can surprise the Wildcats.

“If we can take care of the football and keep them off the field, I think we can win,” Susi said.

While most teams will have had two weeks off between the end of the regular season and the playoff opener, Fort Mill will have had three due to its bye week.

Susi said the extra time has helped his squad recover some strength after a long regular season grind in which they compiled a 6-5 record.

“That first week we needed some time off,” Susi said. “But they are ready to play.”

It’s the first time since 1998-1999 that Fort Mill has made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The Jackets haven’t won a playoff game since 1998.

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 11:22 AM with the headline "Falcons open at York, Jackets travel to Lexington."