HS roundup: Clover trying to handle national ranking, expectations, but still gritty

Northwestern showed its fight and Clover its perseverance.

In the end Tuesday night, the Blue Eagles boys’ soccer team escaped the Trojans’ natural grass patch with a 4-2 double overtime victory that runs their record to 12-0.

“It had everything,” said Clover coach Graham Stafford. “The intensity, fire and passion that both teams played with, especially Northwestern. We had to dig deep. There has been a lot of expectation this season and we’re having a tough time, I’ll be honest, handling it.”

Ethan Stevenson stroked home an overtime penalty kick and Brandon Malcolm iced the cake with a left-footed bullet to help the Blue Eagles, who are ranked No. 4 in the nation by USA Today, fend off Northwestern’s game challenge.

Stafford said he had to convince Stevenson to take on the responsibility of penalty kicks this season, one more moment in a talented but young team’s (no seniors started Tuesday) gradual maturation. Stevenson had no problem stepping up for two penalties Tuesday, hitting both into the left corner of the net.

“I just think my team’s worked so hard for them, I want to give them what they deserve and put it in the back of the net for them,” he said. “On the second PK, I said a little prayer before it.”

Stevenson bagged a hat trick, no surprise to Northwestern coach Dom Wren.

“I’ve had the pleasure of coaching him in club the last three years so I know all about him,” Wren said, laughing. “He’s so dangerous. He just needs a half-yard and he can break you down off the dribble, break you down with long-range shooting.”

It didn’t take long for the game to snap into life. Northwestern’s Nic Barnosky ran across the Clover penalty box three minutes into the match, going down after a hand in his back. Fellow senior Carson Guest stepped up and smashed the resulting penalty into the left corner for an early 1-0 Trojans advantage. And it could have been 2-0 about 16 minutes in when a loose ball fell to David Tapia, but he lifted his shot over the crossbar.

Just moments later, Stevenson carved out some room in the Trojans’ penalty area, but Northwestern keeper Alec Laible batted his near-post blast away for a corner.

The Blue Eagles poured on the pressure as the first half waned and a goalmouth scramble nearly resulted in an equalizer, but the Trojans took their lead into the break. It didn’t last long in the second half. Stevenson ran past his defender and tucked a low left-footed shot into the right corner to tie the score 1-1.

With 14 minutes left in regulation, Nic Parker drove a shot off the base of the goal post and the rebound beat Clover keeper Conor Jaramillo, but not centerback Dawson Malcolm, who cleared the ball off the goal line. That set off a five-minute stretch during which the Trojans incredibly hit the post or crossbar three times.

So it felt like a punch in the gut for Northwestern when Clover’s Stevenson again beat his defender and was taken down in the Trojans’ box with only a few minutes left. The junior dusted himself off and stuck the spot kick into the left side of the net. The Blue Eagles led 2-1.

Clover still had time to hit the post, before Northwestern dramatically forced overtime. Guest, who worked tirelessly as the Trojans’ lone striker, was taken down in the box. He calmly converted from the penalty spot to send the game into extra time and ensure even more drama to come.

“I’m super proud of my boys,” said Wren. “Today, they know they’ve been in a game. We took them to overtime and we hit the post three times, so can’t really complain.”

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Nation Ford 2, Fort Mill 1

The Nation Ford Falcons outscored the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets 2-1 in the second half and registered a 2-1 win in a Region 3-5A match at Nation Ford Tuesday night.

Nation Ford is 12-1 overall and 3-0 in the region. Fort Mill is 6-4 in all matches and 1-2 in region play.

Lancaster 5, South Pointe 3

The Lancaster Bruins took a 2-1 lead at intermission and beat the South Pointe Stallions 5-3 in a Region 3-4A match at Lancaster Tuesday night.

Lancaster is 5-4 in all matches and 3-2 in the region. South Pointe is 3-6-1 overall and 2-3 in region action.

North Central 3, Chester 2

North Central took a 2-1 lead at halftime and edged the Chester Cyclones 3-2 in a non-region game at Chester Monday night.

The Cyclones are 2-7 overall on the year.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Clover 8, Northwestern 0

The Clover Blue Eagles took a 5-0 lead at halftime and defeated the Northwestern Trojans 8-0 in a Region 3-5A match at Clover Tuesday night.

Clover is 10-1-1 overall and 2-0 in the region. Northwestern is 5-6 in all matches and 0-3 in region play.

Fort Mill 3, Nation Ford 0

The Fort Mill Yellow Jackets defeated the Nation Ford Falcons 3-0 in a Region 3-5A match at Fort Mill Tuesday night.

Annika Ford, Maddy Reading, and Katie Phillips scored the goals for the Yellow Jackets in the big region win.

Fort Mill is 8-1-2 overall and 4-0 in region play. Nation Ford is 2-8 in all matches and 1-2 in region action.

York 5, Richland Northeast 0

The York Cougars toppled Richland Northeast 5-0 in a Region 3-4A match at Richland Northeast Tuesday night.

Mercedes Beasley led the Cougars with two goals. York is 8-4-1 overall and 4-1 in the region.

South Pointe 13, Lancaster 1

The South Pointe Stallions raced to a 5-0 lead at halftime and routed the Lancaster Bruins 13-1 in a Region 3-4A match at South Pointe Tuesday night.

Zoe Kennedy led South Pointe with four goals and one assist. Kailah Marshall added three goals to the one-sided win.

South Pointe is 5-1 both overall and in the region.

Indian Land 13, Fairfield Central 0

The Indian Land Warriors stormed to an 8-0 lead at halftime and ripped Fairfield Central 13-0 in a Region 4-3A match at Indian Land Tuesday night.

Indian Land is 6-7 overall and 2-0 in region play.

BASEBALL

Fort Mill 12, Northwestern 0

The Fort Mill Yellow Jackets collected 12 hits and defeated the Northwestern Trojans 12-0 in a Region 3-5A game at Northwestern Tuesday night.

The Yellow Jackets built a 6-0 lead through four innings and then closed out the game with a six-run outburst in the fifth.

Connor Rasmussen led Fort Mill with two hits and two RBI. Dylan Helms and A. J. Jaworoski both had a pair of hits, while .J. T. Marr added a hit and drove in three runs. Mikey Tepper pitched a two-hitter and struck out 10 to pick up the win.

Fort Mill is 13-1 overall and 6-1 in the region. Northwestern is 6-5 in all games and 3-4 in region play.

York 2, Richland Northeast 1

The York Cougars made the most of five hits and edged Richland Northeast 2-1 in a Region 3-4A game at York Tuesday night.

The Cougars erased a 1-0 deficit with a game-winning two-run rally in the bottom of the fifth.

Seth Franklin, Hunter Parks, Max Necklen, Dylan Smoak, and Anderson Fulk all had one hit to lead the Cougars at the plate.

Clemson commit Nick Clayton pitched a complete game and earned the win. He allowed two hits and struck out a dozen. York is 7-4 overall and 4-1 in the region.

Indian Land 5, Camden 3

The Indian Land Warriors topped Camden 5-3 in a Region 4-3A game at Camden Tuesday night.

The Warriors erased a 1-0 deficit with a three-run rally in the third. After Camden cut it to 3-2, Indian Land tallied twice in the fifth for a 5-2 advantage.

Tanner Chasereau pitched into the fifth inning and got the win. He allowed only two hits and struck out four. Lawson Otte and Connor Ouimet had two hits and one run batted in each to lead the Warriors offense. Indian Land is 6-7 in all games and 4-0 in the region.

Lewisville wins twin-bill

The Lewisville Lions won a doubleheader from Lee Central in Region 4-2A action at Lee Central Tuesday night.

The Lions won the opener 18-0 and followed with a 12-0 decision in the nightcap. Lewisville is 4-5 overall and 2-3 in region play.

Fairfield Central 11, Chester 5

Fairfield Central topped the Chester Cyclones 11-5 in a Region 4-3A game at Chester Tuesday night.

Chester is 2-8 overall and 0-4 in the region.

Nation Ford 12, Clover 2

The Nation Ford Falcons collected 11 hits and defeated the Clover Blue Eagles 12-2 in a Region 3-5A contest at Nation Ford Monday night.

The Falcons erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 9-0 lead. They closed out the game with a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth.

UNC commit Tyler Causey led Nation Ford with three hits, including a home run, and four RBI. Nathan Mahaffey added two hits and Justin Lehman got one hit and knocked in three runs. Luke McCarter led Clover with two hits.

Jeffery Maidhof worked five innings with six strikeouts and got the win. Nation Ford is 8-5 overall and 2-2 in the region. Clover is 8-5 in all games and 2-2 in region action.

Rock Hill 5, Lakewood 1

The Rock Hill Bearcats got 11 hits and defeated Lakewood 5-1 in a non-region contest at Lakewood Monday night.

Cole Bitting led the ‘Cats with three hits and one RBI. Luke Banks added two hits and drove in a run, while Jordan Thurmond got a hit and knocked in a run.

Blake Sherrill pitched a complete game and earned the win. He scattered four hits and struck out eight. The Bearcats are 8-5 overall on the year.

TRACK AND FIELD

Fort Mill sweeps Clover

The Fort Mill Yellow Jackets swept a Region 3-5A meet from the Clover Blue Eagles Tuesday afternoon at Clover.

The Fort Mill girls won 69-63, and the Fort Mill boys claimed a 91-41 decision.

The Fort Mill girls won the 4x800 relay and the 4x400 relay and eight individual events. Genesis Simpson (1600, 800) and Ashya Evans (400 Hurdles, High jump) were double winners for the Jackets. Savanna Woodall (Triple jump), Taniya Thomas (Shot put), Andrea Barnes (Discus), and Mary Drolet (3200) also won for Fort Mill.

Clover won the 4x100 relay and five individual events. Emma Johnson (100 Hurdles, 100, 200) was a triple winner for the Blue Eagles. Sophia Cipriani (Long jump) and Tiona Walls (400) earned first place finishes for Clover.

The Fort Mill boys won the 4x800 relay and the 4x400 relay and eight individual events. Josh White led the way with first place finishes in the high jump, the long jump, and the triple jump. Dalton Jones (1600, 800) won twice for the Jackets. Reece Peters (400 Hurdles), Logan Tisdale (110 Hurdles), and Dane Dobleske (3200) also finished first for Fort Mill.

Clover won the 4x100 relay and five individual events. Isaiah Farmer (Shot put, Discus) and Jaylin Lane (100, 200) both claimed two first places for the Blue Eagles. Garrett Mann (400) also won an event for Clover.

Rock Hill sweeps Nation Ford

The Rock Hill Bearcats swept the Nation Ford Falcons in a Region 3-5A meet at Rock Hill Tuesday afternoon.

The Rock Hill boys won 119.5-20.5 to improve to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the region. The Bearcat girls won 85-55 to improve to 3-1 in all meets and 2-1 in the region.

SOFTBALL

Clover 30, Rock Hill 1

The Clover Blue Eagles pounded out 18 hits and blistered the Rock Hill Bearcats 30-1 in a Region 3-5A contest at Rock Hill Tuesday afternoon.

The Blue Eagles put the contest away with 14 runs in the first inning. Tiffany Domingue led Clover with four hits and four RBI. Kalia Caviness added two hits and drove in five runs. Sami Chavis also had two hits and drove in four runs.

Gracie McSwain pitched a completed game and recorded the win.

Clover is 5-2 overall and 4-1 in the region. Rock Hill is 3-7 in all games and 0-4 in region play.

Nation Ford 14, Northwestern 4

The Nation Ford Falcons topped the Northwestern Trojans in a Region 3-5A game at Northwestern Tuesday night.

The Falcons are 5-7 overall and 2-2 in the region. The Trojans are 2-7 in all games and 0-3 in region play.

York 17, Richland Northeast 2

The York Cougars pounded Richland Northeast 17-2 in a Region 3-4A game at Richland Northeast Tuesday night.

York broke the contest open by scoring 11 runs in the top of the second inning. Joanna Howell and Joei Owens both blasted home runs to lead the hitting attack for the Cougars.

York, which toppled Nation Ford 8-1 on Monday night, is 7-5 overall and 5-0 in the region.

South Pointe 7, Lancaster 5

The South Pointe Stallions defeated the Lancaster Bruins 7-5 in a Region 3-4A game at South Pointe Tuesday night.

The Stallions broke a 3-3 tie with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Lancaster countered with two runs in the fifth, but South Pointe rallied for three runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 7-5 lead, and they hung on for the win.

Morgan Langley led the Stallions with a home run. Christiana Scott, Shelby Gipson, Isabella Dunn, Kayt Houston, Madison Doster, and Heather Alverson added hits to the winning attack.

Dunn pitched a complete game and struck out nine to earn the win. South Pointe is 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the region. Lancaster is 4-4 in all games and 3-2 in region play.

Lewisville 7, Whitmire 1

The Lewisville Lions pounded out 13 hits and toppled Whitmire 7-1 in a non-region game at Whitmire Monday afternoon.

The Lions led 2-0 after two innings and blew the game open with four more in the third. They coasted from there for the win.

Ivy McCall and Abby Thomas led Lewisville with a pair of hits and one RBI each. One of Thomas’ hits was a home run. Abby Furr, Amber Bass and Paige Williamson added two hits each to the attack.

Ashley Wood pitched a two-hitter and struck out five to earn the win. The Lions are 5-2 overall on the year.

BOYS’ LACROSSE

Marvin Ridge 21, Nation Ford 10

Marvin Ridge took a 13-3 lead at halftime and defeated the Nation Ford Falcons 21-10 in a non-region contest at Nation Ford Monday night.

Nation Ford is 7-3 overall on the year.

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

Clover 20, Providence 16

The Clover Blue Eagles pulled away from a 10-10 tie at intermission and topped Providence 20-16 in a non-region game at Providence Tuesday night.

The Blue Eagles are 7-3 overall on the year.

Fort Mill 16, Byrnes 7

The Fort Mill Yellow Jackets defeated Byrnes 16-7 in a non-region match at Byrnes Monday night.

The Yellow Jackets are 9-1 overall on the year.

BOYS’ TENNIS

Rock Hill 4, Clover 2

The Rock Hill Bearcats defeated the Clover Blue 4-2 in a Region 3-5A match at Rock Hill Tuesday afternoon.

The Bearcats are 7-2 overall on the year.

BOYS’ GOLF

Rock Hill 146, Fort Mill 152

The Rock Hill Bearcats topped the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets by six strokes in a Region 3-5A match at Fort Mill Golf Club Tuesday afternoon.

Nation Ford 168, York 183

The Nation Ford Falcons defeated the York Cougars by 15 strokes in a non-region match at Springfield Golf Club Tuesday afternoon.

This story was originally published March 27, 2019 at 8:46 AM.