After how Heritage played the first two-and-a-half quarters in Friday’s game against St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, no one could have expected how it would end.
Down 28-0 and totally dominated by the Philadelphia visitors, the Patriots flipped the page, scoring 31 unanswered points, capped by senior Kade Bailey’s 41-yard field goal with four seconds left to defeat the defending Pennsylvania state champs.
St. Joseph’s dominated the defending Florida champs in the first half, putting up three touchdowns, and then opened the second half with a fourth.
But then the game turned.
The Patriots put on a furious rally behind junior running back Jonathan Bueno’s three touchdowns, while quarterback Dia Bell hit fellow senior Jamar Denson for a 31-yard score.
With just under a minute left and the score tied, a bad snap to the Hawks punter led him to kick the ball into the back of one of his own blockers, giving the Patriots the ball at the St. Joseph’s 30, setting up Bailey’s winning kick.
“Before halftime everyone was talking about how bad we were doing and how there was no hope but after we got back in the stands and the third quarter started, the energy on the field and in the stands turned up and I don’t know what happened but before I knew it we were tied and everyone was screaming and cheering,” junior Band Section Leader Sammie Szeto said.
The Patriots, now ranked No. 2 in Florida and No. 7 nationally, are off this week before playing Chaminade-Madonna at home Sept. 5.
Ending score on Maxpreps. (Screenshot/Adiya Mukhitdinov)
