The Heritage fans and football team fell completely silent as junior kicker Oren Milstein lined up for a field goal. Four seconds later, Milstein was mobbed by his entire team, as he just made the field goal that sent the Patriots to their second consecutive state championship game.
“I’ve never felt like that in my life,” Milstein said after the kick. As senior quarterback Torrance Gibson ran out of bounds to stop the clock with four seconds left to go, it was up to Milstein to break the 17-17 tie with Bishop Moore. The snap, the hold, and the Patriots win.
“I was very confident in him; he makes them [field goals] all the time in practice,” head coach Mike Rumph said about Milstein after the victory. Coach Rumph is in his second season as head coach and is now going to his second state championship game, proving that last year was not a fluke.
The Patriots took a 17-7 lead into halftime but after a Bishop Moore fumble return for a touchdown and another field goal, the game was tied at 17 with five minutes left on the clock.
Heritage ran the ball down the field, not throwing a single time, taking every second off the clock until they were victorious.
Rumph actually believes winning this close game will better prepare them for the championship game: “There wasn’t a close game in the playoffs until now and this experience could help them next week.”
Running onto the field afterwards, jumping and cheering with pure joy, the team gathered with their teammates and friends for the team huddle, which was filled with prayers, cheers, and smiles.
“It just feels great,” Milstein said. “It’s absolutely crazy.”
“Where are we going?” Coach Rumph screamed before heading off the field. “We’re going to the ship!” the team replied, jumping and repeating this chant several times in front of the home crowd and news cameras.
The championship game will be held at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando Saturday Dec. 12, at 1:07 p.m. as the Patriots look to cap the season with a victory against Godby High School and another state championship.
