This article was written by Alex Becker, class of 2019.
After losing the season-opener to Miami Carol City, the Patriots have gotten back on track winning their last two games, including an 11-3 victory over the Miramar High School Patriots on Friday night.
The first points of the game were in odd fashion, as Heritage blocked a Miramar punt through the back of the endzone for a safety, giving Heritage an early 2-0 lead.
After a couple of three-and-outs and turnovers between both sets of Patriots, Heritage drove down the field and converted on an 8-yard touchdown rush by senior running back Lavelton Williams with five minutes left in the half. However, a missed two-point conversion left the score at 8-0.
After the break, Heritage senior kicker Jimmy Lowery knocked in a chip-shot field goal, extending the lead to 11-0.
Miramar tried to fight back with a field goal of their own midway through the fourth, pushing the score to 11-3. However, the next time Miramar touched the ball there were only five minutes left to play. A defense stance by Heritage, including a sack by junior outside linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II, didn’t allow Miramar to move the ball, ending the game.
It was a slow and sloppy game on both ends with multiple turnovers, including two interception from Heritage sophomore safety James Williams. Although the 27-point favorite Patriots only won by eight, the team showed some real promise for the rest of the season. Heritage rushed for a combined 142 yards and threw for 125 yards, while also forcing three interceptions.
Although the slightly lackluster performance, Heritage head coach Patrick Surtain is not worried. “The long trip to Georgia last week had us out of sync all week in practice. At the end of the day, a win is a win. We’ll take it. As long as we have one more point than the opponent we’re fine. We’re going to make some corrections and we’ll be stronger next week,” Surtain said.
