Resilience | noun
The capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
If there’s one word to describe the Patriots’ season, it’s “resilience.” Despite facing adversity, including injuries to key players, challenging deficits and starting off with a few tough losses, the team has demonstrated toughness and risen to the challenge.
They played the Norland High School Vikings from Miami Nov. 29 in the region 4A semifinals, adding a win to their now 10-2 record and earning them not only a spot, but the number one seed in the state championship semifinal bracket.
“Currently, we are all focused and more locked in together than when we first started…the teams we play now are very competitive and all have strong players. Our plan is to [come out] on top and show the world that Heritage football is the best football team in South Florida,” sophomore tackle Brandon Adams said.
The first half was a battle on both sides. Norland hit the scoreboard first, completing an 11-yard touchdown.
Being down is never easy, but the Patriots were prepared to overcome this deficit. This season, the team has had multiple comebacks, such as against Dillard High School on Nov. 22, when they trailed 14-0 at halftime but rallied in the second half to win 24-14, and against St. Thomas Aquinas on Oct. 25, when they entered the fourth quarter down 31-28 but ultimately secured a 42-38 victory.
Sophomore defensive end James Nuckel emphasized the team’s mental toughness. “The way we deal with [being down and coming back] is by resetting and focusing on the next drive. It takes a lot of mental strength to do this, but as a team we lift each other up and regain our steps,” he said.
In the match against Dillard last week, junior four-star quarterback Dia Bell, who is committed to play DI football at the University of Texas at Austin, suffered a leg injury, resulting in him not being able to play. Therefore, four-star wide receiver Malachi Toney, who recently re-classified to the 2025 class and is committed to play DI football at the University of Miami, stepped into the quarterback spot.
With three minutes left in the first quarter, Toney threw a 25-yard pass to junior wide receiver Jamar Denson for a touchdown.
In the second quarter, both teams put up quite the fight, offensively and defensively. Senior cornerback Gregory “Zae” Thomas recovered a fumble towards the end of the second quarter which kickstarted the offense, allowing another passing touchdown from Toney to junior wide receiver Brandon Bennett. Junior linebacker Dylan Bennett had a sack that halted the Vikings’ offense.
The halftime score sat at 14-14.
The Patriots came into the third quarter ready to fight and continue their win streak. Toney scored a two-yard rushing touchdown towards the end of the third quarter and senior kicker Gavin Harvey made the point after, taking the lead 21-14.
Norland tried to keep up, but the Patriot’s momentum grew and became too much to handle. Toney threw a 37-yard pass to Bennett for another touchdown, increasing the win margin by 14 points with a score of 28-14.
As the Vikings took another offensive drive, they fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by junior safety Derrick Nichols. Senior running back Byron Louis had multiple long runs on this next drive, eventually earning Heritage a two-yard rushing touchdown. With seven minutes remaining, the score stood at 35-14, which remained unchanged until the end of the game.
“The biggest strength for my team and I this season is our resilience. We continue to push through tough practices and tough games to become the best we can,” junior linebacker and safety Elijah Balkman said.
What’s next for the varsity football team? As the number one seed, they take on St. Augustine in the state semifinals Dec. 6. All eyes, however, remain firmly fixed on the ultimate goal: the state championship.
The offense huddles as they devise a plan for their next drive. This group had a successful night, coming together to score five touchdowns. (Photo/Staci Smith, @_s2fotos on Instagram)
