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Published Friday, November 06, 2009 in Sports

Heritage hopes to hold on in state playoffs

By Stuart Crosby

The Times-Herald

In its second straight trip to the GISA Class AA state-playoffs, The Heritage School football team knows it can't afford to drop the ball against Bulloch Academy tonight.

The Hawks enter tonight's first-round state playoff game at Statesboro against the Bulloch Academy Gators trying to cure an ailment that has returned over the past couple of weeks.

Here a hint. This bug has nothing to do with H1N1.

Turnovers, which plagued Heritage through its first-two games and then disappeared within a school-record four-game winning streak, are again a major problem for the 6-4 Hawks.

The team has suffered 10 turnovers in its last three games including six in the first half of Heritage's 39-35 comeback win over Harvester Christian at home, having to rally back from a 35-14 halftime deficit. Candler Rich had the winning score on a four-yard run with 30 seconds remaining in the game after being down by three scores as they committed six turnovers in the first half.

"Turnovers have been our problem all season," said Hawks head coach Larry Harrison. "Last week's game was a dichotomy of our problem when we gave away the ball in the first half and came back to play a good second half and win."

Despite the problem, Harrison feels the Hawks are looking forward to the trip to Statesboro.

"The kids are really excited about playing Bulloch and we had a good week of practice," he said. "This season they have proven a lot to themselves and know what has to be done."

For all its turnover problems, the program arguably has taken another step in the right direction this year. Playing as many as five freshmen starters, including quarterback Joe Bonner, x

Four of Heritage's six wins have been by five or fewer points including a 13-12 squeaker over eventual Region 4-AA champion Griffin Christian, handing the Crusaders their only region loss.

"I think it played a role (last Friday)," said Harrison. "We had been in those kind of games before."

Rich, a freshman wingback, is coming off a 245-yard effort against Harvester and now is approaching the 1,000 yard-mark with 10 touchdowns. Sophomore John Veal has 600 yards and seven touchdowns while fullback Stuart Bready has been productive with over 400 yards and has at least 10 touchdowns of his own.

At 7-3 overall, Bulloch claimed the top seed from Region 2-AA by narrowly defeating Edmund Burke Academy 18-15 last Friday night.

A program that is in its 38th year of existence, Bulloch Academy have won state championships in the GISA and the SEAIS which was the predecessor to the current association.

The Gators have had one losing season since 1997 (3-8 in 2001) along with state championships in 1978, 1982, 1983 and 1997 as well as seven region championships.

In his sixth season, head coach Clint Morgan has a number of players at his disposal for a solid running game including running backs Ellis Lane and Matthew Sapp along with quarterback Brandon Walker.

Lane, Sapp and Walker have combined to rush for approximately 2,100 yards and 17 touchdowns with added production from Taylor Bruce who has rushed for 217 yards and has 294 yards receiving with the only two aerial touchdowns to date for the Gators.

"They are not a spectacular but they are very solid," Harrison said of the Gators. "They like to run the midline option and are effective with the toss sweep and they do have a winning tradition there."

On defense, the Gators are expected to run a base 50 alignment and like the Hawks will use some of their offensive skill players on the other side of the ball as well including Lane and Sapp.

NOTE: To get to the Bulloch Academy campus travel on Interstate 75 South to Interstate 16 in Macon and take Exit 116 to U.S. Highway 301 and turn left off the ramp.

Travel 12 miles to West Main Street in Statesboro and make a left to Westside Drive and make another left.

The Statesboro Herald will broadcast the game on their website beginning with the pregame show at around 7:15, followed by the game. The link is www.statesboroherald.com and there will be a "breaking news" link with details at the top of the home page and a link that will take you directly to the game.

(Sports writer Chris Goltermann contributed to this story)

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