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Published Saturday, October 01, 2011 in Sports

Heritage School holds back Flint River Academy

FROM STAFF REPORTS

sports@newnan.com

In a year where points scored on offense may have overshadowed pressure on defense, The Heritage School proved Friday at Flint River Academy that it can play in the trenches just as well as a shootout.

The Hawks stopped the Wildcats inside their own 3-yard line as time ran out on a 21-13 victory, the school's first-ever in four tries against a traditionally strong Flint River program.

It was another in a long line of firsts for this year's Heritage School lineup in head coach Kevin Prisant's debut in 2011. The victory pushed the Hawks over last year's win total at 5-1 and more importantly evened their Region 2-AA record at 1-1 while staying within range for a postseason berth in the GISA.

Heritage School stopped Flint River inside its own 10-yard line three times in the second half, the last of which with under three seconds remaining in the game when Wildcat senior Ryan Williamson was pulled down shy of the goalline on third-and-goal from the 5-yard line.

Junior Candler Rich ran for 90 yards and two scores for the Hawks, who were forced to rally from 7-0 and 13-8 deficits before finally taking a lead for good on his 30-yard run with just 3:35 left in the game.

Flint River's offense, which controlled nearly the entire third quarter clock behind Williamson and sophomore Will Couch, quickly drove the ball from its own 40-yard line, getting two key completions on fourth downs. The first came when quarterback Seth Short hit Caleb Harker on 4th-and-20 to keep the drive alive.

Three first-half turnovers by Heritage School kept the Hawks playing catch-up for most of the game, with Williamson scoring on a drive coming off Joe Bonner's tipped pass that was intercepted to open the game.

Bonner rallied his offense for a go-ahead score, however, on a drive that ended with his 1-yard quarterback sneak with 1:48 left in the first quarter. Rich, in the wildcat formation, took a snap on the 2-point conversion and found Garrett Jones to put the Hawks ahead, 8-7.

Flint River converted a second Heritage School turnover into points to open the second quarter, with Williamson scoring from 15-yards after the Hawks botched a pitch on offense. A blocked point-after try by the Wildcats pushed them ahead 13-8.

After holding Flint River when it recovered an ensuing onside kick, Bonner and Rich combined on a three-minute, 64-yard drive that ended with Rich scoring on a 10-yard run to put the Hawks ahead 14-13 at halftime.

Flint River tried to push momentum in its favor by dominating possession after the break, alternating runs from Williamson and Adams to get the ball to the Hawks 4-yard-line. But after being stuffed at the goalline on third down and an ensuing offsides penalty, Heritage's defense held on fourth down.

Flint River's next offensive drive ended again at the Heritage 4 when the Wildcats fumbled.

Heritage School's ensuing drive for a much-needed insurance score was keyed by a third-down pass to Ryan Lynch and another Bonner throw to Rich to get the ball to midfield, before the All-State tailback broke through from the Wildcat 30 to make it 21-13.

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