MERIDIAN — Turnovers hurt the Heritage Academy football team dearly Friday night.
A 100-yard fumble return touchdown might have been the biggest turnover in a disastrous first half as Heritage Academy dropped a 47-7 decision to Lamar School.
Trailing 14-0, Heritage Academy was attempting to get on the scoreboard when a controversial pass attempt was ruled a fumble. Blaine Mueller made the recovery 2 yards deeps in the end zone and returned it the length of the field for a touchdown.
“We felt like it was not a fumble,” Heritage Academy coach Barrett Donahoe. “The side judge on our side of the field waved his hands to signal the pass incomplete. Play basically had stopped and their kid picks it up and takes it all the way back.
“After watching the play on tape, it should have not been ruled a fumble. It is what it is, though. We made way too many mistakes to beat a good team on the road.”
Lamar School (2-0) scored four first-quarter touchdowns to build a commanding lead. Davis Harrison scored on a 15-yard run. Harrison hit Clay Truelove for a 29-yard touchdown. Harrison also had a 2-yard run.
The Raiders took a 40-7 halftime lead thanks to a 30-yard pass play from Harrison to Lake Majure and a punt block recovered in the end zone for another score.
“We played well the first week and took a step back,” Donahoe said. “Four turnovers overall in the first half and a punt block. All of the turnovers led to points. You can’t give the other team that many opportunities.”
Heritage Academy (1-1) received a 55-yard touchdown from sophomore Dontae Gray.
“I thought Dontae and Michael Ledbetter did some really great things running the football,” Donahoe said. “They stretched the field and made some plays. Dontae is only a sophomore, and he has a bright future ahead. He is going to be a really solid running back.”
Heritage Academy will play host to Oak Hill Academy on Friday night.
“We will have to get a lot better in several areas,” Donahoe said. “We will get back at it Monday working on what we need to fix.”
n Kirk Academy 24, Columbus Christian 19: At Columbus, the Rams rallied from a 12-0 halftime deficit to take a lead before being beaten on a late touchdown by the Raiders.
For Columbus Christian, Kimarri Whitfield scored two touchdowns. Dawson Shaw was 7 of 16 for 78 yards with a touchdown. Whitfield had five receptions for 45 yards, while Elijah Carlstrom had two receptions for 31 yards. Shaw also hit Carlstrom on a 9-yard touchdown.
Whitfield rushed 12 times for 54 yards, with a 24-yard touchdown. Shaw had 12 rushes for 39 yards. Whitfield also had an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Shaw had five tackles to pace the defense, while Tony Dantzler and DeKameron Mitchell each had four.
n Tabernacle 52, Victory Christian 6: At Gardendale, Alabama, the Eagles fell in a Christian Football Association road game.
“It was a really tough night,” Victory Christian coach Chris Hamm said. “We made too many mistakes to compete with a good experienced team like Tabernacle. However, it is just one game in a long season, and we have the opportunity for improvement.”
Reed Fulgham scored on a 1-yard run for the Eagles.
n Hebron Christian 60, Delta Streets Academy 24: At Pheba, the Eagles bounced back from a season-opening defeat with an easy home win.
“We had a 32-24 lead and had a goal-line stand right before the half that was really big,” Hebron Christian coach David Foster. “We scored 24 points in the first quarter, but they were basically matching us score for score for a while.
“We shut them out in the second half and played better defensively. We had a few more guys than they did and we wore them down in the end. Overall, a good team effort and we played well.”
Quarterback Channing Tapley was 14 of 18 for 214 yards and four touchdowns. Tapley rushed four times for 16 yards, with six two-point conversions — four by air and two on the ground.
Landon Hill rushed nine times for 123 yards, with touchdown runs of 34, 18, 17, and 17 yards. Hill had two receptions for 57 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown catch. Hill also had a 55-yard kickoff return and finished with 235 all-purpose yards.
Clay Falkner rushed four times for 43 yards, with a 40-yard touchdown catch. Payton Griffin had nine receptions for 96 yards, including touchdown catches of 24 and 7 yards. Griffin also caught three two-point conversions. Brian Eaddy had a 5-yard rush, 3-yard reception, and also caught a two-point conversion.
On defense, Hill led the way with 13 tackles and an onside kick recovery. Tapley had seven tackles, while Foster and Nolan Whitt each had five tackles. Foster had a sack. Falkner had four tackles with two fumble recoveries. Jessie Moore had four tackles and a fumble recovery. Griffin also had four tackles.
n East Union 30, Hamilton 26: At Hamilton, the Lions battled back from a 21-6 deficit but still couldn’t get Josh Baty his first coaching win at the school.
“I thought the kids played hard and never quit,” Baty said. “That is something we can build off of. The younger kids are playing better up front and we are going to build on that as well. Overall, I am proud of the kids for fighting for 48 minutes.”
Josh Wilkerson scored on runs of 30 and 12 yards for the Urchins (1-1). Cade Bell hit Craig Hutchens for a 38-yard touchdown.
Hamilton (0-2) scored twice in the closing minutes of the half to trail 21-20. Samuel Peloquin hit Daniel Washington for a 76-yard touchdown. Peloquin hit Keshon Heard for a 34-yard touchdown, while Heard also scored on a 17-yard run.
In the second half, East Union got 27-yard touchdown pass from Bell to Hutchens, while Hamilton scored on a 65-yard pass play from Peloquin to Austin Taylor.
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