You wouldn’t think Heritage Academy football coach Sean Harrison would have much to complain about in the midst of his team’s undefeated season.
Nevertheless, Harrison always found something to nitpick in the Patriots’ first eight victories. That ended Friday night.
Heritage, the No. 1 private school team in the latest Associated Press Mississippi high school football poll, manhandled Lamar 39-7 in Columbus. The Patriots dominated from the start, taking a 39-0 lead into halftime.
“Every week I’ve had some complaint that we’ve lost focus, or didn’t do this or that,” Harrison said. “Tonight we played as well as we could have.”
With the win, the Patriots improve to 9-0, while Lamar falls to 6-3.
After forcing a three and out on Lamar’s first offensive series, the Patriots got on the board with a three-play drive that was capped off with senior quarterback Carter Putt hooking up with senior wideout Noel Fisher on a crossing route that went 39 yards for a touchdown less than two minutes into the game.
“It’s a play designed to get me open in the middle of the field and make a move, which I did,” Fisher said. “I got through and it was a good pass.”
Fisher’s next big play came on the defensive end. Heritage Academy knew coming into the contest Lamar’s offensive game plan centered around wideout Jacob Partridge. Nearly every series, the Patriots had two defensive backs trailing the senior pass catcher. Fisher, a free safety, undercut a slant route on the next series and recorded an interception, setting up the Patriots at the 36-yard line.
“They like to throw it to him. I saw him look that way, and one of the biggest routes he likes is the slant,” Fisher said. “I just went over, he overthrew the ball and I was able to make the play.”
Harrison praised Fisher’s defensive awareness, and noted he’s been a big asset as the team’s kicker, especially considering he hasn’t kicked since he was a freshman.
“Noel is such a good player,” Harrison said. “You love to coach him because he works for everything he does.”
Heritage Academy went up two scores on the next possession after Putt connected with Davis Fitch for a 22-yard pass on 4th-and-6, the signal caller’s second score of the evening.
Putt finished with three touchdowns on the day, including one in the second quarter to Sam Hannon.
“We have a bunch of guys where if you get them in open space, they’re going to make plays for us,” Putt said. “We’ve got some guys that are really good, and others that are great. It’s really hard to stop our whole offense in both the run game and pass game, and our line is the best in the state. It’s hard to stop us all around.”
Heritage Academy running back KJ Smith also made his presence felt with two rushing touchdowns and also recorded a sack defensively. The Patriots’ secondary kept Partridge in check all night, and delivered a pick-six after Wesley Miller took a Lamar pass to the house from 10 yards out in the second quarter.
“I really feel like (we have) the best secondary in the state,” Harrison said. “(Partridge) for them, he’s one of the top receivers in the state and had no downfield catches. He caught a couple screens, but the secondary did a tremendous job.”
The second half was mostly a breeze for the host Patriots with a running clock, but Lamar’s Daulton Nelson got the Raiders on the board in the fourth quarter with a garbage time 16-yard run.
Heritage Academy is back in action against rival Starkville Academy Friday in Starkville.
“It’s always a fun week,” Harrison said. “We’ll get to work on those guys tonight. They’re playing really well right now so we’re excited to play them.”
Heritage Academy 39, Lamar 7
L 0 0 0 0 – 7
HA 21 18 0 0 – 39
First quarter
HA – Noel Fisher 39 pass from Carter Putt (Fisher kick)
HA – Davis Fitch 22 pass from Putt (Fisher kick)
HA – KJ Smith 3 run (Fisher kick)
Second quarter
HA – Smith 11 run (kick failed)
HA – Wesley Miller 10 interception return (pass failed)
HA – Sam Hannon 13 pass from Putt (kick failed)
Fourth quarter
L – Daulton Nelson 16 run (Zagar Cooper kick good)
Hodge is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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