Heritage Triumphs Despite Messy Play

Pride Fumbles Eight Times in Win

By Paul Tenorio

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Wide receiver Nick Cadwell couldn’t believe what he had just seen. After teammate Josh Thiel kicked a 37-yard field goal in the pouring rain to give Heritage the lead in the closing minutes, Brentsville running back Justin Donnelley had taken the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. In a matter of seconds, the lead they had worked so hard to gain back was gone.

“My head was down low, but I knew what we had to do,” Cadwell said. “We had to get a big return out of it.”

And they did.

After catching the ball at his 16-yard line, Cadwell made a weaving 84-yard touchdown return, giving Heritage a wild, mistake-filled 29-26 win Friday night at Brentsville.

“We did what we had to do,” Cadwell said. “Everyone held their blocks perfectly. It was amazing holes, amazing cut backs, and it was wide open.”

It was a game in which Heritage had turned the ball over five times and fumbled eight times and still somehow taken the lead on Thiel’s field goal with just more than a minute and a half to play. Then came that kickoff return for a touchdown. But in the end, Pride Coach Wes Driskill said he knows a win such as this can energize a team.

“This is one of the weirdest games I’ve ever been in, but I think my team took a big step tonight,” Driskill said. “We’ve been really struggling in some things, but we really needed to come out here and find ourselves tonight, dig out something like this.”

The night had started out well for the Pride.

After forcing a punt, Heritage needed one play to take the lead. Quarterback Ross Madison took the snap at the Brentsville 45-yard line and ran to his left. He dodged a couple of defenders and weaved down the left sideline before tiptoeing into the end zone to put the Pride up 6-0.

After senior Madison’s interception, the Pride drove to the Tigers’ 15-yard line on a 41-yard pass from quarterback Zach Gordon to wide receiver Michael Massey. But a fumble on the next play gave Brentsville the ball.

It would be a sign of things to come for Heritage. Battling a steady rain, the Pride would fumble five more times in the first half, turning the ball over three times.

On one drive, a bad snap and an intentional-grounding penalty left Heritage facing a fourth and 50 from its 10. The punt was blocked, and Brentsville recovered on the 3-yard line. One play later, the Tigers scored on a run by senior Donnelley. Chris Bourbonnais’s extra point gave Brentsville a one-point lead, 7-6.

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Heritage at Brentsville

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Heritage High School regroups for one last play just before halftime in its game against Brentsville High. (Matt Tobin)

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Ponchos and umbrellas were a must for Heritage High fans Friday night as they watched their team take on Brentsville High in Nokesville, Va. (Matt Tobin)

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The Heritage High Pride begin a play on a soaked field in Nokesville, Va. as they take on the Brentsville Tigers. (Matt Tobin)

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No. 11 Chris Groomes of Heritage High walks away as the Brentsville Tigers manage a score late in the second quarter. (Matt Tobin)

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The rain was a factor on both the field and stands as the Heritage High faithful sat with umbrellas in tow in the visitors section at Brentsville High. (Matt Tobin)

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No. 44 Russell East of Heritage High eyes the ball as his team is backed up against their goal line in their game with Brentsville High in Nokesville, Va. (Matt Tobin)

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Heritage fumbled on its next possession, and after forcing Brentsville to punt, the Pride fumbled the return, giving Brentsville the ball on the Heritage 14-yard line.

Three straight runs up the middle by Donnelley made it 13-6.

In the third quarter, Brentsville extended the lead to 20-6 on quarterback P.J. Borko’s only completion of the game — a 52-yard strike to wide receiver Quiydar Murphy.

But Heritage came charging back in the fourth quarter behind a stout defense and the arm of Gordon.

The Pride drove 62 yards to set up Cadwell’s one-yard touchdown plunge, pulling to seven. Then a fumbled punt gave Heritage the ball at the 20-yard line, and Gordon found T.J. McPhaul on what seemed to be the game-tying touchdown. But Brentsville blocked the extra point to remain one point ahead, leading to the crazy final five minutes in which the lead changed three times.

“I’m really proud of my team stepping up at the last minute,” Driskill said. “I’m just glad I didn’t get soaked for a bad reason.”

Extra Points

By Paul Tenorio and Matt Brooks