Barrett Donahoe doesn’t have any problem putting David Herrington in a conversation with the state’s best football players.
Unfortunately, Donahoe and the Patriots had a chance Friday night to see what kind of damage Herrington can do. The senior quarterback had 471 yards and six touchdowns running and passing in the Magnolia Heights football team’s 55-33 victory against Heritage Academy in Senatobia.
“Their quarterback is extremely good,” Donahoe said. “We didn’t tackle very well. We were in position a lot of times, but we just didn’t make plays.”
Donahoe said injuries played a role in Heritage Academy having to go with a young lineup last week in its first game after it had been eliminated from playoff contention. Heritage Academy (5-6) will try to bounce back from that loss at 7 p.m. Friday night when it plays host to Madison-Ridgeland Academy in a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, District 1 game.
Donahoe said the Patriots came out loose and executed well to build a 19-6 lead. Two offensive scores and an interception return for a touchdown by Walker set the tone for a fast start that better suited Magnolia Heights. Despite losing the lead quickly, Donahoe said he liked how his players fought and stayed upbeat throughout the night. He hopes that mentality can carry over to Friday night in the season finale and for next season.
“We talked to our guys last Monday about what the last two opponents were,” Donahoe said. “We didn’t sugar coat it. We told them, ‘Guys, you are about to play two extremely good football teams.’ MRA is arguably the No. 1 team in the state. They are going to win the North. Magnolia Heights’ only two losses this season were to MRA and Starkville (Academy). … The challenge is tremendous against these good opponents, but we ask our guys to fight to the end and to continue to work on becoming better football players. I felt that we got that kind of effort out of them Friday night, and I hope we get it again.”
Donahoe praised the play of sophomore quarterback Tyler Anderson and senior wide receiver Hunter Sykes, who he said made “two great runs” for touchdowns. Earlier in the season, Anderson split playing time at quarterback with Dylan Barker. Donahoe said Anderson has come late in the season and looks comfortable.
“The way that Tyler has developed, we saw a little bit more maturity out of him,” Donahoe said. “The things we were hoping to get out of him this year we are starting to see come about. We are excited about that and hope it continues.”
Donahoe said development like that is crucial for next season, one in which the MAIS will reclassify teams into four classes. The move will move the biggest 14 schools into Class AAAA and figures to put Heritage Academy with schools that are closer to the size of its enrollment. Donahoe feels the new landscape in Class AAA should help his program, which has been hit hard this season by injuries. Those injuries have forced a team that already lacked depth to go to inexperienced players in several positions.
Still, Donahoe feels Heritage Academy wasn’t far from being a playoff team. A 31-7 loss to Pillow Academy at home was a crushing blow that left the Patriots with little room for error. A loss to Starkville Academy eliminated Heritage Academy. Through it all, Donahoe said the Patriots have done things the right way, for the most part, and have played integrity. He said the coaches encouraged the players to keep the program moving forward. Despite not being able to secure a third-consecutive playoff appearance, Donahoe likes his his team has responded.
“Even without making the playoffs, I don’t feel like we have taken a step back,” Donahoe said. “I feel like we have continued build off it and that we have been competitive in every game. We have really worked hard. A lot of times we have been outmanned.”
The last part of the season, replete with new goals, involve finishing. Donahoe feels a strong effort will help the seniors go out on a high note and set the foundation for next season. He said it will be better for Heritage Academy to compete against programs that deal with the same issues. He said schools like Jackson Academy and MRA don’t have to deal with the size of their enrollment to help keep the numbers on their football team healthier. Donahoe hopes his team’s recent success against Leake Academy, Winston Academy, and Starkville Academy — aside from this season — gives the players confidence to know they can start another playoff run.
Donahoe hopes to have senior lineman Brady Clark back this week. He isn’t sure about the status of sophomore Dylan Hughes or junior Michael Ledbetter for Friday’s game.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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