Redemption never felt better.
Burdened with the weight of a fumble that put his team in a bad spot Friday night, Hunter Anderson wanted to make amends.
Already worn down after a busy evening on defense, Anderson didn’t mind that Heritage Academy coach Barrett Donahoe called his number late in the fourth quarter with the hope he could help the Patriots finally put Oak Hill Academy away.
Anderson didn’t disappoint.
The senior kick-started the pivotal drive with a 10-yard gain. It was only fitting he bookended it with a 13-yard run for a touchdown that helped seal Heritage Academy’s 23-14 victory on Homecoming at C.L. Mitchell Field.
“In the third quarter, 41 trap, I came out and I fumbled it,” Anderson said. “I didn’t get a good handle on it. I felt like I really owed that to my team, making up for it. That allowed Oak Hill to drive down and score and make it a good game. I told my line before the play, ‘Give me one play and I will get it in.’ They did that. They perfected it.”
Anderson’s touchdown punctuated a night he rushed 14 times for 106 yards. A fist pump — not an exuberant one but a businesslike move made by a player with something to prove — came after several steps in the end zone. He didn’t continue to celebrate the score, either, opting to turn toward the Patriots’ sideline and solidly slap the hands of teammates who offered congratulations.
“I felt like I made it up to them after that, and I kind of feel like that sealed the deal,” Anderson said. “Then our defense came out and played well.”
Anderson also had two of the Patriots’ six sacks of quarterback Riley Pierce. His first came on the heels of one by Thomas Cooper that helped push the Raiders back after they advanced to the Patriots’ 29-yard line in the first quarter. Cayden Upton, who also had a sack and a fumble recovery, capped that defensive stand with a blocked punt. To their credit, the Patriots’ defense responded nearly every time it needed to make a stop. Luke Ellison and Hunter Ferguson also had sacks.
“I really thought we played OK,” Donahoe said. “We got sloppy. We had (11) penalties and it was one of those nights. I don’t know what people expected (in reference to the final score), but I knew what I expected out of that group, and that was their best effort, and we got it. They were excited. They played hard and have a good group. They are well-schemed and they do a good job. (Oak Hill Academy) Coach (Daniel) Merchant does a good job.”
While not pleased with the penalties or uneven play in the second half, Donahoe enjoyed seeing his team respond in a tight ballgame. Earlier in the week, Donahoe said the Patriots (5-1) hadn’t played many meaningful snaps in the second half, so he was anxious to see how his players reacted. For the most part, he liked how the bounced back after a lull in the third quarter.
Anderson also liked his team’s recovery and the play of senior quarterback Austin Fitch (12 of 21, 153 yards), who overcame two interceptions.
“He had a wonderful game,” Anderson said of Fitch. “This is the best game Austin has had. He threw the ball just about as good as he could. I applaud him 100 percent for that.”
Donahoe concurred and praised the offense for coming out and clicking the first time it has run an up-tempo attack. The Patriots needed 2 minutes, 52 seconds to go 70 yards in 10 plays for the first score, a 16-yard pass from Fitch to Logan Bell.
“Our main focus was to keep them off balance when we came out, and I think we did that,” Fitch said. “It opened up a lot of lanes to be able to throw early on because they really didn’t know what was coming at them. We had been mostly a running team the last week, which is probably what they saw on tape. It really opened up the passing game.”
With Anderson, Parker Short (14 carries, 95 yards), Jace Caldwell, and Cody Mordecai as options out of the backfield, Donahoe feels he has plenty of weapons to turn to when he wants to run the ball. He credited Anderson for his ability to be a “downhill” runner, and hopes to use him in other ways to offer a few more wrinkles to the offense.
“What we would like to see develop is a role where Anderson can get behind the fullback a little bit and run from the tailback spot and do some of those things,” Donahoe said.
That’s fine with Anderson, who Fitch said is “really into running the ball.”
“But he is not a selfish player,” Fitch said. “He is always willing to block, but when he gets it, he runs as hard as he can. He is always willing to be a team player.”
That sounds like a recipe for success, even for a player who has to wait half of a quarter to get his shot at redemption. He plans to do his best the rest of the way to make sure he doesn’t have to make up for something like that again.
“From here on out, we have conference games left and right,” Anderson said. “The teams we play in our conference are going to be good, and I think there are going to be a lot more games like that. I think us coming up and doing that is going to boost our confidence a good bit.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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