Heritage Academy football coach Sean Harrison wasn’t sure how his team would respond after its first loss in nearly two years.
The Patriots needed only two plays to put his worries at ease.
Sam Hannon intercepted a pass on the first play from scrimmage, Mack Howard connected with Harris Gunter for a 34-yard touchdown on the next snap, and Heritage Academy (1-1) rolled to a 42-0 rout of Kirk Academy (0-2) on Friday in Columbus.
“It was good to see them come out with confidence,” Harrison said.
He said the Patriots — perhaps understandably — lacked that same swagger last week in a 41-13 loss to Jackson Prep in Flowood. On Friday, though, they looked indistinguishable from the Heritage Academy team that went 14-0 last year and won the MAIS Class 5A state title.
Howard threw four touchdown passes in the first half, six different Patriots scored, and Heritage Academy scored all 42 of its points before the halftime whistle.
The Pats even pulled off a critical fake punt before the game got out of hand.
Up 7-0 late in the first quarter, Heritage Academy lined up in punt formation on fourth-and-10 at the Kirk 33. But instead of trying to pin the Raiders deep, sophomore punter Luke Fisher corralled a high snap, dropped back and threw to Gunter for 23 yards and a first down.
“Luke did a great job just taking his time and throwing a great ball,” Howard said.
Fisher said the Patriots had practiced the play all week, and when it came time to throw his first-ever pass in a game, he was ready.
Braden Davidson went up the middle for a 10-yard touchdown on the next play, doubling the lead and proving the fake punt’s worth.
“We needed just a little bit of a boost,” Fisher said.
Fisher provided another boost less than a minute into the second quarter, taking a Howard pass up the middle for a 47-yard touchdown. Also the Pats’ placekicker, he missed the extra point for the only time that night — he was tired and accidentally hit the tee.
“I’ll get ’em next time,” Fisher said.
It was the only real blemish on Heritage Academy’s night, and it hardly mattered. Two touchdowns later, Howard hit an open Gunter on a two-point conversion to recoup the point and make it 35-0.
It was a reminder that Heritage Academy, when it’s on, is capable of pretty much whatever it wants to do. And under Howard, who made his second varsity start ever Friday, it can only get better.
The sophomore threw for 235 yards on just nine completions, including his four scores. Touchdown passes to Gunter, Fisher and sophomore Trey Naugher — a longtime friend of Howard’s — were one thing, but his 65-yard scoring heave to junior Wesley Miller down the right sideline in the second quarter was another.
On the play, Howard dropped back, rolled right and uncorked what Harrison called a “pretty unbelievable” pass that Miller snagged more than 50 yards away.
The sophomore finished 9 of 15 before taking a seat for the second half and didn’t turn the ball over. Harrison praised Howard’s ability to read defenses and accepted a couple missed throws — par for the course for any quarterback.
“I thought he was really patient with the ball,” Harrison said. “I didn’t think he really forced any throws.”
Howard said he had a few jitters before starting in front of his home crowd for the first time ever, but as soon as he stepped onto the field, they went away.
Hannon’s interception on Kirk’s first offensive snap helped ease nerves, too, as junior Colbert Hathcock’s pass was tipped and picked off at the Raiders’ 34.
“That’s where we need Sam — one of our few seniors — to really step up, and he really provided the spark tonight,” Harrison said.
Howard found Gunter wide open over the middle for an easy catch-and-run score on the next play.
“It got everybody pumped,” Howard said. “I think after that, we started rolling.”
Heritage Academy hopes to keep on rolling right into next week’s home game against Magnolia Heights (2-0), the Pats’ first district contest of the season.
“They’re a solid squad, so we’re going to have to put all we’ve got into it,” Howard said.
And despite Heritage Academy’s improvement from one week to the next, Harrison said his team can’t get complacent against the Chiefs — the Pats haven’t magically fixed everything that ailed them quite yet.
“But we are in the process,” Harrison said. “We took a big step forward tonight.”
Heritage Academy 42, Kirk Academy 0
KA 0 0 0 0 — 0
HA 14 28 0 0 — 42
First quarter
HA — Harris Gunter 34 pass from Mack Howard (Luke Fisher kick), clock 11:43
HA — Braden Davidson 10 run (Fisher kick), clock 0:47
Second quarter
HA — Fisher 47 pass from Howard (kick failed), clock 11:34
HA — Wesley Miller 63 pass from Howard (Fisher kick), clock 5:34
HA — Trey Naugher 20 pass from Howard (Gunter pass from Howard), 5:19
HA — Jaylan Stewart 18 run (Fisher kick), 1:10
Individual statistics (first half)
PASSING: Heritage Academy — Mack Howard 9-15, 235; Luke Fisher 1-1, 24.
RUSHING: Heritage Academy — Braden Davidson 5-42, Jaylan Stewart 2-39, Mack Howard 3-13, Luke Fisher 1-0.
RECEIVING: Heritage Academy — Wesley Miller 2-70, Trey Naugher 3-62, Harris Gunter 2-49, Luke Fisher 1-47, Mitchell Woodard 1-7.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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