Heights hits on all cylinders against South
Following Heights’ 77-6 win over South on Friday night, the Falcons have now outscored two opponents this season 115-6. This raises the question of which unit — offense or defense – is most potent.
Heights defensive lineman Carlos Taylor has a dog in the fight but still can’t choose.
“I feel like, as a team, we’re just one big weapon,” Taylor said. “We’re just one big mass of destruction. We’re just ready for it all.”
The Falcons look to be one of the City League’s most balanced teams, falling a few minutes short of their second consecutive shutout as South scored late against the Falcons’ reserves.
Taylor said Heights couldn’t credit himself and the rest of the starters with a second perfect performance because of South’s late touchdown.
“It’s a team game, so no, it’s not a shutout,” Taylor said. “We’ve got to get our backups to do the same things we can and be on the same level we are.”
Eight Heights players scored a touchdown, and it seemed as if the Falcons’ defense was trying to match that playmaking ability.
South didn’t have a first down that wasn’t via penalty until the fourth quarter, and the Titans’ punts were mostly against the wind. Those factors combined to give Heights prime field position all night, as nine of the Falcons’ 11 scoring drives began in South territory.
When South had the ball, Heights’ defense made it nearly impossible to move. South had seven fumbles – losing three – as Heights’ pressure forced the Titans into numerous mistakes.
“The plays we make makes them have their mistakes,” Taylor said. “When they make mistakes, we take that as a great thing. We take that as an honor.”
All the defense was missing was a defining play – instead, the Falcons settled for holding South to one, zero or negative yards on 20 plays.
Heights’ offense earned eight or more yards on 20 plays even though it worked with short field on almost all of its drives. And the Falcons found plenty of defining plays, even without a defining player.
When Myles Garner scored Heights’ seventh touchdown, he was the seventh Falcon to reach the end zone. That streak was broken when quarterback Garrett Haskins followed with his second rushing touchdown, but the Falcons made it eight on Andre Brown’s first of two fourth-quarter scores.
No Heights player had more than eight carries, and Trenton Autry got that many without touching the ball in the second half. The Falcons are establishing depth in blowouts that may serve them well against more difficult opponents.
“That’s how you get better in the future,” Heights coach Terry Harrison said. “Our older guys did their job. They came out, they were the best team on the field tonight, and that allows you to play those sophomores and juniors in the second quarter.
“It’s one thing to play your backups in the fourth quarter when you’re up big or down big, but they played in the first half of a varsity football game tonight. I was proud of them. We think our backups are pretty good.”
South | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | – | 6 |
Heights | 21 | 35 | 21 | 0 | – | 77 |
H—Haskins 8 run (Rodriguez kick)
H—Autry 7 run (Rodriguez kick)
H—Ganther 11 pass from Haskins (Rodriguez kick)
H—McCray 5 run (Rodriguez kick)
H—Harris 20 pass from Haskins (Rodriguez kick)
H—King 6 run (Rodriguez kick)
H—Garner 10 run (Rodriguez kick)
H—Haskins 10 run (Rodriguez kick)
H—McCray 16 run (Rodriguez kick)
H—Brown 4 run (Rodriguez kick)
H—Brown 10 run (Rodriguez kick)
S—Binkley 5 run (run failed)
Individual Statistics
Rushing—South, Bishop 6-40, Binkley 10-27, Crosby 3-20, Neloms 8-17, Wells 10-6, Ryce 1-(-8), Griffin 2-(-16); Heights, Autry 8-84, King 7-62, Haskins 5-54, McCray 6-48, Garner 5-25, Brown 3-23, Murphy 3-12, Williams 1-(-2), Allen 1-(-5).
Passing—South, Bishop 4-7-15-0; Heights, Haskins 4-4-61-0.
Receiving—South, Neloms 2-11, Turner 1-7, Crosby 1-(-3), Heights, Johnson 1-28, Harris 1-20, Ganther 1-11, King 1-2.
This story was originally published September 12, 2014 at 10:55 PM with the headline "Heights hits on all cylinders against South."