Generals suffer first loss in Rome

A 47-yard touchdown run by Julian Sexton early in the third quarter brought Heritage into a 7-7 tie with Darlington on Friday night. However, the Tigers would score the final 21 points of the night to claim a 28-7 victory in Rome and hand the Generals their first loss of the season.

The only scoring in a very defensive-minded first half came with five seconds left before intermission. Darlington quarterback Patrick Shelly found Talan Shirey on a 21-yard scoring strike to give the home team a 7-0 lead at the break.

The Tigers would answer Sexton’s long scoring run with a 27-yard touchdown scamper by D’Marion Floyd just a few minutes later and they would tack on a pair of scores in the fourth quarter to put it away.

Floyd would find the endzone again just 36 seconds into the fourth quarter, this time from 35 yards out. Caleb Thompson would seal the victory on a 2-yard dive with less than five minutes remaining.

Floyd picked up 130 yards on 10 carries, while Thompson ran 18 times for 91 yards. The Darlington defense also recovered two Heritage fumbles and picked off one pass.

The Generals ran for 213 yards on the night. Sexton gained 91 yards on 11 carries. Quarterback Kaden Swope ran six times for 71 yards, while Paxton McCrary gained 51 yards on a team-high 13 carries. Swope was 6 of 15 in the air for just 57 yards, while Tyler Cheatwood hauled in four passes for 60 yards.

Defensively, Bryce Travillian had a big night for Heritage with 12 tackles, 10 of the solo variety, and four assists to go with a fumble recovery inside the Heritage 5-yard line early in the first quarter, which thwarted a Darlington drive.

McCrary had six solo tackles, one fumble recovery and a sack, while Trey Weldon had two tackles for loss.

Heritage (2-1) will take a week off to regroup before opening Region 7-AAAA play at home against Ridgeland on Oct. 1.