HERITAGE GENERALS
After graduating a boatload of seniors from the 2017 team, the 2018 version of the Heritage Generals took the field last fall with plenty of question marks.
The Generals were breaking in a new quarterback, in addition to having to fill some big holes at several positions on both sides of the ball, as they looked to follow up a nine-win season, the best in program history.
Heritage struggled out of the gate as some inexperience and injuries took their toll.
However, the Generals shook off a 1-4 start to the year by going 4-1 in their final five games. They finished a very respectable 4-2 in Region 6-AAAA, losing only to region champ Pickens and region runner-up Ridgeland, to make the state playoffs as a No. 3 seed and play in the postseason for a third consecutive year.
Now, a year older and a year wiser in a lot of areas, Heritage fans and sixth-year head coach E.K. Slaughter have reasons to be cautiously optimistic that the Generals could be a very improved team in 2019.
“I think we’ve progressed a pretty long way in a few different areas,” Slaughter said. “I think, culturally, we’ve gotten back to where we were and where we need to be. I also think we’re further ahead right now, defensively, than we were at any point last year. I also think we just have a better understanding of the game and the expectations of our program. I’m just really proud of the guys and the coaches and where they’re at right now.
“We’ve got an experienced quarterback coming back that I believe is one of the best in the area. We’ve got some really big kids on the offensive line. We’ve got as much speed as we’ve ever had on the defensive side of the ball and we’ve got some depth in the skill positions, but I really think our strength it’s just that our chemistry as a team is really good right now.”