Heotis powers Eagles past Saints
Healthy at last, ECS back scores 3 TDS
Finally healthy after a series of frustrating injuries, Cole Heotis put a hurt on Briarcrest Saturday night.
Heotis scored three touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime, as Evangelical Christian school opened the season with a 33-32 victory over the host Saints at Clayton Field.
“What heart he has,” said ECS coach Geoff Walters. “He’s torn his ACL and he had re-constructive shoulder surgery but he’s just battled back. He’s just a terrific story.”
After Heotis scored from a yard out to put ECS up 33-26 in overtime, Saints quarterback Ben Ellis connected with Gus Gran to make it 33-32. But the extra-point snap was low and the extra point went wide left, setting off a wild Eagles celebration.
Star turns: Heotis, a 6-0, 180-pound senior, scored on a 20-yard run right up the gut that gave ECS an 18-14 lead after they fell behind 14-0 just six minutes into the contest. Gus Gran had two touchdown receptions for the Saints.
Turning point: ECS had a chance to win in regulation, but Nick Pope blocked Chandler Williams’ 27-yard field-goal attempt with 11 seconds left to send the opener for both teams into overtime.
Talking points: Preston Parrish looked shaky early in his first start as ECS quarterback, throwing a pick-six to Hunter Hill that put Briarcrest up 14- 0 early. But he settled down nicely and did a fine job engineering the Eagles’ fast-break offense.
“I’ll take the blame for that,” said Walters. “We’re inexperienced at some positions and I put him into some positions where he had to make some tough calls. But he did exactly what we wanted him to do, take it one play at a time.”
Extra points: There was a bizarre sequence in the second quarter when the officials called penalties on five straight plays. ECS was victimized four times — three false starts and a block in the back — but the Eagles still got points as Parrish hit Heotis for a 29-yard touchdown that made the score 14- 6.
What’s next: ECS will host St. Benedict, which let a 21-7 lead slip away Friday against Kingsbury and lost 28-21. Briarcrest should bounce back; the Saints host a Carver team which dropped its opener at Brighton, 59- 6.
OTHER GAMES
Craigmont, ranked 12th in the Dandy Dozen, got three touchdown passes from Andrew McIntyre and two touchdown runs from Michael Braden to defeat Douglass, 53-12. Kristian Wilkerson had a 50-yard scoring catch and a 53-yard interception return in Craigmont’s 28-point first quarter. ... Marico Williams ran for 122 yards and a touchdown and Rayford Albright had a 32-yard punt return and a four-yard scoring run as Manassas opened the year with a 28- 0 victory over Raleigh-Egypt and firstyear coach Jim Dotson.