RINGGOLD, Ga. - Playmakers have to have the ball in their hands to, well, make plays. Ryan Carter made sure to remind the Heritage football coaching staff of that fact this week in practice.
E.K. Slaughter and his assistants listened. Carter scored four touchdowns, two coming on special teams, to lead the undefeated Generals (6-0, 2-0 Region 6-AAAA) to a 61-21 rout of previously unbeaten Southeast Whitfield.
In a span of 11 minutes of action Friday at Jeff Sims Field, the senior two-way starter scored on a 44-yard punt return, had touchdown receptions of 24 and 42 yards and capped his sizzling first half with a 79-yard kickoff return for a score.
"I wasn't trying to be selfish, but they could tell they weren't getting me the ball enough," Carter said with a smile when asked if he had asked for more action. "I want to thank them for trusting me with the ball tonight. Obviously, I couldn't have done it without my teammates. This is a really big for us - an amazing win - because they are a good football team."
Heritage also got an efficient night from senior quarterback Blake Bryan, who completed 10 of 13 passes for 223 yards and four touchdowns. Another senior, wideout Luke Grant, had four catches for 111 yards, two touchdowns and a highlight-reel one-handed interception.
"Luke, RC and Blake and those guys make me look real smart," Slaughter said. "Ryan Carter is a freak and he really went off tonight. RC didn't get too many touches this week, but he made sure he was known tonight. He's a special kid."
The Heritage defense did its usual thing as well, adding 11 tackles for loss and two key turnovers in the first half. The Generals led 6-0 when Jack Showalter stripped Southeast's Christian Gillespie, with Ridge Perkins recovering at the 49. Four plays later Grant took a jet sweep around right end for a 7-yard touchdown run.
Carter then started his one-man show with his 44-yard punt return and followed a turnover on downs with his first touchdown catch to cap a two-play drive. He began the second period with his second, a screen he took from one side of the field to the other, breaking numerous tackles along the way to a 34-0 lead.
The Raiders (5-1, 1-1), who entered averaging 46 points a game, finally moved the ball behind quarterback Porter Johnson (20-for-35 for 216 yards), with Gillespie scoring from a yard out. Three minutes later Matt Jennings stepped in front of a Bryan pass and raced 26 yards for a pick-six that cut the Heritage lead to 34-14.
Carter, though, regained the momentum in 20 seconds, returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown that broke the Raiders' backs.
"We take a lot of pride in our special teams," Slaughter said, "and they came up big tonight. We let them get a little bit of hope in the second quarter, and we were a little aggravated with that at halftime. But, in spots, we looked really good tonight.
"We've got to improve on the penalties and the busts in coverage. We've got an opportunity to compete for a region championship, and we have to clean those things up if we want to compete with the teams we have to play in the coming weeks."
That includes a game at Northwest Whitfield next week, with Ridgeland coming to Heritage in two Fridays.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22