RINGGOLD, Ga. — Heritage junior inside linebacker Brayden Hudson was one of many Generals flying into the Ridgeland backfield to make big stops in Friday’s GHSA Region 7-AAA opener for both teams.
The Generals dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball in a 30-7 victory, and Hudson had two sacks and helped hold the Panthers to minus-16 rushing yards before the varsity defense exited the game with just more than five minutes to play.
“We were flying all around the place. We read our keys and did everything right,” said Hudson, who upped his team-leading total in tackles for loss to six this season.
“We practiced hard all week,” Hudson continued. “When you practice hard, it pays off, and you play well and execute as a team. Everywhere I looked tonight, my teammates were making plays on defense. I love seeing all of my guys play well and love cheering them on.”
(READ MORE: Final scores and photos from Friday night’s Chattanooga-area prep football games)
In fact, Heritage (3-2) received a big night from three Braydens.
Brayden Slaughter totaled 170-plus yards on 18 touches and scored his 10th rushing touchdown of the season, in the process surpassing 700 rushing yards with the regular season halfway over. Meanwhile, fellow senior Brayden Stoker had his biggest performance yet as he made nine catches for 127 yards, which included an impressive swing pass he took 35 yards for a touchdown and a 23-0 lead with eight minutes to play.
Freshman running back Cole Pritchett’s hard-nosed rushing resulted in a 16-yard score to build the lead to 30-0 with 5:06 remaining.
“Our run game was unstoppable and has been stellar all season,” 6-foot-6, 275-pound senior offensive lineman Joshua Castle said. “We controlled this game on both fronts, and Brayden (Slaughter) continued to be a great leader. He keeps us all up, all the time.”
Ridgeland junior Ja’darius Hinton continued his breakout season as he had 11 catches for 85 yards and a score, which came in the final seconds of the game. Hinton has now scored 11 touchdowns and compiled 553 yards for the Panthers (2-3).
Hinton also added an interception, as did Heritage’s Logan Cheatwood on his team’s first defensive play.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.