RINGGOLD, Ga. - Some scoring drives just mean more.
Quick-strike touchdowns are nice, but when a football team can go the length of the field, it often has a more lasting effect. In a 35-20 win over Chattooga on Friday night, Heritage imposed its will on 98-yard and 99-yard drives - one in each half - to improve to 3-0.
"It's awesome to have those types of drives," winning coach E.K. Slaughter said. "If you look up stats, if you have a 95-yard-or-better drive, a team wins 80% of those games, so when we got that long drive early it was a big deal. The last one was maybe even better."
The visiting Indians (1-2) took a quick 7-0 lead after Heritage fumbled the opening kickoff, leading to a Lashaun Lester 2-yard scoring run. The Generals answered with a 14-play, 98-yard beauty that featured third-down conversions on passes of 19 and 17 yards by junior quarterback Nick Hanson. Maddox Rose capped the drive with a 15-yard run.
Heritage took advantage of a Chattooga fumble early in the second half to take a 14-7 lead on Gabe Ogle's 9-yard run, then practically sealed the win after Cash Allen's punt pinned the Generals back at the 1 midway through the third quarter.
Chattooga's electric sophomore RB Lashaun Lester breaks off a 34-yard run vs Heritage #bestofpreps pic.twitter.com/OEwLwLKUOh
— Lindsey Young (@youngsports22) September 7, 2019
Heritage's Logan Lowe hauls in a TD pass from Nick Hanson to push the Generals lead to 28-7 #bestofpreps pic.twitter.com/TSdOBcTS02
— Lindsey Young (@youngsports22) September 7, 2019
The eight-play, 99-yard gem took only four minutes of playing time, but it broke the Indians' spirit. Ogle, who finished with 160 yards on 22 carries, ripped off a pair of first-down runs and Hanson was 4-for-4 passing on the drive for 71 yards, the final 33 to Logan Lowe for a 21-7 lead.
After forcing a quick three-and-out series by Chattooga's offense, the Generals iced it with an eight-play drive that covered 54 yards, the first seven plays on the ground and Hanson sealing it with a 13-yard scoring pass to Lowe.
"It means everything to us to take it to a team and pound it down their throats," senior left tackle Kobe McAllister said. "We can get dirty with it and we have great things ahead of us."
Hanson, who later added a touchdown run, was 11-of-17 passing for 151 yards and two scores, with Lowe catching six balls for 81 yards. Rose added 70 yards on 11 carries for the Generals, who played most of the game without talented receiver Sam Randolph, who was injured early.
Chattooga's run-heavy attack was hampered by cramping trouble for star sophomore Lester, who still managed 140 yards on 13 carries. On his final carry of the game, he ripped off 37 yards and was headed for the end zone with the Indians trailing by seven before a cramp hit and he went down.
Allen and Jamarious Mosteller hooked up for a pair of late touchdowns on passes of 39 and 72 yards.
"The coaches made some good adjustments at halftime, and we just played better in the second half," Slaughter said. "The big boys played great up front and we banged the ball really well. It's nice to be able to lean on that ground game."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.