ANTIOCH, Calif. - After going winless in the Bay Valley Athletic League last season and falling short by one point in last week's league opener against Antioch, Heritage got back in the win column with a 14-12 win over Deer Valley on Friday evening, holding off a late Wolverines rally for the victory.
Deer Valley quarterback Pacifica Tumanuvao scrambled in from seven yards out with 1:44 left in the game, but the Heritage defense stuffed the two-point conversion a yard short to preserve the victory, thwarting a late Deer Valley comeback attempt. The Patriots (2-5, 1-1 BVAL) led 14-0 at halftime and after three quarters, but a one-yard plunge from Tumanuvao midway through the fourth quarter cut the lead to eight points, after a receiver screen for the two-point attempt was also stopped short of the goal-line.
The teams were scoreless through one quarter, but Heritage broke the drought early in the second quarter when Alec Brannen took a toss to the left side and swept into the end zone from nine yards out. The Patriots added another score just before the half, points which would be critical at the end of the game.
After a penalty pushed Heritage into a third-and-long and wiped out what appeared to be another scoring run for Brannen, Trevor Moorman connected with James Williams on a fade down the right sideline for a 16-yard touchdown, just inside the front right pylon with 26 seconds left in the first half. Tanner Hartwig's extra-point gave the Patriots a 14-point halftime lead.
After both teams were held scoreless in the third quarter, the Wolverines (0-7, 0-2) put their first points of the night on the board with 7:27 left in the game. A big interception for Deer Valley set up their final scoring drive of the night, but the ensuing onside kick went out of bounds, allowing Heritage to run out the clock after Moorman scrambled for a first down on third-and-six.
Both teams are off next week. Heritage then hosts Freedom (0-7, 0-2) on Oct. 18, while Deer Valley clashes with cross-town rival Antioch (1-6, 1-1) in the Mayor's Cup on Oct. 19.