Rebels fall to 3-5 after losing to Heritage Academy

It wasn’t a very happy homecoming for the Leake Academy Rebels on Friday night.

The Heritage Academy Patriots showed why they are the defending Class 5A state champions as they took a 35-6 over the Rebels.

Leake falls to 3-5 on the season and will host Lamar School on Friday night for Senior night. If the Rebels win on Friday night against Lamar, they would claim the District 2-5A championship and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

“We didn’t play very well at all,” Leake coach Brian Pickens said. “Part of that was us but part of that was Heritage. They were really good up front and we had trouble blocking them. We had trouble getting them off the field on defense and they hit some big passes on us that could have went either way. We’ve got to block better up front and make those 50-50 plays.”

Heritage got the ball to start the game and went 59 yards in eight plays as they scored on a 35-yard touchdown pass with 8:51 left in the first quarter. The PAT was good and Heritage led 7-0.

Heritage added to its lead early in the second quarter as the Patriots went 65 yards in 10 plays. The Patriots scored on fourth down with 9:13 left in the second on a 36-yard touchdown pass. The PAT was good and Heritage led 14-0, a score that held to the end of the first.

Heritage kicked off to Leake to start the third quarter but the Rebels fumbled the kickoff to give the Patriots the ball at their own 35. Five plays later, Heritage scored on fourth down again on a 16-yard touchdown pass with 9:59 left in the third to go up 21-0.

The turnover hit Leake again when Rhett Atkinson fumbled near midfield. The Patriots hit the big play again on the next play on a 47-yard pass with 8:51 left in the third to lead 28-0.

Heritage’s last score came with 3:02 left in the third on a 72-yard run to go up 35-0.

Leake’s only score came early in the fourth. After a big 35-yard gainer to Aiden Watkins, Welch called his own number on a 6-yard run. Matthew Nowell’s PAT failed and Leake trailed 35-6.

Heritage dominated the statistical battle as well. Heritage had 343 yards of total offense to just 106 yards for the Rebels. Heritage had 127 yards rushing and 216 passing while Leake had 78 yards passing and 28 yards rushing on 21 attempts. 

Welch had 17 yards rushing on 11 carries and was 4-of-4 passing for 63 yards. Rhett Atkinson had 11 yards rushing on 10 carries and was 4-of-13 passing for 15 yards. 

Bryce Watkins led the defense with 5.5 tackles while Dylan Jones, Jarod Sims and Camden Marble each had 4.5 tackles. Lucas Thomas had 3.5 tackles while Hagan Bobo and Jake Adams had two tackles apiece.