Heritage rallies to beat Perris, now 3-0 in league

Things definitely are looking good for the Heritage High School boys basketball team, which rallied to defeat Perris High Thursday night on a 3-point basket in the final seconds, 58-57, at Heritage.

Senior guard Cornelius Holifield (left) sank two 3-pointers in the final minute, including a jumper from the right corner with 7 seconds left for the winning margin. With the victory, the Patriots are now 13-5 overall and 3-0 in Sunbelt League play -- the best start in league play in the program's history.

Holifield's shot capped a wild rally by the Patriots, who trailed by 13 points with about three minutes left. Perris (2-1) didn't get a shot off in the final seconds because of a Heritage steal of the inbounds pass.

"The guys just kept fighting," coach Andrew Ellis said. "They really got going offensively. For a while they were settling for just outside jumpers, but something clicked when they realized time was an issue. Once the ball started going through the hoop, they also tightened more defensively."

Junior guard Francis Dogani (right) led the Patriots in scoring with 21 points, followed by Holifield with 18.

Could this be Heritage's best boys basketball team ever?

"We've had some pretty decent teams in the past," Ellis said. "I think it can be, but I'm not ready to start talking about that yet."

Heritage will continue league play on Tuesday at Temescal Canyon.

Photos by Kristi Jo Aguirre