Whole team puts it together in Heritage's 8-3 football win
Heritage quarterback Achilles Reveles drops back to pass Thursday. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group) By Paige Mendez, Correspondent I...
By Paige Mendez, Correspondent
In their first win in more than two seasons, the Heritage High School football team defeated the Elsinore Tigers 8-3 at home Thursday night.
After a scoreless first half, including three defensive stops by the Patriots in the second quarter alone, they continued to hold Elsinore by forcing a punt with a quarterback sack. But the forced punt was returned four plays later, giving the Tigers the ball on their own 33-yard line.
Elsinore then got on the board first with a 35-yard field goal after a lengthy drive up the field.
Heritage had an answer on the next drive, however, culminating in a 30-yard reception from Dominic Dunntornatore, who held his toes over the goal line while reaching for the pass from quarterback Achilles Reveles.
“I saw it up in the air and knew I had to go and get it,” Dunntornatore said. “So I pulled it in and got that toe-tap in and it won us the game.”
Combined with the two-point conversion that followed by tight end Dane Ortiz, that touchdown did end up winning the game for the Patriots. That was possible because of two more stops by the Heritage defense, which held the Tigers to an average of 2.6 yards per play in their last two drives.
Lineman and captain Charles Smith said their work on the defensive side was driven by their desire to get the ball back in Reveles’ hands.
“On that fourth down, getting that critical stop, just to be able to give the offense another chance, it’s really important,” he said. “It’s not just me on defense, it’s 11 of us and we have to believe in our brothers and play for each other.”
Reveles’ touchdown pass and the one for the conversion were two of his best of the night, but his time on the field in his pocket debut was not without adversity. However, he said his mentality was to never get down about the little things that go wrong.
“I know I just have to move on to the next play. If it’s bad, move on, if it’s good, move on. Just keep working,” he said.
In his fourth season on the team, he isn’t new to the field, but was moved to quarterback from his usual safety position this summer. The change is one that brings pressure, which he said he is not immune to, but that his team has helped him overcome the nerves accompanying it.
“I was nervous, but actually in that locker room, my team got me right, they hyped me up and I was in it,” he said. “Once I stepped on this field, I was ready.”
Head coach Rich McClure said moving Reveles to quarterback is something he knew would take a lot of adjustment but that the work he did in the game proved he is on the right track.
“It took some convincing for him to be a quarterback because he’s a young guy and a great safety, but he’s learning the nuances of being a very good quarterback,” McClure said. “He was learning and seeing it all tonight… You can’t get those reps in summer practice, I don’t care how long you run seven-on-sevens, so this is invaluable.”
Also invaluable is the team win for a group of athletes who had gone two seasons without a victory.
For team captain Julian Pulido, it’s as long a time coming as it is for anyone else.
“I’ve got two years on varsity with no wins and this is the best thing to happen in a long time,” Pulido said. “We’ve been working so hard for so long and everybody on this team deserves this. They fought so hard today.”
Dunntornatore agreed.
"We persevered through and won that game and that win means everything to me. I’ve been here through the whole struggle. We lost a bunch of games and I’m just ecstatic and super emotional,” he said.
McClure said the effort from the coaches and players alike made the difference in the night’s match-up.
“We don’t get a lot of coaches that want to be part of a ‘0-and-forever’ team, but I have some really hard working coaches that have played for me and others who are lunch pail guys who just spend four, five hours a day with these kids,” he said. “All we can do is provide these kids with a platform though and a vision. They’ve got to supply the effort, and tonight they really did."
The next game for the Patriots will be next Thursday at La Quinta at 7:30 p.m.
Achilles Reveles tries to avoid an Elsinore High defender. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)
Julian Pulido (22) and Charles Smith (50) celebrate after stopping a drive. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)
