Tallahassee, FL — American Heritage (Plantation) makes a return to the state championship for the first time since going back to back in 2016 and 2017.
After tonight’s game against Tallahassee Rickards in the 5A state championship game, it seems as if the Patriots have never left.
American Heritage wins its fifth state title in school history and its third state championship in five years defeating Rickards 24-6.
Tallahassee Rickards, making their debut in the state championship game, down 21-6 at the Heritage 43-yard line, decided to punt the ball rather than go for the first down on fourth and two. The punt would position Heritage on their own nine-yard line with 8:01 left in the game. Blake Murphy‘s 36-yard pass completion to Michael Watkins would help push the Patriots down the field and set up a 29-yard Chris Maron field goal to push it to a three-score game with 2:35 left in the game.
Blake Murphy completes this touchdown pass to Nick Whitton for a touchdown to go up two scores. @AH__Athletics up 14-0 on Rickards. @FootballHotbed pic.twitter.com/aaYxbXYyoZ
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) December 19, 2020
“I feel like this game matured me,” said the sophomore quarterback Murphy, known by his coaches and teammates as Heisman trophy winner Kyler Murray. “Coach Pat told me I have to make the right throws, I have to be who I am, be Kyler Murray.”
The Patriots, known for their strong defense all season, looked efficient on offense from the start. Sophomore running back Mark Fletcher got into the end zone from one yard out to put the Pats on the board first. Fletcher had 10 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown in the first half.
American Heritage gets on the board first as @fletcherjr_mark goes in for a touchdown with 5:55 left in the first quarter. @AH__Athletics up 7-0 over Rickards. @FootballHotbed pic.twitter.com/rzVaFJVbEj
— Marcus Benjamin (@_BenjaminReport) December 19, 2020
Quarterback Blake Murphy threw two touchdown passes in the first half to extend the Heritage lead. The first went to senior receiver Nick Whitton on a corner route for a 49-yard touchdown. The second was set up nicely by a 62-yard return that Vinson Davis nearly scored but was pushed out of bounds at the two-yard line. Murphy would find Oronde Gadsden Jr. in the corner of the end zone for a three-yard touchdown.
Murphy did fumble the center quarterback exchange with 1:07 left in the half giving Rickards a chance to put points on the board before the break. The Raiders would settle for a field goal try but would miss from 21 yards out. Heritage would take a commanding 21-0 lead into halftime.
Rickards would be the first to score as quarterback Michael Townsend would score from two yards out (extra point blocked by James Williams). The touchdown was set up by a return Bowen Drewes 70 yards to the Heritage 20-yard line.
“At the end of the day we’re state champs,” said Miami Hurricanes signee Williams. “It means everything to win this. I waited for my whole life, I waited four years to win me a state title.”
Murray and Fletcher would finish the game off with zone-read plays that the Raiders’ defense could not stop. Fletcher ended the game with 21 carries 127 yards and a touchdown.
“He’s our bell cow,” said Head Coach Pat Surtain. “He has two more years in high school I feel sorry for opposing defenses.”
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