Key to victory for Heritage Hills in 3A state title

LINCOLN CITY, Ind. – The Heritage Hills football program exudes a whole different level of confidence.

Some of it comes with familiarity. State championship week brings with it additional responsibilities and distractions. Nothing this group hasn’t already seen after last year’s trip to Indianapolis. It’s not the complete reason.

Heritage Hills thinks differently. It believes that now is finally the time.

More:Heritage Hills football set another program milestone with the Class 3A semistate victory

The No. 2 Patriots (13-1) return to Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday for the Class 3A state championship against Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (10-4). It is their third appearance at the tournament’s final weekend since 2019. The previous two visits ended with red medals.

“There’s a lot of pressure to get back here,” Heritage Hills coach Todd Wilkerson said. “They prepared and realized they were a pretty good football team. They are currently at a very high level.”

Wilkerson quickly realizes that the events of the last 14 weeks are not enough. The error rate decreases exponentially in this game. Here are some keys for the Patriots against Bishop Luers and players to watch in the Class 3A final:

Three keys for Heritage Hills against Bishop Luers

Matches the Knights’ athleticism: The Patriots see their strengths on par with those of their opponent. With a good performance against another talented squad, their chances will improve even further.

Luers’ record is deceptive when playing against 4A and 5A schools in the Summit Conference. Daryea Williams is the centerpiece of a spread offense with 1,351 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. The Knights have a trio of defensemen with at least 12 tackles for loss. There is speed and athleticism on both sides of the ball. That’s why Luers reached the state finals after winning the 2A title in 2023.

Heritage Hills would have an advantage if implementation remained at the level of recent weeks.

Maintain the same focus: The topic of conversation after the Patriots’ group win over Gibson Southern was consistent throughout the game. As the postseason progressed, that was no longer a problem.

Heritage Hills has been locked in as well as any during a tournament run. The Patriots have outscored their opponents by an average of 27.2 points in the playoffs. Only No. 1 Memorial finished within three points. Wilkerson believes this team competes at a high level because of their preparation. This week it will take ten times that amount.

A poor week of preparation or a half-hearted performance on Saturday would doom the best teams.

“We can’t be happy,” senior Trey Willard said. “We have to go to Indy and actually want to win the game. We stayed focused throughout the playoffs. We weren’t as excited about the semistate win (as we were last year). We are waiting for another win.”

Rise into the moment: This should be self-explanatory. Good teams overcome the challenge in a pressure environment.

Quarterback Jett Goldsberry has proven to be one of the best in Southern Indiana. Another good game from him will give Heritage Hills a significant advantage. There were also standout moments from others across the squad. Or the state championship could be decided by one or two games. One example was the group final against Memorial – if Heritage Hills doesn’t score on fourth-and-long in the second quarter and take a 21-0 lead, will the game be different?

Winning these moments could earn Heritage Hills its first state championship since 2000.

“Last year we were kind of happy to be there,” senior Parker Hart said. “Nobody really expected this from us. This year it was expected. We are just much more confident. We played well all year. We are ready.”

Players to watch for the Class 3A state championship

Heritage Hills: Jett Goldsberry, Jr., QB/DB (1,736 passing yards, 26 TD; 1,499 rushing yards, 25 TD; 50 tackles); Hunter Meredith, Sr., RB/LB (946 rushing yards, 17 total touchdowns; 61 tackles); Tyler Ruxer, Jr., WR/DB (42 catches for 852 yards, 12 TD); Peyton Gray, Jr., WR/DB (475 receiving yards, 8 touchdowns); Parker Hart, Sr., OL/LB (94 tackles); Alex Smith, Sr. RB/LB (80 tackles, 4 INT); Andersen Smith, Sr., LB (5 INT, 3 FR).

Fort Wayne Bishop Luers: Jayce White, Jr., QB/DB (713 passing yards, 4 touchdowns); Daryea Williams, Sr., RB/DL (1,351 rushing yards, 15 TD); Dee Hogue, Jr., WR/DB (679 rushing yards, 7 TD; 9 INT); Jarron Taylor, Jr., DL (90 tackles, 17 FL, 8 sacks); Ayle Taylor, Jr., DL (60 tackles, 23 FL, 10 sacks); Brayden Mygrant, Jr., LB (74 tackles, 12 FL, 7 sacks); McKale Woodson, Jr., DB (4 INT).

IHSAA Football State Championship Game Information

Where/When: Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis, IN, Saturday, 2:00 p.m. CST.

How to watch: All six state championship games will be streamed exclusively on IHSAAtv.org and the IHSAAtv app suite on pay-per-view for $15 per game or $20 for all games.

Tickets: $15 per person per day. Admission is free for children up to five years old. General admission applies to all seats. In accordance with Lucas Oil Stadium policy, all ticket sales will be digital only. Mobile tickets should be purchased in advance through Ticketmaster.com or in person at the Lucas Oil Stadium box office during business hours (credit card purchases only).

Key to victory for Heritage Hills in 3A state title

ByAmelia Pressman

By Amelia Pressman

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