Resiliency is Kee as Heritage fends off Evergreen 35-28

Anthony Kee was like an human amalgam of Heritage’s Week 1 performance.

There was some bad — like losing three fumbles, including on both his first two touches of the game.

But then there was a whole lot more good — like 184 yards rushing and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves’ 35-28 non-league win over Evergreen on Friday.

It left teammate Skylar Scoggins to jump as Kee after the game yelling “You were the MVP of the game. Three touchdowns!!!”

Fumbles? What fumbles?

“We just had to stick with it,” Kee said of the early struggles. “Just trust our coaches, just our players and stick with it.”

The Timberwolves surrendered four fumbles in all, had a bad snap on a punt that resulted in a turnover, gave up a 99-yard touchdown play and had players limping off the field all night with cramping.

And yet they found a way to give coach Dennis Moody his first win as Heritage head coach.

“Credit out guys; they never gave up,” Moody said. “Guys coming off the sideline to fill in for major guys on our team that were just cramping up. And credit those guys who came off, but got back in. It was truly a team effort.”

Key players

• Isaac Roa rushed for 114 yards on 14 carries for Heritage, and Andre Crowley had 93 yards on 14 carries.

• Evergreen’s Zyell Griffin had a huge night. He caught seven passes for 179 yards and three TDs, including a 99-yard pass play that tied the game 28-28 in the third quarter. He also recovered a fumble and returned a punt 37 yards.

• Heritage’ Jared Padley caught two passes for 75 yards, both for touchdowns.

Key moments

• Griffin returned a punt 37 yards to set up Evergreen’s first touchdown right before halftime. It helped the Plainsmen erase a 21-0 second-quarter deficit.

• After an Evergreen player accidentally tapped the ball out of bounds at the Plainsmen 1 on a kickoff, Carrter Monda hit Griffin with a pass at the 20. Griffin slipped a couple of tackles and broke free for a 99-yard touchdown.

• After Griffin’s big play, the Heritage defense got a three-and-out on Evergreen’s first possession of the fourth quarter. That set up the Timberwolves’ go-ahead drive.

Quotable

“I’m so proud of these guys, all the hard work we’ve put it. And I think it’s a new day here at Heritage. Old Heritage might have packed it in. And our guys kept grinding and fighting. So I’ll take it.”

— Heritage coach Dennis Moody

HERITAGE 35, EVERGREEN 28

Heritage 0 21 7 7—35

Evergreen 0 7 21 0—28

Second quarter

H — Anthony Kee 23 run (kick failed)

H — Kee 3 run (Kee run)

H — Jared Padley 40 pass from Nikki Scott (Israel Gonzalez kick)

E — Zyell Griffin 10 pass from Carter Monda (Ely Del-Angel kick)

Third quarter

E — Tae Marks 30 pass from Monda (Del-Angel kick)

E — Griffin 19 pass from Monda (Del-Angel kick)

H — Padley 35 pass from Scott (Gonzalez kick)

E — Griffin 99 pass from Monda (Del-Angel kick)

Fourth quarter

H — Kee 1 run (Gonzalez kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Evergreen: Tyvauntae Deloney 11-34, Derrick Webb 10-39, Monda 3-(-2). Heritage: Nickelson Datel 4-39, Kee 19-184, Azreal Munns 1-(-6), Scott 4-(-34), Skylar Scoggins 3-1; Isaac Roa 14-114, Andre Cowley 14-93, Padley 2-9.

PASSING — Evergreen: Monda 10-29-0-222, Griffin 0-1-0-0. Heritage: Scott 2-6-0-75.

RECEIVING — Evergreen: Griffin 7-179, Marks 2-39, Jonathan Simon 1-4. Heritage: Padley 2-75.