Heritage Pulls Away From Arlington in Second Half, 21-7

Heritage High defenders stop an Arlington ballcarrier in Friday night's playoff game.

Story by Zac Force
Photos by David Stovall

Heritage High School broke open a tight game in the second half Friday night to score a 21-7 victory over visiting Arlington in the first round of the CIF-SS Central Division playoffs.

Heritage. seeded second in the division, came into the game with a 9-1 record against Arlington, which was 3-7. It turned out to be a very close game for quite a while, however.

Heritage struck first on a 35-yard touchdown run by quarterback Brett Virgil with four minutes left in the first quarter. Both teams remained relatively quiet until midway through the second quarter, when Arlington ended a drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown to tie the score.

With under a minute to go in the first half, Arlington attempted to get in field goal range or score with a deep pass down the sideline, but instead Matt Palmer of Heritage came up with his first of three interceptions, ending the half.

Near the beginning of the third quarter, Heritage running back Sione Takitaki broke off a 25-yard rushing touchdown to give the Patriots a 14-7 lead. Arlington had the ball with 5:00 left in the third quarter when Palmer intercepted another pass. Before being tackled, he quickly pitched the ball to Limihai Hifo (10), who then ran it back for a 25-yard gain.

This was a huge play for the Patriots, who eventually scored on a touchdown run by Virgil.

Arlington was held scoreless for the remainder of the game. Palmer intercepted another pass to end the game and give Heritage the 21-7 victory.

Heritage will go on the road to play La Quinta next week.

"They played us very tough and we are lucky to move on," said Heritage coach Kraig Broach. "It’s the playoffs and that’s all that really matters, that we move on."

Heritage normally relies heavily on its rushing attack, headed by Hifo and Takitaki, with a little support from the passing game, and this game was no different. Hifo rushed for 269 yards on 26 attempts, giving him over a 10-yard per carry average. Takitaki rushed for 89 yards on 11 carries. Total rushing for Heritage was 412 yards, with two rushing touchdowns from Virgil and one from Takitaki.

Arlington was held in check in both the passing and running game. The Lions accumulated just 129 yards passing and only 50 yards rushing.

"La Quinta is the number one team in their league and they’re gonna be tough," Broach added. "We need to fix the turnovers if we want to win next week. We had way too many tonight."

Heritage quarterback Brett Virgil finds running room against the Arlington defense.  Limihai Hifo works his way through the Arlington defense.  Sione Takitaki ran for a touchdown in the Patriots' playoff victory.

Heritage Takes Fourth Consecutive League Title With 37-14 Win

Members of the Heritage High football team celebrate another league title after Friday night's win at Elsinore High.

They did it again.

Heritage High School's remarkable dominance of the Sunbelt League in football continued Friday night, with the Patriots defeating host Elsinore High 37-14 to wrap up their fourth consecutive perfect league season.

Using a defense that was both stifling of the opposition and opportunistic in grabbing three interceptions, the Patriots (5-0, 9-1) quickly dashed any hopes the Tigers (5-5, 3-2) had of finishing in a tie for first place. Heritage led just 6-0 after one quarter but raced to a 27-0 halftime lead and never looked back.

Defensive back Matt Palmer had two interceptions in the first half, ending two Elsinore possessions practically before they had started. Limihai Hifo intercepted a pass as well, returning it 65 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half.

Hifo rushed for 157 yards and two more touchdowns on 17 carries, while quarterback Brett Virgil (right) rushed for 68 yards and passed for 165 yards and two TDs. It was a clear show of power and precision by the Patriots, who will enter next week's CIF playoffs as the No. 1 representative from the Sunbelt League.

Paloma Valley, which beat Lakeside 42-6, finished second in league, one game behind Heritage and one ahead of Elsinore. All three teams will learn their fate Sunday morning, when CIF Central Division playoff pairings are announced.

"We clicked tonight," said Palmer about the team's defensive play. "This was our best game by far on defense.

"Winning league again... it's a great accomplishment for a new school. But we want to go farther now. We want to win it all."

Palmer's reference was to the last two seasons. Heritage lost in the CIF finals two years ago and in the semifinals last year. But on this night, the celebration was of this victory and a great league and regular season.

"They did a great job tonight," said coach Kraig Broach. "To be Sunbelt League champs, it's pretty special. And four straight titles, it's pretty cool. Especially when you're playing teams like Elsinore, Temescal Canyon, Paloma Valley, teams like that. To be able to do that is an accomplishment. But like we talked about before, for these kids, to do this in their year, that's huge. It's a credit to them."

Heritage marched 80 yards on its first possession of the game, a drive kept alive by an 11-yard run by Virgil on fourth down. Hifo capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run but the PAT failed, leaving the Patriots with a 6-0 lead.

Elsinore's first possession ended quickly when Palmer outleaped Tigers receiver Chris Harris to intercept a long pass from quarterback Tommy Wilson. But following a big gain by Virgil, Heritage gave the ball back to Elsinore on a fumble. The first quarter ended 6-0.

Enter Palmer again. Early in the second quarter, Wilson threw downfield but his pass was tipped by Aleva Hifo and was grabbed by Palmer, giving the Patriots the ball back. Moments later, it was 13-0 after Virgil hit Chris Nile with a 33-yard scoring strike.

"I was right there in good position," Palmer said about the second interception. "I thought he (Hifo) had it, and then, 'whoops ... I'll take that.' "

Virgil found Evan Rodriguez (left) on a couple key passes, including a 3-yard touchdown pass play later in the quarter. Then, with time running out in the half, Limihai Hifo picked off a Wilson pass and raced 65 yards into the end zone.

The Elsinore defense focused on stopping Hifo, but Virgil's ability to run himself and complete the play-action pass was a key for the Patriots.

"Early in the game we did our read plays and I just saw how they keyed on our two top players (Hifo and Sione Takitaki)," Virgil said. "We took advantage of that with some other players. Teams in the playoffs will see we don't just have Taki and Hifo, we have a whole team to deal with. They'll have to key on other players, and that's going to open it up for Hifo and Taki to have big games, like they always do."

"I was waiting for a defensive game like this and we came through tonight," Broach said. "Elsinore did a great job, especially in defense of our run game, but I thought the way we were able to throw the ball balanced it out."

Although the focus this next week will be solely on the team's first-round playoff opponent, the Patriots know what the ultimate goal is.

"We just gotta finish this year off and get the ring this year," Hifo said.

The fun begins next Friday.

Defensive back Matt Palmer leaps to pick off a pass intended for Elsinore's Chris Harris in the first quarter.

Moments later Palmer was at it again, returning another interception of a Tommy Wilson pass.

Chris Nile hauls in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Brett Virgil in the second quarter.

The Patriots were cheered by a large crowd of fans in the visiting stands as they left the field with a 27-0 halftime lead.

Virgil Leads Heritage High to 49-13 Victory at Beaumont

Heritage High quarterback Brett Virgil heads down the sidelines on a 69-yard TD run in the third quarter Friday night.

Brett Virgil showed once again Friday night why there is no reason for Heritage High School football fans to be worried about a sophomore starting at quarterback.

In three quarters of play, Virgil passed for 122 yards and 3 touchdowns, rushed for 117 yards and two more scores and effectively led the Patriots' dismantling of a winless Beaumont squad, 49-13, at Beaumont High.

An opportunistic Heritage defense forced six Beaumont turnovers, coming up with five fumble recoveries and an interception, as the Patriots improved their record to 3-0 heading into a big nonleague game at Great Oak next Friday.

Heritage led 14-0 two minutes into the game, scoring quickly off fumble recoveries, and was ahead 49-10 at halftime. That allowed coach Kraig Broach to give the second and third string some valuable playing time in the second half.

"It was neat to see guys come in, show they knew what they were doing and play the scheme correctly," Broach said. "We got a lot of guys playing time.

"We're not there yet, but we're making a lot of improvement."

The Patriots have greatly reduced their penalties and are showing more consistency on offense and defense each week. In their first three games -- two of them on the road -- the Patriots have outscored the opposition, 124-38.

On the second series of the game, the Patriots recovered a fumble at the Beaumont 13-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Limihai Hifo ran 13 yards for a touchdown (above). Tyler Baca's PAT kick gave Heritage an early 7-0 lead.

On Beaumont's next possession, the Cougars fumbled the ball away again, with Reggie Murphy recovering for the Patriots on the Beaumont 22. On the very next play, Virgil hit Chris Nile with a 22-yard touchdown pass (left) and the Patriots were off and running.

"Chris Nile had a nice game at receiver and Evan Rodriguez was solid at tight end," Broach said. "It was nice to see so many people involved."

Of course, Broach had high praise once again for Virgil, who showed speed and versatility on a 42-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and a 69-yard TD run in the third.

"Virgil had a great game again," Broach said. "Like we've talked about, eventually he's going to be a very special quarterback, and he's certainly on his way already."

On his first TD, Virgil rolled right, reversed directions and sprinted 42 yards into the left corner of the end zone.

"I rolled out to pass but had to bail out," Virgil said. "Hifo made a great block to help me cut back and take off."

Heritage compiled 309 yards rushing and 122 passing for 431 yards total offense. Murphy caught a touchdown pass from Virgil, Rodriguez caught a 10-yard TD pass and Jalen Glover ran 2 yards for a score.

Heritage defensive back Raymond Everett heads out of his end zone with an interception in the third quarter.

Tight end Evan Rodriguez heads into the end zone with a 10-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.

Patriots quarterback Brett Virgil completed 7 of 10 passes for 122 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Heritage Improves to 2-0 With a 38-12 Win at JW North

By Zac Force

Heritage High beat JW North 38-12 on Friday, giving the Patriots a record of 2-0 to start the season.

The Patriots' running game combined for 446 yards. Limihai Hifo racked up 186 yards on 18 carries, earning himself an average of 10.3 yards per carry. Sione Takitaki rushed for 111 yards on 13 carries. Brett Virgil had 128 passing yards on 17 attempts.

The game started out slowly with a first quarter that ended scoreless. Heritage had a great first drive that seemed destined to score but came to a sudden halt after a fumble. The game soon picked up speed, however.

During the second quarter, the score went from 0-0 to 17-6 in favor of the Patriots. Even though an apparent punt return for a touchdown was called back for a clipping penalty, moments later Hifo caught a pass that netted a 38-yard gain. That led to a 5-yard touchdown pass from Virgil to Evan Rodriguez for the first points of the game.

The Huskies' first drive also seemed like a touchdown was inevitable when the Patriots were called for pass interference, giving JW North the ball on the Heritage 13-yard line. Aleva Hifo intercepted a pass thrown into the end zone, however, to stop the Huskies' drive.

The Huskies were soon able to put their first points of the game up when running back Dre Hall scored on a handoff. The extra point was no good, making the score 7-6. Heritage scored one more time in the second quarter on a Tyler Baca 39-yard field goal.

In the second half, Takitaki found the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown. Isaiah Morrow rushed for two touchdowns, including a 42-yarder. Reggie Murphy returned an interception for a 48-yard touchdown as well.

The only points for JW North in the second half came after a 67-yard kick return set them up for great field position, leading to a touchdown pass. The Huskies went for the two-point conversion but failed.

Heritage almost scored a final time but fumbled the snap on the 1-yard line, giving the Huskies the ball.

"We have a lot of areas that need work," head coach Kraig Broach said. "We had too many fumbles and too many penalties."

Broach also noted that the team "is still very young and has a lot to learn." He added, however, that "the offensive line played extremely well and made it easy on Hifo and Takitaki."

The Patriots' next game is at Beaumont.

Heritage High School Athlete of the Week: Brett Virgil

Quarterback Brett Virgil is the first recipient in Heritage High School's Athlete of the Week program, sponsored by Menifee 24/7.

Each week, one athlete from each sport in season will be honored for their athletic accomplishments, potential and sportsmanship. Menifee 24/7 has added this awards program to its Athlete of the Month Award, which honors one male and one female athlete from the school each month.

Football was the only sport in which an official game was played last week. Virgil, a sophomore, made his first varsity start a memorable one, leading the Patriots to a 37-13 victory over San Jacinto Friday night.

Virgil completed all six of his pass attempts for 116 yards and two touchdowns in Heritage's season opener. One of his biggest fans was seated in the stands -- his older brother, Chad.

Chad Virgil led Heritage to the CIF championship game two years ago. His advice and encouragement meant a lot, Brett said.

"He came down and talked to me before and after the game," said Brett Virgil. "He gave me some ideas and what to watch for. That made it an even greater night."

Virgil gave a lot of credit for his first starting performance to his offensive line, which kept the San Jacinto defense away from him.

"I didn't get hit at all," Virgil said. "Those guys did a great job. I was kind of nervous about executing all the plays, but as the game went on, I got more comfortable.":

Virgil's second start will come Friday night, when Heritage plays at JW North of Riverside.

Hifo, Takitaki, Virgil Star in Heritage's Season-Opening Victory

Limiahi Hifo runs for a 17-yard gain in the third quarter of Heritage High's 37-13 victory Friday night.

Heritage High football coach Kraig Broach summed it up when addressing his players after the Patriots' 37-13 victory over San Jacinto in Friday night's season opener at Marion Ashley Stadium.

"You guys did a lot of great things tonight," said Broach, holding his 8-year-old daughter Kalee in his arms and looking out into a sea of smiling faces. "Take that home and enjoy it tonight."

Yet even while playing the daddy role and celebrating a 24-point victory, Broach couldn't help but let some of the football coach come out before dismissing his troops.

"But just think about what might have been," he said with a grin.

You mean what might have been, had the Patriots not been called for 22 penalties totaling 155 yards? Granted, it could've been a cleaner performance, but Broach (right, with quarterback Brett Virgil) didn't want his players treating it as anything more than a challenge for next week's practice sessions.

No, there were too many positive aspects to this one to get hung up on false start flags. For one, senior running back Limihai Hifo rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, punishing San Jacinto defenders with his 5-foot-11, 225-pound frame and deceptive speed. For another, senior Sione Takitaki had a big game on both sides of the ball, scoring on a 40-yard touchdown run (below) and making big hits from his linebacker position.

On top of that, the Patriots got encouraging news from sophomore QB Virgil, who completed 6 of 9 pass attempts for 116 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Stefan Patterson on a 34-yard scoring strike (above) to open the scoring and with Reggie Murphy on an 8-yard TD pass in the second quarter.

Heritage led 14-0 after one quarter, 27-7 at halftime and never looked back. In addition to an offense that had more than enough to overcome the penalties, the defense stifled San Jacinto quarterback P.J. Murrieta and running back Malik Kimbrough (12 carries, 60 yards).

Heritage is the defending league champion and is highly regarded again this season. Yet while allowing his players to celebrate this victory, Broach wants to keep things in perspective.

"Yes, we did some really good things," he admitted. "Hifo and Takitaki played very well. We forced three or four turnovers early that made a big difference. Brett (Virgil, at right) made some good plays, and our sophomore kicker (Tyler Baca) did a heckuva job. Offensively, when we weren't false starting, we looked good.

"The penalties? Well, it's the first game, and it's nonleague. We have to remember that. We'll have some growing pains and we're playing a strong JW North team next week. We just have to take care of ourselves right now."

The game was only a couple minutes old when Murphy picked off a deflected pass by Murrieta on San Jacinto's first drive, giving the Patriots the ball at the San Jacinto 37. Two plays later, Virgil passed 34 yards to Patterson for the touchdown.


On the ensuing kickoff, a San Jacinto player mishandled the ball and Heritage recovered the ball on the Tigers' 27. On the next play, Hifo rambled all the way into the end zone. Baca's PAT kick gave Heritage an early 14-0 lead.

Heritage's defense set the tone early as well, with plays such as the one at left, where McKinley Grant and Jalen Glover wrap up a San Jacinto receiver.

Late in the first quarter, Grant intercepted a pass, setting up a long drive that resulted in the TD pass from Virgil to Murphy.

"Grant is a great kid," Broach said. "So many of these seniors didn't get a lot of playing time last year. This was the first actual game for a lot of guys."

Heritage is on the road for the next four games, not returning home until an Oct. 11 Sunbelt League game against Perris.

Heritage defenders Limihai Hifo (10) and Christian Decker-Weible wrap up San Jacinto ballcarrier Mario Rubio.