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 Closes in On League Title With Easy Win Over Lakeside

Heritage running back Sione Takitaki points to the sidelines as he crosses the 5-yard line on the way to a 33-yard touchdown run Friday night.

Four down, one to go. Or is it 19 and counting?

The first set of numbers is what matters most, says Heritage High football coach Kraig Broach, who almost needed a calculator to track the Patriots' scoring in a 49-0 blowout win over Lakeside Friday night.

True, Heritage extended its four-year winning streak in Sunbelt League games to 19, with just a game at Elsinore next Friday standing between the Patriots and another perfect league season. Since coming into the league in 2010, the Patriots haven't lost once.

But most of that winning streak is ancient history to Broach, who is focused on the other stat -- a 4-0 record in league play this season.

"You don't even need to throw that stuff out there," Broach said about the team's dominance in league play over the years. "Next week we're playing Elsinore, who is playing right with us near the top of the standings, and we have an opportunity to play for the league championship. That's big enough. Next week is going to be a great high school football game."

Indeed, Heritage's win over Lakeside puts the Patriots in position to wrap up their fourth straight league title next Friday. Heritage will take a 4-0 league record and 8-1 overall mark into the game at Elsinore (3-1, 5-4), which has lost only to Paloma Valley (3-1, 8-1).

Heritage, Paloma Valley and Elsinore all are headed to the CIF playoffs, where the Patriots know they will be tested much more severely than they were Friday night.

For all intents and purposes, this game was over after the first quarter, when Heritage led 21-0. In fact, the Patriots scored two touchdowns on their first three offensive plays. Sophomore quarterback Brett Virgil (left) threw TD passes to Stefan Patterson (44 yards) and Chris Nile (16 yards) to give Heritage a 14-0 lead by the time fans had barely settled into their seats.

Moments after the defense forced the third consecutive Lakeside punt, Heritage was on the board again. Sione Takitaki rambled 33 yards for a touchdown and a 21-0 lead. Limihai Hifo made it 28-0 with a 1-yard TD dive after a 49-yard run early in the second quarter.

At halftime, the Patriots had 346 yards total offense. Virgil completed 5 of 8 passes for 106 yards and 2 TDs. Hifo rushed for 77 yards and a score and Takitaki ran for 54 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah Morrow tacked on a 32-yard touchdown run and Jalen Glover ran 23 yards for a score for a 42-0 halftime lead.

The second half was played with a running clock, with virtually all the Heritage starters on the bench. Several seniors on the second string got a chance to play on Senior Night.

"It's the last home game for the seniors," Broach said. "I'm very proud of them and how they represented. It was a nice overall performance. In the second half, to have guys who normally don't get to play come in and execute, that was very rewarding."

Even a sophomore got into the mix in the third quarter. Running back Carlos Vargas scored on a 13-year touchdown run.

The only real challenge for the Patriots was to stay focused against outmanned opposition. The Patriots had 135 yards in penalties by halftime.

Senior wide receiver Cristian Sanchez heads upfield after catching a pass in the second quarter Friday night.

Sophomore running back Carlos Vargas crosses the goal line on a 13-yard touchdown play.

Limihai Hifo picks up yardage in a big first half for the Patriots.

Heritage Has Easy Time With Perris in League Opener, 56-3

Isaiah Morrow heads upfield for a big gain in Heritage's 56-3 win over Perris Friday night.

By Zac Force

Heritage High's football team got off to a fast start in Sunbelt League play Friday night, beating Perris High 56-3 in the Patriots' Homecoming game.

Perris scored the first points of the game with a field goal, giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead, but Heritage then struck for 56 unanswered points. Heritage scored 35 points in the second quarter and another 21 points in the second half.

With the win, Heritage improved to 5-1 overall. Perris dropped to 0-1 in league play and 2-4 overall.

Head coach Kraig Broach said this was a big win for the Patriots, who had been on the road the last four games.

"Homecoming aside, it’s the first game of league and it was great to win that," he said. "But we need to play better to compete with Temescal."

Heritage will host Temescal Canyon next Friday as the Patriots continue their bid to win the league title.

The Patriots' offense put up a total of 416 yards, 324 of which came from rushing. Isaiah Morrow led the rushing attack with eight carries for 100 yards.

Heritage was just as effective on defense against Perris. The Panthers had negative 51 yards rushing and only 2 yards passing, giving them a total of negative 49 yards total offense in the game.

The Patriots' defense was able to capitalize on every mistake made by the Panthers, which helped give the offense plenty of opportunities to succeed -- and the offense did just that.

Heritage trailed 3-0 early in the second quarter when Sione Takitaki (right) caught a touchdown pass from Aleva Hifo, who got some valuable playing time by playing the whole game at quarterback in place of starter Brett Virgil. About a minute later, it was 14-3 after Raul Amaya returned an interception for a TD.

Before the half was over, Heritage had scored two more times. Takitaki ran for a touchdown and Hifo passed to Evan Rodriguez for another score for a 35-3 halftime lead.

In the second half, Hifo ran 17 yards for a touchdown and Carlos Vargas scored on a 57-yard run.

This was the Patriots' highest scoring game of the season and the least amount of points and yards they have given up. Perris recorded its lowest point total of the season. Perris has been outscored 97-9 in its last two games.

The homecoming queen was also announced at halftime. Odessa Chandler (left) was chosen from a group that included Melissa Quijada, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Leslie Gastelum, and Kendra Johnston.

Heritage's defense made life miserable for Perris offensive players all night.

Heritage running back Carlos Vargas runs away from the field on a long touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Getting his first start at quarterback, Aleva Hifo scored on a 17-yard touchdown run.

Heritage, Now 4-1, Makes it Look Easy in 49-28 Win Over Rialto

Limihai Hifo heads toward the end zone on a 15-yard touchdown run for Heritage Friday night.

Heritage High School's football team cruised toward its bye week before Sunbelt League play opens Oct. 11 with a 49-28 victory at Rialto High Friday night.

Limihai Hifo, Sione Takitaki (left) and Jalen Glover each ran for two touchdowns for the Patriots, who will take a 4-1 overall record into league play following a well-deserved week off next week.

"We still have some things to shore up," said Patriots coach Kraig Broach, "but we took a big step today. Defensively, we improved. Rialto has a lot of skill players, but we handled ourselves well. And on offense, it was neat to see guys like Isaiah Morrow and Jalen Glover get some more playing time. And of course you can always talk about Limihai."

Glover (129 yards rushing) and Morrow (116) had impressive outings with more than their usual amount of carries, and Takitaki was solid as usual. But it was hard not to talk about No. 10.

Hifo rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns, one covering 60 yards in the second quarter. His first score, from 15 yards out, combined with Kyle Hernandez's PAT kick, gave Heritage a 7-6 lead in the first quarter, wiping out a 6-0 Rialto lead.

Hifo (right) virtually did it all Friday night. Switching to a new position of free safety on defense, he had a strong showing on that side of the ball as well. He came up with a couple of booming punts on special teams. And he even took a few snaps at quarterback when starting QB Brett Virgil left the game briefly with a twisted ankle.

"I just do whatever the coach says," said Hifo.

The 5-foot-11, 225-pound senior said he and his teammates thought it might be a closer game. Rialto came into the contest with a 2-1 record, defeating Summit High of Fontana last week.

"After watching the film, we thought maybe their quarterback (Javone Morgan) would make our defensive line tired," Hifo said. "But we learn from our mistakes quick. We still have to clean up things like penalties, but we played pretty well against a good Great Oak team (in a 43-40 loss) last week and we played well tonight."

Penalties denied Heritage some field position but didn't really cost the Patriots much on the scoreboard. They even survived the loss of starting defensive lineman Niko Cornejo-Gomez, who left the game late in the second quarter (left) with what appeared to be a broken leg.

Then there was the defensive play of Limihai's younger brother, Aleva Hifo. He recovered a Rialto fumble and made a big run to set up Limihai Hifo's 60-yard TD run inthe second quarter. Then when a Rialto player inadvertently touched a bouncing Heritage kickoff in the third quarter, Aleva recovered the ball, setting up a 9-yard TD run by Glover moments later.

And at the start of the fourth quarter, Aleva Hifo leaped in front of intended receiver Bryan Williams of Rialto for an interception in the end zone.

Another star of the Heritage defense was linebacker Caleb Marquez. The Menifee 24/7 Athlete of the Week made several key tackles in the first half.

"The bye week is coming at a good time, because we have a couple guys banged up," said Broach, who saw not only Cornejo-Gomez leave and Virgil sidelined briefly, but linebacker McKinley Grant limp off as well.

After taking next Friday off, the Patriots will open Sunbelt League play Oct. 11 against Perris -- Heritage's first home game since the first week of the season.

Aleva Hifo scoops up a Rialto fumble and gains big yardage, setting up a Patriots TD in the second quarter.  Jalen Glover races for a 23-yard gain in the fourth quarter of Friday night's win. Heritage quarterbak Brett Virgil was sidelined briefly with a twisted ankle but returned to action.

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.

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.

Heritage Football Team Hosts San Jacinto in Opener Friday

Granted, Heritage High School enters its season opener Friday night with a sophomore taking over as starting quarterback.

Also true, however, is the fact the Patriots welcome back three talented running backs with experience, an offensive line anchored by standout senior Niko Gomez, and a defense featuring speed and versatility.

Together, that spells optimism in the Heritage camp as Brett Virgil (left) prepares to make his debut at QB in Friday's 7 p.m. season opener against San Jacinto at Marion Ashley Stadium.

"We're still definitely a work in progress, but we're healthy and we're ready to go," said head coach Kraig Broach, who has compiled a 43-17 record as the only coach the Patriots have had since beginning the program in 2007. Last year, Heritage won the Sunbelt League with a 5-0 record and was 11-2 overall, losing in the CIF Central Division semifinals.

Virgil (5-10, 155) has some big shoes to fill in replacing Mat Bradshaw, who passed for 702 yards and 10 touchdowns and directed an efficient ground game last year. Yet Broach sees great potential and enthusiasm in his new QB after watching him in preseason workouts.

"Brett's a great kid and he's looked good," Broach said. "Yes, he is a sophomore, so you keep that in mind. But he's ready to do the job."

When the Patriots run the ball, they could give it to any of three talented backs. Senior Sione Takitaki (6-2, 240, at left) is the biggest of the three and comes off a 2012 season in which he ran for 850 yards and 11 TDs. Another returning running back is senior Limihai Hifo (5-11, 225, below), who rushed for 385 yards and 7 TDs in just six games last year.

Junior Isaiah Morrow (5-8, 175) rounds out a group that provides the Patriots with a strong 1-2-3 punch in the offensive backfield.

"It will pretty much be an equal rotation," Broach said. " Takitaki is the big, strong one, but they're all kind of similar in that they're physical backs more than anything. We don't have a changeup where a certain guy will come in for a certain type play. It really will be a rotation."

When Virgil throws the ball, he will look to senior Matt Palmer (6-3, 205), who has had a strong week of practice and is ready to step into a starting role. But a lot of the offense centers around the line, in which Gomez plays a key role.

"Niko is a great leader," Broach said. "We're breaking in some new people, and he will be a great example to the others."

Broach is also excited about the defense, which includes Takitaki at linebacker along with senior Caleb Marquez (5-9, 185); senior Evan Rodriguez (6-4, 230) at defensive end; and defensive back Stefan Patterson (5-7, 160).

"On defense, we're fast," said Broach, below. "The front seven has a lot of interchangeable parts, which can be good and bad. It makes us flexible, for sure."

Heritage has only four home games in the regular season. Before hitting the road for four straight weeks, the Patriots will focus on beating a San Jacinto team coached by veteran Bill Powell. The Tigers, who lost 32-6 to Heritage in last year's opener, are led by wide receiver Malik Kimbrough, whom Broach says will be one of the fastest players the Patriots will see this year.

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $5 for children. Students with an ASB card are admitted free of charge.

Patriots Hope to Continue Winning Tradition in a New Season

In the last two seasons, the Heritage High School football team has compiled a 23-4 record, advancing to the CIF finals and semifinals. So what does that mean to coach Kraig Broach as the Patriots open practice for a new season?

Back to square one, that's all.

"A winning tradition, that's neat ... that's cool," Broach said. "But ultimately the fact is, it has no bearing on what carries over to this season and this team."

Even so, Broach expressed excitement about his team's chances Wednesday as he watched the Patriots go through workouts in helmets and shorts on the second day of practice. Players will be in pads for the first time on Friday as they continue to prepare for an Aug. 30 opener against San Jacinto at home.

A solid group of returning starters includes seniors Sione Takitaki and Limihai Hilo, who will join junior Isiah Morrow in a two-back set rotation. Morrow's older brother, Jamal, is at Washington State this fall after rushing for 2,092 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. But despite that loss, Broach is confident about the team's ability to move the ball on the ground.

"Jamal was one of the best players and best kids I've ever been around," Broach said. "It will be exciting to watch him on Saturdays this fall. But that's also the neat thing about high school football. You get to work with kids and see them progress.

"Besides, this school is now getting old enough that we're starting to get the younger siblings of the players."

Besides Isiah Morrow, another example of the sibling connection is quarterback Brett Virgil (left, with Broach), who will start as a sophomore this season. Two years ago, his older brother Chad was the Patriots' QB. Today, Chad plays at Mt. San Jacinto College.

"Yes, he's a sophomore, but he has all the qualities at some point to be a very good quarterback, and that some point is now," Broach said.

Other key returning players are tight end and defensive end Evan Rodriguez; offensive lineman Nick Gomez; linebacker Caleb Marquez; linebacker McKinley Grant; and defensive back and wide receiver Stefan Patterson.

"I like our running backs and offensive line," Broach said. "We are young at quarterback and we're not very big on the defensive line. Our skill players are pretty good size, but our linemen aren't real big. We're replacing three starters on the defensive line."

Although it's too early to know exactly how things will shape up for the Patriots, Broach knows hopes are high for his team because of what it has accomplished in recent seasons.