Four Heritage High Football Standouts Sign College Letters

From left: Evan Rodriguez, Matthew Palmer and Limihai Hifo are joined by family members in signing football letters of intent. Not pictured: Sione Takitaki.

Four star players from Heritage High School's 2013 CIF championship football team signed national letters of intent today to continue their careers in college.

CIF Offensive Player of the Year Limihai Hifo signed a commitment to attend San Jose State, while the CIF Defensive Player of the Year, Sione Takitaki, signed to attend BYU. Defensive back Matthew Palmer and tight end Evan Rodriguez signed to attend Azusa Pacific University.

Before a gym full of boisterous students during the announcement assembly, athletic director David Drake spoke of the legacy these players are helping to build at Heritage.

"They have brought a glory to this school that is unheard of," Drake said. "They are leaving a legacy for those of you who are back next year ... they have set a precedent for all of you to live up to. Every athlete in this school from here on out will hear the stories of the 2013 football team."

Under the guidance of CIF Coach of the Year Kraig Broach, the Patriots compiled a 13-1 record last fall, beating Rancho Verde for the CIF title. Hifo rushed for 2,103 yards and 21 touchdowns in earning a scholarship to San Jose State, where he has been told he might start at running back right away.

"They had two running backs that got hurt last year and they played two slot receivers who had never played running back ever," Hifo said. "Hopefully this year, I'll get to take the spot.

"San Jose gave me the chance while I had a broken foot (last off-season). It's just another blessing. They've been doing really good. The program is on the way up and I'm glad to be a part of that."

Takitaki wasn't present for the assembly but showed up later to sign his letter of intent with BYU. He led the team with 81 total tackles from his linebacker position. Takitaki also played an important role on offense, carrying the ball for the Patriots.

Palmer ranked in the top five in the nation in interceptions on the way to All-CIF honors. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound defensive back picked off 10 passes -- most of those during the playoffs to help seal postseason victories. He will join Rodriguez at Azusa Pacific.

"It's been hectic and exciting at the same time," Palmer said. "I wouldn't be here without my teammates and my coaches."

Rodriguez, also an All-CIF honoree, made a strong impact at tight end after switching positions from quarterback a year ago.

"It's gonna be a cool experience, being in college together," Rodriguez said about joining Palmer at APU. "We'll always be CIF champs."

"It's quite a day," Broach said. "It makes me proud to think about where these guys came from and what they did."

Heritage's Hifo, Takitaki Named All-CIF Players of the Year

Heritage High running Limihai Hifo rushed for 2,103 yards en route to CIF Player of the Year honors.

Heritage High School swept the top awards among its six players honored and three Paloma Valley High players also were recognized on the All-CIF Southern Section Central Division football team.

Running back Limihai Hifo of Heritage was named Offensive Player of the Year. The 5-foot-11, 230-pound senior rushed for 2,103 yards and 21 touchdowns in leading the Patriots to the Central Division championship. He is headed for San Jose State on a football scholarship.

Hifo's cousin and teammate, Sione Takitaki (left), was named All-CIF Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound senior, headed for BYU on a football scholarship, led the team with 81 total tackles from his linebacker position.

Kraig Broach, who led the Patriots to a 13-1 record and the CIF title, was named Coach of the Year.

Senior Matthew Palmer represents Heritage on the defensive team. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound defensive back had 10 interceptions -- one of the top totals in the state. He is one of the most heavily recruited football players in the Southland.

Heritage defensive back Matthew Palmer had 10 interceptions this season.

Junior linebacker Christian Decker-Wieble also was named to the defensive team for the Patriots. Lineman Caleb Marquez and wide receiver Evan Rodriguez were named to the offensive team.

Paloma Valley was represented by wide receiver Michael Valencia (right) on the offensive team. The senior caught 33 passes for 586 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Wildcats, who posted a 10-2 record this season.

Lineman Kre Webb and utility player Felix Bogroff of the Wildcats were named to the defensive team.

Heritage's Hifo and Palmer also excelled in the recent Inland Empire All-Star Classic, in which Hifo was named MVP for the Riverside team.

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.

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.

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.