By Ben Wait
The Columbus Commerical Dispatch

COLUMBUS — Finding a way to get off the field defensively was difficult for St. Aloysius.
Heritage Academy scored on its first four possessions and St. Al found itself in a four-touchdown hole in the first quarter. The Flashes got their offense going later on but it wasn’t enough. They lost 77-47 Friday night to Heritage in the first round of the MAIS Class AAA playoffs.

“They’re good, they’re really good,” St. Al coach Bobby Smithhart said with a laugh. “That’s the best offense we’ve seen all year. We’ve played some good football teams, but they are good. They’re well-coached and very good. This is one of the wildest high school football games I’ve ever been a part of.”

The loss snapped the three-game win streak that allowed the Flashes (3-8) to earn a wild card berth in the playoffs and a share of the District 3-AAA championship.

The fourth-seeded Patriots (9-2), who won the District 1-AAA title, adavanced to play Manchester Academy in the second round next Friday.

“I’m really proud of the seniors,” Smithhart said. “They really held the team together, got to work and practiced every day. We wish we could have a do-over tonight, but that was a really good football team.”
St. Al running back Jamar Williams scored three touchdowns. Heritage’s Dontae Gray scored six.

“He’s played like he’s played all year, hard with a big heart,” Smithhart said of Williams. “He just keeps on coming and I’m proud of him.”

Heritage jumped out to a 28-0 lead, but St. Al managed to cut it to 42-21 by halftime. Williams scored St. Al’s first touchdown on a 1-yard run, and later added a 19-yarder. In between, Brandon Teller hit a wide open Tyler Lewis for a 52-yard touchdown on a halfback pass.

However, Tyler Anderson hit Eli Acker for a 19-yard touchdown in the left corner of the end zone to push Heritage’s lead to 21.

The Flashes were outscored 35-26 in a wild second half. Quarterback Antonio Thompson accounted for three touchdowns, on a 1-yard run, a 15-yard pass to Teller and a 59-yard pass to Lewis.
Gray scored four of the five Heritage touchdowns in the second half on runs of 9, 4, 69 and 46 uards. Lukas Bryant added a 6-yard TD run.

“When times get tough, we go to him,” Heritage coach Sean Harrison said of Gray. “I felt like we could dominate them up front and I think we did. He knows how to hit and he can break any one of them.”

There were no tears in St. Al’s postgame huddle. Hugs were given and received and Smithhart seemed content with the effort his team gave.

“Our kids were 0-7 at one point, so we’ve got nothing to hang our heads about. They played a good football team. We knew they were good, we didn’t know how good,” Smithhart said.