Defense Dominates Cache as Chargers Remain Undefeated

Friday night's tilt with the Cache Bulldogs was one in which the Heritage Hall Chargers were heavily favored. No one expected the Cache Bulldogs to walk onto Pop Murray Memorial Field and come out with a win. The Chargers did not buy into these rumors and stayed poised all week.

Head Coach Brett Bogert explained to his team during practice last week that any team can win on any given night, and if his team did not show up, Cache would win the game. The Hall took these comments seriously as they came out of the gates with passion on Friday night.

Though the Cache Bulldogs came into this game at 5-3, they still presented some considerable challenges for the Chargers. The Cache offense incorporated lots of motion, shifts, and gadget plays designed to keep the Chargers off guard. Heritage Hall scouted this well though, and practice preparation showed in the first drive of the game when they shut down the Cache offense.

The Hall's attack was no less impressive, picking up first quarter touchdowns from Billy Ross, Jr., and Chandler Shapard en route to a 14-0 advantage after one quarter of play.

The Charger defense continued to shine in the second quarter, with big sacks from Carson Orton and Garrett McGinnis to halt Cache red zone drives.

The Heritage Hall offense was able to move the ball, but had trouble finishing drives. The offense desperately needed a spark, and they got one from the special teams.

After another Charger defensive stop, Cache made a risky decision in punting the ball to Ross. The speedy junior proceeded to elude tacklers and take the punt 53-yards to the house, making the score 21-0.

That would be the last score of the half, as the Chargers headed to the locker room with a three possession lead on the Bulldogs.

As the second half began, the Charger offense could not seem to find a rhythm. The Cache defensive line surprisingly gave the Chargers' "hog mollies" trouble, neutralizing the ground game.

It would be the Hall's defense that would score again, as Ross scooped up a loose ball and found the end zone again from 41 yards out. The Charger defense continued to play well the remainder of the quarter, as Cache's confusing offense proved to be no challenge for the Hall's prepared defense.

At the end of three, Heritage Hall lead Cache 27-0.

Going into the final quarter of play, the game's outcome was already obvious, but this didn't stop defensive coordinator Mark Adams from preaching to his team to keep the Bulldogs off the board. The players responded, playing their hearts out to keep Cache from gaining any points.

The Charger defense's hard work payed off, as Cache couldn't find paydirt and was ultimately shut out.

Fittingly, Ross capped off the night with a two yard blast for 6, making the final score 34-0.

Blake Adams finished the night 11 of 26 passing for 134 yards and a score. Billy Ross, Jr., continued to torch opposing defenses, as he racked up 171 yards on 18 carries with two rushing touchdowns to go with his punt return and fumble recovery scores. Jaden McDaniel was Adams favorite target on the night with three receptions, while Chandler Shapard finished with two catches and one touchdown.

On defense, four Chargers finished in double-digit tackles. Grayson Wilson and A.J. Sirls led the charge with 13 tackles, while Carson Orton tallied 12 and Jaden McDaniel added 10 of his own.

The Hall's defense continued to harass opposing quarterbacks. With 8 more sacks against Cache, the Chargers now have 23 in the last three contests. Orton dropped the Cache QB three times, Sirls and McDaniel twice, and Seth Meacham once.

Heritage Hall showed they plan to take each opponent seriously, never allowing Cache to build any momentum in the 34-0 victory.

Next week, the Chargers play host to Elk City, another team more talented than their record shows. The Elks put up 84 points in a win against Newcastle, so the defense has another challenge on the horizon. Heritage Hall will have to know the scouting report and play with as much passion as last week if they want to complete a third straight undefeated regular season.

Article by Rives Mitchell '19
Photos by Jake Steelman '19 / See more on Flickr

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