Highlanders rising again
Wilson Hall 13
Heathwood Hall 40
Story and photo
by Mike Maddock
Mike@TheColumbiaStar.com

Hampton Graham (r) tries to avoid Wilson Hall defender Austin Boyle. Graham had 11 receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns. He is averaging 18.8 yards per catch this year.

The Heathwood Hall Highlanders have gotten off to a bit of a slow start this year compared to the previous two years. They won the SCISA Class 3A State Championship in 2004 and won 11 in a row in 2005 before falling in the second round of the playoffs to Porter-Gaud. This year, the Highlanders opened with three straight losses to Porter-Gaud, Christ Church, and Laurence Manning before eeking out a win against Orangeburg Prep September 15. Head Coach John Daye could not have been too comfortable with the fifth ranked team in SCISA 3A, Wilson Hall, coming to Heathwood Hall Friday, September 22, 2006.

The Highlanders appeared to start this game on their heels when the Barons drove the football on their opening possession of the game to the Heathwood three-yard line, but QB Ansel Owens fumbled trying to stretch for the goal line. The Highlanders recovered the fumble and never looked back. They scored on six of seven of their next possessions.

Starting from their own one-yard line, the Highlanders methodically marched 99 yards in seven minutes and 19 seconds and scored the game's first touchdown when quarterback Brett Whalen threw an 18-yard strike to Hampton Graham in the end zone.

Whalen and Graham hooked up again five and a half minutes later for 26-yard touchdown leading the Heathwood student section to chant, "Hampton for Heisman!" Adam Walker capped the scoring in the first half with a 37-yard touchdown run giving the Highlanders a 21-0 advantage.

Walker picked up where he left off in the first half and raced 24 yards for a touchdown on the Highlanders' first possession of the second half. The PAT was deflected making the score 27-0.

The Barons were finally able to put some points on the board with a drive that started at their own 38-yard line at the 8:14 mark of the third quarter. Wilson Hall went to their ground game running the ball nine straight times culminating in a 24-yard romp from Owens.

The Highlanders answered immediately with a 77-yard drive which included a mixture of running and big pass plays to Graham. The 2:42 drive included three passes from Whalen to Graham of 17, 33, and five yards respectively. Whalen ran the final 21 yards for the touchdown with a little over a minute to go in the third quarter.

The Barons scored one more touchdown at the 7:46 mark of the fourth quarter, but again Heathwood Hall answered this time a little more unconventionally. Whalen completed a pass to Graham who appeared to be off to the races once more, but he was caught from behind and fumbled trying to break free. That's when Will Kennemur scooped up the loose ball and raced the final 25 yards for the score giving the Highlanders a lopsided 40-3 victory.

The Highlanders enter region play when they host Ben Lippen for a Homecoming Game Friday, September 29.