Huge Second Half Leads Heritage Hall to 3A Title

Sterling Shepard scored four touchdowns in the second half to lead the Chargers.

Thursday, July 28th 2011, 6:00 pm

By: News On 6

Huge Second Half Leads Heritage Hall to 3A Title

Originally Published: Dec 10, 2010 10:38 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

STILLWATER, Oklahoma – A monster second half from Sterling Shepard led the Heritage Hall Chargers to the Class 3A state championship Friday with a 28-21 victory over the Kingfisher Yellowjackets.

Heritage Hall committed four turnovers in the first half, handing Kingfisher a 14-0 lead at the end of the half. But as soon as the second half began, Shepard took over.

Shepard got the Chargers on the board early in the third quarter with a 38-yard touchdown run, and then broke another scoring run on the next drive to quickly tie the game at 14 at the end of the third quarter.

Shepard added another score in the fourth quarter to give Heritage Hall its first lead of the game 21-14, but Kingfisher responded. The Yellowjackets converted a long fourth down deep in Heritage Hall territory and scored a touchdown three plays later to tie the game again.

The Chargers got the ball back and faced a 4th-and-1 in their own territory with less than four minutes left on the clock. Instead of playing for overtime, Heritage Hall went for it and converted. Shepard finished that drive with his fourth touchdown of the night for a 28-21 lead with time winding down.

Kingfisher would not go quietly. The Yellowjackets converted another big fourth down and drove inside the Heritage 30-yard with less than 30 seconds to go. But the Chargers’ defense responded and forced yet another fourth down, this time with only seven seconds left on the clock.

Kingfisher attempted one final pass that fell incomplete as time ran out and sealed the win for Heritage Hall.

Friday’s contest marked a rematch between district foes, and a much closer one. The Chargers won the first matchup 42-14, but also had the services of star running back Barry J. Sanders. Sanders missed the championship game with an injured foot.

The state title is Heritage Hall’s third in school history, but the first since moving up Class 3A. The Chargers won the 2A state championship in 2008.