Mountain Heritage makes it five-straight with 14-6 victory
BURNSVILLE – Mitchell High School’s varsity football team suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of rival Mountain Heritage.
The Class 2A No. 7-ranked Cougars (6-1, 2-0) edged the visiting Class 1A No. 3-ranked Mountaineers 14-6 Friday, Oct. 18, in Burnsville.
The loss snaps Mitchell’s seven-game winning streak and moves its record to 7-1 overall and 1-1 in the Western Highlands Conference. The game marks the first time the team has been held to under 24 points this season.
The Cougars got off to a fast start by capping off a 15-play, 80-yard opening drive with an eight-yard passing touchdown from quarterback Calin Randolph to Jalen Branton. After a failed 2-point conversion, Heritage led 6-0.
The Mountaineers got on the board on the final play of the first half after senior quarterback Noah Pitman scrambled out of the pocket and maneuvered his way down the sideline for a 10-yard touchdown run. After a missed extra point, the game was tied 6-6 at halftime.
Heritage’s Cole Shehan powered his way into the end zone for a four-yard rushing touchdown late in the third quarter to give the home team a 14-6 lead it did not relinquish.
Noah Pitman led the Mitchell ground attack with 97 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Junior running back Tanner Duncan ran seven times for 24 yards.
Noah Pitman completed 6-of-17 passes for 49 yards. He was sacked twice and threw one interception – just his second of the season.
Junior Ty Pitman caught a pair of passes for 16 yards, and senior Tyler McKinney registered two receptions for 14 yards. Senior Garrison Phillips and Duncan had one reception each.
Seniors Matthew Gilbert, Lathan Atkinson and McKinney led the Mitchell defense with seven tackles each. Senior Logan Hudgins and Noah Pitman tallied one tackle for a loss each.
The Cougars outgained the Mountaineers 335-145 in total yards, including 297-96 on the ground.
Seven different players registered carries for Heritage, and four of them ran for at least 50 yards.
Mitchell head coach Travise Pitman said there is plenty his team can take from the loss and apply to the final three games of its regular season.
“There are various parts of the game we can use to get better as players and as coaches,” he said. “It will help us in the future. We have to learn from those mistakes and move forward.”
The Mountaineers will now look to bounce back against Madison, another Western Highlands Conference foe. The Patriots enter the game searching for their first win after an 0-8 start.
Freshman quarterback Caden Hilemon is learning on the job for the Patriots. He has completed 47 percent of his passes for 586 yards this season, and he has thrown three touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions.
The Madison rushing attack is led by a pair of underclassmen – sophomores Peyton Wallace and Zander Fender.
Wallace leads the team in carries (76) and rushing yards (169) while Fender has run 55 times for 149 yards and has both of the team’s rushing touchdowns.
Freshman Naz Windley leads the team in receiving with 164 receiving yards on nine receptions. Junior Tyler Debruhl has a team-high 13 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Wallace has 12 catches for 77 yards and a touchdown.
Junior Clay Hilemon leads the Madison defense with 45 total tackles and three tackles for a loss.
Senior Conner Foley and sophomore Alex Kerns each have one sack, and junior Elijah Tipton has the team’s lone interception.
Travise Pitman said for Madison; it’s all about youth.
“They have a lot of younger kids,” Travise Pitman said. “I see a team that is playing with a lot of youth.”
The Patriots have lost 16-straight games dating back to their last win, a 43-34 victory Aug. 31, 2018, at Rosman.
This season, Madison has been outscored 399-32 and has been shut out five times. The team has allowed at least 40 points in all of its games.
Travise Pitman said his team is eager to return to play under the lights in Ledger. Mitchell has played just three home games this season and hasn’t been at home since Friday, Sept. 27, against East Henderson.
“It’s a game where we hope we can get back on track and start doing the little things we need to do,” Travise Pitman said. “It’ll be good to get back home. Hopefully, we just get back to playing football.”
Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. Friday in Ledger.