After running for over 200 yards in Week One at Bellmont, Heritage QB Kobe Meyer took to the air Friday night in a convincing Week Two at home over Fairfield. The dual-threat quarterback threw a touchdown in all four quarters – and added a fifth for good measure – as the Patriots rolled to a 39-13 and showed themselves to be as strong as any team in the ACAC heading into conference play next week.
The home team scored on their first three offensive drives, but it was a defensive play that really made the difference in the sequence of the game. With Fairfield driving and attempting to cut the lead to seven deep into the second quarter, Caleb Abbott stripped the ball from Jackson Henry as he approached the goal line and Greyson Mullins smothered it just short of the goal line for a game-changing turnover.
“Wow,” said head coach Casey Kolkman after the game about the key play in the game. “It was huge. We go from a one-score game to going into halftime with a big lead. The kid (Abbott) had a great game tonight.”
Meyer was efficient and effective, completing 14 of 18 passes and averaging 20 yards a completion in his 280-yard, five-touchdown night. He was also the team’s leading rusher with 83 yards.
While not every team in Indiana contributes stats online, a quick check of the state leaderboard shows Meyer as the Hoosier State’s leading touchdown tosser after the first two weeks with seven scores. Coach Kolkman believes Meyer is ready to handle the continually increasing attention from the media and opposing teams.
“He is pretty level-headed,” he explained. “He has a work mindset and just keeps his head down and keeps working, regardless of how good or how bad others talk about him.”
The big play to open the game was a tackle for loss by Greyson Mullins on third down on Fairfield’s opening drive, forcing a punt and setting up the Patriots with good field position to jump on the scoreboard first. Mullins finished with seven tackles on the night.
After a penalty backed the Pats up, Nolan Hoskins appeared to have picked up a big chunk of yards down the left side, but it was called back for holding.
There was no harm done, however, as it only added ten yards to Meyer’s eventual passing total because he hit Zeke Litchfield right down the middle in the seam and the junior wide receiver took it all the way to the pylon for the 49-yard score for an early 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.
Fairfield responded with what they do best – a strong running game with good blocking – and a couple of nice runs by Breckan Maran put the Falcons inside the red zone with a chance to answer the Patriots’ opening points.
Those efforts to score were undone by Charlie Riddle, who had two big tackles for loss at Bellmont and picked up an important tackle on a sweep play to the right to force fourth and seven from the 14-yard line.
A pre-snap penalty put pressure on the Heritage defense, but Riddle came up big again, wrapping up Maran just short of the line to gain.
Meyer proved what he could do with his legs on the first play of the new drive, sweeping around the right and gaining 20 yards before clattering into the Fairfield sideline players, who were less than willing to make room for him.
After a couple of chunks of yards on the ground, Meyer went with play action and rolled out of the pocket, then looked deep for Eli Tigulis, connecting for a big 25-yard gain on the final play of the first quarter.
Meyer showed his skills again a few plays later when he spread the Fairfield defense out in a five-wide split and then hit Braden Walter with a perfect pass over his left shoulder for a 19-yard gain that put the Patriots into the red zone again.
Playing from the left hash, Meyer hit Walter on the very next play with the quick pitch around to the right and Walter used his speed to cut into the end zone for another score that went into the book as a passing touchdown but showed how the Patriots can use their running game with their superior blocking when the opposition is spread thin with five men lined up at wide receiver.
Heritage showed some vulnerability on the ensuing kickoff as Blake Metzger took it right up the gut, juking the last man and just outrunning Walter, who was the last chance to prevent a score. Metzger’s 92-yard TD was the only points the Falcons were able to put on the scoreboard until victory was already assured late in the fourth quarter. Logan Teichman made the tackle for loss on Fairfield’s attempt at two points after the score.
Coach Casey Kolkman looked to respond immediately and Meyer immediately looked downfield on the next plays for big gains, by Sawyer Ernsberger intercepted his second attempt and returned it deep into Heritage territory as Fairfield tried to stay in the non-conference contest.
But hold on a second.
A pair of offsetting penalties -a holding call on the Patriots and pass interference by the Falcons- negated the turnover and gave Meyer new life on third down.
There was no doubt that Meyer would make Fairfield pay.
With trips to the left, Meyer picked out Cayden Woodward and connected on a 34-yard completion to the 28.
Three plays later, Meyer somehow avoided two would-be tacklers and, rolling to his left, somehow found the footing to hit Walter over the top of two DBs in the back corner of the end zone just in time to keep his feet in for a 20-yard score.
The special teams unit did their job on the next kickoff, but QB Brooks Custer finally put the ball in the air and did it with success, hitting Metzger for a 53-yard gain that put Fairfield back in the red zone. A few plays later, Abbott came up with his defensive heroism with the strip, causing the fumble that kept Fairfield off the board.
The key to the final three minutes of the half for Heritage from the one-yard line was to run out the clock and not allow the Falcons to get the ball back before halftime and the Patriots did just that.
Heritage’s opening drive ended with a punt and Metzger returned it all the way to the 23-yard line of the Patriots, but it was Mullins again who came up big for the boys in blue, wrapping up Alex Hofer on fourth down to get the ball back.
Two deep passes, one to Walter and one to D’vontaye Washington, put Meyer and Co. in business on the ensuing drive and Meyer hit Litchfield again for eight yards and a score to put Heritage firmly in control of the game. The Patriots lined up in a tight formation, but Meyer rolled out and found his man in the back of the end zone.
CJay Barnett had a great run on the next drive for 21 yards just short of the goal line and coach Kolkman rewarded his senior by calling his number twice more as he punched it across the goal line with three to play in the third.
Heritage added the cherry on top in the fourth quarter after Nolan Hoskins got the Patriots down to the one-yard line. Meyer made it 39-6 with a simple pitch to Tigulis who ran to the pylon.
The Patriots will now prepare for perhaps the best three teams in the ACAC in the next three weeks, beginning with another home game against Woodlan in Week Three.
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