Photos by Mike Maddock Walker Sojourner leads the way for Heathwood Hall’s Mac Whalen. On Friday, September 18, the Heathwood Hall Highlanders, led by Mac Whalen, defeated the Ben Lippen Falcons 24–10. Whalen was a one man wrecking crew for the Highlanders, scoring all three of Heathwood touchdowns.

Ben Lippen received the ball to start the game and started out hot. Two passes from Joey Carter, one to Gabe Smith for 13 yards and one to Taylor Wilson for 15 yards, had the Falcons into Heathwood Hall territory. However, a series of mistakes by Ben Lippen iced the drive for the Falcons.

First, Carter lost eight yards on first down, and Alec Gregg picked off Carter’s pass on a third– and–19 play to end the drive. Gregg returned the ball inside the Ben Lippen ten–yard line to the seven. Three plays later, Whalen scored from one–yard out, giving the Highlanders an early 7–0 lead.

Andre Hennie returns a kick for Ben Lippen as Chris Barton pursues. On the next Heathwood Hall possession, following a failed fourth down conversion by Ben Lippen, Whalen raced to the right sideline and outran the Ben Lippen defense for a 73–yard touchdown. Cole Fowble’s extra point extended the Heathwood Hall lead to 14–0.

Heathwood’s first possession of the second quarter began at the Ben Lippen 33–yard line. Again Whalen was an integral part of the drive for the Highlanders. First he picked up a first down on a third down, 12–yard run. Then he hit Benji Stern on a 16–yard pass to give Heathwood Hall a first–and–goal from the Ben Lippen seven–yard line. The Highlanders were unable to put the ball in the end zone, large in part to a block in the back penalty on second–and–goal. However, Fowble was able to connect from 23 yards out to put three points on the board for Heathwood Hall extending the lead to 17–0.

Heathwood Hal l ’s Morgan Whalen tries to shake Blake Tindal’s block. The Falcons had plenty of opportunities to put points on the scoreboard in the first half but failed to convert. One such example was late in the second quarter. Ben Lippen started from its own 24–yard line. The Falcons quickly moved the ball down the field. Carter connected with Will Roseborough for a 36–yard pass and then with Jason Blackwell for 12 yards. However, the offense sputtered when they were inside the Heathwood 20–yard line. To make matters worse, Tuck Benefield missed a 30–yard field goal attempt to keep Ben Lippen off the scoreboard in the first half.

In the first possession for Ben Lippen of the second half, the Falcons ran into the same troubles as they found in the first half. On the first play of the possession, Carter found Taylor Wilson for a 66–yard pass. A personal foul penalty against Heathwood Hall moved the ball to the Highlander seven–yard line. After two runs and an incomplete pass by Carter, the Falcons decided to go for it on fourth down. Carter, again, ran the ball. He reached the sideline and stretched for the pylon as he was pushed out of bounds. On a highly controversial call, the referee marked that Carter stepped out a half–yard short of the end zone and gave the ball to Heathwood Hall, keeping the Falcons scoreless.

Heathwood Hall’s Will Dubose tries to run away from Ben Lippen’s Austin Irish. In the fourth quarter, Ben Lippen finally got on the scoreboard. The Falcons started their drive with the ball on their own 45–yard line. Carter connected with Roseborough on a 37–yard pass to give Ben Lippen the ball at the Heathwood Hall 18–yard line. Four plays later, Benefield connected on a 37–yard field goal to make the score 17–3 in favor of Heathwood Hall.

The Falcons cut into the lead more on the next Heathwood Hall possession. The Highlanders received the ball inside their own ten–yard line. They were unable to move the ball and were forced into a three– and–out. The Heathwood Hall punt was blocked and recovered in the end zone by Corey Jackson–Patrick for a Ben Lippen touchdown. The extra point cut the lead to 17–10.

The Highlanders were able to put the game away on the following drive. A heavy dose of running by Whalen and Walker Sojourner along with a ten– yard pass from Mac Whalen to Morgan Whalen gave Heathwood Hall the ball in Ben Lippen territory. Three straight runs by Mac Whalen, including a 22–yard touchdown run with 2:40 remaining, iced the game for Heathwood Hall.