Photos by Jim Marczesky Heathwood Hall’s Harrison Pendarvis makes a tackle against Porter–Gaud. Survive and advance – what every playoff team needs to do in order to challenge for a title. The Heathwood Hall Highlanders did precisely that on Friday, November 6, as Walker Sojourner stuffed a potential game–tying two–point conversion with just under a minute left to preserve the Highlanders’ 28–26 victory over the visiting Porter–Gaud Cyclones.

The Highlanders (11–0) began pursuit of their first state title since 2004 by marching 90 yards on the opening drive of the game. The two big plays were a 26–yard run on a fake punt by Mac Whalen and a 29–yard touchdown run by Sojourner. Cole Fowble’s extra point gave Heathwood Hall a 7–0 lead just over three minutes into the game.

Anyone expecting Porter–Gaud (5–6) to roll over and play dead was sorely disappointed. The Cyclones needed only four plays to cover 82 yards, with Hudson Worthy hooking up with Stanton Seckinger for 77 of those yards on the opening and finishing plays of the drive. However, a high snap caused the Cyclones to fail on the conversion, and the Highlanders maintained a 7–6 lead – but not for long.

Heathwood Hall’s Walker Sojourner runs against Porter–Gaud. On the first play after the kickoff, Mac Whalen fumbled, and George Phillips made the recovery for the Cyclones. Seven plays later, Worthy hit Seckinger again, this time for a 15–yard touchdown. Porter Gaud failed on the two–point conversion attempt and were left with a 12–7 lead. Not to be outdone, the Highlanders marched right down the field in six plays, with the touchdown coming on a 35–yard pass from Mac Whalen to his brother Morgan on third– and–21. The extra point gave Heathwood Hall a 14–12 lead as the quarter ended.

In the second quarter, the Highlanders increased their lead to 21–12 on an 8–yard run by Sojourner. Later, Heathwood marched down the field, only to have Mac Whalen throw an interception to Taylor Barber in the end zone with 1:18 to go. The Cyclones then moved the ball quickly to the Highlander 10 yard line, but Sojourner sacked Worthy with less than eight seconds on the clock, and time ran out in the half.

On their second drive of the third quarter, the Highlanders covered 61 yards in nine plays, aided by a roughing–the–passer penalty on second–and–26. Sojourner scored his third touchdown of the game from 13 yards out to give the Highlanders a 28–12 lead.

Things looked bleak for the Cyclones until Tradd Levern stepped in front of a Mac Whalen pass to give Porter–Gaud the ball at its own 32 with just over seven minutes to go in the game. Six plays later, Worthy hit Seckinger for his third touchdown, a 15–yard pass, and with the two–point conversion, the Cyclones trailed 28–20. Cole Fowble tried to ice the game for the Highlanders with a 44–yard field goal attempt, but it was blocked, and Porter–Gaud still had life.

The Cyclones drove 67 yards on their final drive, with Worthy plowing in from the one with just under a minute to go, and then set up for the tying two–point conversion. Worthy’s pass to Seckinger was tipped away by Mac Whalen, and the Highlander fans started rejoicing – until they noticed the yellow flag in the end zone. Whalen was called for pass interference, giving the Cyclones another try, this time from the one yard line. After both teams called timeouts, the Cyclones gave the ball to senior running back Galen Givens–Rowlin, but Sojourner sniffed it out and stopped him in the backfield to preserve the lead and ultimately the game. The Highlanders recovered the ensuing onside kick, and two kneel–downs ended the game.

Mac Whalen finished with 218 yards passing and 86 yards rushing, and Sojourner had 73 yards and the three touchdowns. Worthy finished with 379 yards passing, 196 of those yards and three touchdowns went to Seckinger.

Heathwood Hall will host the Laurence Manning Swampcats on Friday, November 13 in the semifinals of the SCISA 3A state playoffs.