After falling behind 42-3 in a season-opening loss last week, the Christian Heritage Lions made sure to get off to a much better start Thursday night.
The Lions poured in 28 points in the first quarter and 42 by halftime as they grabbed their first win of the year, knocking off visiting Cherokee Christian 49-20.
Lion quarterback Carter Triplett tossed for five touchdowns and ran for another as Christian Heritage (1-1) defeated the visiting Warriors (0-1) from Woodstock, who play not in the GHSA, but in the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools.
Three of Triplett’s touchdowns went to tight end Benji Michmerhuizen, while Dontae Crowder grabbed two. The Lion defense even got in on the scoring with an Evan Coulter interception return for a touchdown.
The Lions got on the board just under three minutes into the first quarter.
A pass to Michmerhuizen got the Lions down to the one, and, after a penalty and sack backed Christian Heritage up to the 11, Triplett found the tight end again, pumping and throwing to an open Michmerhuizen in the end zone.
After a quick defensive stop, Triplett looked Michmerhuizen’s way again, and the pair connected for a 27-yard catch and run touchdown on fourth down, putting Christian Heritage up 13-0.
Triplett got No. 3 of the first quarter when he threw high to his tall receiver, 6-foot-3-inch Crowder, who towered over a defender to nab the 11-yard touchdown. Sawyer Corn took the ball in for two to make the score 21-0 with 2:19 left in the first.
Despite allowing the quick start for the Christian Heritage offense, Cherokee Christian made some big offensive plays, including a 71-yard heave from quarterback Caleb Blakeney that found Jayben Meder all alone behind the defense to cut the score to 21-7.
After a long Thailan Christopher run set Christian Heritage up at the 11, Triplett-Michmerhuizen TD No. 3 made it 28-7 late in the first.
Coulter’s pick-six made it 35-7 early in the third. On a tunnel screen, the ball went right through a Warrior receiver’s hands and straight into Coulter’s. The senior had no one to stop him from walking into the end zone.
Coulter, also the Lion kicker, nailed the extra point too.
Triplett got in for his lone rushing score to go with his five passing touchdowns when he powered forward from the 4-yard-line and stretched the ball into the end zone to put the Lions up 42-7.
Cherokee Christian’s Blakeney fired to Mikey Statham for 17 yards to cut Christian Heritage’s halftime lead to 42-13, then found Statham for a 55-yard touchdown early in the third to briefly make the score 42-20, but Triplett capped off Christian Heritage’s scoring with a 40-yard dart to Crowder, who warded off the last defender with a stiff arm and scored.
49-20 was the score at the end of three, and it didn’t change as reserves entered the game in the fourth.
Christian Heritage hosts Pepperell next Friday at 7:30 p.m.