South View and Heritage went tit-for-tat Friday night — the kind of first-round meeting to expect from teams that combine for 18 wins — and it was the Tigers that found just a little bit of separation in a 26-21 win.
The meeting got going with future North Carolina State linebacker Drake Thomas showing his offensive skills with a short touchdown for Heritage. South View responded soon after when quarterback found Emery Simmons falling in the end zone for a 40-yard score.
And that wasn’t even Simmons’ most impressive catch of the night. In the second half, the senior tipped a ball twice away from a defender, then caught it while falling.
Heritage worked its passing game, too. It closed the gap when Trey Holloway got a few blocks to help him take a screen pass 50 yards to the house.
