Team of the Week, September 4th: Rogers Heritage

Rogers Heritage is our McDonalds Team of the Week with an upset win over number 5 Southside. The win not only looks good on the War Eagles’ resume, but they also believe 2012 can be something special.

“Just coming off a win from Southside we’re all pumped and ready to get back to the grind and go to the next game, take it week by week,” said senior linebacker Utah Julius.

“I think it will give the team more of an advantage to go against Northside,” said senior defensive end Ian Holmberg.

That is spoken like a team that truly believes it can be champions; take it one game at a time. They won 20-19 over Southside last weekend. Up next is another familiar foe in Northside.

“They have a pretty good quarterback,” said Julius. “He likes to keep the ball. We just have to stay with him and don’t let up.”

The Heritage defense also has an extra pep in its step, holding Southside in the 4th quarter and only allowing 19 points. That’s something you may not have seen from Heritage in the past.

“It gives us a lot of confidence and tells us we can come together as a team and play hard and a defense can step it up. It’s not all just offense,” said Julius.

They will desperately need that defense in the 7A West. The conference loves to throw the ball. The big teams will put up 50 points a night like it’s no big deal.

“If we can continue to win each week as we do and get through the heart of the conference, Bentonville, Har-Ber, Fayetteville part of the conference, hopefully we can steal a game or two in there,” said head coach Perry Escalante.

That’s why early season moment right now is so big for Heritage.

“Win early and get through the heart of our conference because our conference is brutal,” said Escalante. “When you get late into the season in conference and still winning ball games, you’re primed for a good playoff run and that’s hopefully where we’ll be.”