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Heritage poised for breakout after winning Battle of the Bell

Should Heritage football go on a hot streak and blaze its way into the state playoffs, you can credit the start of that run at the Battle of the Bell.

Should Heritage football go on a hot streak and blaze its way into the state playoffs, you can credit the start of that run at the Battle of the Bell.

The team picked up its first region win of 2017 over William Blount in the rivalry game. Prior to last season, the Governors had topped the Mountaineers 19 times in a row.

Dylan Morgan serves as the Mountaineers' quarterbacks coach. He said he doesn't know where the "bell" tied to the rivalry came from; but the impact of the last two wins in the series is still resonating with the team.

"It was great, it was exciting," Morgan said. "Especially for our kids, they loved it. We were obviously happy to get a win, but it was big for the kids and the community to finally get the win [last season]."

Senior quarterback D.J. Cooper said Friday's win was just another game, but recognized its importance in starting out region play with a win.

He upped the ante for the rest of the season.

"Expect more out of us," Cooper said. "More wins, more points on the board, less points allowed. The usual good stuff."

Team spirit? They've got that in spades, said Cooper.

"We would pretty much do anything out on the football field for each other," Cooper said.

Morgan, who played quarterback and Heritage and Maryville College before latching on with the Mountaineers program as a coach, has seen things he's liked from every position group on the team.

"We're really well-balanced," Morgan said. "We can spread the ball out."

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