Plantation American Heritage’s defense too much for Booker T. Washington

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FloridaHSFootball.com Florida Top 25 No. 2 American Heritage (Plantation) started the season with three first-team American Family Insurance preseason defenders. They were as good as advertised in a 42-27 defeat of USA TODAY Super 25 & FloridaHSFootball.com Florida Top 25 No. 11 Booker T. Washington (Miami) in a preseason game Friday.

Booker T. Washington quarterback Daniel Richardson threw for more than 450 yards and had four touchdown passes, but also had five passes intercepted.

Andrew Chatfield had two first-half interceptions and on the second, he ran 12 yards for a touchdown on the return to put the Patriots up 28-7.

Cam Smith threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Miles Jones to put Heritage up 35-7 in the second quarter.

Richardson connected on a 33-yard pass to Tyquan Thornton just before the half that cut American Heritage’s lead to 35-14, but the Patriots’ defense forced six first-half turnovers, including five interceptions to nullify Richardson’s nearly 300 yards of passing in the first half.

Richardson connected for a second touchdown pass to Jovan Ferguson in the third quarter, cutting American Heritage’s lead to 35-20. He later found Zahir Turner on a 44-yard touchdown pass to cut the Patriots’ lead to 35-27, but that was as close as the Tornadoes would get.

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Booker T. Washington didn’t wait long to score. Richardson connected with Thornton for a 58-yard pass, followed by a 15-yard toss to Ferguson to put BTW up 7-0 early in the first quarter.

Chatfield, a preseason ALL-USA linebacker, helped the Patriots tie the score quickly, however. He picked off Richardson’s pass near midfield. Jordan Johnson then ran 47 yards, setting up a 1-yard keeper by quarterback Cameron Smith for the touchdown.

Miles Jones, a Vandy commit, put Heritage up 14-7 on a 49-yard run just before the end of the first quarter. The Patriots defense struck again at the start of the second quarter as Anthony Schwartz returned an interception for a touchdown to put them up 21-7. Moments later, Chatfield had his pick-six. Jordan Jones ran in Heritage’s final touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Defensive back Patrick Surtain, another preseason ALL-USA player for American Heritage, left the game early and was icing his right knee, but he said after the game that he felt fine.

American Heritage opens the season officially on the road next week against Bishop Sullivan, Va., while Booker T. Washington travels up the road to open the season against Dillard (Fort Lauderdale).

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