It took a couple of games, but the Heritage boys’ soccer team looks to have filled a huge void.

Not only did it take time, but also the entire middle of the field.

For four years Heritage soccer revolved around Tyler Peoples, who graduated in 2011 to play for Fordham in college.

Missing their top scorer really showed for the Patriots, who opened the season winning just one of their first four games. Heritage has now won four straight and eight of their last nine.

Heritage defeated Loganville 2-1 on Friday night.

After starting with a 9-1 win over Ola, Heritage then fell to Grayson 3-1, South Gwinnett 0-1 and tied Parkview 0-0.

After a win over struggling Rockdale, and a 3-2 loss at Whitewater, Heritage has moved on to be Region 8-AAAA’s top team.

"It was Tyler’s team last year, and it took us a little time to get our lineup and rotation sorted out," Heritage coach Brandon Stewart said. "It takes a little while to get the guys on the same page.

"We didn’t really have time at the beginning of the season. We came out of the gate with Grayson, South Gwinnett and Parkview."

Heritage has relied on the strength of its players in the middle of the field, moving the ball from the outside in.

Harrison Kulp plays center back, Gustao Martinez and Juan Villanauva work the midfield, and a lot of the scoring goes through the center up top to Mauricio Reyes.

"The center of our team being so strong, it allows our outside guys to really get involved in our offense, to get forward and cause problems for other teams."

Those problems have kept coming after the Whitewater loss on Feb. 28. Before Friday night’s game, which finished after press time, the Patriots had not lost in March.

The first win of the month came at home against Clarke Central where the two teams played through regulation and extra time without a winner. The Patriots edged the Gladiators 4-3 in penalty kicks.

"It really kind of jump started us," Stewart said. "We were playing good but we got a result in a huge region win. That kind of really jump started us."

Heritage then went on to beat Madison County 2-1 and then picked up perhaps its biggest win of the season.

The Patriots traveled to six-time region champ Habersham Central and won for the first time in five years, 3-1.

"That was huge win," Stewart said.

Heritage then tied North Oconee in a non-region match and followed it up with a 2-1 win over Apalachee on March 16 and a 3-1 win over Union Grove on Tuesday.

The secret hasn’t been, so much, changes by Stewart, but just allowing his team to get used to playing together without Peoples.

The Patriots still run a 4-4-2 but are more of an attacking team, using speed to run through the outside.

"I think its forced everybody to work harder and smarter around the pitch instead of just watching him," Stewart said. "It’s forced everybody to have to play the full 80 minutes instead of taking little breaks."

The Patriots now find themselves in a position to take one of the top seeds heading into the state playoffs with quality throughout their last region matches.

Heritage hosts Loganville Tuesday, plays Salem Friday and then hosts Cedar Shoals after spring break.

"The next four games determine our playoff seeding and destiny," Stewart said. "That puts us in real good position to take care of business and do well in the region."