CONYERS, Ga. — A complete team effort was on display at Evans Memorial Stadium on Friday as Newton trounced Heritage 54-13.

Whether it was the plethora of chunk plays on the ground or a 100-yard pick six, the Rams made play after play.

The win was Newton’s third in Region 4-AAAAAA this season, and the Rams mounted an early lead that they never gave up. 

“I’m excited to see the guys have fun,” said head coach Josh Skelton. “We just talked about how being off two weeks is tough, so we have been really straining our guys for these two weeks. Right now, we just want to see the guys have fun, dominating the way that we can and playing our brand of football.”

Rams showcase a successful mix of run and pass to mount lead

Newton had success in the air and on the ground, but the game was led by a stout rush attack that was spearheaded by sophomore Kevin Hartsfield.

In what was his second game back from injury, Hartsfield looked at his best as the Rams were off a bye week.

Hartsfield carried the ball four times on Newton’s opening drive that pushed deep into Heritage territory, but quarterback Deron Benson was the one to put the Rams ahead.

Benson looked for his top target, Derrick Miller, who beat his man by multiple steps for a 22-yard pass that led to a 8-0 lead.

After a Heritage punt, Hartsfield kept it going as he scampered in for a five-yard score to made it a 16-0 advantage.

One drive later, Hartsfield doubled down with a three-yard rush that extended the Rams lead to 24-0.

Benson had a pair of chances to connect with Miller once again for a score on the next drive, but both passes went just outside the reach of speedy receiver.

The drive resulted in a missed 45-yard field goal, but the two missed opportunities did not deter Benson from taking another shot on the next drive.

On the very first play after a Heritage punt, Benson looked for Miller again and connected with a 22-yard strike for a touchdown.

The second connection between Benson and Miller was the last of the day for Newton’s air attack, but the ground game did not let up.

When the ball was not in the hands of Hartsfield, it went to Newton’s other options that fared just as well.

Freshman Karter Lumpkin and junior Darius “Hercules” White had significant success on the ground.

In the third quarter, Lumpkin and White scored on back-to-back drives that featured touchdowns of nine and 11 yards, respectively.

When it was all said and done, Newton accounted for 11 rushes that went 10 yards or more.

Wallace highlights strong defensive effort

Heritage quarterback Jaycob Jones posed threats with his legs, but the Rams managed to contain the sophomore on Friday as Newton ran away with it.

Three of the Patriots’s five first half drives ended in a punt.

Heritage’s lone first half score came on a four-yard rush from Joshua Taylor, but it only trimmed the lead down to 24-6 at the time.

On the final play of the half, Jacobs took a shot at a hail mary that landed in the hands of Newton’s Omarion Wallace for an interception.

Midway through the second half, Chase Blackmon jumped the route to pick off Jacobs as well.

However, the highlight of the day for the Newton defense came in the fourth quarter at the hands of Wallace.

With the Patriots marching, Wallace intercepted Jacobs at the goal line and sprinted past the Heritage offense and all of his teammates for a 100-yard pick six.

Skelton noted how Wallace’s drive to compete has helped assert himself as one of the team’s top defenders.

“I think the biggest thing about Omarion is that he is very competitive and he can play a lot of positions,” Skelton said. “We can line him up at safety and corner. We’re excited about everything he is able to do. I think his ability to tackle in the open field is something I’m happy about. He’s a physical player.”

The defensive score for Wallace seemed to pop the final balloon for the Patriots as it singled the end of the contest.

Jacobs added a late score with his legs against the Newton second team defense, but it was too little too late as the Rams secured a 41-point win.

What’s next 

Newton’s victory improved the team’s record to 5-3 with a 3-1 line in Region 4-AAAAAA.

Another Conyers team is next up for the Rams as Newton will host Rockdale County on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Sharp Stadium.