Highlands builds big lead before holding off Albert Gallatin

By: HSSN Staff
Saturday, September 30, 2017 | 12:24 AM

Highlands started on the right track with Logan Crise returning the opening kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown.

But the Golden Rams had to hold off an Albert Gallatin rally in the second half to post a 30-20 nonconference victory at home.

Jermaine Jett rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns to lead the way for Highlands (3-2).

But the Colonials offense got clicking in the second half as sophomore Domonick Lewellen passed for 220 yards — virtually all in the second half.

Highlands looked like it would rout Albert Gallatin, similar to the 42-0 victory a year ago. The Golden Rams scored on their first possession and went ahead 14-0 on a 55-yard run by Jett with less than five minutes gone in the game.

The Golden Rams' lead was extended to 16-0 after a snap went over the Albert Gallatin punter's head and out of the end zone.

“Sometimes you worry about it looking easy,” Highlands coach Dom Girardi said. “We kept on them and told them to play like it's zero-zero, and they did a good job. Then we let up.”

But the Colonials defense stiffened in the second quarter, denying Highlands further scoring in three trips to the red zone. An interception by Romello Freeman with 1 minute, 48 seconds left in the half stalled an Albert Gallatin drive.

Albert Gallatin scored twice in third quarter to come within 16-14 and later trailed 23-20 before Highlands retook control in the final seven minutes of the game.

“I told the kids we're doing some things right,” Girardi said. “We had to overcome some things tonight. We just have to clean that up. We're getting into the point of the season here where we have to be crisp in everything we do.”

Second-year coach Shawn Liotta likes the progress his team is making, even with a 1-4 mark that includes a mammoth upset over West Mifflin two weeks ago.

“Our players and coaches are working extremely hard to turn this program around,” Liotta said. “I think you saw the fight in our kids in the second half the way we were able to answer the bell.”

Albert Gallatin took the second-half kickoff and drove 55 yards in five plays to get on the scoreboard. Nate Bricker, who had 131 receiving yards, hauled in a 31-yard pass.

The Colonials scored late in the third quarter on a 3-yard run by Trevon Oliver seven plays after Dylan Shea's second fumble recovery of the game.

Albert Gallatin seemed to speed up its offensive pace in the second half, and it paid off.

“We didn't play very well in the first half,” Liotta. “We wanted to crank it up a little bit. It wasn't so much of a pace change as it was clean things up, and we had a sense of urgency.”

Highlands answered with a 19-yard run by Jett to stretch the advantage to 23-14.

A 66-yard pass to Bricker and an outstanding catch by Javon Davis at the Golden Rams 1 set up Oliver's 1-yard burst to slice the Highlands' lead to 23-20.

Freeman's 31-yard pass from Seth Cohen concluded the scoring.

After four incomplete Colonials passes, Highlands was able to run out the game's final three minutes, thanks to a 13-yard keeper by Cohen.

George Guido is a freelance writer.

Tags: Albert Gallatin, Highlands