At a pep rally on Friday afternoon, White House Heritage quarterback Xavier Murray felt his left knee pop.
Later that night, Murray sported a knee brace and said he felt his knee dislocate “about eight times” in White House Heritage’s 42-7 Class 3A quarterfinal loss to East Nashville.
Murray had thrown for 43 touchdowns and nearly 3,000 yards entering the Patriots’ matchup with East Nashville. His injury limited his ability to step into his throws and the Patriots did not take many shots down the field.
As a result, White House Heritage was forced to run the ball against East Nashville’s stout defensive front and throw quick passes to its receivers.
“Our team needed me,” Xavier Murray said with tears streaming down his face. “There’s 70 players out there that look up to me. I’m their teammate and I have to stay out there with them. Hurt or not hurt, I just have to be there with them. No matter what.”
This season’s White House Heritage team is only the third in program history to win more than eight games in a single season.
The Patriots have a saying whenever they go on the road to play. Scott Murray has instilled “leave it better than you found it” into his team. His postgame huddle was centered around how the Patriots’ senior class left things better than they found them at White House Heritage.
The 12 Patriot seniors had never won more than five games in a single season before this year.
Scott Murray felt a special bond to this year’s group. This was the team that got him to the state quarterfinals for the first time in his 13-year head coaching career and the Heritage program back to the elite eight for the first time since 2015.
“This team means everything,” Scott Murray said. “They’ve become, in two years, just one big part of my family. Me and my wife are here with my son and we love the rest of these kids just like our family. We’re all out here crying but it’s not over. We’re not leaving their life and they’re not leaving our life.”
White House Heritage’s lone score of the game came on a 5-yard touchdown run from Logan McCarter with 4:38 left in the game.
By that time, the damage was already done and East Nashville had put 42 points on the scoreboard.
Eagles quarterback Dallas Covington completed eight of his 10 pass attempts for 233 yards and a touchdown pass. He also added a rushing touchdown.
Running backs Kinnie Fuller Jr. and Jordan Vanlier each scored two touchdowns on the ground and combined for 124 yards rushing. Fuller also caught East Nashville’s only touchdown that came through the air.
In two seasons as White House Heritage’s head coach, Scott Murray has won 14 games. That mark is the most by any Patriots coach in their first two seasons in program history.
He has only been the head coach for two years after making stops at Glencliff, Whites Creek, Hunters Lane, Smith County and Clarksville Academy. But Scott Murray has already left White House Heritage better than the way he found it.
“I think coming here was the greatest choice my dad has ever made,” Xavier Murray said.
Scoring Summary
East Nashville 42, White House-Heritage 7
EN – 14, 7, 21, 0 – 42
WHH – 0, 0, 0, 7
First Quarter
EN – Kinnie Fuller Jr. 15 run (6:10). Lucas Gray kick.
EN – Fuller Jr. 16 run (0:18). Gray kick.
Second Quarter
EN – Jordan Vanlier 4 run (8:29). Gray kick.
Third Quarter
EN – Covington 6 run (10:08). Gray kick.
EN – Vanlier 4 run (6:42). Gray kick.
EN – Covington 43 pass to Fuller Jr. (1:28). Gray kick.
Fourth Quarter
WHH – Logan McCarter 5 run (4:38). Curtis Qualls kick.
Source: politics.einnews.com…
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