Newton is a perfect 3-0 against Heritage since September of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Rams will head out on the road to challenge the Patriots at 7:30 p.m. Heritage took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Newton, who comes in off a win.
Newton's defense heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed last Friday. They blew past Grovetown 30-0. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Rams' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 31st, while the Warriors are ranked 192nd).
Kevin Hartsfield
| 08/22/25 @ Alcovy | 201 |
| 08/15/25 vs Eastside | 131 |
| 08/29/25 @ Douglas County | 128 |
| 10/03/25 @ Grovetown | 100 |
| 09/05/25 @ Bryant | 42 |
It was another big night for Kevin Hartsfield, who rushed for 100 yards and a pair of TDs on only nine carries. He has become a key player for Newton: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least 80 rushing yards, but 1-2 otherwise.
Another reason for the win was Newton's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for eight sacks. Grovetown's QB won't forget Cameron Horne anytime soon given he sacked him twice. Horne has been hot recently, having also posted seven or more total tackles the last four times he's played. Another thorn in Grovetown's side was Zacari Lawrence, who picked up a sack, forced two fumbles, and made 11 total tackles.
Meanwhile, Heritage played a tough contest on Thursday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were outmatched by South Gwinnett and fell 47-14. The loss continues a trend for the Patriots in their meetings with the Comets: they've now lost four in a row.
Newton will have to contain Joshua Taylor as he made an impact in Heritage's last game. He rushed for 156 yards while picking up 8.7 yards per carry. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 84 yards.
Newton now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Heritage, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-6.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Hartsfield and Taylor. Hartsfield just won't slow down this season and has run in 6 touchdowns while averaging 120.4 rushing yards per game. Taylor has been a dominant force too and has run in 6 touchdowns while averaging 110.7 rushing yards per game.
Everything came up roses for Newton against Heritage when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 46-6 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rams since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
