River Hill's Mike Heitzmann wasn't about to let the Hawks become just another footnote in the latest Marriotts Ridge comeback story.
After watching the visiting Mustangs score twice in the final eight minutes of regulation to force overtime on Jeff Kammerer goals Tuesday evening, River Hill found itself in danger of a late-game collapse akin to the one that befell Reservoir exactly one week earlier.
But, unlike that game Sept. 24 that Reservoir went on to lose 3-2 against Marriotts Ridge, Heitzmann and the Hawks dug down and found an answer. Making a run to the far post on a corner kick by Alec Smith with 2:21 left in the first overtime, Heitzmann deflected home the deciding goal in a 3-2 River Hill victory.
"Right before overtime that was our speech, we weren't going to be the team that they came back on again … no chance we were going to let that happen," Hetizmann said. "It was great work by our team not getting down and not quitting when they had all the momentum."
Jake Turney, who had accounted for the Hawks second goal of the game four minutes into the second half off a long throw from Luke Turney, echoed the sentiment that this was a game River Hill (5-1, 8-1) couldn't lose.
"Marriotts Ridge is a great team that knows how to win and they did what they know how to do … they worked, they persevered and found a way to tie the game," Turney said. "But as I told the guys in the huddle after regular time ended, we're at home and we don't lose at home. If we want a shot at the county title, this was a game we had to have.
"I think everyone understood how much this one meant."
Heitzmann's goal, which sent the Hawks' bench spilling onto the field, helped hand Marriotts Ridge (5-1, 8-1) its first loss since the 2011 season — a defeat that also came at the hands of River Hill.