“Sacrifice” Has Been Key To Heathwood Hall’s Historic 2025 Football Season

Heathwood Hall Offensive Starters

QB-19-Patrick Belk-Sr

RB-20-Julian Hughes-Sr

WR-3-Keon McKinnley-Jr

WR-1-Jamonie Batts-Sr

WR-4-Jackson Noble-Sr

WR-3-Charlie Hudson-Jr

WR-0-Chip Ravenell-Sr

OL-51-Xander Pertile-Sr

OL-72-Brady Murphy-Sr

OL-60-Oliver Logsdon-Soph

OL-55-Hill Belser-Jr

OL-61-AJ Morgan-Jr

PK-15-James Richardson-Sr

Heathwood Hall Defensive Staters

DE-61-AJ Morgan-Jr

DE-24-Cole Moore-Soph

DE-5-Evan Johnson-Soph

NG-75-Levi Glass-Jr

LB-6-Morris Henry-Sr

LB-7-Heyward Belser-Soph

LB-50-Christian Hitchcock-Jr

LB-11-John Thompson-Jr

CB-9-Ryan Pfister-Sr

CB-8-Liam Edwards-Jr

FS-20-Julian Hughes-Sr

FS-4-Jackson Noble-Sr

P-4-Jackson Noble-Sr

Columbia—To describe the current Heathwood Hall (9-3) football team as the most

improved team in SCISA, for the 2025 season, would be on the mark, as the

Highlanders, fresh off an historic 16-13 win over Hammond, now challenge Northwood

Academy (10-1) at South Carolina State University for the AAAA championship.

The Highlanders advanced to the SCISA AAAA finals against Northwood Academy

tonight with a thrilling final second’s field goal against the Skyhawks, (James

Richardson), as their legion of fans stormed the field, much like the invasion of

American troops on the beaches of Normandy in World War II. After all, it was their first

win over Hammond, going back two decades!

Second year head coach Tymere Zimmerman, a former three-time HSSR all-state

football player at Marlboro County, explains the improvement from the 2-8 season in

2024, to a 9-3 season and competing for a state title with these comments. “Last

season we lost to Hammond 48-0, and two years ago, when I helped out as an

assistant, we scored our first touchdown against Hammond in seven years,” said Coach

Zimmerman.

“You would think, improving to 9-3 this season, that we went out and recruited a

bunch of new players, but 95 per cent of the players on the roster this season were on

the team last year,” said Coach Zimmerman. “We only have two or three new players on

this year’s team that didn’t play for us last year.

“The word Sacrifice has been our mantra coming into this season,” said Coach

Zimmerman. “I went back to my training techniques and the core discipline values

instilled in me as a high school player at Marlboro County, when I took over the

program as head coach at Heathwood Hall.

“So many of our players were not committed to the weight room, and off-season

conditioning, before I took over the program,” said Coach Zimmerman. “They were just

showing up in July, to start preparing for the football season,” said Coach Zimmerman.

“The game of football is a lot like life itself,” said Coach Zimmerman. “You have to

out-work your competition. You must always have strong goals and values and yes, you

must earn everything you get. We are going to always Sacrifice and out-work our

competition.”

Coach Zimmerman showed his players a screen shot of the score board at the end of

the Highlander’s 9-7 loss to Hammond, earlier in the 2025 season, as the team

prepared to play Hammond in the semi-finals last week. “Would you believe, seconds

after that two-point hard-fought loss, the scoreboard flashed a reminder that Hammond

had now beat Heathwood for 20 years in a row!”

Coach Zimmerman asked his players to leave it all on the field and he sent them a

group text on the day of the rematch. “Tonight, we make history,” he told them.

The Highlanders come into the state finals led by senior quarterback prospect

Patrick Belk (6-0,210) who has completed 159-of-285 passes for 2,206 yards and 20

TD’s. He also leads the team in rushing with 478 yards on 61 carries with six TD’s.

“Belk is a four-year player for us, and he is the leader of our football team,” said

Coach Zimmerman. “He has passed for over 2,220 yards with only five interceptions.”

The Region Defensive Player of the Year is senior SS Julian Hughes (5-11, 185)

who had 71 tackles, 9 TFL, with three caused fumbles, and a blocked field goal. Hughes

is also an RB who has gained 397 yards with four TD’s.

Zimmerman was a highly rated receiver by the HSSR coming out of high school, so

there is no wonder the Highlanders have play-making receivers. This group is led by

junior Keon McKinnley (51-700-3 TD’s), senior Jamonie Bates (36-536-4 TD’s), senior

Jackson Noble (19-283-4 TD;s), senior Charlie Hudson (17-227-3 TD’s), and senior

Chip Ravenell (11-137-3 TD’s).

The captain of the OL is senior LT and three-year starter Xander Pertile (6-5,215).

Senior Brady Murphy (6-6,250) is at LG, followed by soph center Oliver Logsdon (6-

0,215), junior RT Hill Belser (6-0,200) and junior RG AJ Morgan.

The Highlander employ a 3-5 defense led by Hughes at SS along with Morgan, soph

Evan Johnson (6-4, 215), soph Cole Moor (6-0,195) and Xander who all share time at

the end slots. The NG is junior Levi Glass (6-6,280).

The LB’s are leading tackler prospect Heyward Belser (6-2, 195) who has 116

tackles, 18 TFL and 8 sacks along with senior Morris Henry (60 & 8 TFL), junior John

Thompson (6-3, 210) with 33 tackles and 7 TFL, and junior Christian Hitchcock (48 &

6 TFL). Soph Charlie Taylor has also contributed at LB (32 with 5 TFL).

The secondary consists of CB’s senior Ryan Pfister, junior Liam Edwards, and FS’s

Noble and Hughes who flip from offense. Noble has 42 tackles and three interceptions,

and he also manages punting duties.

Senior place kicker James Richardson, who hit the game winner against

Hammond, is 7-for-9 on field goals this season and he is 6-of-6 PAT’s. Edwards has

also made 23-of-25 PAT’s.

SCISA Championships

AAAA

Friday

at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium

in Orangeburg

Heathwood Hall (9-3) vs. Northwood (10-1), 7 p.m.

8-Man

Friday

at Greenwood Christian

W.W. King (11-0) vs. Laurens Academy (9-2), 7 p

AA

Saturday

at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium

in Orangeburg

Pee Dee (8-3) vs. Bethesda (11-0), noon

Class A

Saturday

at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium

in Orangeburg

Williamsburg (10-1) vs. Colleton Prep (9-2), 3:30 p.m.

AAA

Saturday

at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium

in Orangeburg

Wilson Hall (11-1) vs. Pinewood Prep (9-3), 7:30 p.m.