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Southampton Academy’s varsity football team adapted to the less-than-ideal circumstances it has found itself in, snapping its three-game losing streak with a 6-0 road win over Richmond Christian School on Saturday, Sept. 30.

“Saturday was a great win for our boys,” Raiders Head Coach Cole Heiderich said Tuesday, Oct. 3. “We lost most of our offensive production last month due to injuries, so we’ve had to adapt a great deal as of late.”

The showdown against the Richmond Christian Warriors was one that revealed important qualities in the Southampton players.

“To be clear, we were definitely sluggish most of the day, and I made some terrible play calls as their coach — but the fact they were able to grind out the victory speaks volumes to their character and competitiveness,” Heiderich said.

He noted that Southampton had players step up and make plays when the opportunities arose.

“The defense had two goal-line stands that essentially decided the outcome of the game,” he said. “And Jake Holland took a slant route from Grayson Holland 51 yards to the end zone for the game’s only score.”

In a defensive battle that results in a 6-0 score, it follows that some of the foremost standouts will be on defense.

“Defensively, Ashton Whitehead and Jack Everett had great games and displayed incredible effort all day,” Heiderich said.

Whitehead, a sophomore, ended up with 16 total tackles, three for a loss, and one sack. Everett, a junior, finished with 14 total tackles.

Heiderich noted that senior Sam Sawyer stood out running the ball, gaining 35 yards on six carries, and Everett also distinguished himself on the offensive line, doing “a great job blocking on the edge.”

Southampton (3-3) visits Fuqua School (1-5) on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. Before that meeting, the Falcons had their own face-off with Richmond Christian (3-4) on Thursday, Oct. 5, falling 38-25.