American Heritage Delray entered Friday night’s matchup undefeated with four straight wins, while Kings Academy came in still searching for its first victory of the season.

Both teams started slow, but the momentum shifted midway through the first quarter when Peyton Surtain of American Heritage intercepted a Lions pass. The Stallions, however, stalled on offense and were forced to punt. With five minutes left in the opening quarter, Levi Champion broke through the line to block the punt, recovered the ball in the end zone, and secured a safety to put the Lions up 2–0.

With under two minutes remaining in the first half, Stallions quarterback Marcus Stracke connected with Jonathan Cesar on a deep strike, giving American Heritage a 6–2 lead going into halftime. It was a surprising defensive battle, as Heritage had averaged 30 first-half points across its first four games but managed only six in this one.

The Lions opened the second half with a touchdown run by Champion, putting Kings Academy ahead 9–6. The Stallions’ offense continued to struggle until late in the third quarter, when Dennis Anderson powered his way into the end zone for a score that gave Heritage a 14–9 lead with just over a minute remaining.

But the Lions responded instantly. Roman Driggers returned the ensuing kickoff more than 80 yards, setting up Fletcher Hodges for a 5-yard touchdown run that pushed Kings Academy ahead 15–14 with five seconds left in the third quarter.

“I give props to my line,” Driggers said after the game. “They opened the holes for me, and I drove it down the field.”

With 1:44 remaining in the fourth quarter, Champion sealed the win by intercepting a Stallions pass. The Lions’ offense took a knee to run out the clock and secure the upset.

After the game, Champion credited his team and faith for the performance:

“Without my team I am nothing, without God I am nothing. They are the reason I can do this.”

Kings Academy Notable Stat Lines:

Levi Champion: blocked punt, recovered fumble, safety, sack, 22 tackles, rushing touchdown, game-ending interception Roman Driggers: 80-yard kickoff return, 15 carries for 84 yards, 160+ total yards Caleb Scroggins: 10 tackles

Head coach Dan Burack praised his team’s resilience.

“We came together as a family today. We had good attention to detail this week. We knew it was going to be a war, but we were ready for it.”

With the 15–14 victory, Kings Academy (1–2) picked up its first win of the season and will look to build momentum with three straight home games, beginning against Inlet Grove.