The streak is over for the Heathwood Hall football team.

Heathwood kicker James Richardson hit a 22-yard field goal with 1.5 seconds left to lift the Highlanders over Hammond, 16-13, on Friday at Edens Stadium.

The win snaps Heathwood’s 20-game losing streak to Hammond and sends the Highlanders to the SCISA 4A championship game for the first time since 2009. Heathwood (9-3) will play Northwood (10-1) in the state championship game next Friday at South Carolina State’s Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

“All week, I was telling them there is no pressure. Let’s go in there and have fun,” Heathwood coach Tymere Zimmerman said. “After we lost to them the last time (in September), we found out it was 20 games since we beat Hammond. So, Hammond was the motivation to get back to this point, and we did that. They put in the work and it paid off.”

It was Heathwood’s first win over Hammond since Oct. 23, 2009 and ended Hammond’s run of eight straight state championships.

The game was the second meeting between the two teams this season. Hammond won 9-7 on Sept. 12 after a Jackson Ross field goal with 11 seconds in the fourth quarter.

On this night, it was the Highlanders’ turn for late-game heroics.

With the game tied at 13, Heathwood got the ball back on its own 44-yard line. Senior quarterback Patrick Belk, who Zimmerman calls one of his “Heathwood lifers,” led the Highlanders on the game-winning drive.

The biggest play of the drive came when Charlie Hudson caught a tipped pass from Belk deep in Hammond territory.

The Highlanders moved it down to the 6-yard line on a face-mask call. Then, after a Belk run, Richardson came on to deliver the game-winning kick. It was his third field goal of the game.

“It was just like any other kick,” Richardson said. “You just get yourself in the right mentality and just hit it. All contact.

“This means a lot. We are Heathwood and we have been down. Now, we set the precedent for years to come.”

Hammond led 13-6 going into the final quarter. Heathwood scored on the first play of the fourth quarter on Belk’s 36-yard pass to Jamione Batts to tie it at 13.

Heathwood’s defense did its job, shutting the Skyhawks out in the second half.

Hammond finishes the season at 9-2.

The Skyhawks took the lead on their second possession on Bubba Alexander’s touchdown run. After Heathwood cut the lead to 7-3, Alexander scored his second TD of the half, a 12-yard run to make it 13-3 with 8:34 left in the second quarter.

Richardson hit his second field of the half, a 37-yarder to cut Hammond’s lead to 13-6.

Class 5A Division I

Stratford 40, River Bluff 35: Stratford scored on a Jachin Davis’ 51-yard, Hail Mary pass to J’Qwan Crosby on the final play of the game to give the Knights an amazing comeback win over the Gators.

River Bluff led 35-34 after Hayden Myers scored his fifth touchdown of the game, and QB Davis Taylor ran in the two-point conversion with 10.5 seconds left.

Myers finished with 216 yards rushing. Taylor was 14-of-22 passing for 139 yards for the Gators, who trailed 26-13 at halftime.

Meliq McGowan led Stratford with 260 yards rushing and three touchdowns, including one to put the Knights up 34-27 with 2:18 left.

Davis was 9-of-12 passing for 132 yards and also rushed for 112 yards and two total TDs.

Dutch Fork 42, Boiling Springs 7: Quarterback Jaxon Knotts threw for 311 yards, three touchdowns and also ran in a score. The Silver Foxes will host Byrnes in the third round of the playoffs next week. Kyle Fulton caught five passes for 119 yards and a TD to lead Dutch Fork. Kyle Fulton and Charlie Howell also had TD runs for the Silver Foxes.

Ridge View 29, Spartanburg 21: The Blazers earned a spot in the third round with a win over the Vikings. Ridge View goes to Dorman next week. Spencer Bobian, Aidan Keeffe and Bijon Virgo all had TD runs for RV.

Bobian finished with 93 yards rushing. Virgo was 19-of-26 passing for 193 yards. Khristian Jackson had nine catches for 94 yards.

Dorman 44, Blythewood 13: The Bengals’ season ended on the road against Dorman.

Nick Means had two TD runs and Clemson commit Kentavion Anderson returned an interception for a touchdown for Dorman.

James Veasey and Cademon Watson had TD passes for Blythewood.

Class 5A Division II

Irmo 41, Lugoff-Elgin 16: Drevon Dopson threw four touchdown passes and Maleek Miller caught a TD pass and returned a punt for a score in the Yellow Jackets’ win. Corey Miller, Amire White and Delreco Eady also had touchdown catches for Irmo. Jaiden Bryant had a TD run.

White Knoll 14, Lucy Beckham 10: Jhais McKiever scored on a touchdown run late in the third quarter for the game-winner. The Timberwolves will travel to Irmo in the third round next week. McKiever also had a 60-yard TD pass to Caleb Geronomi.

Berkeley 48, Westwood 20: Landon Jackson scored a pair of defensive touchdowns and Henry Rivers ran for two scores in Berkeley’s win.

Angelo Rios ran for a score and caught a TD pass for Westwood.

Class 4A

Camden 52, Daniel 14: Greyson Rimpf threw two touchdown passes and also ran one in the Bulldogs’ blowout win on the road. Camden will go to Westside next week in the third round. Tylin Drakeford caught a TD pass and threw one for Camden.

Navier Boykin rushed for 100 yards and a TD for the Bulldogs.

A.C. Flora 34: Seneca 21: Jaylin Simmons ran for 334 yards, three touchdowns, and Blake Betette returned an interception 99 yards for a TD in the Falcons’ road win. A.C. Flora heads to No. 1 South Pointe next week.

Betette also had a TD run for Flora.

Gray Collegiate 49, Hartsville 21: The War Eagles got a big offensive performance to move on in the 4A playoffs. Gray is at Hilton Head Island next week.

Xavier Wright threw three touchdown passes and Trevon Williamson ran for three scores. Wright was 16-of-28 for 302 yards and also rushed eight times for 71 yards.

Willaimson rushed 119 yards. Corey Gleaton, Hiszari Gantt and JP Sweatt all had TD catches and Royce Williamson had a TD run for Gray.

North Augusta 35, Gilbert 7: Jayden Hatcher rushed for more than 200 yards and four touchdowns North Augusta picked off five passes in the win over Gilbert.

Hatcher played in place of Michael Doe, who missed the game with an injury.

Class 3A

Newberry 41, Hanahan 21: Cash Brown ran for five touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ win. Newberry will host Loris in a battle of 12-0 teams next week. Kenton Caldwell also had a TD run for the Bulldogs, who trailed 21-20 at halftime.

Class 2A

Fairfield Central 36, Andrew Jackson 0: The Griffins returned two interceptions for touchdowns and moved on to the third round with a shutout win. FC is at Clinton next week in a rematch of last year’s Upper State championship.

Clinton 35, Saluda 25: Javan Cook had two of his four touchdowns in the fourth quarter as Clinton rallied past Saluda. Clinton trailed 25-21 going into the fourth before Cook scored with 11:50 left and added another three minutes later. He finished with 238 yards rushing. Brayden Williams threw for 229 yards, three touchdowns and ran one in for Saluda.

Class A

CA Johnson 28, Blackville-Hilda 0: Terrell Golson ran for three touchdowns and Jonathan Jenkins returned a fumble for a TD as the Green Hornets moved on in the playoffs. CAJ is at Lewisville next week.

SCISA 8-Man

WW King 74, Jefferson Davis 28: The Knights earned a spot in 8-man championship game with a blowout victory.

WW King will face Laurens Academy in the title game on Friday at Greenwood Christian.

Caption:

Sam Wolfe Special To The State

James Richardson (15) of Heathwood Hall celebrates after kicking the game winning field goal during Hammond’s game against Heathwood Hall at Hammond on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025.