Camden begins a new era with victory over Richfield in high school football

While the game looked every bit like the first of the season, with its requisite mistakes and misplays, it was clear from the outset that Camden was the more focused bunch.

The Patriots — the school retained the nickname it had when it was Patrick Henry — moved the ball well, with senior quarterback Jadis Hartman scoring on a 14-yard run in the first quarter.

Hartman’s score was noted pridefully by announcer Marques Zackary as the “first touchdown in Camden history,” bringing cheers from the fans.

Hartman, playing quarterback for the first time in his career, added a 14-yard scoring pass to junior receiver Patrick Mix in the second quarter, giving Camden a 12-0 lead.

A safety — one of the few mistakes the Patriots made all evening — made the score 12-2 at halftime.

Richfield, mistake-prone before halftime, settled in the third quarter and started to make inroads on the Camden defense. But Hartman, playing with confidence and poise, daggered Richfield’s hopes for a comeback when he ran 71 yards down the left side for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, making the score 18-2.