Five-Touchdown Second Quarter Sends Atkins Past Cutter Morning Star

Atkins 48, Cutter Morning Star 20

HOT SPRINGS — Atkins converted two first-half interceptions into touchdowns and scored five times in the second quarter, building a 41–7 halftime lead on its way to a 48–20 victory over Cutter Morning Star in Friday’s conference opener.

Cooper Goodall scored twice, including an 89-yard run with 55 seconds left in the half, and Ethan Linboom threw two touchdown passes to Cooper Horn. Goodall finished with 155 rushing yards on 11 carries. Linboom passed for 187 yards and added a rushing touchdown.

Bre’lan Criswell opened the scoring with a 13-yard run to finish an 84-yard possession. His 57-yard reception on third-and-9 moved Atkins into Cutter Morning Star territory, and Mike Guerro’s extra point made it 7–0 with 5:54 remaining in the first quarter.

Noah Metcalf’s interception gave Atkins its next scoring opportunity. Goodall caught a third-down screen to extend the possession, then finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run 25 seconds into the second quarter.

Isaac Sims intercepted Jacob Smith on the next Cutter Morning Star possession, giving Atkins the ball at the Eagles’ 33. Linboom later kept the ball on an option play and scored from 22 yards out, extending the lead to 21–0.

Tony Bulcao answered with a 79-yard kickoff return for Cutter Morning Star’s first touchdown. Fischer McKnight recovered the ensuing onside kick for Atkins, and Criswell’s 31-yard run helped set up Mason Vick’s 2-yard touchdown. The Red Devils led 28–7 with 8:11 left in the half.

Horn kept another scoring drive alive by catching a fourth-and-4 pass across the middle despite contact from Hunter Sanders. He later caught Linboom’s 23-yard touchdown pass near the right pylon, putting Atkins ahead 35–7 with 2:02 remaining.

Daeton Adame’s third-down sack forced an Eagles punt before Goodall supplied the half’s longest play. Facing second-and-25 at his own 11, Goodall spun out of a tackle and broke into the open. Metcalf provided a downfield block on the 89-yard touchdown run. Cutter Morning Star’s Myles Spickard intercepted a pass later in the quarter, and Atkins took its 41–7 lead into halftime.

Jackson McNutt recovered a fumble forced by Dayton Rawlings in the third quarter, setting up Atkins’ final touchdown. Linboom threw back across the field to Horn on a screen, and Lucas Shannon’s block helped Horn complete the 20-yard scoring play. Guerro’s kick made it 48–7 and started the running clock.

Cutter Morning Star scored on consecutive possessions afterward. Smith found Kingstyn Hollingsworth across the middle for a 46-yard touchdown in the third quarter. After the Eagles recovered a fumbled snap at the Atkins 25 on the quarter’s final play, Hollingsworth caught an 11-yard touchdown pass in the fourth.

Hollingsworth finished with six catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Smith passed for 180 yards and both scores. Atkins improved to 3–1 overall and 1–0 in conference play.

Scoring summary

First quarter

• Atkins — Bre’lan Criswell 13-yard touchdown run, 5:54; Mike Guerro kick. Atkins 7–0.

Second quarter

• Atkins — Cooper Goodall 2-yard touchdown run, 11:35; Guerro kick. Atkins 14–0.
• Atkins — Ethan Linboom 22-yard touchdown run, 9:35; Guerro kick. Atkins 21–0.
• Cutter Morning Star — Tony Bulcao 79-yard kickoff-return touchdown, 9:21; kick good. Atkins 21–7.
• Atkins — Mason Vick 2-yard touchdown run, 8:11; Guerro kick. Atkins 28–7.
• Atkins — Cooper Horn 23-yard touchdown pass from Linboom, 2:02; Guerro kick. Atkins 35–7.
• Atkins — Goodall 89-yard touchdown run, 0:55; extra point blocked. Atkins 41–7.

Third quarter

• Atkins — Horn 20-yard touchdown pass from Linboom; Guerro kick. Atkins 48–7.
• Cutter Morning Star — Kingstyn Hollingsworth 46-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Smith; extra-point attempt failed. Atkins 48–13.

Fourth quarter

• Cutter Morning Star — Hollingsworth 11-yard touchdown pass from Smith; kick good. Atkins 48–20.

Players who stood out

• Cooper Goodall, Atkins: Eleven carries for 155 yards and two touchdowns; two catches for 36 yards. His 89-yard scoring run came on second-and-25.
• Ethan Linboom, Atkins: Completed 9 of 13 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Added 49 rushing yards and a 22-yard touchdown.
• Cooper Horn, Atkins: Four catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Converted fourth-and-4 with a catch before his first scoring reception.
• Bre’lan Criswell, Atkins: Seven carries for 74 yards and a touchdown; two catches for 64 yards, including a 57-yard reception on the opening scoring drive.
• Noah Metcalf, Atkins: Intercepted a pass to set up Goodall’s first touchdown and supplied a downfield block on his 89-yard score.
• Isaac Sims, Atkins: Intercepted a pass at the Cutter Morning Star 33, setting up Linboom’s touchdown run.
• Daeton Adame, Atkins: Recorded a sack and two tackles for loss. His late first-half sack forced a punt before Goodall’s long touchdown.
• Jackson McNutt and Dayton Rawlings, Atkins: Rawlings forced the third-quarter fumble that McNutt recovered, starting the possession that produced Horn’s second touchdown.
• Kingstyn Hollingsworth, Cutter Morning Star: Six catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns, scoring from 46 and 11 yards.
• Jacob Smith, Cutter Morning Star: Completed 16 of 27 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions.
• Tony Bulcao, Cutter Morning Star: Returned a kickoff 79 yards for a second-quarter touchdown.