Hayes, Latham lead Rivercrest to 41-24 victory over Harrisburg
Rivercrest 41, Harrisburg 24
October 9, 2026
WILSON — T.J. Hayes intercepted three passes and caught two touchdown throws, and Lexx Latham rushed for more than 200 yards as Rivercrest defeated Harrisburg 41-24 Friday night at Cortez Kennedy Field.
The Colts intercepted five passes and answered two second-half threats to win their homecoming game. Rivercrest is 5-1 overall and 3-0 in 3A-3 play; Harrisburg is 3-3 and 1-2. Grayson Harkey scored three rushing touchdowns for the Hornets, while Remi Rapert intercepted two passes.
Rivercrest needed a long possession to break through after punting on its opening series. Latham converted fourth-and-short, Kris Burks caught a pass for a first down, and Lathan Bolden supplied consecutive gains near the goal line. Jayden Ralph finished with a short keeper at 3:27 of the first quarter. The two-point run failed.
Harkey answered with a 60-yard touchdown run, breaking into the open along the far side to tie it 6-6 with three minutes left. Rivercrest regained the lead on Ralph’s 17-yard scoring pass to Hayes, who worked behind his blockers after a holding penalty had backed the Colts away from the goal line. The kick missed.
Hayes’ first interception erased a Rivercrest special-teams turnover early in the second quarter. Latham broke a 27-yard run during the ensuing possession and scored from three yards at 8:37. Hayes caught the two-point pass for a 20-6 lead.
Harrisburg stayed close. Trenton Ramsey converted a fake punt, and Jayvin Thompson’s reception helped the Hornets reach the goal line. Harkey scored on a short run with 3:45 remaining, cutting the deficit to 20-12.
Hayes supplied the half’s decisive finish. He intercepted a fourth-down pass, then turned a short completion into a 48-yard gain. His 12-yard touchdown catch with 29.2 seconds left made it 26-12. The broadcast credited him with seven catches for 111 yards at halftime.
Latham intercepted a pass to stop Harrisburg’s opening second-half possession, but the Hornets held on downs and drove again. Harkey’s seven-yard touchdown run pulled Harrisburg within 26-18 at 3:15 of the third quarter.
Rivercrest punted, giving the Hornets an opportunity to tie. Instead, Kenderick Brooks and the Colts’ defense pushed Harrisburg backward before Luke Barnett intercepted a pass and returned it to the Harrisburg 25. Despite another penalty, Latham answered with a 28-yard run and a five-yard touchdown with 4.8 seconds left. Ralph’s two-point run made it 34-18.
Hayes’ third interception ended another Harrisburg possession, but Rapert’s second pick kept the Hornets alive. Tiya Ansley converted fourth-and-seven with a 28-yard reception, and Harrisburg scored through the air with 3:01 left. Bolden stopped the two-point run, preserving a 34-24 lead.
Burks recovered the onside kick. Hayes added a first-down catch, and Bolden powered into the end zone with 1:44 remaining to settle the game. Rivercrest hosts Palestine-Wheatley next Friday; Harrisburg hosts Osceola.
Scoring summary
Named scorers only. Harrisburg’s touchdown pass with 3:01 remaining in the fourth quarter is omitted because the broadcast transcript did not identify the receiver. The clock for Hayes’ first-quarter touchdown was not confirmed.
Q1 3:27 — Rivercrest — Jayden Ralph short touchdown run (run failed). Rivercrest 6, Harrisburg 0.
Q1 3:00 — Harrisburg — Grayson Harkey 60-yard touchdown run (run failed). Rivercrest 6, Harrisburg 6.
Q1 — Rivercrest — T.J. Hayes 17-yard touchdown pass from Jayden Ralph (kick failed). Rivercrest 12, Harrisburg 6.
Q2 8:37 — Rivercrest — Lexx Latham three-yard touchdown run (T.J. Hayes two-point pass from Jayden Ralph). Rivercrest 20, Harrisburg 6.
Q2 3:45 — Harrisburg — Grayson Harkey short touchdown run (pass failed). Rivercrest 20, Harrisburg 12.
Q2 0:29.2 — Rivercrest — T.J. Hayes 12-yard touchdown pass from Jayden Ralph (pass failed). Rivercrest 26, Harrisburg 12.
Q3 3:15 — Harrisburg — Grayson Harkey seven-yard touchdown run (pass failed). Rivercrest 26, Harrisburg 18.
Q3 0:04.8 — Rivercrest — Lexx Latham five-yard touchdown run (Jayden Ralph run). Rivercrest 34, Harrisburg 18.
Q4 1:44 — Rivercrest — Lathan Bolden touchdown run (kick good). Rivercrest 41, Harrisburg 24.
Players who stood out
T.J. Hayes, Rivercrest — Three interceptions and two touchdown catches, from 17 and 12 yards. Had seven receptions for 111 yards in the first half, including a 48-yard gain immediately after his second interception.
Lexx Latham, Rivercrest — More than 200 rushing yards, touchdown runs of three and five yards, and a third-quarter interception. His 28-yard run set up the touchdown that restored a two-possession lead.
Luke Barnett, Rivercrest — His late-third-quarter interception set up a touchdown. The broadcast credited him with 12 tackles during the fourth quarter; that is a partial-game total, not an official final tally.
Lathan Bolden, Rivercrest — Scored the final touchdown and stopped Harrisburg’s fourth-quarter two-point run. The broadcast credited him with 10 tackles, including four for loss, before that conversion stop.
Grayson Harkey, Harrisburg — Three rushing touchdowns, including a 60-yard first-quarter run and a seven-yard third-quarter score. The broadcast credited him with 26 carries for 121 yards late in the fourth quarter.
Remi Rapert, Harrisburg — Two interceptions, including one that gave the Hornets another scoring opportunity with 5:20 remaining.