Pinkston, Morley help Malvern hold off Fouke’s second-half rally
Malvern 28, Fouke 27
October 16, 2026 | Hooten’s Arkansas Football
FOUKE — Aaron Pinkston scored his second rushing touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Malvern survived a final Fouke possession to win 28-27 Friday after Fouke erased a 21-point halftime deficit.
The Leopards improved to 5-2 overall and 4-0 in the 4A-7, winning their fifth straight game. Fouke fell to 2-5 and 0-4. The Panthers scored on four consecutive second-half possessions, but a missed extra point after their final touchdown left Malvern ahead by a point.
Wesley Morley supplied the response Malvern needed after Fouke tied it at 21 with 44 seconds left in the third quarter. Starting from the Leopards’ 48, Morley broke tackles, reached the edge and cut back into the open field before being stopped near the goal line. Pinkston finished the drive with a 2-yard sneak at 11:56 of the fourth. Allen Cervantes’ extra point made it 28-21.
Fouke kept answering. The Panthers worked downfield on the ground, then used play action to send a receiver behind Malvern’s defense for a touchdown. The extra-point attempt missed, preserving the Leopards’ narrow advantage.
Malvern recovered the ensuing onside kick and moved into Fouke territory. Pinkston later found Jeremiah Jimerson on fourth-and-5, but a measurement showed the reception short of the first down. Fouke took over with 3:08 remaining and a chance to complete the comeback.
The Panthers gained new life on a Malvern penalty before an ineligible-receiver-downfield penalty erased a long completion. Westin Goyne broke up a pass over the middle on second down. On third down, Aaron Williams pressured the quarterback out of the pocket, allowing the defense to bring him down behind the line. Fouke’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete, and Pinkston took a knee to finish the game.
Malvern had controlled the first half. Morley converted a fourth-and-3 to extend the opening scoring drive, and Pinkston finished it with a 26-yard run, cutting through the defense for a 7-0 lead with 2:27 left in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Pinkston extended a third-down play and found Tyriq Jacobs along the sideline for a first down. Morley later caught a screen pass and raced 38 yards for a touchdown, stretching the lead to 14-0.
Goyne helped stop Fouke’s next possession by tackling a receiver short of the first down on fourth-and-10. Morley then broke a run inside the Panthers’ 20, and Brad Saling finished the ensuing drive with a rushing touchdown at 4:17. Cervantes’ extra point made it 21-0.
Fouke changed the game by recovering an onside kick to open the second half. A 21-yard touchdown run cut the deficit to 21-7. After forcing a punt, the Panthers added a short quarterback sneak at 8:05 of the third quarter, then scored on a 5-yard run with 44 seconds left to draw even. Malvern finally regained the lead after Morley’s long run and Pinkston’s second touchdown.
Scoring summary
First quarter • 2:27 Malvern — Aaron Pinkston 26-yard run; Allen Cervantes kick. Malvern 7-0.
Second quarter Malvern — Wesley Morley 38-yard pass from Aaron Pinkston; kick good. Malvern 14-0.
Second quarter • 4:17 Malvern — Brad Saling touchdown run; Allen Cervantes kick. Malvern 21-0.
Fourth quarter • 11:56 Malvern — Aaron Pinkston 2-yard run; Allen Cervantes kick. Malvern 28-21.
Players who stood out
Aaron Pinkston, Malvern: Rushing touchdowns of 26 and 2 yards and a 38-yard touchdown pass to Wesley Morley. His fourth-quarter sneak restored Malvern’s lead.
Wesley Morley, Malvern: A 38-yard touchdown reception, a fourth-down rushing conversion on the opening scoring drive and a long run to the Fouke 2 that set up the go-ahead score.
Brad Saling, Malvern: A second-quarter rushing touchdown and recovery of an onside kick after Fouke tied the game.
Westin Goyne, Malvern: A fourth-down tackle short of the line to gain in the second quarter and a late fourth-quarter pass breakup.
Aaron Williams, Malvern: Third-down pressure that flushed the quarterback into a tackle for loss on Fouke’s final possession.
Allen Cervantes, Malvern: Made extra points after Pinkston’s two rushing touchdowns and Saling’s score, including the kick that provided the winning margin.
Tyriq Jacobs, Malvern: A third-down sideline catch on the drive that ended with Morley’s touchdown reception.