Bombers’ big plays fuel second-half surge past Mavericks

Mountain Home 39, Fort Smith Southside 21

MOUNTAIN HOME — Mountain Home used a big-play mix of precision passing and power runs to pull away from Fort Smith Southside, 39-21, in a 6A West matchup Friday. The Mavericks (Southside) controlled the first quarter with long possessions, then struck first when QB Blake Forsgren hit Wilson Key for a second-quarter score and a two‑point conversion to lead 8‑0. The Bombers answered with a flea‑flicker from Brantlee Phillips to Carter Adkins, tying it 8‑8 at halftime. Mountain Home seized control with three second‑half touchdowns and a field goal to improve to 4‑0.

Senior QB Brantlee Phillips (QB/P) paced the Bombers, throwing for 269 yards and two touchdowns and adding a short rushing score. RB Barrett Miller (RB/FS) powered the ground game with 182 yards and two TDs, including an 80‑yard clincher late. DB Carter Adkins caught 7 passes for 108 yards and a TD, and Isaac Ballard chipped in a 32‑yard field goal and went 4-for-4 on PATs.

Southside’s passing game answered throughout. Forsgren (QB) threw three touchdowns—one to Key (WR/DB) and two to Peyton Zimmerman (WR), the latter a weaving 32‑yard sprint that pulled the Mavs within 25‑21 early in the fourth. Freshman RB Terrell Warren churned out tough yards, and Southside’s front—highlighted by hustle plays from Maddox Perez, Ethan Dunn, Daniel Morales and Webb Norman—generated timely stops in the red zone before Mountain Home’s late burst settled it.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter – No scoring.
2nd Quarter –
Southside – Wilson Key 5 pass from Blake Forsgren (Forsgren to Key 2‑pt), 8‑0.
Mountain Home – Carter Adkins 36 pass from Brantlee Phillips (Miller 2‑pt rush), 8‑8.
3rd Quarter –
Mountain Home – Barrett Miller 1 run (Ballard kick), 15‑8.
Southside – Peyton Zimmerman 17 pass from Forsgren (Rodrigo Hernandez kick), 15‑15.
Mountain Home – Phillips 6 run (Ballard kick), 22‑15.
Mountain Home – Ballard 32 FG, 25‑15.
4th Quarter –
Southside – Zimmerman 32 pass from Forsgren (kick failed), 25‑21.
Mountain Home – Bryce Kincade 33 pass from Phillips (Ballard kick), 32‑21.
Mountain Home – Miller 80 run (Ballard kick), 39‑21.

Standouts (4–5):

• Barrett Miller, MH RB/FS — 182 rush yds, 2 TD (80‑yd clincher).

• Brantlee Phillips, MH QB — 269 pass yds, 2 TD; 1 rush TD.

• Carter Adkins, MH DB — 7 rec, 108 yds, TD.

• Blake Forsgren, SS QB — 3 TD passes.

• Peyton Zimmerman, SS WR — 2 TD receptions (32, 17).