Rivercrest 28, Hoxie 21

Rivercrest 28, Hoxie 21

Hoxie, Ark. — In a key 3A‑3 showdown at Mustang Stadium, Rivercrest weathered Hoxie’s ball‑control offense and sealed a 28‑21 road win behind QB Jayden Ralph, WR/S Buddah Harris and RB/LB Lexx Latham. Ralph tossed three touchdowns, including a 70‑yard strike to Latham; Harris added two scoring grabs and a bruising 1‑yard TD run, plus a red‑zone interception on defense.

Hoxie leaned on the double‑wing, with senior Dylann Barnhill punching in three short keepers and RB/FS Robert Urias‑Martinez and FB/MLB Mack Slaughter churning yardage between the tackles. Slaughter converted all three PATs.

Rivercrest struck first when Ralph zipped a perimeter screen to Harris, who weaved 44 yards for a 6‑0 lead. After two Barnhill sneaks put Hoxie ahead 14‑6, Harris high‑pointed a 22‑yard fade from Ralph and Latham powered in the two‑point run to tie it. With :10 left before halftime, a bad snap on a Wildcat look turned into Harris’s relentless 1‑yard plunge for a 21‑14 edge. Latham’s 70‑yard catch‑and‑run made it 28‑14 late in the third.

Hoxie closed to 28‑21 on a 15‑play march, then recovered an onside kick. But DE/LB Lathan Bolden sacked Barnhill to force fourth‑and‑long, and CB Jamaris Byrd’s tip‑and‑pick with 1:36 remaining ended the threat.

Ralph, Harris, Latham and a resilient front kept Rivercrest unbeaten in league play; Hoxie countered with a rugged ground game that controlled long stretches and set up a tense finish.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter Rivercrest – Buddah Harris 44 pass from Jayden Ralph (kick blocked), Rivercrest 6‑0.
1st Quarter Hoxie – Dylann Barnhill 2 run (Mack Slaughter kick), Hoxie 7‑6.
2nd Quarter Hoxie – Dylann Barnhill 2 run (Slaughter kick), Hoxie 14‑6.
2nd Quarter Rivercrest – Buddah Harris 22 pass from Ralph (Lexx Latham run), 14‑14.
2nd Quarter Rivercrest – Harris 1 run (Hunter Ellis kick), Rivercrest 21‑14.
3rd Quarter Rivercrest – Latham 70 pass from Ralph (Ellis kick), Rivercrest 28‑14.
4th Quarter Hoxie – Barnhill 1 run (Slaughter kick), Rivercrest 28‑21.

Standouts

• Buddah Harris (Rivercrest, WR/S): 2 TD catches, 1‑yd TD run, end‑zone INT.

• Jayden Ralph (Rivercrest, QB): Three TD passes, including a 70‑yarder.

• Lexx Latham (Rivercrest, RB/LB): 70‑yard TD catch; key chain‑moving runs; 2‑pt rush.

• Robert Urias‑Martinez (Hoxie, RB/FS): Multiple explosive perimeter gains.

• Dylann Barnhill (Hoxie, WR/MLB): Three short rushing TDs in the double‑wing.