Christy, Highland capitalize on turnovers to pull away from Pocahontas
Highland 40, Pocahontas 6
October 16, 2026 | Hooten’s Arkansas Football
POCAHONTAS — Austin Christy ran for a touchdown and threw a scoring pass to Reymond Demison after consecutive third-quarter turnovers as Highland pulled away from Pocahontas for a 40-6 victory Friday night.
The Rebels led 21-6 at halftime, then converted a fumble and a recovered kickoff into touchdowns before the third quarter was halfway over. Christy’s short keeper made it 28-6 with 8:49 remaining. His 3-yard pass to Demison pushed the lead to 34-6 with 6:24 left.
Pocahontas opened the second half with the ball but lost a fumble on a delayed handoff. Highland overcame a holding penalty on the ensuing possession. A contested downfield completion moved the Rebels inside the 10, and Christy eventually kept on third down for the touchdown.
The next kickoff struck a Pocahontas up man and bounced back to Highland. Christy helped turn that recovery into another score with a third-and-3 run from the 40 to the Redskins’ 16. Highland continued working inside before Christy found Demison for the touchdown. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful.
The teams had traded touchdowns in the first quarter. Highland struck through the air on third down to take a 6-0 lead with 10:01 remaining. Dean Overman blocked the extra point. Xayver Ballard answered with a short touchdown run at the 5:50 mark, but Pocahontas missed its kick and the score remained 6-6.
Highland regained the lead on a 2-yard run 3 seconds into the second quarter, then completed a 2-point pass after shifting the formation and drawing the defense away from the receiver. Zeke Varela broke through the middle for a 31-yard touchdown run with 5 minutes left in the half. The extra point made it 21-6.
A fourth-down completion to Will Munroe extended Highland’s final scoring drive in the fourth quarter. The Rebels later converted third-and-11 with a touchdown pass to establish the 40-6 final. The missed extra point kept the margin below the sportsmanship-rule threshold.
Jaxon McDonald finished with 100 rushing yards on 12 carries for Pocahontas, according to the broadcast’s postgame statistics. Lane Thielemier and Ryder Baltz each were credited with 7 tackles. Kipton Jansen had 6 tackles, a forced fumble and a tackle for loss. Pocahontas finished with 4 turnovers and 8 penalties for 75 yards, the broadcast reported.
Scoring summary
First quarter • 5:50 Pocahontas — Xayver Ballard short run (kick failed). Highland 6, Pocahontas 6.
Second quarter • 5:00 Highland — Zeke Varela 31-yard run (kick good). Highland 21, Pocahontas 6.
Third quarter • 8:49 Highland — Austin Christy short run (kick good). Highland 28, Pocahontas 6.
Third quarter • 6:24 Highland — Reymond Demison 3-yard pass from Austin Christy (kick failed). Highland 34, Pocahontas 6.
Players who stood out
Austin Christy, Highland — Third-quarter rushing touchdown and 3-yard touchdown pass to Reymond Demison after consecutive turnovers; third-and-3 keeper from the Pocahontas 40 to the 16 helped set up Demison’s score.
Zeke Varela, Highland — 31-yard touchdown run with 5 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Reymond Demison, Highland — 3-yard touchdown reception with 6:24 left in the third quarter.
Jaxon McDonald, Pocahontas — 12 carries for 100 yards, according to the broadcast’s postgame statistics.
Kipton Jansen, Pocahontas — Broadcast credited 6 tackles, a forced fumble and a tackle for loss.
Lane Thielemier and Ryder Baltz, Pocahontas — 7 tackles apiece in the broadcast’s postgame statistics.
Dean Overman, Pocahontas — Blocked Highland’s first extra-point attempt.
Xayver Ballard, Pocahontas — First-quarter rushing touchdown tied the game 6-6.