Four return touchdowns power Rivercrest past Paragould, 54–43
Four return touchdowns power Rivercrest past Paragould, 54–43
Rivercrest scored four touchdowns on returns and defeated Paragould 54-43. Ashton Harris returned a punt 39 yards and a kickoff 69 yards for touchdowns. T.J. Hayes added an 88-yard kickoff touchdown, and Bryson Newson returned a kickoff 65 yards for another score.
Jayden Ralph opened the scoring with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Kris Burks and ran for the conversion. Harris’ punt return extended Rivercrest’s lead to 14-0 after one quarter.
Zack Flowers scored on a 13-yard run in the second quarter, and Hayes answered on the ensuing kickoff. Lexx Latham’s 1-yard touchdown run and Ralph’s conversion pass to Harris made it 28-7. Flowers broke a 63-yard touchdown run before Harris returned the next kickoff for a score. Ralph’s two-point run established a 36-14 halftime lead.
Neither team scored in the third quarter. Rivercrest recovered a fumble in its end zone and stopped Paragould on fourth-and-five.
Flowers opened the fourth quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion. Van Cox recovered an onside kick, setting up Flowers’ 46-yard touchdown pass to Amare Williams. Rivercrest stopped the conversion to maintain a 36-28 lead.
Ralph scored from a yard out before Flowers connected with Kenyatta Laird for another touchdown, cutting the margin to 42-35. Newson answered with his kickoff return.
Lathan Bolden then forced a fumble, Kayden Schwantz recovered, and Latham scored to make it 54-35. Flowers’ touchdown pass to Karver Dillport and a two-point pass brought Paragould within 11. Newson intercepted a pass with 3:51 remaining, and Rivercrest retained possession until time expired.
Ralph finished 13 of 22 for 213 passing yards. Latham rushed 23 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Hayes caught three passes for 101 yards. Flowers accounted for six touchdowns: three rushing and three passing. Luke Barnett recorded 12 tackles, including three tackles for loss.
Scoring summary
| Quarter | Time left | Scoring play | Score after |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 9:14 | Rivercrest: Burks 18-yard pass from Ralph; Ralph two-point run | Rivercrest 8–0 |
| First | 1:36 | Rivercrest: Harris 39-yard punt return; two-point run stopped | Rivercrest 14–0 |
| Second | 5:20 | Paragould: Flowers 13-yard run; Christopher Cruz kick | Rivercrest 14–7 |
| Second | 5:03 | Rivercrest: Hayes 88-yard kickoff return; two-point pass incomplete | Rivercrest 20–7 |
| Second | 0:57 | Rivercrest: Latham 1-yard run; Harris two-point pass from Ralph | Rivercrest 28–7 |
| Second | 0:43 | Paragould: Flowers 63-yard run; Cruz kick | Rivercrest 28–14 |
| Second | 0:32 | Rivercrest: Harris 69-yard kickoff return; Ralph two-point run | Rivercrest 36–14 |
| Third | — | No scoring | Rivercrest 36–14 |
| Fourth | 11:52 | Paragould: Flowers 4-yard run; Flowers two-point run | Rivercrest 36–22 |
| Fourth | 11:39 | Paragould: Williams 46-yard pass from Flowers; two-point run stopped | Rivercrest 36–28 |
| Fourth | 10:02 | Rivercrest: Ralph 1-yard run; two-point pass incomplete | Rivercrest 42–28 |
| Fourth | 9:41 | Paragould: Laird touchdown pass from Flowers; Cruz kick | Rivercrest 42–35 |
| Fourth | 9:27 | Rivercrest: Newson 65-yard kickoff return; two-point pass incomplete | Rivercrest 48–35 |
| Fourth | 7:57 | Rivercrest: Latham touchdown run; two-point attempt stopped | Rivercrest 54–35 |
| Fourth | 6:41 | Paragould: Dillport touchdown pass from Flowers; two-point pass good | Rivercrest 54–43 |
Players of the game
- Ashton Harris, Rivercrest: Scored on a 39-yard punt return and a 69-yard kickoff return. Also caught a two-point conversion pass.
- T.J. Hayes, Rivercrest: Caught three passes for 101 yards and returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown.
- Bryson Newson, Rivercrest: Caught five passes for 71 yards, returned a kickoff 65 yards for a touchdown and intercepted a pass with 3:51 remaining.
- Lexx Latham, Rivercrest: Rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. His 31-yard fourth-quarter run helped set up Ralph’s touchdown.
- Zack Flowers, Paragould: Accounted for six touchdowns, including rushing scores of 13, 63 and 4 yards and three fourth-quarter touchdown passes.