Heber Springs Answers Atkins Surge, Pulls Away in Second Half
Heber Springs 56, Atkins 28
Heber Springs scored on its opening possession and answered every Atkins push in a 56-28 season-opening victory Friday at Panther Stadium.
The Panthers started with sophomore quarterback Spencer Sugg completing passes to Josiah Riggs on the first two snaps. Aiden Isom added two runs before Lane Bradley finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown. Atkins answered after stopping Heber Springs on fourth down near midfield. Cooper Goodall turned a screen pass into a first down, and after Mason Vick secured a loose ball in the air to keep the drive alive, Goodall scored from 8 yards to tie it 7-7.
Heber Springs regained control. Sugg scrambled 14 yards after a touchdown to Tanner Graham was erased by penalty, then found Noah Engholm for a 36-yard score. The Panthers followed with a trick play: Sugg lateraled to Lachlan Tubbs, who threw 29 yards to Engholm. Tubbs then hit Engholm on the two-point conversion for a 22-7 lead.
Goodall’s 1-yard touchdown cut it to 22-14 in the second quarter, but Sugg answered with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Eli Long. Atkins recovered a Heber Springs fumble at the Panthers’ 26 with 55 seconds left, but Heber Springs forced a turnover on downs to preserve a 28-14 halftime lead.
The third quarter opened with four touchdowns in less than three minutes. Bre’lan Criswell broke a 65-yard touchdown run for Atkins. Bradley immediately returned the kickoff 90 yards for Heber Springs. Ethan Linboom answered with a 90-yard touchdown run, and Isom countered with a 27-yard score for a 42-28 lead.
Heber Springs finished the scoring in the fourth quarter on Bradley’s 28-yard touchdown run and Anderson Jones’ approximately 45-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Atkins’ Goodall, Criswell and Linboom accounted for all four Red Devil touchdowns, while Heber Springs scored in all three phases.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
Heber Springs – Lane Bradley 8-yard run (Golden Tate kick), Heber Springs 7-0
Atkins – Cooper Goodall 8-yard run (Mike Guerro kick), 7-7
Heber Springs – Noah Engholm 36-yard pass from Spencer Sugg (Tate kick), Heber Springs 14-7
Heber Springs – Noah Engholm 29-yard pass from Lachlan Tubbs after lateral from Sugg (Tubbs pass to Engholm), Heber Springs 22-7
2nd Quarter
Atkins – Cooper Goodall 1-yard run (Guerro kick), Heber Springs 22-14
Heber Springs – Eli Long 23-yard pass from Spencer Sugg (kick failed), Heber Springs 28-14
3rd Quarter
Atkins – Bre’lan Criswell 65-yard run (Guerro kick), Heber Springs 28-21
Heber Springs – Lane Bradley 90-yard kickoff return (Tate kick), Heber Springs 35-21
Atkins – Ethan Linboom 90-yard run (Guerro kick), Heber Springs 35-28
Heber Springs – Aiden Isom 27-yard run (Tate kick), Heber Springs 42-28
4th Quarter
Heber Springs – Lane Bradley 28-yard run (Tate kick), Heber Springs 49-28
Heber Springs – Anderson Jones approximately 45-yard interception return (Tate kick), Heber Springs 56-28
Players Who Stood Out
Lane Bradley, Heber Springs WR/DB — 3 touchdowns: an 8-yard rushing TD, a 90-yard kickoff-return TD and a 28-yard rushing TD. The broadcast named Bradley its Player of the Game.
Spencer Sugg, Heber Springs QB/DB — 2 touchdown passes: 36 yards to Noah Engholm and 23 yards to Eli Long. He also completed a third-and-8 pass to Long immediately before Isom’s 27-yard touchdown.
Noah Engholm, Heber Springs TE/DE — Caught touchdown passes of 36 and 29 yards from two different passers, Sugg and Tubbs, and caught Tubbs’ two-point conversion.
Cooper Goodall, Atkins RB/LB — Scored 2 rushing touchdowns, from 8 yards and 1 yard. He also turned a screen pass into a first down during Atkins’ first touchdown drive.
Ethan Linboom, Atkins QB/DB — Scored on a 90-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, pulling Atkins within 35-28.