McAlister’s three touchdowns lift Hector past Mountainburg
Hector 34, Mountainburg 20
MOUNTAINBURG — Hudson McAlister ran for three second-half touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter, as Hector pulled away from Mountainburg for a 34-20 victory Friday night.
The Wildcats entered the final quarter tied at 20, then drove from deep in their own territory for the go-ahead score. McAlister finished that possession with a touchdown run with 8:54 remaining. Hector’s defense stopped Mountainburg on downs, and McAlister added a short scoring run on the next possession. Dawson Hall’s two-point conversion stretched the lead to 14.
Jesse Duvall intercepted a pass on Mountainburg’s last possession to seal the victory. Gunner Gray supplied pressure on the play, chasing quarterback Easton Overbey before Duvall stepped in front of the throw.
Mountainburg opened the scoring when Brayden Dudley broke tackles on a 20-yard touchdown run with 6:51 left in the first quarter. The successful extra point made it 7-0. Hall answered with a 22-yard reverse for a Hector touchdown at the 4:26 mark, but the kick missed.
Hayden McGill recovered a Hector fumble in the second quarter, putting Mountainburg in scoring position. Aiden Hamilton ended that threat with an interception near Hector’s goal line. The Wildcats then drove the length of the field, with Cayden Manrique rescuing a bad snap and breaking free up the middle for a touchdown with 1:05 left. Gavin Lusk ran in the conversion for a 14-7 lead.
Mountainburg answered on special teams. After Mountainburg elected to have Hector rekick an out-of-bounds kickoff, Adam Longley returned it 75 yards for a touchdown with 49 seconds remaining. The extra point missed, leaving Hector ahead 14-13 at halftime.
Forrest Chronister changed the opening of the second half by recovering his own onside kick in Mountainburg territory. McAlister broke loose off the right side on the next snap for a touchdown. The conversion failed, but Hector led 20-13 with 11:43 left in the third quarter. Overbey’s short touchdown run and a successful kick tied it with 4:24 remaining.
Hector’s decisive fourth-quarter drive included a reverse by Hall that carried the ball to Mountainburg’s 18 before McAlister scored. On the ensuing defensive stand, Chronister tackled Dudley for a loss and Easton Pruitt broke up a pass. Mountainburg’s fourth-down play ended with a fumble and a loss, returning possession to the Wildcats.
Hall kept the final scoring drive alive by converting fourth-and-four. Manrique later broke a tackle on a run that brought Hector close to the goal line after consecutive penalties had pushed it backward. McAlister finished the drive, and Hall broke a tackle on the conversion before Duvall’s interception ended Mountainburg’s comeback hopes.
Scoring summary
First quarter
6:51 — Mountainburg — Brayden Dudley 20-yard run (kick good). Mountainburg 7-0.
4:26 — Hector — Dawson Hall 22-yard run (kick failed). Mountainburg 7-6.
Second quarter
1:05 — Hector — Cayden Manrique touchdown run (Gavin Lusk run). Hector 14-7.
0:49 — Mountainburg — Adam Longley 75-yard kickoff return (kick failed). Hector 14-13.
Third quarter
11:43 — Hector — Hudson McAlister touchdown run (run failed). Hector 20-13.
4:24 — Mountainburg — Easton Overbey touchdown run (kick good). Tied 20-20.
Fourth quarter
8:54 — Hector — Hudson McAlister touchdown run (conversion failed after a bad snap). Hector 26-20.
Hector — Hudson McAlister touchdown run (Dawson Hall run). Hector 34-20.
Players who stood out
Hudson McAlister, Hector — Three rushing touchdowns, including both fourth-quarter scores.
Dawson Hall, Hector — 22-yard touchdown run, fourth-down conversion on the final scoring drive and a two-point conversion.
Cayden Manrique, Hector — Touchdown run after recovering a bad snap; tackle-breaking run set up the final touchdown.
Forrest Chronister, Hector — Recovered his own onside kick to open the second half; fourth-quarter tackle for loss.
Aiden Hamilton, Hector — Second-quarter interception near his goal line.
Jesse Duvall, Hector — Interception on Mountainburg’s final possession.
Gunner Gray, Hector — Quarterback pressure on the game-sealing interception.
Easton Pruitt, Hector — Pass breakup during a fourth-quarter defensive stop.
Gavin Lusk, Hector — Two-point conversion run.
Brayden Dudley, Mountainburg — 20-yard touchdown run.
Adam Longley, Mountainburg — 75-yard kickoff-return touchdown.
Easton Overbey, Mountainburg — Third-quarter touchdown run tied the game at 20.
Hayden McGill, Mountainburg — Second-quarter fumble recovery.