Photo courtesy of Mountain Home Bomber Football
The Mountain Home High School football team is 4-0 for the first time since 1986. The Bombers began conference play Friday with a 50-35 victory at Fort Smith Southside.
The Mavericks struck on the opening kickoff as they took it back 95 yards for the first score. Mountain Home tied the game up over four minutes later on a three-yard run by Jacob Chenowith. The Bombers caught Southside off guard on the ensuing kickoff as the ball bounced off two Mavericks before being recovered by Mountain Home. On the very next play, the Bombers took the lead on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Brantlee Phillips to Bryce Kincade. The game was tied once again on 21-yard connection from Blake Forsgren to Peyton Zimmerman. Southside later went back on top when they took advantage of a Mountain Home fumble and punched it in a few plays later on a three-yard run by Jayden Webb, but that would be their last score of the half. The Bombers knotted the game again on a seven-yard carry by Chenowith and retook the lead nearly three minutes later on a 48-yard scoring pass from Phillips to Gus Wilber. Mountain Home pushed the lead to 35-21 just before halftime when an 85-yard drive ended with a one-yard run by Chenowith with seven seconds left in the period.
The Bombers extended their advantage further in the third quarter on a 20-yard pass from Phillips to Chenowith. The tide turned after that when the Mavericks had another long return on the ensuing kickoff, and they scored a few plays later on a 20-yard pass play from Forsgren to Zimmerman. The margin was cut to six when Phillips, lined up to punt, mishandled the snap and was tackled at the Mountain Home 13, and Southside scored two plays later. However, that was the last score the Mavericks would come up with. Chenowith ran the ball into the end zone again from nine yards out with nine minutes left in the game. The Bombers’ defense would hold the rest of the way, and on the final play of the game, Mountain Home would get the necessary tiebreaker points on a 25-yard field goal by Isaac Ballard.
Chenowith had 46 carries for 254 yards and four touchdowns and four receptions for 33 yards and another score, and he also provided plenty of defense with four tackles and a pass breakup. Phillips was 13-of-19 through the air for 184 yards and three touchdowns. The Bombers had a total of 74 rush attempts for 354 yards.
In addition to being 4-0, Mountain Home is now 1-0 in the 6A-West. Southside falls to 3-1 and 0-1.
Mountain Home will have its first home game of league play next week when Shiloh Christian makes the trip from Springdale.
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