Hornets earn huge road win

Hackett provided another reason to show why preseason predictions and rankings don’t mean much.

Hector was picked first and Hackett last in a preseason poll of the 4A-2 Conference coaches. Yet, Hackett went on the road last week and beat Hector 20-17 to move to 5-2 on the season.

Hackett took the lead for good when quarterback Avery Hester scored on a touchdown run with 36 seconds left to play. Weston Winters was a workhorse against Hackett with 179 yards rushing on 31 carries. Fisher Shipman caught a 45-yard touchdown pass and added nine tackles and an interception on defense. Peyton Hester had nine solo tackles, three assists, and two sacks.

“I was real pleased how we responded to adversity,” Hackett coach Michael Meador said. “We trailed 8-10 at halftime, and we haven’t responded well in a couple of games after being down. But our kids didn’t panic. We went 78 yards in three minutes in the fourth quarter to score, then our defense held.”

Hackett’s win total surpasses last season when the Hornets finished 4-6 overall. With three games to play, that’s a sign of progress for first-year coach Meador and his staff.

“We’ve definitely made some strides,” Meador said. “This team wasn’t expected to win many games. They’re winning games and having fun.”

Hackett faces another tough challenge this week in a 4A-2 Conference game at Mountainburg. The Dragons have won three consecutive to improve to 4-2 on the season.

Mountainburg was picked second behind Hector in the preseason poll of the league coaches.