Hester helps lead Hackett to big win over Mansfield

3A-1 HACKETT 34, MANSFIELD 6

HACKETT — Peyton Hester had not played running back all season, but he came up big for Hackett on Friday night against Mansfield.

Hester was moved to running back late in the second quarter and rushed for more than 200 yards in the third quarter alone to lead the Hornets to a 34-6 win over Mansfield at Mills Field.

The victory clinched the second seed from the 3A-1 for Hackett (8-2, 5-2), which will host Bismarck in the Class 3A playoffs next week.

“This is special for us to finish second in the 3A-1 and to get a home playoff game,” Hackett coach Michael Meador said. “We are happy for the win and we’re hopeful to figure out a way to beat [Bismarck] tomorrow.”

Hester, who started at wide receiver until moving to running back late in the second quarter, finished the game with 319 total yards (236 rushing, 83 receiving) and four touchdowns to wake up a Hornet offense that sputtered the entire first half.

“I played running back in junior high and I know I bugged Coach Meador about [playing running back],” Hester said. “We needed something big to happen and it did.”

In fact, the Hackett defense limited the Tigers to just 171 yards and just five first downs the entire gave.

“Our defense helped us stay in the game tonight,” Meador said. “Our offense struggled in the first half, but the defense played well the entire game.”

The defense created the spark after halftime when Michael Killian recovered a Mansfield fumble at the Hornet 46. On the next play, Hester made a cut on an off-tackle play and broke free for a 54-yard touchdown run with 10:35 left in the third quarter to tie the game.

“Peyton moving to running back kind of gave us the spark we needed on offense,” Meador said. “Our offensive line blocked better. Give Mansfield credit because they did some stuff up front that gave us some problems. We did a good job adjusting in the second half.”

After forcing a punt, Hackett had its best drive of the game, marching 69 yards in 9 plays, with Hester carrying on seven of them. Hester would finish off the drive with an 11yard touchdown, then added a 2-point conversion run, to give the Hornets its first lead at 14-6 with 6:36 left in the third period.

Hester then capped off the productive third quarter with a 75-yard touchdown runn with 1:11 left in the quarter for a 20-6 lead.

Just for good measure, Hester then returned to receiver and hauled in a 58yard touchdown pass from Cole Ketchum with 10:35 left in the game to give Hackett a commanding 26-6 lead.

Cogan Hester, the Hornets’ starting running back, added the final score of the game on a 42-yard touchdown run with 4:36 left. Cogan Hester finished with 94 rushing yards.

Mansfield (2-7, 1-6) led 6-0 at halftime. The lone score of the half was a 57-yard bubble screen from Fisher Willsey to Tyler Turnipseed, who broke free at the Hornet 45 and raced untouched to the end zone with 8:20 left in the first quarter.

That was the only big play the Hackett defense allowed in the first half as the Tigers just had two first downs and 95 total yards.

The Hornets, on the other hand, committed four turnovers in the first half (one fumble, three interceptions) despite gaining 141 yards and eight first downs.

Hackett had three possessions that crossed into Mansfield territory, but the Tigers forced two interceptions and made a fourth-down stop on the other.