Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Jones, Hester pair of two-way standouts
Lincoln’s decision to move Kale Jones up to varsity in Week 6 has paid off big-time for the Wolves.
Jones had a breakout game last Friday in a 37-36 victory over Lavaca in 3A-1 Conference play. The freshman running back rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns and returned a kickoff 80 yards for a score. He was also active on defense, where he made eight tackles and intercepted two passes.
For his effort, Jones is the Northwest Arkansas Democrat- Gazette Player of the Week for teams in Northwest Arkansas. Peyton Hester is the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Player of the Week for teams in the River Valley.
Jones was at his best during the crucial moments of Lincoln’s one-point victory over the Golden Arrows. Jones scored on a 3- yard run with 33 seconds left then added the two- point conversion to give Lincoln a 37-36 lead.
He then intercepted his second pass on the night with 12 seconds left to preserve the one-point victory.
“( Jones) plays with a lot of confidence,” Lincoln coach Reed Mendoza said. “He doesn’t shy away from the moment. He has great agility and makes good cuts. But he also wants to be physical as a runner.”
Lincoln ( 3- 6, 3- 3) is a young team that continues to improve after a poor start. If the Wolves beat Cedarville on Friday, they’ll host a first- round game for the playoffs.
“We’ve grown a lot,” Mendoza said. “We just have to find a way to be more consistent.”
Hester is a senior who’s been productive his entire career at Hackett, which will earn the No. 2 from the 3A-1 Conference with a win over Mansfield on Friday. Hester had another huge game last Friday when he scored five touchdowns in Hackett’s 6642 victory over Greenland.
He caught eight passes for 122 yards and four touchdowns and ran for a 2-yard score.
That performance pushed Hester past 1,000 yards receiving for his career. On defense, Hester was just as active with 13 tackles, including 10 solo tackles.
“Peyton is having an incredible season, a type of season that very few people will ever have,” Hackett coach Michael Meador said. “He makes so many plays on both sides of the ball. He is an incredible football player, but an even better person off the field. I have been blessed to be able to coach him for three years.”