Here are some quick highlights from Friday night football. As always read the complete account of the games the Leader covers in Thursday’s print edition.
Festus improved to 5-0 with a 41-26 win at home against Hillsboro on Friday night. The Tigers snapped a seven-game losing streak dating back to 2014 against the Hawks and are assured of at least a tie in the Mississippi Area Football Conference Red Division.
On the first play of the game, senior running back Austin Anderson gained 58 yards for Festus, but hobbled out of bounds and spent the rest of the game on crutches. Anderson said he hurt his hamstring on the play; the injury was not part of contact. He leads the Tigers with 677 yards rushing this season.
With two high-powered rushing attacks on the field, there were three touchdown drives on the game’s first three series. Festus led 20-6 after the first quarter, but both defenses stiffened in a scoreless second quarter.
With Anderson out of the game, Tiger quarterback Cole Rickermann carried the ball more and finished with 90 yards on 10 carries and he had TD runs of 25 and nine yards. Rickermann also completed 8-of-15 passes for 258 yards and two touchdown passes. His first was of six yards to Kaian Roberts-Day in the first quarter and second was 90 yards to emerging deep threat Daylen Wagoner, who reeled in a 79-yard scoring strike the week before against De Soto.
Hillsboro running back Austin Romaine had touchdown runs of 48, 7 and 28 yards. Tyler Watson scored on a 65-yard run in the third quarter for the Hawks, who fell to 2-3 after two straight wins.
Festus defensive tackle Desmond Davis disrupted Hillsboro’s attempts to run inside and is emerging as one of the top defenders in the state. On a Hawk scoring drive in the third quarter, Davis registered two straight tackles for a loss and on the next play tackled Romaine 20 yards downfield after Romaine caught a screen pass. Festus head coach A.J. Ofodile, who coached at Columbia Rock Bridge, said Davis has the potential to play college football and is one of the best defensive players he’s coached.