LITTLE ROCK — The Mountain Home Bombers claimed a dramatic 13-7 victory over Little Rock Catholic on Friday night at War Memorial Stadium, thanks to a thrilling defensive stand in the final seconds.
The Rockets advanced to the Bombers’ one-yard line with just over a minute remaining, but Mountain Home’s defense held firm, denying three consecutive rushing attempts to preserve the win as the clock expired. Little Rock Catholic was unable to stop the clock, having used its timeouts earlier in the game.
The contest began as a low-scoring affair. Mountain Home struck first after Will Rauls intercepted a pass late in the first quarter. Just three plays later, Isaac Ballard nailed a 24-yard field goal to put the Bombers ahead 3-0 with 1:45 remaining in the quarter.
The Rockets responded in the second quarter. After Mountain Home stalled on a promising drive inside the Rockets’ red zone, Catholic capitalized on a 33-yard pass to set up a 35-yard touchdown throw on the following play, taking a 7-3 lead with 3:47 left in the half.
Momentum shifted again in the third quarter when Mountain Home’s offense came alive. Running back Nazsier Johnson sparked the charge, breaking runs of 9, 6, and 3 yards to advance the team toward midfield. Quarterback Conner Gentry then connected with Kanye Worman on a 15-yard pass. Johnson continued to lead the ground game, capping the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Ballard’s extra point gave Mountain Home a 10-7 lead with 7:08 left in the third.
The Bombers’ defense, led by key contributions from Michael Anitoni and others, forced a punt on Catholic’s next possession. Both teams traded punts into the fourth quarter until Mountain Home capitalized on strong field position at Catholic’s 30-yard line. Shortly after, Ballard extended the Bombers’ lead with a crucial 34-yard field goal with 1:56 left in the game.
The Rockets made one final push. A 41-yard completion set up Catholic at the Mountain Home 24-yard line, and a subsequent 23-yard pass brought them to the Bombers’ one-yard line. With no timeouts remaining, Catholic attempted three straight runs, but Mountain Home’s defense stood resilient as time expired, securing the win.
The victory improves Mountain Home’s record to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in 6A-West conference play. The Bombers will travel to Siloam Springs next week for their second conference game.