FULTON, Mo. – Hesston College’s flag football team battled back after a difficult start but ultimately fell 38-27 to William Woods on March 21.
William Woods jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, scoring three defensive touchdowns on interception returns to take a 19-0 advantage. Hesston responded later in the quarter when Destiny Ortiz caught a touchdown pass from Emma Pfannenstiel to get the Larks on the board and cut into the deficit.
After William Woods added another score before halftime, Hesston continued to fight in the second half. Emma Pfannenstiel scored on a short rushing touchdown in the third quarter, and the Larks added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter — one from Alexis Pabon and another on a pass from Pabon to Akiva Brown — to narrow the gap late in the game.
Offensively, Hesston finished with 303 total yards, including 289 passing yards. Pabon led the offense through the air, while Vari Rua led the receiving corps with 96 yards. Akiva Brown contributed with a touchdown reception and also recorded an interception on defense, and Lauren Payne led the team defensively with seven tackles.
Despite the early deficit, the Larks showed resilience throughout the game, scoring 20 points in the second half and continuing to compete until the final whistle.
The Larks will be back at home on Wednesday (Mar. 25) to host Bethel College and Pratt Community College at 4 and 6 p.m. respectively.
