After spotting Lake Hamilton 17 points in the first 12:06 of the game, Hot Springs could not dig itself out of the hole, falling to the Class 6A Wolves, 38-28.
The Trojans (1-2), who trailed Mena 13-0 at halftime last Friday before taking a 20-13 win, were banking on being able to recover their stride in the second half.
Lake Hamilton (3-0) got on the scoreboard on its first play from scrimmage by running a new trick play. Quarterback Grant Bearden found a wide open Owen Miller, who found his way into the end zone for a 69-yard touchdown with 6:33 left in the first quarter, and kicker Alex Hurtz split the uprights for the 7-0 lead.
Just over two minutes later, Kendrick Martin broke loose for a 40-yard run, the Wolves' second play of the drive, for another touchdown, and with 4:10 left, Lake Hamilton had a 14-0 lead.
The Wolves defense held the Trojans to just 24 yards in the first quarter, but Hot Springs managed to counter Lake Hamilton's third drive, holding them to 14 yards on five plays. Hurtz, who finished 1 for 2 on field goals, nailed his first attempt, a 42-yard shot for a 17-0 lead just 6 seconds into the second quarter.
After failing to get a first down in the opening quarter, the Trojans managed four in their next drive, driving 48 yards before turning the ball over on downs.
Bearden, attempting the same pass play that scored their initial drive, fumbled the ball, and Hot Springs' Jayvion Walker recovered it at Lake Hamilton's 26. Trojans quarterback Isaac Shelor found Deshawn Roberts in the end zone on the next play to get the team on the board, and Roberts, who was looking to make up for a bad snap on the conversion play, connected with Kaimani Gray to pull within 17-8 with 8:10 left in the first half.
The two teams traded touchdowns -- a 19-yard run from Tevin Woodley and a 3-yard run from Devin Johnson -- before Miller broke around the edge for a 17-yard strike for a 31-14 lead with 59 seconds left in the half.
Hot Springs attempted to drive down the field to score a momentum-shifting touchdown, but it was stopped at the Wolves 45 as time expired.
Shelor found Gray for an 11-yard pass with 4:38 left in the third quarter to pull within 31-21, but a 66-yard run from Woodley pushed Lake Hamilton's lead back out to 18 points with 8:42 remaining.
Shelor connected with Gray for a 34-yard touchdown strike with 7:00 left to cap a six-play, 87-yard drive, the team's longest of the night, to set the final.
Woodley led the Wolves with 12 carries for 135 yards and two scores, Miller had 19 carries for 119 yards and a 69-yard catch with two touchdowns, and Kendrick Martin had seven rushes for 65 yards and a TD. Bearden was 2 for 4 passing for 73 yards, including a touchdown.
Johnson led the Trojans on the ground with 21 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown. Shelor was 25 for 42 for 324 yards and three touchdowns. Gray had a game-high eight catches for 125 yards and two TDs with Roberts catching two for 78 yards, Blake McClelland reeling in six for 56 yards and Pierce Smalley catching five for 51.