Macon spent homecoming night chasing Kirksville until the fourth quarter. When Talen Holman, of Macon, threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Rance Crouch with about nine minutes left.
Macon (6-2) trailed 8-0 at halftime and 8-7 to start the fourth. Kirksville (2-6) tacked up two field goals and a safety in the first half, and spent the second half skunked.
Macon moved the ball on its first possession. Holman ran 19 yards to the Kirksville 40 and hit Kennon Isaacson for 24 yards to the 16. Paxton Jones carried twice to set up first-and-goal at the 6. On the next play, Kirksville intercepted Holman around its own 2 and returned the ball to the Macon 40. Seven plays later, Beckett Lyons, of Kirksville, kicked a 32-yard field goal.
The first quarter got worse for Macon. Kirksville scored a safety on a Macon punt, then pinned Macon at its own 1 with a punt. In the second quarter, Kirksville blocked a Macon punt on fourth-and-25 and took over at the Macon 10. Macon pushed Kirksville back to the 13 and then gave up two short gains, and Lyons kicked a 20-yard field goal for an 8-0 lead that held to halftime.
Macon cut the deficit in the third quarter. Starting at its own 30 after a Kirksville punt, Macon reached the Kirksville 38 with about nine minutes left in the quarter. Jones finished the drive with a 22-yard touchdown run, and the extra point made it 8-7.
The turning point came later in the quarter, and it began with a Macon gamble that failed. Macon was stopped on fourth down in its own territory, giving Kirksville the ball at the Macon 44. A 15-yard pass interference penalty on Macon moved Kirksville to the Macon 29, 29 yards from the end zone.
Macon's defense took it from there. Jones stopped a run for no gain. On second down, Parker Wood broke up a pass. On third down, Kirksville completed a pass to Jacob Lunsford, of Kirksville, and Jones brought him down short of the line to gain. Kirksville's fourth-down try failed, and Macon took over at its own 22.
Early in the fourth quarter, Joey Robertson punted 43 yards, and Levi Vanatta downed the ball at the Kirksville 18. Skyler Anderson threw a runner for a 4-yard loss, and Kirksville punted on fourth-and-7. Macon took a fair catch at its own 37.
Macon needed 63 yards. Holman hit Sam Quinn for 7, ran for a first down, and found Quinn again to reach the Kirksville 47. Then he threw deep to Crouch for the 42-yard touchdown. Robertson kicked the extra point for a 14-8 lead.
Kirksville took the kickoff at its own 21, gained 5 yards on three plays, and was pushed back 5 by a false start before it punted. Macon took over at its own 35 and used up most of what was left. Holman converted a third-and-16 with a completion to the Kirksville 28 with about three minutes left, and Macon later converted a fourth down at the Kirksville 18 for a first down at the 16 with about two minutes left. Kirksville did not score again.
Final tally: 14-8 Macon.
Macon plays Highland at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at Macon. Kirksville hosts Festus at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.