TD return seals deal for Comets
MILLS 20, HELENA-W. HELENA CENTRAL 13
An interception return for a touchdown by Jacob Cranford with 58 seconds left in the game for Mills (7-3, 5-2 5A-Central) sealed a 20-13 victory for the Comets over Helena-West Helena Central (6-4, 5-2) and secured the second seed in the playoffs.
Helena-West Helena struck first, taking the game’s opening possession 68 yards in 15 plays and running 6:04 off the clock. Keith Hays scored the touchdown on a 5-yard run. Sagar Patel kicked the extra point to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead.
Mills responded with a 13play, 61-yard drive. Calen Paters scored on a 15-yard run. Nathan Milsap kicked the point after to tie the game at 7-7 with 1:27 to go in the first quarter. With Mills on the march in the second quarter, the Cougars’ Aswad Allen recovered a Mills fumble at the Cougars 18.
Helena-West Helena then went on an 18-play, 82-yard drive. Quarterback Curly Brewer scored on a 1-yard run to give the Cougars a 13-7 lead with 1:30 left in the first half.
On the second play of the ensuing possession, Kentavious Stackhouse stripped the ball from the Comets and gave Helena-West Helena possession at the Mills 14-yard line with 39 seconds left in the first half. On the next play, Brewer was intercepted by the Comets’ Evan Forte.
Mills’ Omar Avance then hit Peters on a 79-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left in the first half. Milsap hit the extra point to put the Comets ahead 14-13.
Helena-West Helena drove into Comets territory on all five possessions of the second half, but could not score. Mills, trying to ice the game late, was stuffed on a fourth-and-goal attempt at the Cougars 3-yard line with 1:29 left in the game.
On the third play of the ensuing possession, Brewer was intercepted again by Cranford, who returned it 35 yards for the touchdown with under a minute to play.
The Cougars drove to the Comets’ 35-yard line, but a final pass into the end zone fell incomplete, sealing the victory for the Comets.
SYLVAN HILLS 48, NORTH PULASKI 19
Sylvan Hills (7-3, 5-2 5A-Central) scored 35 points in the first half, using the running and passing of quarterback Tra Doss, who finished with four touchdowns, three on the ground and one through the air, to blow out host North Pulaski (0-10, 0-7).
Doss scored on a 1-yard run with 9:14 remaining in the first quarter and threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Nathan Thomas as the Bears took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Marlon Clemons scored on an 8-yard run and Doss ran 29 and 21 yards for touchdowns.
Doss finished with 93 yards and a touchdown passing and 130 yards on eight carries. His only duty in the second half was as holder on extra-point kicks.
Sylvan Hills scored twice more in the second half, on a 38-yard run by Fred Williams and a 27-yard run by Quincy Flowers.
North Pulaski scored on an 80-yard kickoff return by Steven Farrior with 2:29 left in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Falcons got two scores from quarterback Michael Barnes, from a yard out with 8:34 remaining and from 8 yards out in the final seconds.