Mustangs extend Cougars’ winless streak.
After 52 weeks and a string of seven straight losses, the Forrest City Mustangs finally returned to the left side of their season record Friday night, handing the Helena-West Helena Cougars their 18th consecutive loss in a nonconference game played at Helena.
Forrest City (1-2) scored a pair of second quarter touchdowns to distance themselves from the Class 4A Cougars (0-3) on the way to a 32-14 final.
Helena's losing streak dates back to the sixth week of the 2019 season when they lost 28-22 to a then winless Monticello after starting that season 5-0.
The Mustangs' last season victory came against the same Cougars team, a 24-20 win during the 2020 season, almost one year to the day.
The three hour and five minute game Friday, was littered with more penalty yards than rushing or passing yards in the first quarter, before the Cougars broke on top first when senior Kylen Ester scored with just over three minutes left in the opening quarter and tacked on the twopoint conversion for an 8-0 lead.
Forrest City answered quickly when Deprince Jones broke away for a 69-yard touchdown run. Mustang quarterback Trevon Gordon found Cameron Tiswell for the two-point pass tying the game at 8-8 with under two minutes left in the opening frame.
Chance Taylor put the Mustangs in front 16-8 early in the second quarter picking off a pass from Cougar quarterback Clayton Dyer and returning it for the score. Jared Holder added the two-point play with 6:14 remaining in the first half.
The Mustangs added to their lead with 1:38 remaining in the second quarter when Gordon hooked up with Ladarius Bradley for a 31-yard touchdown strike with Jones adding the two-point conversion, sending Forrest City into the half with a 24-8 cushion.
The Cougars, with a chance to slice into the Forrest City lead, came up short behind a pair of incomplete passing attempts in the final 1:25 of the first half.
Both teams traded punts to open the second half before the Cougars fumbled the ball away on their second possession. The Mustangs, taking over in Cougar territory went four down and out turning the ball over on downs to the Cougars with 4:40 left in the third.
Six Cougar offensive plays went nowhere as the Mustangs registered a pair of quarterback sacks, a touchdown saving tackle and a forced incompletion. gving the ball back to the Mustangs, resulting in a one-play, 48-yard scoring run by Tiswell and the two-point run by Jones for a 32-8 advantage.
The Cougars added a final touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 64-yard pass and run. The two-point play brought Helena within 32-14, which held for the final, after the Cougars turned the ball over on their final two possessions of the game.
Both teams will open conference play on Friday with Forrest City hosting Greene County Tech in the annual Hall of Fame Game and the Cougars playing on the road at Dumas.
Forrest City leads the overall series against Helena-West Helena 26-16-4, dating back to the 1964 season. The Mustangs have won five of the last eight meetings, but only two of the last five.
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In games played Thursday, the Palestine-Wheatley Junior Patriots defeated Manila 46-0 while the seventh grade Patriots lost 22-14.
The Junior Patriots will play at Walnut Ridge on Thursday.