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The Helena Huskies are back on track after scoring 28 points in the first quarter and cruising to a 41-point victory over Benjamin Russell to snap a three-game losing streak. (For the Reporter/Jeremy Raines)

By LIZI ARBOGAST GWIN | Special to the Reporter

HELENA – The Helena Huskies sprinted out in front and never looked back as they dominated their return to region play to snap a three-game losing skid.

Ultimately, Helena walked away the clear homecoming champions in a decisive 55-14 victory over the Benjamin Russell Wildcats on Oct. 4 at Helena High School.

“We’ve had three extremely tough games the last three weeks,” Busby said. “We played three top five opponents, two of which we were in the game at the end, driving to win. We came just short. But last week, we didn’t play very well and I asked them to respond.”

Benjamin Russell opened the game like any other night. The Wildcats (3-4, 2-2) didn’t do anything magical on the first drive, but it certainly wasn’t anything to be too concerned about.

Until it was.

After going three and out, BRHS fumbled the punt, which was recovered by Helena’s Austin Acosta at the Wildcats 1.

Just one play later, the Huskies (3-3, 2-1) capitalized as Jeremy Spratling scored his first of two touchdowns.

Once again, Benjamin Russell’s offense took over. The Wildcats moved the ball well as Alijah Johnson completed passes of 10-plus yards to Cederian Morgan, JaMichael Greer and TJ Wilson, and Benjamin Russell found itself in the red zone.

But the Wildcats couldn’t get to the end zone and had to settle for a field goal attempt, which failed.

Helena quickly seized on the momentum and used the legs and arm of quarterback Nate Ferguson to get the ball downfield in a hurry, something that Busby intentionally held back in past games.

“Going into that tough stretch of games, we held some things that we had not shown all year,” Helena coach Richie Busby said. “We had not run our quarterback hardly at all. You could tell that really surprised him because they didn’t have anybody accounting for him. They had not seen him do it on film.”

It worked for points later in the series as Ferguson called his own number to cap off the drive with a 30-yard touchdown score, putting the Huskies up 14-0.

After the Wildcats were forced to punt again by the Helena defense, the Huskies capitalized once again on special teams. Davis Kelley juked and jived through coverage and scored a 50-yard punt return, putting the Huskies ahead 21-0 with a minute left in the first quarter.

Special teams woes struck Benjamin Russell again as it fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Helena’s Logan Horstead recovered it at the BRHS 12. Two plays later, Helena was in the end zone again, this time off the back of Jacoby Studimire to make the lead 28-0

The Huskies weren’t done either. Just seconds in the second quarter, Helena’s Nathan Jones grabbed a highlight-worthy interception, and Ferguson made the Wildcats pay again with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Ward.

Although things started to even out from there, Benjamin Russell couldn’t overcome a 35-0 deficit.

After a bobbled punt of Helena’s own, the Wildcats then scored off a quarterback keeper to get on the board with 6:28 left until halftime, and that 35-7 lead held until halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, Ferguson had some help on a scramble in the form of Chris Brown, who grabbed it in the back of the end zone to make the score 42-7 with 6:38 left in the third.

BRHS embarked on a productive drive that moved the chains multiple times before Johnson scored off another quarterback keeper with 3:04 left in the third, cutting the deficit to 42-14.

On their next offensive drive, the Wildcats had another special teams miscue in the form of a short punt. Starting in the BRHS red zone, Helena gave the ball to Spratling who scored with 4:30 left to go up 49-14.

The Huskies soon capitalized off a Wildcats fumble on their own 40-yard line as Khai Coleman returned the fumble recovery for a touchdown with 1:32 left, sealing the 55-14 win after kneeling on the extra point.

Ferguson went 7-for-13 for 101 yards and two touchdowns in the air and had 57 yards and a touchdown off seven carries.

The senior quarterback spread the ball around to five different receivers, including Ward, who took two catches for 59 yards and a touchdown, and Jones, who had two catches for 25 yards.

Spratling finished with 15 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown to lead all rushers.

Benjamin Russell coach Smitty Grider saw the silver lining in the loss as there is still time to make the playoffs.

“There was a lot on the line,” Grider said. “But it’s not the end of the year. We have to win one more to get to the playoffs, and we’ve got two more chances to do that. We’ve just got to get better. That’s the bottom line. We’ve got to get better.”

Johnson scored both of Benjamin Russell’s touchdowns, rushing into the end zone from 18 and 20 yards out.

Helena will take the win into a rivalry battle with the Pelham Panthers on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at Helena High School.

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