WEST HELENA - Despite his Wildcats going up by three scores early in the second quarter, Rison Coach Chris Vereen said he never felt comfortable against the Helena-West Helena Central Cougars in the 8-3A conference opener last Friday night at Helena.
Vereen said Helena, which fell from Class 4A to 3A in the latest athletic cycle, was a very competitive program within the Class 4A ranks and a lot of that same talent that pushed a 10-2 Little Rock Mills team last year’s playoffs were still on the sidelines.
And sure enough, the Cougars made a charge late but the ‘Cats were able to turn them back for a 40-24 win at Cad Polk Stadium in West Helena.
“I’m still not comfortable,” Vereen joked on the field as his players celebrated the win in the background.
Vereen’s apprehension was merited.
While it seemed like Rison was in control for most of the game, there was always a sense that Helena could explode at any moment, and that happened about midway through the fourth quarter.
A three-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Brown and successful two-point pass had pulled the Cougars to within 34-16 with 11:19 left in the game.
Rison, as it had done throughout the game, responded when sophomore quarterback Logan McGarity cracked the line of scrimmage and went 33 yards into the end zone. The two-point attempt was intercepted, making it 40-16 with 6:19 left.
That would seem to be a large enough cushion, but it really wasn’t.
After starting their next possession at the Helena 30, Cougar quarterback Ja’meion Reese threw out into the flat to Maurice Pippen, Jr. and Pippen, who has spent a lot of time at quarterback this season, launched a pass to Kenneth Gilcreast, Jr. Streaking all alone along the sideline. Gilcreast went 70 yards untouched for the score, and when Kendric Henry added the conversion, it was suddenly ia two score game at 40-24 with 6:19 left.
Rison, which had not been stopped all night, suddenly faced its first and only three-and-out of the game following a holding c…