POTTSVILLE, Ark. — The Pottsville Apaches gave their fans plenty to cheer about Friday night, but they also made sure nobody could relax until the final whistle.
Behind four rushing touchdowns, a big night on the ground and some timely defensive plays, Pottsville held off the Mena Bearcats for a 28-26 victory on October 16.
And what a fourth quarter it was.
After taking a narrow 14-13 lead into halftime, the Apaches and Bearcats went scoreless in the third quarter before combining for 27 points in the final period.
Eli Morris got things rolling for Pottsville with an explosive 52-yard touchdown run early in the fourth, extending the Apaches’ advantage to 21-13.
But Mena wasted no time answering. Just 15 seconds later, the Bearcats returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown. Their two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving Pottsville clinging to a 21-19 lead.
With 6:31 remaining, Penn Helton punched in his second touchdown of the night on a 6-yard run, giving the Apaches a little breathing room at 28-19.
That cushion didn’t last long.
Mena answered with a 26-yard touchdown run just over a minute later, cutting the deficit to 28-26 with 5:29 to play.
But that was as close as the Bearcats would get, with Pottsville hanging on for the two-point victory.
Pottsville’s running game did the heavy lifting, piling up 279 rushing yards on 42 carries and averaging 6.6 yards per attempt.
Kai Mahan led the Apaches with 74 yards on 11 carries, including a 35-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Helton wasn’t far behind, finishing with 69 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns. He opened Pottsville’s scoring with a 1-yard run in the first quarter before adding his crucial fourth-quarter score.
Morris made the most of his opportunities, rushing for 61 yards on just five carries, including the 52-yard touchdown that helped spark the fourth-quarter scoring frenzy.
Cort Johnson added 45 yards on four carries, while Tyson Thacker contributed 30 yards on seven attempts.
Pottsville didn’t need to throw the ball much, but Johnson was perfect when he did. He completed both of his pass attempts for 38 yards, connecting with Morris for 20 yards and Mahan for 18.
All told, the Apaches finished with 317 yards of total offense, compared with 255 for Mena.
While the offense supplied the touchdowns, several Apaches also turned in strong performances on the defensive side.
Helton and Mahan were each credited with 11 total tackles.
Mahan also forced a fumble and broke up two passes, while Helton recovered a fumble.
Wyatt Gray contributed four tackles, including two tackles for loss, and Morris added five tackles and a pass breakup.
Mena’s No. 15 proved difficult to contain, rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. He also threw a touchdown pass and returned a kickoff 89 yards for another score.
The Bearcats finished with 221 rushing yards and 34 through the air.
In a game decided by just two points, Pottsville kicker Jhostin Molina quietly played a big role.
Molina connected on all four of his extra-point attempts, accounting for four points that proved especially important in such a close contest.
Mena, meanwhile, failed on two conversion attempts, including one following the fourth-quarter kickoff return.
Pottsville finished with 16 first downs to Mena’s 14, and both teams lost one fumble.
It wasn’t always comfortable, but the Apaches found enough offense, made the plays they needed defensively and walked away with a hard-fought 28-26 win.
