Hornets fall just short to Helena
CHELSEA -- In the midst of a tough season, the Chelsea High School football team appeared to have momentum on its side Thursday night against rival Helena.
And then it didn’t, as the Huskies took advantage of big plays in the second half for a 28-21 comeback victory, its first ever win in the program’s short history over the Hornets.
Down by a touchdown midway through the third quarter, Helena started a drive in great field position on the Hornets 39-yard line, and quickly capitalized on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Luke Stamba to receiver Riley Marks. Then in the fourth quarter, the Huskies stopped a Chelsea drive cold when LaDarrius Rice picked off a Turner Griffin pass in the end zone.
Six plays later, the visitors finally got the big play they had been anticipating from sophomore running back Marquis Johnson, who burst through a hole in the defense to scamper 62 yards for the game-winning score with 7:28 left in the game.
Finally, with the Hornets driving in the red zone, Rice put the dagger in the home team’s hope for its first win of the year as he intercepted Griffin again, this time on fourth down with 20 seconds left.
All this came after Chelsea had already staged a comeback of its own. After Helena took the first-quarter lead on two rushing touchdowns by Stamba, the Hornets got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter with a 3-yard run by Ethan Shaw. Chelsea then tied the game when linebacker Stephen Fant picked Stamba off and ran back 65 yards for the score with two minutes left in the first half.
With an extra chance in the last minute before the break, Chelsea started a drive at the midfield stripe and took seven plays to march down to the 18-yard line, where Griffin swept to the right side for the touchdown as time expired.
But that was as far as the Hornets got for the rest of the night, as they surrendered a halftime lead for the third time this year — a problem for which head coach Dustin Goodwin hasn’t yet found an answer.
“We’ve got to find a way to play the second half,” Goodwin said. “We’re trying to teach them how to win then, how to build their confidence…. He [Griffin] made some really good plays, but unfortunately he misfired at the end.”
It was a signature win for Helena head coach Richie Busby, in his first year with the Huskies after moving from Class 3A perennial power Fultondale.
“They weren’t hanging their head after that first half, and that’s exactly what we’re teaching them to do — teaching them to win,” Busby said. “This win means so much to the seniors, the faculty, the entire city.”
Griffin was 15-for-36 passing with three interceptions, all in the fourth quarter, for 242 yards. Lando Nichols had four receptions for 79 yards, all in the first half. The Hornets rushing attack was held to just 18 yards, thanks in part to three Helena quarterback sacks.
Johnson, who ran for a bit more than 500 yards in his past three games, finished with 193 yards on 25 carries. Stamba ran for 76 yards with two touchdowns and was 4-for-10 passing with one touchdown and one interception.
Chelsea (0-6 overall, 0-4 in Class 6A Region 5) travels to Homewood next Friday.
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