Class AA Football Preview: Flathead heads to Helena

TODAY: Flathead (2-7) at No. 4-ranked Helena High (6-3).

KICKOFF: 7 p.m. at Vigilante Stadium.

LAST WEEK FOR HELENA: The Bengals downed then No. 3-ranked Missoula Sentinel 35-6 on Oct. 22. Helena intercepted Sentinel quarterback Riley King five times and junior running back Nelo Butler (5-9, 200) ran for 113 yards.

RANKING: Helena is ranked No. 4 this week. The only losses for the Bengals are to the three teams ranked ahead of them - Helena Capital (26-16), Great Falls Russell (21-3) and Billings Skyview (22-6).

LAST WEEK FOR FLATHEAD: The Braves earned their second win of the season with a 28-14 win over visiting Missoula Hellgate.

LAST YEAR: The Braves lost 40-22 at Helena in the second week of the season last year. The Braves have lost three straight to the Bengals. Their last victory over Helena was Oct. 1, 2005.

ON THE LINE: For Helena, if the Bengals win, they will host in the first round of the playoffs. For Flathead, the Brave seniors want to go out with a win and the underclassmen will be looking for a springboard for next season.

COACH'S TAKE: "They're big, they're physical and they have good team speed. They have a lot to play for," said Flathead coach Russell McCarvel. "I know we're going to get their best effort. They're always well-coached. Coach (Tony Arntson) and his assistants do a great job," he said. "They want to be physical in the run game. But they also have a good set of wideouts." Physical and fast is how McCarvel described the Helena running game. Junior Nelo Butler is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and is the No. 4 ranked rusher in Class AA. Helena's top wideout, statistically, is Adam Johnson (6-4, 180). He's caught 30 passes for 357 yards on the season. Quarterback Tyler Hulse (6-3, 175) is "solid. He doesn't make many mistakes and he runs well."

"They run a lot of formations and shifts, as many as anybody we've seen all year," McCarvel said. "And they always throw in a wrinkle or two you haven't seen before. You have to make sure you are sound and your kids rely on fundamentals," he said. The Bengals don't have a lot of players in the top 10 of the statistical categories. "That just goes to show they are very balanced. They have so many good players, they do a nice job of spreading (the offense) around," McCarvel said.

BENGAL DEFENSE: "They run a 3-4 and they like to bring a lot pressure. Every year, they are one of the top defenses in the league. They look very good," McCarvel said.

KEY FOR FLATHEAD: The Braves need to get off to a good start and they need to use last week's win as a springboard for this week.