Helena-West Helena faces fellow unbeaten

By Noah Trister, The Associated Press

Three teams from the Class 5A East conference are still undefeated, and two of them play each other this week when Blytheville hosts Helena-West Helena.

Helena-West Helena (5-0-1, 3-0) is ranked No. 5 overall and No. 1 in 5A thanks in part to the efforts of Darius Winston, a talented defensive back who also catches passes and returns punts. The Cougars face another contender Friday night. Blytheville (6-0, 3-0) is No. 4 in 5A.

Batesville (6-0, 3-0), the conference’s other unbeaten, is No. 3 in 5A and plays at Wynne (0-6, 0-3).

In the 7A West, defending state champion Fayetteville (2-4, 0-3) is still trying for its first league win. The Bulldogs won’t have an easy time this week at Fort Smith Southside. The Rebels (5-1, 2-1) are No. 3 overall.

Over in the 7A Central, the state’s most storied program is having an unusually poor season. Little Rock Central (0-6, 0-3) is still competitive thanks to its defense, but the Tigers aren’t scoring much, and there’s a very real chance they could go winless this year. That would be stunning for a program that has won 32 state titles.

Central hosts Cabot this week. The Panthers (5-1, 2-1) are No. 6 overall.