Pottsville ground game powers past Mena in 4A-4 opener

Pottsville 25, Mena 6

POTTSVILLE — Pottsville opened 4A-4 play with a 25–6 road win at Mena Friday night, leaning on ball control, trench play and a defense that yielded only one late score. SB/WR Kaegan Jones punctuated three second-half drives with rushing touchdowns as the Apaches seized momentum after the break. Up front, guard Hayden Wachtendorf and center Luke Rust cleared lanes and kept the chains moving, while MLB/RB Kaleb Stancil churned out tough yards between the tackles.

Pottsville led 6–0 at halftime after FB Shawn Thacker finished a short field with a 1-yard plunge. After intermission, the Apaches stacked back-to-back, clock-draining marches—each featuring option reads from Cort Johnson and power looks behind Penn Helton’s lead blocks—to stretch the margin to 18–0. Mena answered when FS/WR Tripp Hensley strung together completions and RB/FS Chance Hughes cashed a 1-yard score, but Pottsville iced it with another Jones burst and a made PAT.

The Apaches’ special teams nearly flipped it sooner—Eli Morris had a punt return for a touchdown erased by penalty—yet the defense held form throughout. Stancil filled inside, Helton and the front applied pressure, and the secondary broke up throws in the red zone.

Mena showed resolve and speed in space. Hensley found WR/DB Beck Vacca and WR/CB Tycen Baber on quick game concepts, and TE/OLB Guice Anderson worked the seams to move the sticks. LB/RB Hunter McClara was active near the line, helping limit explosives. In the end, Pottsville’s balance and short-yardage execution proved decisive as the Apaches began conference play 1–0.

Scoring Summary

2nd Quarter — Pottsville – Shawn Thacker 1 run (PAT blocked), Pottsville 6–0
3rd Quarter — Pottsville – Kaegan Jones 5 run (two-point run failed), Pottsville 12–0
4th Quarter — Pottsville – Kaegan Jones 5 run (two-point run failed), Pottsville 18–0
4th Quarter — Mena – Chance Hughes 1 run (PAT no good), Pottsville 18–6
4th Quarter — Pottsville – Kaegan Jones 4 run (PAT good), Pottsville 25–6

Standouts

• Kaegan Jones (SB/WR, Pottsville) — 3 rushing TD.

• Kaleb Stancil (MLB/RB, Pottsville) — chain-moving interior runs, key stops.

• Penn Helton (FB/MLB, Pottsville) — physical lead blocking, front-seven pressure.

• Tripp Hensley (FS/WR, Mena) — guided passing game in comeback try.

• Chance Hughes (RB/FS, Mena) — 1-yard TD, tough short-yardage work.