In 1932, the Helena Bengals won the school's one-and-only State football championship. Coached by the fiery Henry Fiske, HHS opened the season with two shutouts, 37-0 over Whitehall (led by sophomore running back sensation David "Finky" Strong's four touchdowns) at Legion Park and 47-0 over Deer Lodge. After losses to Bozeman and Butte Central, they reeled off victories over Great Falls, 27-13; Missoula, 12-0; and Kalispell, 25-0, and qualified for the State playoffs.

In the semifinals they met three-time defending champs Butte High. The Bulldogs, who were rated three-touchdown favorites by the press (and almost every other expert, except coach Fiske), were undefeated and unscored upon, until Tom Kuntz recovered a fumble in the first quarter to set up a Finky Strong TD. Helena added six more points in the third period on a Strong to Bob Whittinghill strike. But Butte rallied back to score once and was driving again late in the game when a clutch Whittinghill interception at his own 16-yard line preserved the 13-6 upset.

In the title game at Butte's Clark Park, HHS was again underdogs, this time to the much-bigger Billings Broncs. But the quicker, feistier Bengals prevailed, 12-6 in a "furious contest." Billings went ahead on a touchdown in the third, and then the 147-pound Finky Strong hauled in a pass from Whittinghill at the seven yard line, and "carried three Bronc defenders four yards over the goal line" to tie it up. John Fabatz scored for Helena in the fourth, and then the defense held on for a 12-6 triumph and the state championship. Strong rushed for 108 yards, intercepted a pass, played like a demon on defense and kept Billings deep in their own territory most of the game with his long, booming punts.

Prior to Henry Fiske's arrival at Helena High in 1927 from Washington's Pacific University, the Bengal football program had been mediocre, at best. But Fiske, who was an intense task-master and motivator-extraordinaire, with a great football mind, turned the program into such respectability that old-timers from that era still recall those days with extreme pride.

In 12 seasons at the helm, Fiske compiled a career 53-27-3 record for a .662 winning percentage, guiding the Bengals to the state play-offs seven times. Over the course of the two seasons of 1932 and 1933, Helena strung together 11 consecutive victories, which still stands as a school record, 72 years later.

The 1932 Bengals finished with a 7-2 mark, outscoring the opposition 188-74 and posting four shutouts. Finky Strong, captain Roger Porter and end John Dolan were selected to the All-State team (back when everyone still played both ways and there was no distinction between offensive and defensive All-State).

The rest of the starters included Bud Whittinghill, Milt Thompson, Jack Smith, Jack Connor, Sid Robertson, Bill Howard, Bob Mattmiller, Ralph Rader, Morris Rudio, Ed Morgenson, Emil Glarum, Lee Hayes and Art Brownlow.

David "Finky" Strong established numerous HHS grid records, including two which still stand; 28 lifetime rushing touchdowns and an 80-yard punt. For his career, the elusive back recorded 16 touchdown runs of 25-yards or more, with longs of 88, 80, 71, 56, 50 and 49 yards. Strong went on to play for the Universities Illinois and then Michigan, where he was All-American Tom Harmon's back-up.

And John Dolan would star for the University of Montana, making All-Conference as the Grizzlies captain. He later played with the NFL's Chicago Cardinals and Detroit Lions prior to serving in World War II.