By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
FAYETTEVILLE--The Ramay Junior High School was crowded at times this weekend, but Hughes junior guard Lonnie Smith found enough room and enough playing time to make an impression at the seventh annual Arkansas Athletes Outreach (AAO) basketball camp held Friday and Saturday in Fayetteville.
With 56 players in attendance, this year's format included having 14 players on four teams each and included subbing "five for five" every five minutes during the series of scheduled games between the four teams. The games were 40 minutes in length and used a running clock.
"That made it a little harder for the players to get in the flow of the game once they got into the game," said Hughes Coach Wes Swift. "But Lonnie still played well enough to make an impression. He didn't shoot quite as well as he can, but it was good experience for him."
Smith, a 5-9 shooting guard, helped lead the Hughes Blue Devils to the Class AAA state championship in March.
Swift said Henderson State, Ouachita Baptist and Harding Academy have all shown interest in Smith.
The AAO Camp is held each year to showcase the state's best sophomore and junior basketball players.
"There were a lot of talented kids there," Swift said, "And I can think of several players, many from this area of the state, who should have been there, but weren't."
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Mathematically, the Forrest City Mustang baseball team is still in the running for a berth in the Class AAAAA state tournament, barely.
Thursday's doubleheader loss to Little Rock Mills certainly didn't help their chances.
Prior to the scheduled twinbill, Mustang Coach Reggie Murphy said he felt like a .500 mark (7-7) would be good enough to get the fourth playoff spot from the AAAAA-East Conference.
The 15-0 and 15-3 losses to the Comets left the Mustangs at 5-10 overall for the year and 2-6 in the league, with dates pending against the conference's top two teams -- Cabot and Sylvan Hills.
If there is a bright spot in the Mustangs' remaining league schedule, it is the fact that the road games are over after Tuesday.
The Mustangs will travel to Blytheville tomorrow and then will host Sylvan Hills (April 20) for a doubleheader; Jonesboro (April 24) and Cabot (May 1) for a twinbill.
Four of the Mustangs' five victories have been on their home field against just three home losses.
On the road this season, the Mustangs are 1-7.
Moving to the softball side of the playing field, the Forrest City Lady Mustangs have revamped their schedule.
Following a road trip today to Little Rock Central, the Lady Mustangs will resume a rain-suspended game at West Helena on Wednesday and will play at Clarendon on Thursday.
The game was halted after one inning last Thursday.
Saturday's Bay Invitational Tournament has been cancelled.
Next week, the Lady Mustangs will host LR Central on Tuesday and Little Rock McClellan on Thursday.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Lonnie Smith scored 21 points and Paul Doolittle added 18 last Thursday as the Class AAA state champion Hughes Blue Devils held off an alumni team made up of former Hughes players, 77-69 in overtime in a benefit game held at Blue Devil Gym.
DeMarcus Burks added 13 points for the Blue Devils.
The game was tied at 65-65 at the end of regulation.
Corey Scofield led the alumni team with 15 points while Ronnie Jones added 13. Other former Hughes players included Adam Davis, Lance Brown, Shaun Doss, Sesia Dowden and Darrick Kerby.
The alumni team was coached by Sherry Thomas and the Blue Devils were coached by Alicia Ramsey.
This year's four seniors, Lonnie Davis, Tim Jones, Doolittle and Burks, will play in the second annual Evening Times All-Star Classic Game Thursday at West Memphis.
The Forrest City Mustang tennis team will begin AAAAA-East Conference tournament play Wednesday, April 18, at West Memphis.
Jonesboro is the 11-time defending conference champion.
The state tournament will be played at Rebsamen Courts in Little Rock.