By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City Blue Junior Mustangs will open the 2001 season tonight when they travel to Marianna.
Rich Trail will debut tonight as the Blue Mustangs coach. He will be assisted by Barry Hodges.
Just down the road, the Hughes Junior Blue Devils will host Marion's Junior Patriots in the season opening game for each team.
The Junior Blue Devils will be coached this season by James Wright, Steve Maynard and Bert Greenwell.
Palestine-Wheatley and the White Junior Mustangs have an open date tonight and will open next week.
The White Mustangs, coached once again this season by Stan Siler, will host Newport while the Junior Patriots, coached by Dan Cockrell, will open play at Elaine.
This is the second year Forrest City has fielded two junior high football teams.
The move to create two teams was made last year to help produce more players for each team and more playing time.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Registration continues for the Forrest City Recreation Department's youth soccer and flag football fall programs.
The original deadline of Friday, Aug. 31, has been extended, according to Program Director Kenneth Taylor, but a $5 late fee will be added.
Taylor said sign ups for the soccer league is running "about where we were this time last year," but added that the flag football league still needs players.
Boys and girls, ages four through 14 may sign up to participate in the youth soccer league, while boys, ages 6-12 may register for flag football.
Both leagues will begin play in mid-September.
The flag football league will be divided into age divisions this year.
The age groupings for the upcoming season will be 6-7, 8-9 and 10-12. Each age group will play against those teams in their age group.
Registration fees are $20 each for players who live inside the Forrest City city limits and $25 each for those living outside the city limits.
For more information contact Taylor at (870) 633-3667.
by FRED CONLEY
Forrest City sophomore Dustin Gore is taking Friday night's season-opening game against Osceola very personal.
Gore, a junior who will start at middle linebacker for the Mustangs on defense and will see plenty of action from the fullback spot on offense, is the grandson of Osceola head coach and Forrest City native Clinton Gore.
Dustin will also be punting for the Mustangs.
It is the first time grandfather and grandson have gone head-to-head on the football field.
Dustin says his grandfather has already told him to "be ready, because they are coming right at me."
Gore just wants to do his best Friday -- because that's just the way he sees himself and because he's going against his grandfather.
"I'm a little more nervous about going against him than if it was another team," Dustin said. "I know what Osceola can do as a team and I know what kind of coach my grandfather is."
So where will mom and dad be sitting Friday night?
Dustin's father, Tony, will be sitting on the Osceola side, in support of his father, Clinton.
Dustin's mother, Debbie Archer, will be sitting on the Forrest City side.
And...what does grandfather think about the chance to go against his own blood kin?
"They tell me Dustin is doing very well on the practice field," Clinton said recently. "Everybody knows Forrest City is my home and I coached there so I'm certain everyone is looking to get in their jabs at me. Dustin hasn't been saying just a whole lot, which kind of surprises me."
Clinton added a footnote to that thought: "you can bet by the time Friday night rolls around, that will change," he said. "I sure I'll hear it from Dustin and from the Forrest City players."
It will be interesting in more ways than one.
Clinton Gore coached the 1985 Mustangs to their undefeated season. That team is being honored Friday night.
Before the game, the 1985 team members will join this year's Mustang team for the traditional pregame meal -- which means Clinton Gore will be eating among the enemy and his grandson.