By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
PINE BLUFF--Jeff Hudson has some mighty big shoes to fill.
He is reminded of that fact every day.
Hudson, one of six new coaches on staff at Forrest City this year, takes over the reins of the Mustang senior boys track team.
He was given the chance to see them in action for the first time last Friday when the Mustangs competed in a four-team indoor meet held at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
The Mustangs finished second, although no point totals were available.
Hudson's Mustangs competed against Pine Bluff, Little Rock Hall and West Helena at the meet.
The Mustangs have won three straight AAAAA-East conference track titles under former coach Donnie Willis, who gave up his track team when he was named head football coach.
After finishing second in the league in 1997, the Mustangs won the title in '98, '99 and again last year.
Hudson said he knows the pressure to be successful again this season is squarely upon his shoulders.
"That's okay, I need that," Hudson said. "Coach Willis reminds almost every day about the three conference titles. The players let me know what I need to get done and I appreciate that. It keeps me on my toes. I look at those banners in the gym and as a coach I would like to keep adding to those. Our first goal is to go a little farther in state than in the past."
Friday at UAPB, the Mustangs picked up three first place finishes. Ray Dixon won the shot put, while Howard Collins finished third and Nick Anderson was sixth.
Evan Haggins won the 200-meter dash and Travis Hurst made it a one-two finish, running second.
The 1600-meter relay team, Joseph Wilson, Haggins, Hurst and Willie Wade) ran to victory.
In other events, Jesse Ballard was fourth in the long jump; Haggins was sixth in the 55-meter dash, Wilson was third in the 400-meter dash and Wade finished third in the 800-meter.
The 3,200-meter relay team, comprised of Wade, Brandon Barritt, Wilson and Ballard, finished second.
The Mustangs will compete in another indoor meet on Thursday, Feb 15 at UAPB and then will run in the championships to be held at Fayetteville.
"The indoor meets give you a good indication of what you can expect to do when the regular outdoor track season begins," Hudson said. "If you finish in the top five in the indoor championships, you can finish in the top five in the outdoor.
"As far as I can tell, the times are not at all where they need to be, but running last Friday and the next couple of indoor events will give us a real good gauge of where we are as a team and what our strengths and weaknesses are."
Hudson says his Mustangs are working extremely hard right now.
"I think some are over-achievers, but it's just tradition to them," Hudson said.
Hudson will add to his stable of track athletes once the current basketball season is completed.
"I'll pick up a couple from the basketball team," Hudson said,"That will just make us stronger."
As has been the case in the past, Hudson thinks the team's strength this year will once again be in the mid-distance races -- the 400 and 800-meters and the 200-meter guys are coming along as well.
"When we get our milers and two-milers into shape, we should do very well in each of the meets," Hudson added. "We still have some conditioning work to do but that's coming."
Hudson doesn't have a complete season schedule worked out just yet but the first-year coach says he is hoping to take the team to as many meets as possible and run at least twice a week.
"I believe our first meet will be in West Helena and the sooner we can get started the better off we will be."
Bill Riley is assisting Hudson with the track team and is working hard with the guys in the field events.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City White Junior High Mustangs made it two in a row over their counterparts. the Blue Mustangs, Monday night, winning 47-35 at Mustang Arena.
The White Lady Mustangs avenged an earlier loss against the Blue Lady Mustangs, winning 44-15. in the second game.
Milton Joyner led the way by scoring 14 points to lead the White while Goldie Hicks had 11 and DeMarcus Sinclair and Roy Parker added eight points each and Nick Smith chipped in four points.
The White Mustangs never trailed and the 12-point final margin was the closest the Blue Mustangs got in the second half.
The White Mustangs end the regular season at 5-13 while the Blue Mustangs finish at 2-15.
LeCody Braddock led the Blue Mustangs with nine points. Chris Williams, Rashad Williams and terrance Ware each had four points for the Blue team.
The White Mustangs got untracked early, taking a 10-2 lead with 2:10 left in the first period. Joyner nailed a pair of threes and Sinclair added one in the first six minutes.
They led 14-4 to start the second period and 26-10 at the half.
The White team pushed their lead to 32-14 in the third period with 2:45 to play before the Blue team answered to trim the lead to 34-20 and by outscoring the White team 10-to-8 in the period.
Forrest City White opened the fourth period by outscoring the Blue team 11-to-4 to extend their cushion to 45-24.
"We had some kids step up tonight and play some basketball," said White Coach John Fortenberry. "This was a good win for them."
Junior Girls
Forrest City White 44, Forrest City Blue 15
Crystal Summage enjoyed a career night Monday by scoring 18 points to help lead the White Lady Mustangs past the Blue team 44-15.
Sequoria Grady and Viveca Kimble each scored nine points.
The Blue team, playing without leading scorer, Katrina Wynne, were held to six first half points and nine second half points.
Gabrielle Agnew led the Blue Lady Mustangs with six points and Kim Ursery added four.
The White team rolled out to an 8-0 lead before the Blue team got on the board and pushed their lead to 17-4 after one period.
Grady had all nine of her points in the first period and Summage had seven.
Kimble scored seven of her nine points in the second period as the White team extended their lead to 26-6 at the half, holding the Blue Lady Mustangs to just two points in the period.
All four teams will prepare for the upcoming AAAAA-East Junior High Conference Tournament, which begins Monday, Feb. 12, at Forrest City.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City basketball teams embark on the first of two conference road trips this week when they travel to Little Rock today to play Little Rock Mills.
The two Little Rock teams are on the opposite end of the spectrum in league play.
The Mills senior boys lead the AAAAA-East Conference standings and own two wins over Forrest City already this season.
The Lady Mustangs defeated the Lady Comets in their first meeting, The Mills' girls are winless in the conference.
Friday night, Forrest City will play at Jonesboro.
"We need to split at the worst," said Forrest City Coach Dwight Lofton. "A split and I'm happy. Two wins and I'm way past cloud nine on cloud 10."
Lofton's Mustangs are 6-3 in the league and are locked in a third-place tie with Jonesboro.
The top four teams from each of the four, AAAAA conferences will earn a berth in the upcoming state tournament to be played at Mustang Arena.
The Mustangs are on a three-game win streak.
The Lady Mustangs, already eliminated from postseason play, are playing out the season, but want to finish strong, according to Coach Sue Jayroe.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Hughes Blue Devils can wrap up the 6AAA Conference title tonight with a victory over Lonoke. The game is being played at Lonoke.
Hughes is ranked second in Class AAA and ninth in the state basketball rankings. Lonoke is not ranked.
The Blue Devils have won 16 straight games and are undefeated in the league. They will close out regular season conference play Friday when they host Pine Bluff Dollarway.
The Blue Devils finished second in the conference a year ago.
In Class AA, the Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots can wrap up the regular season 6AA conference title tonight with a win over Altheimer.
The Lady Patriots, ranked second overall in the state and first in Class AA, are unbeaten in league play and have not lost a conference game since joining the 6AA at the beginning of the 1998-99 season. They have won 34 consecutive conference games.
The Patriots are 5-5 in the league and hope to improve their district seeding this week with wins tonight over Altheimer and over Elaine on Thursday.
The 6AA district tournament begins next week at Elaine.