By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Jonesboro Ricemen could be renamed the Jonesboro Nightmen following this weekend's schedule at the Zone 2 AAA district tournament being played at Nettleton High School's Raider Field.
Jonesboro battered Forrest City 19-0 in a first-round game that began Friday night and ended about 1:15 a.m. Saturday.
The Ricemen rolled to an 11-1 seven-inning victory over Paragould in Saturday's late game, which started nearly two hours late.
In losers' bracket games earlier in the day, Newport eliminated Blytheville 13-2 and Searcy sent Forrest City home 11-3.
In the other winners' bracket game, Mountain Home took advantage of four Batesville errors in a four-run fourth inning that broke a 4-4 tie and carried Lockeroom to a 10-6 victory.
Searcy's Crain Automotive coach Steve Rose got his coveted 30th win Saturday afternoon.
Ray Verhoeven pitched a complete game, and his Searcy teammates scored a pair of runs in five of the nine innings for an 11-3 losers bracket victory over Forrest City.
Forrest City was seeded last in the tournament, and Rose said he expected to defeat "the worst team in the state" by the mercy rule in less than nine innings.
"The kids thought all they had to do was show up to beat Forrest City," Rose said.
Searcy scored two runs in the first, third, sixth, seventh and eighth innings and added a single run in the fifth. Forrest City scored once in the top of the seventh and two in the eighth.
Leading hitters for Crain included Matt Parker, who was 3-for-5; Ryan Escalante, who was 2-for-2; and Matt Garlington, Blain Overstreet (who had a solo home run) and Justin Moore, who were all 2-for-4. Searcy had 13 hits total.
Verhoeven allowed a hit in the top of the first, a double in the fourth and a single in the sixth before getting in trouble in the top of the seventh when he hit a batter with the bases loaded to give up his first run.
In the eighth, Forrest City loaded the bases again with one out.
A single plated one runner, and Verhoeven walked in another run. He got a batter to pop out, and then threw home for a force play to end the inning.
In all, Verhoeven allowed seven hits and walked three while striking out six.
Dustin Gore pitched eight innings for Forrest City and was tagged for 13 hits and six walks. He struck out four. His teammates committed seven errors.
Jonesboro 19, Forrest City 0
Jonesboro scored seven runs in the first inning on only two hits against Forrest City Friday.
The Ricemen benefited from three walks, a hit batsman and two errors in the frame.
Jonesboro scored three more in the second inning on three hits. The Ricemen then added nine more in the fourth inning.
On Sunday, Searcy was to play Batesville and Newport went up against Paragould in two more loser's bracket elimination games.
Jonesboro took on Mountain Home in the winners' bracket final and the losers' bracket final followed.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
DES ARC--The Forrest City 12-year-old All-Stars couldn't get past Sylvan Hills over the weekend at the Ms. Mac Classic Tournament in Des Arc.
Forrest City fell to Sylvan Hills 11-1 in the tournament championship game Saturday and finished second.
On Thursday, the same Sylvan Hills team handed Forrest City its first setback in the tournament, winning 11-4.
Forrest City defeated Hazen 9-3 in the loser's semifinal Saturday to get back to the title game. Forrest City finished their stay at the Ms. Mac with a 4-2 record. Kentrell Buchanan was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament and Forrest City was awarded the Team Sportsmanship Trophy.
Overall, through three postseason tournaments, Forrest City put together a 9-6 overall record.
The American Legion national organization is on the verge of changing the rule regarding the age of its participants.
Currently, a player who was born before Aug. 1, 1982 cannot play American Legion baseball.
The current proposal would change that date to Jan. 1 for all future seasons, allowing everybody with a birthday from Jan. 1, 1983 until Aug. 1, 1983 to become eligible for next season.
Early-summer birthdays have cut short many Legion careers and adding seven more months of birthdays will add an extra season of eligibility to more than half the players in American Legion baseball across the United States.
"This is going to give more kids more time to play," said American Legion deputy state commissioner Bob Taylor. "I think it's a great rule. You've got a lot of players who are 18- and 19-years-old who get that second growth spurt and this will give those players, in particular, an extra chance to be seen by college scouts."
Many coaches feel the change will make American Legion baseball a better sport.
More players can return from college to play and the effect will be felt all the way down through American Legion's different classifications.
"It's going to affect the younger groups, too," Rogers Bob Maloney Ford coach Ron Brown said. "We'll have more 17-year-olds playing down and that will have all the groups playing at a higher level."
On the flip side, it could cause some problems, too.
A larger group of 17-year-olds -- according to the proposed new rule -- would put more restrictions on those American legion programs which do not field a AA team, such as Forrest City, which fields only A and AAA squads.
With only four 17-year-olds allotted to the current A team, there are going to be some players forced up who may not be quite ready.
With all the college talent eligible to return, the biggest drawback to the expanding of the age rule by seven months will be how it affects the high schools.
Every roster spot taken by a player who is finished with high school is a spot that does not go to helping develop high-school talent.
That could be a problem, but a solution would be the addition of a third American Legion team for those programs who choose that route.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
CONWAY--Even though his name was left off the official All-Star program roster, University of Arkansas signee Matt Jones wasn't about to be left out of the action.
In fact Jones was named the Most Valuable Player Friday night in the Arkansas High School Coaches Associaton All-Star Football Game played at Estes Stadcium on the UCA campus in Conway.
Jones passsed for 88 yards and two touchdowns to help the West All-Stars clip the East All-Stars 14-13.
It is the second straight West victory following last year's 9-6 win over the East.
The 6-foot-6 Fort Smith Northside high school standout accounted for 143 of the West's 229 yards of total offense, finishing with six completions in 11 attempts while running for 55 yards on 14 carries.
Forrest City's Kevin King was a member of the East squad, coached by Cabot's Mike Malham.
The West was coached by Booneville's Kenneth Rippy.
The West helped their cause by making solid defensive plays at crucial times.
Maybe the most important defensive play came with 5:55 remaining in the game as the East All-Stars were looking at a chance to go ahead with a two-point conversion after scoring on a 17-yard run by West Memphis' De'Arrius Howard to get the East within one point.
West defensive back Chris Benson of Nashville broke up a pass attempt to help perserve the one-point win.
The West defense also forced their opponents to settle for a missed 42-yard field goal attempt after a six-play 25-yard drive.
"The defense came out here and played really well and our receivers did a great job too," said Jones. "We knew that both teams had great athletes and we just wanted to come out and play our hardest... This week has been a lot of fun and I'm glad to get the opportunity to play and make things happen."
In the first half alone Jones accounted for 121 yards of total offense, passing for 76 yards and two touchdowns, while picking up 45 on the ground.
Jones directed two second-quarter scoring drives to give the West a 14-7 edge at halftime.
Jones broke open a tie ball game by finding Sheridan's Jason Wood in the end zone with :48 remaining until halfitme.
Wood, who has signed to play college football at Arkansas State University, hauled in the 39-yard pass from Jones -- his second of the quarter -- en route to a four-catch, 67-yard performance.
Wood was named Outstanding Offensive Back for his performance.
Jones and Wood hooked up early in the second period to cap a 14-play, 65-yard drive with 8:38 remaining.
Following the West squad's opening scoring drive the East responded with their own scoring drive of its own, tying the game at 7-7 with 4:30 remaining in the second period.
Howard and Rison quarterback Shermar Bracey combined for 70 of the East's 80 yards on the touchdown drive.
Howard and Bracey finished the game with a combined 164 yards rushing and two touchdowns as the East chewed up 243 total yards.
Bracey scored first for the East on a 14-yard run with 4:30 remaining until halftime en route to 72 yards on 13 carries.
The East had a final chance when John Baker of Cabot intercepted a pass by Jones and returned it to the West 42 with 2:34 left. David Williams of Hope fell short on a 42-yard field goal with 25 seconds remaining.
Greenwood's Tommy Bufkin was named the game's top defensive lineman while top defensive back honors went to Benson and offensive lineman honors went to the East's Robert Hooks of Rivercrest.
* Forrest City's Kevin King admitted he wasn't in the best shape last week as he began practice with the East All-Stars, but said the week in the heat was good for him.
King is headed to play football at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff where he will walk on.
"Playing in the All-Star game has shown me what life is with the big boys," King said.
Two Forrest City golfers had big games on the Forrest City Country Club course over the weekend.
John Gadberry hit his first-ever hole-in-one on Sunday.
Gadberry aced the hole using an 8-iron on the 131-yard, No. 15 hole. The shot was witnessed by Rob Thomas.
Rich Trail landed a double eagle Friday at the Forrest City Country Club.
Trail was using a 3-wood driver on the 487 yard No. 14 hole when he made the shot.
Trail's shot was witnessed by Lance Tate, Dean Morrison, Bubba Lindsey and Bill Carter.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
CONWAY -- Osceola's Donnell Haynes scored 11 points as the East All-Star boys took a 75-65 come-from-behind win over the West last Thursday night in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star game.
The West opened with a flurry but the East used a 19-8 run in the fourth period to pull away for the victory.
Helped by seven points by Clarkville's Gavin Ludgood, four of which came on two rim-rattling dunks, the West led 40-38 after three periods.
The East used a balanced attack in the fourth period to take a 57-48 lead before holding on in the fifth period for the win.
Haynes was named most valuable player.
His teammate at Osceola, Lusicous Lenear, grabbed a team-high seven rebounds for the East. Antario Glover of Stephens was named the outstanding player for the West. Glover finished with nine points. Marked Tree's Jeremy Bell, who finished with nine points, was named the outstanding player for the East.
Former Hughes Coach Wes Swift, now at Lonoke, served as an assistant coach for the East team, which was coached by Osceola's Frankie Gathen.
In the girls' all-star game, Palestine-Wheatley's Erica Smith scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the East over the West 77-43. Blytheville's Wendlyn Jones added 17 points to help out.