By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Hughes Blue Devils will try to cap a dream season Friday at Pine Bluff.
So will the Clarksville Panthers.
Both teams will take center court Friday at 5:15 p.m., at the Pine Bluff Convention Center where one will walk away with the grand prize -- the Class AAA championship. The other will walk away as runner-up.
It's No. 1 vs No. 2 -- as it should be. Both have been the top two teams in Class AAA boys' basketball all season.
The Blue Devils, under fourth-year head coach Wes Swift, bring a 34-1 record into the final while the Panthers are 30-2 overall.
Both of the Clarksville losses have been against out-of-state teams -- the first coming against Huntsville, Ala. at the Rumble on the Ridge Thanksgiving tournament played at Forrest City last November.
The other loss was to Dallas, Texas Kimball.
Since then they have won 21 straight and have been ranked first in Class AAA all season.
The Blue Devils only loss of the year came against top-ranked Osceola in the finals of the Osceola Invitational Tournament on Osceola's home floor.
Since then the Blue Devils, ranked second in Class AAA all year and as high as seventh in the state polls, have won 26 straight games.
Osceola, by the way, is playing for the Class AAAA state title.
Four Clarksville players finished the year averaging in double figure scoring -- Gavin Ludgood (16.2), Finlay Brashears (13.9), George Tate (12.2) and Ron Blackmon (12.1).
The Blue Devils are paced by junior "do-everything" guards Lonnie Smith and Robert Davis. Seniors DeMarcus Burks, Tim Jones, Paul Doolittle and Lonnie Davis have provided solid backup all season.
Hughes ran undefeated through the 6AAA Conference and own three season victories over defending Class AAA champions, Lonoke.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Saturday, the Palestine-Wheatley Lady Patriots will make their third straight appearance in the Class AA state championship game.
They are more than ready to take home the title this time after having to settle for the runners-up trophy in the past two state final games.
"Two years ago, when we made the first trip to the finals, we were young and scared to death," said Lady Patriot Coach Beverly Bass. "Last year, we were just happy to be back for a second time, but we got spanked. This time, however, we are going for one reason and one reason only -- to win the state title."
Their opponent and the circumstances are much different this time around.
Gone is Greenland. Because the AA state tournament bracket was rearranged this season, Palestine-Wheatley and Greenland were put in the same side of the bracket last week at Danville. Last Saturday, the two met in the state tournament semifinals rather than in the overall final and the match went to the Lady Patriots, 42-34, leaving Greenland at home this weekend instead of at Pine Bluff.
With Greenland out of the picture, the Lady Patriots will face Riverside, a team making their first-ever trip to the overall finals.
Riverside (33-6) entered last week's state tournament as the runner-up from the 4AA. They defeated Flippin, Harding Academy and Shiloh Christian to get to Pine Bluff.
"Riverside has a couple of big girls inside and they have a couple of very quick guards," Bass said. "And they will probably play a zone against us. But if we go out and play our game and do what we do best, I think this will be our year."
The Lady Patriots (34-1) put away Lewisville, Marmaduke and Greenland to advance.
"We're not going to change anything for Riverside that we've done against any of the teams at state or during regular season," Bass said. "We're just gonna stay with what got us to this point. We are ready. Believe me, we are."
The Forrest City Mustang baseball team slipped to 1-4 overall for the year Wednesday following a 10-8 loss to Osceola.
"We're getting solid pitching, but we're not producing the hits or the runs to back up what we have on the mound," said first-year coach Reggie Murphy.
On Tuesday, the Mustangs dropped their first conference game of the year to Blytheville, losing 12-1.
"That was a game, we probably should have won," Murphy said.
The Mustangs started the week coming off a loss to North Little Rock last Friday in the rain-shortened North Little Rock Invitational Tournament at Burns Park.
Forrest City is scheduled to host West Memphis Friday at the Sports Complex beginning at 4 p.m.
The Forrest City Lady Mustangs opened their season Tuesday at Bay.
Two seven-run innings, the second and the sixth, by Bay helped propel the Lady Yellowjackets to a 23-13 win over the Lady Mustangs.
"We didn't have our starting pitcher Krystal Weaver with us," said Forrest City Coach Sue Jayroe. "Plus we made some errors in the infield and missed some catches in the outfield we should have made. As losses go it was probably a good loss for us. We played some younger kids and that will help us as we get farther into the year."
The Lady Mustangs scored in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
Kimberly Hoots provided a Forrest City home run while Kannesha Aldridge tripled and scored.
The Lady Mustangs will host West Helena today at the Sports Complex in the first conference game of the year.
The varsity game begins at 4 p.m. and will be followed by a junior varsity game.
Jayroe, in her second season with the softball team, is being assisted on the field this year by John Fortenberry and Rob Lemke.