Palestine-Wheatley Coach Terry Farmer didn't mince his words when asked how important tonight's game against Parkin is for his playoff-bound Patriots.
"Very," Farmer said. "We clinched a playoff spot last week, now we need to clinch the second seed and stay at home for the first round."
That task begins tonight at Parkin.
On paper, the game appears to be a mismatch with P-W playing the role of the favorites.
"Playing Parkin won't be a sure win," Farmer added. "They have a new coach and good athletes and the overall program is improving. Their record may not reflect that but we will have to play hard and not make any mistakes to get a win tonight."
A win over Parkin will set up a season-ending showdown next week against Salem, tied with the Patriots for second in the 3AA.
THE GAME: The Parkin Tigers (1-7; 1-4 3AA) vs the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots (6-2; 4-1 3AA) Friday, Oct. 26, at Tiger Field in Parkin. Kick off is set for 7:30 p.m. Neither team is ranked.
PALESTINE-WHEATLEY: The Patriots are close to where Head Coach Terry Farmer says they need to be at this point in the year. Some of the P-W players are a little banged up but no serious injuries. Tonight is only the second meeting between the two teams since P-W resumed its football program in 1996.
PARKIN: The Tigers are coming off a big 282-6 win over Cross County last week. Fullback Michael Lately scored two touchdowns for Parkin while running for 125 yards and intercepting a couple of passes.Quarterback Terrin Washington can be dangerous when forced to scramble.
Against last-place DeWitt a week ago, the Hughes Blue Devils did not play their best game.
DeWitt hung around until the very final minute, reaching the Hughes' 1-yard line, before turning over the football which helped the Blue Devils escape with a 28-27 win.
Tonight, the stakes are higher as Hughes welcomes Brinkley to their home field.
Both teams enter tonight's game tied for second place in the 6AAA Conference.
The winner will finish second in the league and will lock down home field advantage for the first round of the Class AAA playoffs.
Hughes' win last week assured them of a postseason appearance.
Hughes sophomore Andre Walker continues to play well and can be counted on to turn the big play when the Blue Devils need one.
It's the final shot against Brinkley in conference play. Hughes drops into the AA classification next fall.
AT A GLANCE
THE GAME: The Hughes Blue Devils (5-2; 3-1 6AAA) vs the Brinkley Tigers (6-2; 3-1 6AAA) Friday, Oct. 26, at Blue Devil Stadium. Kick off is set for 7:30 p.m. Neither team is ranked.
HUGHES: The Blue Devils would like nothing better than to put together a successful postseason run to end their tenure in Class AAA. The underclassmen have played like seniors this year and the Blue Devils are in the playoffs already. A second place finish will keep the Blue Devils home against either Oak Grove or Beebe in the first round.
BRINKLEY: The Tigers put themselves in a position to play for second place in the league by beating Lonoke last week 28-6. Brinkley won last year's matchup 53-36 and advanced to the second round of the AAA playoffs.
Forrest City Coach Donnie Willis says the key to winning the final two games of the regular season is for his Mustangs "to play hard."
That's something his team has not done in the past four games.
At 4-4 for the year and still very much in the race for a Class AAAAA state playoff appearance, the Mustangs have to play hard tonight against Sylvan Hills -- on every down -- to get a win.
To make the playoff cut, the Mustangs not only have to put away the Bears tonight, they will also have to defeat West Memphis next week. Two wins and the Mustangs are in postseason. One win against another loss won't do it.
It won't be easy. Struggling offensively all year, the Mustangs have scored just 19 points (three touchdowns and an extra point) in their last 16 quarters of football, which has led to a 1-3 record over their last four games.
Injuries to key players hasn't helped, but Willis said now is the time for those players to "gut it out."
"I'm not quitting, and I won't let the players quit," Willis added.
AT A GLANCE
THE GAME: The Forrest City Mustangs (4-4; 2-3 AAAAA-East) vs the Sylvan Hills Bears (3-5; 2-3 AAAAA-East) Friday, Oct. 26, at Sam Smith Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Neither team is ranked.
FORREST CITY: The Mustangs can reach the playoffs by winning their final two games which would give them a winning season.
SYLVAN HILLS: Until last year's 37-13 loss to Forrest City, the Bears had beaten the Mustangs four straight times. Tonight is the final chapter between the two teams. Sylvan Hills drops down to Class AAAA next fall and out of the AAAAA-East Conference.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City Mustang cross country team ran its final regular season meet Thursday at Village Creek State Park.
Krystal Long picked up her second third-place finish of the year in the dual meet against West Memphis. Long ran the girl's 2.5 mile course in 25 minutes 57 seconds. Lucretia Meacham of West Memphis posted the winning time, 19:36.
Forrest City's Logan Clark finished with a time of 26:05.
In the boys' 3.1 mile course, Forrest City's best finish was by Brad Taylor (24:27) good enough for seventh overall and Tim Patton, who finished ninth in a time of 30:19.
WM's Dexter King won the meet with a time of 19:25.
Forrest City will compete at the state competition on Saturday, Nov. 3, at Fayetteville.
Forrest City was fielding a cross country team for the first time this season.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
WHEATLEY-- Fred Leak's four-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter put an end to Salem's hopes of a conference title and helped give the Palestine-Wheatley Junior Patriots a 22-14 win and the school's first-ever undefeated season.
And the 3AA conference championship -- the first-ever such title for Palestine-Wheatley.
The Wheatley Junior Pirates football team of 1983 was unbeaten, but that happened before the Palestine and Wheatley school districts merged.
The Junior Patriots finish the year at 8-0.
"This is a good group of kids," P-W Coach Dan Cockrell said after the game as fireworks exploded overhead. "They have worked hard each week since the season started and these guys love to play football...all the time."
The Junior Patriots scored twice in the first half -- on long touchdown runs by Rashun Barnes and Brad Barton to lead 16-0 at the half.
The second half was another story.
After Barton returned the second half kickoff to near midfield, the Junior Patriots fumbled and Salem recovered.
After picking up a first down at the P-W 16, Salem put up their first points of the night with a 3-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion with 15 seconds left in the third period.
The troubles didn't end there.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, P-W fumbled again -- this time at their own seven -- and Salem recovered.
One play later, Salem had their second touchdown and had cut the Junior Patriot lead to 16-14 with 7:39 to play in the game.
Alvin Smith returned the kick off to the P-W 33 and Leak scrambled to the Salem 14 for a big first down.
Two plays later, Leak scored from 4-yards out to push the P-W lead to 22-14 with 5:27 to play. The two point conversion by leak was short.
Salem mounted a final drive but watched their hopes of a victory fade when Antonio leak, Osas Oyara and Chris Jones combined to stuff a fourth and three running play giving the Junior Patriots the ball on downs at the Salem 46. P-W ran out the clock to preserve the win.
Through eight games, the Junior Patriots have only allowed 64 points this season while recording two shut out victories. P-W has held their opponents to 10 points or less five times this year and have not given up more than 14 points in any of the eight games.
Blytheville 28, FCity White 26
The Forrest City White Junior Mustangs closed out regular season play Thursday with a 28-26 loss to Blytheville at Sam Smith Stadium.
With Forrest City trailing 28-20, Ben Horton scored with 1:57 to play in the game. The two-point conversion attempt by Cedric Johnson failed leaving the White Mustangs short of the tie and a 0-6-1 finish for the year.
Jonhnson scord twice for Forrest City while Derrick Humphrey scored one touchdown.
Blytheville led 14-0 in the first half and 22-14 at the half.