The Forrest City Mustangs didn't quite live up to their adopted season slogan of "Giant Killers" last week against the sling work of David-like LR Mills, losing 14-6.
They will have to have a much better effort tonight against Cabot to stay in serious contention for the conference title.
"This year, we feel like we're competitive," Mustang head Coach Donnie Willis said. "But having said that, we know we have a huge task in front of us against Cabot. We will have to play hard tonight to have a shot at beating Cabot. We did not do that against Mills."
Forrest City has not beaten a Cabot team since the 1995 season.
"To win the respect of the rest of the state, you have to go out there and compete at a high level each and every week. We thought we had hit our stride against Jonesboro, but we didn't play as well as we could against Mills. Our kids were still standing on top of the mountain looking down instead of focusing on the task at hand," Willis said.
If there is a time to knock off the Panthers, it could be tonight. Cabot, while still in the driver's seat in the conference, have not played quite like the Cabot teams of old. The Panthers struggled in overtime a week ago to get past West Memphis.
"We have our sights set on getting back into postseason," Willis said. "We have to bounce back tonight and take our shot."
Despite their 3-1 start prior to last week's game, the Mustangs were still ranked 23rd of 32 AAAAA teams in the state according to one statewide polling source.
THE GAME: The Forrest City Mustangs (3-2; 1-1; AAAAA-East) vs the Cabot Panthers (4-1; 2-0 AAAAA-East) Friday, Oct. 5,, at Sam Smith Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Cabot is ranked No. 1 in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Top 10 and No. 2 in the AP Top 10.
FORREST CITY: The Mustangs have proven in past years that they can put points on the board against Cabot. The Panthers have struggled this season and the Mustangs are catching Cabot at a good time. "They just run the ball right at you and cram it down your throat, then they don't give an inch on defense," Willis said. "We have to play hard."
CABOT: Coach Mike Malham was thrilled to get a win over West Memphis. The overtime victory put the Panthers back on top and in the driver's seat in the AAAAA-East. The Panthers, who have now won 18 of 19 games stretching back into the last season and a half, just continue to find ways to win.
Tonight's conference matchup against the Marked Tree Indians could go a long way in determining the league champion.
The Patriots are the league's scoring leaders, the Indians are a close second.
Both teams are unbeaten in conference play at 2-0.
The Patriots, 4-1 overall, have recorded league wins over Rector and Walnut Ridge while the Indians have wins over Cross County and Salem.
The Patriots, off to their best start since the 1997 season, are relaxed and ready.
"We're loose and focused," said junior quarterback Clyde Kennedy. "I think we're ready. We had a good week of practice and we know what we have to do."
Three P-W running backs passed the 100-yard mark last week led by senior Ray Gardner who had 144 rushing yards and 2 TDs.
THE GAME: The Marked Tree Indians (2-3; 2-0 3AA) vs the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots (4-1; 2-0 3AA) Friday, Oct. 5,, at Patriot Stadium. Kick off is set for 7:30 p.m. Neither team is ranked.
PALESTINE-WHEATLEY: The Patriots are 2-0 and are 2-1 against the Indians in three previous meetings.
MARKED TREE: The Indians won last year's game. After a slow 0-3 start, Marked Tree is beginning to pick up some steam.
KARK-TV Channel 4's friday Night Flights helicopter will make a planned stop at Palestine tonight, depending on the forecasted weather conditions which include rain and straightline winds.
It is the first time that Friday Night Flights has landed at Palestine.
The Channel 4 helicopter made a stop at Forrest City during the 1998 season.
Palestine-Wheatley is hosting Marked Tree in a 3AA Conference showdown. Both teams are 2-0 in the league.
Kick off for the game is set for 7:30 p.m.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
WHEATLEY -- The Palestine-Wheatley Junior Patriots are making winning look almost too easy.
The Junior Patriots moved to 5-0 for the year Thursday with a quick and complete dismantling of Cross County's Junior Thunderbirds 40-8 in the school's annual homecoming game.
Fred Leak started things for P-W when he intercepted a Cross County pass and returned it for the score. Brad Barton added the two point play and with 5:19 left in the opening quarter, P-W led 8-0.
Rashun Barnes scored on a 23-yard scamper with 3:28 to play and Barton added the two-point play as P-W pushed the lead to 16-0.
After another interception by Barnes, Fred Leak broke loose for an 86-yard touchdown run to put the Junior Pats up 22-0 after one quarter.
Rico Whitaker recovered a Cross County fumble with 3:40 to play in the second quarter at the P-W 30 to set up Antonio Leak's 3-yard touchdown run with 29 seconds left in the half and P-W took a 28-0 lead to the dressing rooms.
Barnes took the second-half kickoff and returned it for the score for a 34-0 lead and Antonio Leak blocked a Cross County punt at the Junior Thunderbirds' 30-yard line to set up Adam Kennedy's 22-yard touchdown run with 3:47 left in the third. Osas Oyara's two-point run was short, but P-W led 40-0.
Cross County scored with 3:41 to play in the game against P-W's subs.
WMemphis Wonder 16, FCity White 14
The White Junior Mustangs remained winless for the season Thursday, losing on the road to West Memphis Wonder 16-14.
Forrest City had a chance to win the game but a third down incomplete pass into the endzone was ruled an interception after it bounced off the ground and Wonder ran out the clock.
Wonder led 10-6 at the half, scoring on a 15-yard touchdown pass and sacking Forrest City for a safety, before Forrest City took the second-half kickoff and scored when Demario Roebuck scored and added the two-point conversion to lead 14-10.
Wonder responded and regained a 16-14 lead before the White Mustangs got the ball back with less than four minutes to play.
Forrest City's first touchdown came on a Cedric Johnson run.
WMemphis West 26, FCity Blue 22
Forrest City's Blue Junior Mustangs had a 22-20 lead with less than a minute to play but couldn't hold it as they lost for just the second time this year Thursday at Sam Smith.
The Blue Mustangs slip to 4-2 for the year and 2-2 in the league.
The game was tied at 14-14 at the half after Forrest City had taken a 14-0 lead in the first half.
West led 20-14 in the third before Forrest City used touchdown and two-point play by Larry Bean to regain a 22-20 lead.
Bean's 60-yard halfback pass to Terrance Ware put Forrest City on the board first. LaCody Braddock scored for Forrest City after a West fumble and Bean added the two-point try for the 14-0 lead.
"It was a game of big plays by both teams," said Blue Mustang Coach Rich Trail. "They got the final big play and that was the difference. We made too many mistakes in the second half."
The Blue Mustangs league-leading Jonesboro MacArthur next week.