By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
For a change, the Forrest City Mustangs are on the receiving end of a forfeit.
Tuesday, Osceola officially forfeited its 18-6 win over the Mustangs after admitting the coaches used ineligible (age) players in the game.
In the past, it has been the Mustangs -- both in football and basketball) who have had to relinquish victories.
In 1996, Wayne Mayer's first football season, the Mustangs had to forfeit a pair of early victories against Marianna and North Pulaski after it was discovered an ineligible player (over the legal playing age limit) had been used in both games.
In 2000, the Mustang basketball team was forced to give up a conference win over Sylvan Hills due to an ineligible player.
"It's nice to be on the receiving end for a change," said Forrest City's Donnie Willis Tuesday. "We thought before Friday's game, that Osceola may have had a couple of ineligible kids on roster, but we didn't know that for a fact."
Willis said some people have already expressed their displeasure in getting a victory by way of a forfeit.
"Hey, when we had to forfeit in the past, the other coaches and teams didn't hesitate to take the win," Willis said. "It's certainly not our fault that Osceola used ineligible players. They admitted it and offered the forfeit and we will take it. That makes us 1-0 instead of 0-1, no matter how you look at it. In he final standings that win will be on our side of the ledger."
Several Mustang players said Tuesday after practice, they would take the forfeit and use it as a start to a successful season.
The Mustangs will make their first road trip of the season Friday when they travel to Marianna.
Marinna lost to McGehee in their opener last Friday.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
For the first time, the Forrest City seventh-grade Colts and the Marion seventh-grade Patriots put on quite a show Tuesday at Sam Smith Stadium.
It was the first game of the year for each team. In fact, the Marion coaches were handing out equipment during the short bus ride.
Forrest City, with 112 kids in the seventh-grade football program this season, dressed out only 24 for the game.
"We have only had about four days of practice and we just had to find enough players who we thought were ready to play," said Rich Trail, one of the Forrest City coaches helping with the seventh-grade program, along with Stan Siler and Sonny Shields.
Marion struck first with 56 seconds to play in the second quarter on a long pass play that went for the first score. The two-point conversion failed and Marion led 6-0 at the half.
It stayed that way until late in the fourth quarter when Forrest City answered when Stephon Weaver scored on a 33-yard run following an interception by Justin Harris, with 1:36 to play.
The extra point try failed and the teams settled for a 6-6 tie.
The seventh-graders will play again on Saturday, Sept. 15, when they host West Memphis at Sam Smith.
In the eighth-grade game, the Marion eighth-graders took home a 28-12 win over the Forrest City White Junior Mustangs.
Forrest City fumbled on the first play of the game and Marion recovered.
Marion scored on the next play, their first from scrimmage, on a 37-yard run for a 6-0 lead. The two-point pass made it 8-0.
Marion would score again late in the opening quarter to make it 14-0 before Forrest City scored with 4:16 to play to make it 14-6.
Marion added another score just before the half to lead 22-6.
Each team would score again in the second half.
The eighth-grade Colts will play West Memphis, Sept. 15.
The Forrest City White Junior Mustangs will host Newport Thursday, Sept. 6, in their season-opener at Sam Smith.
Kick off is set for 7 p.m.