By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Bobby Bowden used to hide chocolate around the house.
He can't and doesn't do that anymore -- not since being diagnosed last summer with Diabetes Type 2.
But, the 72-year-old Florida State University football coach will chew on a cigar from time to time and he still enjoys a good 9-iron shot.
Around the FSU campus, he is affectionately known as "Papa 'Nole."
For good reason. Bowden is one of the winningest coaches in NCAA history. He is beginning his 27th football season at Florida State.
Rising above Bowden's coaching accomplishments, though, are his credentials as a man.
Friendly and outgoing, he is a deeply religious man who believes strongly in the strength of the family.
He loves people. His personality and charm are bigger than life and he has become somewhat of a folk hero.
An engaging speaker, Bowden is constantly in demand and most free evenings will find him on the speaking circuit.
His off-season travel schedule would exhaust anyone. Sunday morning will usually find him in the pulpit of a church somewhere in the south.
He is a father figure in the traditional sense.
On Monday, April 8, Bowden will bring his message of faith and inspiration to Forrest City as the keynote speaker for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes'-sponsored "Evening of Influence" rally to be held at Mustang Arena.
The rally will begin promptly at 7 p.m. Tickets, at $10 each, are still available and will be sold at the gate on the night of the rally. The Arena doors will open at 6 p.m.
Proceeds from the rally will help off-set the upcoming "Day Camp" set for June 10-13 at Mustang Arena.
According to rally organizers, the response to the rally has been "almost overwhelming."
"The best guess right now is that somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,500 tickets have been sold already," said Bill Baxter, who is working closely with David Parker, director of development for the North Central, Northeast and East Central Arkansas areas of FCA.
Parker has been doing much of the pre-rally legwork, meeting with local civic organizations, churches and coaches. It has paid off.
"I want the people of Forrest City to know how much FCA appreciates the contributions they have made toward making this event a success," Parker said. "Their enthusiasm about the rally and FCA exceeds my wildest dreams. This event has truly been accepted by the community with open arms."
Speaking at FCA-sponsored events is something Bowden does with regularity.
Since Feb. 28, Bowden has spoken to groups in Georgia, West Virginia, Iowa and Florida.
New Arkansas State University Indian football coach Steve Roberts is also scheduled to speak at the rally and will introduce Bowden.
Roberts' assistant coach David Gunn will share his Christian testimony. Others appearing at the rally will be former Miss Arkansas Sara Harris, Amber Bennett of Carlisle, the reigning Miss Teen Arkansas and HiStrung, a musical group from Bellevue Baptist in Memphis, who will perform from 6:30 p.m. until 7 p.m.
When Bowden took the FSU job back in 1976, he likened his new association with the university to a marriage even adding the familiar phrase of "letting no man put it asunder", which reassured even the most downtrodden Seminole fan.
And 27 years ago, most of the FSU fans were disheartened.
Bowden inherited a program far from the dynasty that he now commands.
In fact, FSU had only won four games over the previous four seasons combined and there was serious talk that perhaps the school should shelve the football program unless it was more successful. The most optimistic of FSU fans could not possibly have predicted what Bowden would accomplish over the next three decades.
Bowden himself hints that he was not sure he could turn the program into a national power.
Bowden stayed and his loyalty has meant the world to Florida State University and its' athletics program. He has developed the most consistently successful program in the history of college football.
The Seminoles' win over favored Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl on January 1st finished the 2001 season and gave Bowden his 323rd career coaching victory and tied him with another legend, Bear Bryant, as college football's second all-time winningest football coach. FSU's next win will set up a chase between he and Penn State's Joe Paterno to reach the all-time mark.
Bowden begins each day by reading the Bible and in that same sense he believes it was his faith that led him into coaching.
"I've always felt like people are put here for a reason. God leads you, if you'll let him," he said in a multipart series written about his personal and professional life two years ago. "I just kinda felt like I was led into coaching."
Autographed pictures of Bowden will be on sale for $10 each and following his talk, Bowden will autograph copies of his book, which will also be on sale at the rally for $25 each. A silent auction, that will include many sports memorabilia items, will be held and 10 autographed footballs will be auctioned away at the rally.
Forrest City High School began it's FCA chapter this season with the help of coaches Lewis Etheridge and Sue Jayroe.
"We want to spread the word and news about FCA throughout the nine counties -- St. Francis, Cross, Crittenden, Arkansas, Woodruff, Prairie, Monroe, Lee and Phillips -- making them more aware of the influence of FCA and the impact it has in the local schools," Parker added.
Monday, April 8, at Mustang Arena in Forrest City.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 each. Program begins at 6:30 p.m., when HiStrung takes the stage.
Featured Speaker will be Florida State University Head Football Coach Bobby Bowden. Also scheduled to speak or perform David Gunn, assistant football coach at Arkansas State University, Steve Roberts, head football coach at Arkansas State University, Miss Teen Arkansas Amber Bennett and former Miss Arkansas Sara Harris, of Forrest City.
Born November 8, 1929 in Birmingham, Ala. - Attended Woodlawn High School, Birmingham, Ala.
Attended Howard College (now Samford) 1953 - Collegiate Football Experience * University of Alabama (QB), freshman; Howard (QB), sophomore-senior - Graduate Degree * Peabody College
Married to the former Julia Ann Estock and they have six Children * Robyn Hines, Steve, Tommy, Terry, Ginger Madden and Jeff
Head Coaching Honors * 1977 Southern Independent Coach of the Year...1979 National Coach of the Year (ABC-Chevrolet ...1979 Southern Independent Coach of the Year...1980 National Coach of the Year (Bobby Dodd)...1983 Florida Sports Hall of Fame...1986 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame...1987 Region II Coach of the Year...1991 Walter Camp Coach of the Year...1992 Neyland Trophy...1993 Bear Bryant Award finalist...1993 ACC Coach of the Year...1996 Home Depot National Coach of the Year...1997 ACC Coach of the Year...1997 Home Depot National Coach of the Year Finalist...1999 Football News Coach of the Year Semifinalist...1999 Home Depot Coach of the Year...1999 Home Depot Coach of the Decade Finalist. He is the only coach in the history of Division I-A football to compile 13 straight 10-win seasons (1987-present)...Won his first national championship in 1993 while setting a school record for victories in a season with 12...Nation's second-winningest active head coach with 304, which ranks fifth all-time (Division IA)...Holds the NCAA record with 11 consecutive bowl victories and 14 straight bowl trips without a loss...With a 17-5-1 record in bowl games, his winning percentage of .761 is the best mark, all-time, in college football...Owns the fifth-best winning percentage (.779) among active coaches with a career record of 304-85-4...Has guided FSU to 21 bowl appearances in 24 years, including 17 straight, with 14 "New Year's Day" bowl trips...His 231 wins at Florida State over the last 24 years are more than the previous seven FSU head coaches compiled in over 29 seasons.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
WEST HELENA -- According to Forrest City Lady Mustang track coach Lewis Etheridge, there was no reason for his girls "not to win Thursday's Cougar Relays," held at West Helena.
And they did just that. And it was over early.
Bolstered by six, first-place finishes and seven, second-place finishes, the Lady Mustangs strolled to win the meet with 144 points.
The Mustangs finished second in the boys' side of the meet with 122 points.
Sophomore Jessica Perkins scored 30 to take high point honors. Perkins won the 200-meter run and was second in the long jump in individual competition. She ran on three of the four Forrest City relay teams as well.
West Helena was a distant second with 116 points in the six-team meet.
Chasna House was second in the 1090-meter run while Shianekia Blunt finished third.
Chiklisha McDaniel ran second in the 400-meter run while Glenisha Williams was sixth. Jessica McDaniel was second in the 800-meter run while Shana Burgess was sixth. Sarah Bennett ran sixth in the 1,600-meter.
Senior Deosha Agnew was first in the high jump with Nadia Austin placing fourth. Blunt won the long jump.
Emily Harris was second in both the shot and the discus.
In the relays, Forrest City won the 400-and 800-meter events and placed second in the 1,600-and the 3,200-meter events.
House, Blunt, Perkins and and Melissa Humphrey formed the 400-meter relay team while House, Blunt, Austin and Perkins teamed in the 800.
Blunt, Williams, C. McDaniel and Perkins ran the 1,600 while Bennett, Amanda Renigar, Burgess and Jessica McDaniel ran the 3,200-meter event.
Humphrey won the 110-meter low hurdles.
In the boys' competition, West Helena took the meet win with 130 points.
But it was Forrest City's Daniel Echols who took high point honors.
The Mustangs picked up seven, first-place finishes and added three seconds to the list. The Mustangs won all four relay races.
Ray Dixon claimed a first place finish in the discus and placed second in the shot.
The 3,200-meter relay team (Willie Wade, Jesse Ballard, Kelton Hamlin and Quinton Thomas) ran first as did the 400-meter relay team comprised of Lafayette Smith, Echols, Andrew Embry and Chevelle Wilson.
Smith, Echols, Wilson and Montrell Ashcraft teamed up to win the 800-meter relay while Wade, Ballard, Hamlin and Echols were the winning team in the 1,600-meter relay.
Roosevelt Lattimore was third in the high jump and Donte Nash was fourth in the long jump.
In the sprint races, Smith won the 100-meter dash with Echols running second. Ballard ran first in the 400-meter dash while Wade finished second. Thomas was fourth in the 800-meter run and Lattimore ran fifth. Brian Smith was sixth in the 3,200-meter run.
Justin Jones ran third in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles.
"It was a good meet for us," said Mustang Coach Jeff Hudson. "We still have a couple of guys out with minor injuries, who didn't run, but they should be ready by the time the conference meet comes around."
Etheridge said he was proud of his Lady Mustangs and their effort.
"They stepped up and went out and got an early lead and then they just did what they had to for the win," said Etheridge. "It got a little cold after the sun went down, but the girls stayed in."
Both teams will run at the Blue Devil Relays in West Memphis on Thursday, April 11.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
LITTLE ROCK -- Little Rock Mills got only two hits off Forrest City freshman Stacey Gracey Thursday in girls' AAAAA-East fast pitch softball action at Interstate Park in Little Rock.
But that didn't matter. It was the 12 walks issued by Gracey which led to a 9-6 win for the Lady Comets.
The Mills' win keeps the Lady Mustangs winless in the conference at 0-7 as the team's overall season mark dips to 2-8.
The Lady Mustangs managed only two hits as well off the Lady Comets' pitching, using nine walks to help tally their six runs.
Mills struck for three runs in the bottom of the first inning using one of their two hits and four walks.
Forrest City climbed back into the game in the top of the second with three runs to force a 3-3 tie.
Tyeshia McDaniel, Angela Williams and Whitney Tracey each walked and scored.
Mills broke the tie in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-3 lead before the Lady Mustangs plated two runs to get back within one at 6-5.
Alicia Kennedy and Natalie Nelson both scored for Forrest City in the inning.
Mills added two runs in the bottom of the third to lead 8-5 and then pushed a single run across the plate in the bottom of the fourth for a 9-5 cushion.
The Lady Mustangs used a single run in the top of the fifth by Kennedy to set the final margin.
Forrest City will host Jacksonville Monday for a single varsity game at 5 p.m.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City Mustangs will host Jacksonville's Red Devils today in a AAAAA-East Conference varsity doubleheader at the Sports Complex.
The league matchup begins at 4:30 p.m.
The Mustangs are 3-6 overall for the year and 0-3 in the conference.
In other baseball action, the Hughes Blue Devils lost to Trumann on Thursday to fall to fall to 1-2 for the year.
The Blue Devils, in their first season of baseball, will host Turrell on Tuesday.
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots will host Barton today at 4 p.m. in a conference matchup.
The Patriots are coming off an 11-1 loss to Clarendon on Wednesday.
Jon Busby belted a solo home run in that game for the Patriots.
In girls' softball action Thursday, the Hughes Lady Blue Devils picked up their first win of the year by defeating West Helena.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
BALD KNOB -- Chad Halbert fired a season-best round of 41 Thursday to help lead the Forrest City Mustangs past Bald Knob 179-214 in golf matches at Bald Knob.
Halbert's previous best season finish was a 42, also against Bald Knob earlier in the year.
Sawyer Ramsey and Brian Hacker each finished with 45 while Josh Coleman finished with a 48.
The victory gives the Mustangs a 4-2 overall record with one second-place finish for the year.
The Mustangs have just two more regular season matches remaining before the start of the AAAAA-East Conference tournament on April 16.
In junior varsity play Thursday, Forrest City's John Scott Carroll and Klint Kowen combined to defeat Bald Knob 122-133.
Carroll finished with a 64 while Kowen had a round of 58.
The Forrest City girls team did not play. Bald Knob did not field a girls' golf team this season.
Forrest City will play at Searcy on Monday.