By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Combined, Forrest City Junior High football coaches Stan Siler and Rich Trail have more than 100 players on the practice field.
That's not counting the 20 or so kids standing on the sidelines who have not yet attained physical exams and are not eligible to practice.
Today is their final shot to gain eligibility.
"If they don't get the physicals to us today, it's too late," said Trail, who coaches the Blue Mustang team. "They've had since the first of August to get physicals and get eligible. If they want to play, we want them to play."
Trail has 40 players at practice while Siler, who coaches the White Mustang team, has 60.
"I think this is the most I've had out for junior high football," Siler said recently. "For just a two-person coaching staff (Siler and Sonny Shields) that's a lot of kids."
The Blue and White teams have one more full week of practice time remaining before the short week leading up to the Sept. 5 season opening games.
The Blue Mustangs will host Marianna that Thursday while the White team will travel to Brinkley.
Trail said practice has gone well this week, despite the return of sweltering summer heat.
Trail said his players have done everything he has asked them to do -- especially the ninth graders.
"Corey Embrey, who helped us last year as an eighth-grader is working hard," Trail said. "He knows the game and he has the experience. We lost Ben Wright to a knee injury. Wright started for us last year as an eighth-grader. Marcus Fair and Jimmy Bean have both stepped up and been leaders for us and freshman transfer Preston Echols from West Helena has stepped in and helped us."
Echols is the son of Forrest City native Rodney Echols.
The biggest and best battle in practice right now is between eighth-grader Stephon Weaver and Fair, a freshman for the quarterback job.
"Right now it's tough to say who would be our starter," Trail said. "They are both working hard and both are doing a good job. This is a good problem to have. I would rather have two quarterbacks fighting for one spot than no quarterback at all."
As far as the White team goes, Siler said he has seen the "good and the bad" at practice.
"We have some size," Siler said. "Whether or not we can get the kids to turn that into skill and ability is a question I can't answer right now."
Following Wednesday's scrimmage when the two teams went through controlled offensive and defensive plays against the other, Siler said "his defense played well at times, but still have a lot of work ahead of them."
Keeping with the policy instituted last season, the Blue and White teams will not face each other during the regular season.
"It's better that way since the kids are all on the same campus," Siler said. "It helps ease potential problems that could develop."
The White team is coming off an 0-6-1 season while the Blue Mustangs finished the 2001 season at 5-3.
Late signups for the Forrest City Recreation Department's youth soccer and flag football leagues will begin Monday, Aug. 26 and run through Friday, Aug. 30 at Forrest City City Hall.
The soccer league is for boys, ages 5-15 and girls, ages 5-16.
Late fees are $20 for players living inside the Forrest City city limits and $30 for those living outside the city limits.
Late flag football (ages 7-12) fees are $25 for those living inside the city limits and $30 for those living outside the city limits.
The two leagues will begin play the second week of September as will the adult men's and co-ed fall softball leagues.
The O'Dell McCallum Community Center summer women's basketball league begins play tonight.
The league will play an eight-game season which will run through Oct. 11, for women ages 18-and older.
Games will be played on Friday nights. For more information call Lee Jones at the Boys and Girls' Club (870) 238-2442.
* PREP FOOTBALL HIGH SCHOOL
Forrest City Mustangs
Sept. 6 at Wynne
Sept. 13 Marianna
Sept. 20 Osceola
Sept. 27 at Jonesboro*
Oct. 4 Searcy*
Oct. 11 at Cabot*
Oct. 18 Blytheville*
Oct. 25 Jacksonville*
Nov. 1 at Mountain Home*
Nov. 8 at West Memphis*
Palestine-Wheatley Patriots
Sept. 6 Des Arc
Sept. 13 at Earle*
Sept. 20 at Cross County*
Sept. 27 Rector*
Oct. 4 Walnut Ridge*
Oct. 11 at Hughes*
Oct. 18 Turrell*
Oct. 25 at Parkin*
Nov. 1 Marked Tree*
Nov. 8 at Salem*
Hughes Blue Devils
Sept. 6 at Barton
Sept. 13 Walnut Ridge*
Sept. 20 at Rector*
Sept. 27 Cross County*
Oct. 4 at Salem*
Oct. 11 Palestine-Wheatley*
Oct. 18 Parkin*
Oct. 25 at Earle*
Nov. 1 Turrell*
Nov. 8 at Marked Tree*
JUNIOR HIGH
Thursday, September 5
Marianna at Forrest City Blue, 7 p.m.
Forrest City White at Brinkley, 7 p.m.
Earle at Palestine-Wheatley, 6 p.m.
Thursday, September 12
WMemphis Wonder at Forrest City Blue, 7 p.m.
Forrest City White at Wynne, 7 p.m.
Cross Colunty at Palestine-Wheatley, 6 p.m.