By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
MOUNTAIN HOME -- As expected the Forrest City Mustangs took care of business Friday night and put themselves in line for a shot a finishing the season with a .500 record.
The Mustangs got a 100-yard rushing performance from sophomore fullback Larry Bean which helped pave the way for a 24-12 win over the Bombers in the first-ever matchup between the two schools.
The victory leaves the Mustangs at 4-5 overall for the season and 2-4 in the AAAAA-East with one game remaining to be played -- a Friday date with West Memphis.
The Mustangs could finish 5-5 with a win over the Blue Devils, who along with Cabot, are currently leading the AAAAA-East.
West Memphis defeated Jacksonville 21-7 on Friday while Cabot stunned Jonesboro 31-6.
With the game-time temperatures hovering in the mid 30s, the Mustangs used a big first half to take control of the game and appeared to be on their way to a blow out win at the half.
By the break, the Mustangs led 18-0 and had piled up 213 total yards -- all on the ground while holding the Bombers to just 43 yards. Forrest City chewed up 124 of the 213 yards in the first quarter. The Mustangs finished with 286 total yards for the game while Mountain Home finally got untracked in the second half for 130 rushing yards and 89 yards through the air.
Junior running back Goldie Hicks put the Mustangs on the board in the first quarter with 7:28 to play when he broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run off a reverse to cap an 81-yard drive by the Mustangs.
The extra point kick by Marico Beech failed leaving the Mustangs up 6-0.
Following a Mountain Home fumble, the Mustangs made it a 12-0 lead when Kenyatae Chism scored on a 33-yard run with exactly two minutes left in the first quarter. Chism's two-point conversion failed but the Mustangs led 12-0 to start the second quarter.
The Bombers ran just six offensive plays in the entire first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, it was the Mustangs who fumbled and the Bombers made the recovery. After picking up a first down, the Bombers ran into a stiff Mustang defense when they were stopped short on a fourth and one try.
Forrest City took over at their own 35 and Bean made it 18-0, scoring on a 3-yard run with 1:47 to play in the first half. The two-point failed.
During the third quarter, the stadium clocks went haywire as almost did the Mustangs game plan.
Mountain Home drove to the Forrest City 10 with 3:23 to play and were facing a fourth and five when the Mustangs were flagged for being off-sides. The Bombers came up a foot short of the first down on the penalty and on the next play drew the penalty call moving the ball back to the original fourth down spot. The Mustang defense held and took over the football on downs.
The Bombers caught a break on the next possession when the Mustangs fumbled at their own 10 which set up a Mountain Home touchdown run by Brian Barnett. The two-point try failed but the Mustangs lead had been sliced to 18-6 to start the final quarter.
The Mustangs recovered an on-sides kick attempt by the Bombers and then used a good run by Andre Johnson off a fake punt to move to the Bomber 43 yard line.
Andrew Embry picked up a first down and then Devin McLaurin rambled to the 19. A late hit penalty against Mountain Home moved the ball to the 10.
After two Forrest City running plays went nowhere and facing a third and 10, Bean took over and scored his second touchdown of the night, running 10 yards and breaking no less than five tackles along the way with 6:54 to play in the game. The two-point try failed but the Mustangs had padded their lead to 24-6.
The Bombers added a late touchdown pass and even recovered an on-sides kick, but the game belonged to the Mustangs.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
PALESTINE -- The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots couldn't get past Marked Tree Friday, but still have a chance at making the playoffs.
Anquion Williams scored three times and rushed for 181 yards as Marked Tree remained unbeaten in 3AA conference football Friday with a 35-22 win over Palestine-Wheatley.
Earle defeated Salem Friday night, which is what the Patriots needed. Palestine-Wheatley stands at 4-4 in the 3AA Conference while Salem is 5-3. The two close out the season Friday at Salem.
The math is simple -- A Patriot win over Salem gives P-W the fourth playoff spot and a likely first-round playoff date against Harding Academy. A loss to Salem leaves the Patriots at home and Salem in the playoffs.
Brandon Roberts led the Patriots with 14 carries for 53 yards.
Williams started Marked Tree (8-1, 8-0 3AA) with a 19-yard touchdown run, giving the Indians a 7-0 lead with 9:01 left in the first quarter.
Williams scored for the second time in the third quarter on a four-yard run with 5:55 left. Williams third scoring effort, a three-yard touchdown run with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter, put Marked Tree up 35-14.
Marked Tree's Kelsey Snow had 11 carries for 134 yards and scored once. Snow's 40-yard touchdown run came with 11:17 left in the second quarter to give the Indians an early 14-0 lead.
Quarterback Sugar Ray Jones completed 2-of-6 passes for 44 yards and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Russell Gray in the second quarter with 26 seconds left. Jones also rushed for 90 yards on six carries.
*HUGHES -- Antonio Collins had six carries for 107 yards and scored twice as Hughes whipped Turrell 68-6 Friday in 3AA conference high school football.
Hughes (8-1, 8-0 3AA) remains in a tie with Marked Tree for the conference lead in the 3AA.
The two teams, who have both qualified for the playoffs, will square off Friday night at Marked Tree, and not Thursday as has been reported earlier. Kick off is set for 7:30 p.m.
The winner will wear the conference championship crown and carry the top seed into the playoffs. Both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeded teams from the 3AA will host first-round games.
The Blue Devils, who have scored 242 points in their last four games, went up 41-6 in the first quarter and never looked back as they shut out Turrell (0-9, 0-8 3AA) in the next three quarters.
Jermaine Davis scored twice for Hughes and cam through with an interception.
Ayodele Ogunsakin, Jamal Tiggs, Eugene Gilleyen and Andre Walker all scored touchdown runs for the Blue Devils.
WYNNE -- Most people who enter their first marathon hope to simply finish the race. Japheth Koech not only finished his first marathon, he won it and nearly set a new course record.
Koech, along with over 400 other participants, competed in the fourth annual Mid-South Championship Marathon held Saturday in Wynne.
The 23-year old native of Kenya finished with a time of 2:30:29.26, only 30 seconds off the course record and nearly eight minutes faster than second-place finisher Lance Winders.
Koech, who attends the University of Alabama, had entered only two half-marathons coming into Saturday's race.
"This was my first marathon and I'm happy about it," Koech said after the race.
The Mid-South Championship Marathon is a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon. The racers ran a 26.2 mile course with the start and finish at the Wynne high school track.
There were 430 runners from 27 states registered for the event. The field included a three wheelchair entrants who were cthe first to do so in the four-year-old marathon.
Winders finished with a time of 2:38:23.75 to earn his second-place finish while Chris Crawford, who won last year's event, finished third with a time of 2:42:29.75.
The Midsouth Marathon has enjoyed steady growth each year, according to Race Director David Reagler.
Runners were given the option of running either the full 26.2 mile marathon or the 13.1 mile half marathon.
Becky Lowrance of Branson, Mo., was the top female finisher in the full marathon event with a time of 3:14:34.48.
Terry Blackwell of New Orleans was the top finisher in the men's wheelchair race while Lee Hoffman of St. Louis and Angela McCall of Allen, Texas, took top honors, respectively, in the men's and women's marathon division for walkers.
Mel Painter of Jonesboro won the men's half marathon run while Ginger Harper of Heber Springs was the top female finisher.
Terry Horn of Aleppo, Pa., won the men's half marathonwalk for the men while Nancy Sido of St. Louis was the women's winner.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City Blue Mustangs ended their year with a spectacular victory over previously unbeaten Wynne last Thursday at Sam Smith Stadium.
The Blue Mustangs finished the season at 6-2 overall by holding off Wynne in a defensive struggle 8-6.
"It was a great win for these kids," said Blue Coach Rich Trail. "These kids have worked too hard this year to let a close one get away. Our offense played well and our entire defensive unit should be credited for the job they did, especially in the second half."
Wynne struck first after Forrest City failed to keep their opening possession going and punted the ball.
Putting together a good offensive series, Wynne scored but missed the extra point try to lead 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The Blue Mustangs were hit with a barrage of penalties in the second quarter, but managed to put themselves into a scoring position just before the half when freshman quarterback Marcus Fair found Chris Barrett for a long pass play to the Wynne 30.
Running back Cory Embry carried the Blue Mustangs closer before Forrest City made the play of the game.
On a called pass play with Larry Bean as the intended receiver, Fair found himself bottled up by the Wynne defense and began to scramble to his left. Bean, who was also fighting off Wynne defensive pressure, also moved to his left. As if linked, Fair and Bean worked together to complete the throw and catch which ended in the endzone for a Forrest City touchdown.
Embry converted the two-point try and the Blue Mustangs led 8-6 at the half.
The Blue Mustangs moved inside the Wynne 20 several times in the second half but couldn't get into the endzone.
With less than five minutes left in the game, Forrest City fumbled, giving Wynne one final chance. But Forrest City's Stephon Weaver came away with a big interception on a Wynne fourth down pass which sealed the game for the Mustangs.
"That was a tremendous play to cap a heck of a ball game," Trail said.
In other games played Thursday, the Forrest City White Mustangs ended their season with a 20-14 win over Blytheville.
The White Mustangs finish the year at 4-4.
The Forrest City junior varsity Mustangs will end their season schedule tonight when they play at Jonesboro.
The JV Mustangs are 4-0-1 on the year. Tonight's game will kick off at 6:30 p.m.
* LOCAL SPORTS
MEN'S FALL SOFTBALL
Thursday's Scores
Gym 2000 defeated Section *
Barnes defeated MIller Insurance
Morgan defeated Wynne
Young Guns defeated Marion
Monday, November 4
Wynne vs Marion, 6 p.m.
Young Guns vs M&T Paving, 7 p.m.
Section 8 Youth vs Miller Ins., 8 p.m.
Gym 2000 vs Barnes Timber, 9 p.m.
JUNIOR HIGH FOOTBALL
Thursday's Scores
Salem at Palestine-Wheatley
Forrest City Blue 8, Wynne 6
FCity White 20, Blytheville 14