By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Forrest City Coach Donnie Willis is "still excited about this year's Mustang football team."
Despite the disappointing offensive effort in Friday's 28-7 opening season loss to Wynne.
"Defensively, we played well enough the win the ball game," Willis said. "We shut them (Wynne) down in the second half. We just didn't take advantage of our scoring opportunities. And we made too many mistakes. We gave them too many points."
True enough.
The Yellowjackets scored 21 points off 158 yards and nine first downs in the first half.
In the second half, Forrest City's defense held Wynne to just 50 total yards, four first downs and just seven points.
Unfortunately, the Mustangs couldn't score.
"We used a lot of different players on defense, shuffling them in and out and I think that hurt us," Willis said. "We won't do that again. After breaking down the film, we have our defense narrowed down to about 15 players. Same way on offense, we have narrowed it down."
Willis credited Andrew Embry, Michael Boyd, Antonio Patillo and Kenyatae Chism for their second-half defensive efforts.
"Boyd didn't play in the first half," Willis added. "But he went in the second half and did a great job. And Embry flew to the football all night."
Embry had seven solo tackles in the second half.
Willis said the Forrest City turnover and Wynne touchdown just before the half that left the Mustangs trailing 21-7, was the difference in the game.
"That turnover and score just killed our momentum," Willis said. "We felt good about being down only 13-7 at the half but when we gave them the score and went in down 21-7, we never recovered."
To make matters worse, the Mustangs turned the ball over on the first possession of the second half and Wynne capitalized again, to extend their lead to 28-7.
In the third quarter, the Mustangs managed just six yards -- four yards by Lafayette Smith and two by Daniel Echols. The Mustangs had 20 yards total in the fourth quarter.
"There aren't any excuses for our offensive effort," Willis said. "We just didn't make the plays and it cost us. But we can't and we won't give up. There are nine more games to be played and we will start over again Friday against Marianna."
That game will be played at Sam Smith Stadium, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
*The Mustang junior varsity opened its schedule Monday night by hosting Wynne.
Touchdowns by Chism, Terrence Ware and Larry Bean gave the JV Mustangs a 20-14 win.
Tied at 14-14 with five minutes to play, Forrest City blocked a punt and scored what turned out to be the winning points.
Bean had the biggst run of the night, a 65-yard TD run.
The JV team will host Brinkley on Monday, Sept. 16, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Arkansas Concrete men's softball team won the New South Class E USSSA National Tournament championship Saturday, Aug. 31, at Sherwood's Kevin McReynolds Complex.
The tournament featured 19 teams from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri.
Arkansas Concrete won the championship with a 6-5 win over the Replacements, a Missouri team, in the finals after rolling through the winner's bracket undefeated -- outscoring their first four opponents 37-to-20.
Concrete trailed in the final 5-3 going into the bottom of the seventh inning. The team plated three runs to take the come-from-behind win.
Arkansas Concrete committed only four errors in the tournament and turned eight double plays.
The All-Tournament team included Concrete players Chad Sanders, Tommy Halbert, Todd Coleman, Jim Shafer and Stacy Shafer. The tournament MVP was Michael Pickens.
The Concrete team is sponsored by Tommy and Brad Devasier.
CONWAY -- The Forrest City Mustang Cross County team finished 13th in their season opening competition Saturday at Hendrix College in Conway.
The Mustangs joined 128 runners from several high school across the state in the meet hosted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
In the 2.5 mile girls' course, Forrest City's best performaces were by sophomore Betsy Stone (23:55); sophomore Tasha Batt (24:33); freshman LeAnna Taylor (24:47); senior Sara Bennett (25:02) and sophomore Krystal Long (26:36).
"I was pleased with the first time effort," Forrest City Coach Lewis Etheridge said. "We competed well and the kids competed hard."
The Mustangs will run next on Sept. 21
The Young Guns edged Section 8 Youth Monday night as the men's fall softball league got under way at the Sports Complex.
The Young Guns scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to secure the win after trailing 7-5.
In other games, M&T Paving pounded Wynne Sports World 12-2; Miller Insurance edged Morgan 13-12 and Gym 2000 crushed Marion Performance 16-5.
*The fall co-ed league gets under way tonight when Butler Building takes on Boar's Head at 7 p.m. and T. Rodgers Construction goes against Wynne Cinema at 8 p.m.
*The Forrest City youth flag football six-team league begins on Monday, Sept. 23 while the youth soccer program begins Tuesday, Sept. 24.
The Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame will induct its third class during ceremonies to be held on Friday, Sept. 20.
Former Lincoln High School standouts Eugene Rooks, Wallace Purifoy and Maxine Kennedy will be inducted into the hall along with former Forrest City athletes Ray Trail, Richard Trail, Jim Finch, Harvey Hampton, Stan Winfrey and Carter Ray Crawford.
* CITY LEAGUES
MEN'S FALL SOFTBALL
Monday's Scores
Young Guns 8, Section 8 Youth 7
M&T Paving 12, Wynne Sports World 1
Miller Insurance 13, Morgan 12
Gym 2000 16, Marion Performance 5
CO-ED LEAGUE
Tuesday, September 10
Butler Building vs Boar's Head, 7 p.m. F3
T. Rodgers Const. vs Wynne Cinema, 8 p.m.
FLAG FOOTBALL
Monday, September 23
Vikings vs Tigers, 6 p.m. F8
Bears vs Lions, 7 p.m. F8
Razorbacks vs Indians, 8 p.m. F8
YOUTH SOCCER
Tuesday, September 24
Tigers vs Rockets, 9-under, 6 p.m. F4&1
Grizzlies vs Iguanas, 10-13, 6 p.m. F2
Bullets vs Sting, 9-under, 7:15 p.m. F4&1
Flames vs Thrashers, 10-13, 7:15 p.m. F2
YOUTH FOOTBALL
East Arkansas Youth Football
Saturday, September 14 at Sam Smith Stadium
Caldwell Gators vs FCity Ponys, 3 p.m.
FC Steelers vs FC Razorbacks, 4:30 p.m.