By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The roots for brothers, Richard and Ray Trail and Jim Finch run deep in Forrest City.
The Trails, along with Finch, helped carry the Forrest City name to the hills of Fayetteville where each enjoyed an outstanding football career with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
On Friday, the three former athletes will be inducted into the 2002 Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame.
Finch and Richard Trail both played on the 1964 Arkansas team which won the national championship.
While Ray Trail graduated the year before the national championship team, he is the only one of the trio and maybe the only Hall of Fame inductee to have his own day.
"Back in 1964, in February, I think, the city named a day after me. They called it 'Ray Trail Day in Forrest City,'" Trail said. "And at that time, I thought that was a momentous occasion for me."
He still has the plaque, which chronicles his career with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
A 1959 Forrest City High School graduate, Ray Trail earned All District and All State honors during his senior year and played in the East-West All-Star Game, being named the East team captain.
At Forrest City, he was coached by fellow Hall of Fame member, James Devazier.
He played for Frank Broyles and the Razorbacks from '59 until 1963, the year before Arkansas won the national title.
"That's okay," Trail said. "Our group laid the foundation for that. They wouldn't have done it without our class."
He was captain and was voted the most valuable lineman in the old Southwest Conference during his senior season.
His fondest memory about his Razorback days was the Texas game played in Austin.
"It was about 100 and something degrees and I think I lost about 18 pounds," Trail said. "Texas jumped out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and I remember thinking, 'my gosh, they are going to run us out of the stadium.' Coach Broyles told us to simply 'stick to our knittin and not get shaken up or out of our game-plan.' We ended up winning the ball game 24-23 on a last-second field goal."
While at Arkansas, Trail played against some of the best players in the nation, including Leroy Jordan and Bob Lilly.
"More than anything else, it wasn't about how great the games or the seasons were but it was about the relationships and the experiences with the other football players," Trail said. "I think back about playing with Lance Alworth and Wayne Harris and others and these people stand out in my mind."
Trail wasn't big enough to get to the NFL , which at that time, had only 12 teams.
His playing weight at Arkansas, where he lined up at middle linebacker and offensive guard, was 219 pounds.
"We weren't big, but we were the quickest on the field getting 11 guys to the football," Trail said. "We prided ourselves on that. People tell me now that I couldn't play the game by today's standards. I tell them 'they got it wrong, the guys playing today couldn't play when I did. The big fat lineman couldn't get up field to cover kickoffs or punts and play every down."
After graduation, he coached half a year at Pocahontas High School to fill in.
"They didn't have a coach and it already August and they asked me to fill in and I did," Trail said. "I had no desire whatsoever to coach high school football."
Then it was off to the University of Tennessee where he served as offensive coordinator for the Volunteers until 1977, when he left coaching to enter private business in the Knoxville area, where he still resides.
The election to the Hall of Fame came as a surprise to Trail.
"It caught me off guard, to be honest with you," Trail said. "Any time you get an honor it always comes as a shock and a surprise. I was in Forrest City recently and was able to tour the new facilities and of course I knew about the Hall of Fame, but I never thought I would be there. I've been gone from Forrest City for so long."
The induction of Ray's brother, Richard, makes Friday's induction even more special.
Richard passed away in 1984.
"It makes the hair on my neck stand out when I think about being inducted along with my brother," Ray Trail said. "I wish he could be here and share this with me and our older brother Billy. It's a tremendous honor for the Trail family. When we walk out onto Sam Smith field at halftime Friday, it will bring back a flood of memories. I know that. We didn't have the facilities that the kids in Forrest City have now, but what we had was special."
When asked about his loyalties regarding Arkansas and Tennessee, Trail is ever the diplomat.
"When they play each other, I'm for Arkansas," Trail said. "Arkansas is my school and I'm always for them when they play. And I guess the rest of the time when Tennessee plays I'm for Tennessee."
*Like Ray Trail, Jim Finch played for Forrest City football coaches James Devazier and Max Graham and for basketball coach Ed Henderson.
"Devazier always got more out of us as athletes that we thought we had to give," Finch said.
At Forrest City, Finch played alongside Sonny Holmes and Elmer B. Lindsey and Jim Lindsey.
Finch graduated from Forrest City in 1961 after being a three-year letterman in both football and basketball.
In football, Finch was voted All District and All-State and the Outstanding Lineman during his senior year.
He went to Arkansas on a football scholarship and lettered three years, playing in the Sugar Bowl and the Cotton Bowl, in 1964, where the Razorbacks defeated Nebraska 10-7 to win the national title.
That Razorback national championship team also included Ken Hatfield, Jerry Jones, Jimmy Johnson, Richard Trail and current Forrest City Athletic Director Michael Bender.
Following graduation from Arkansas, Finch sidestepped a possible professional football career in the NFL to return to Forrest City.
"I came back to Forrest City and went into business with my father and I have been very happy since," Finch said. "I don't have any regrets whatsoever."
Finch spoke softly when asked about being voted into the Hall of Fame.
"I though I was very fortunate to be included with this group of inductees," Finch said. "Some of these guys you talk about in a low tone. To have your name included with names like Trail, Holmes, Kessinger, Lindsey and others, is an honor in itself. If I had to rate where I fit in with these guys it would more than likely be a one on a scale to 10. I'm just happy to be here."
*Richard Trail's legacy lives on at Forrest City High School.
His son, Rich, is in his second season as a football coach and his brother Billy's son, Rusty, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.
Richard Trail graduated from Forrest City High School in 1962, where he competed in football, basketball and ran track.
He lettered in track during his freshman and sophomore years with the Mustangs and was the starting forward for the Mustang basketball team from ninth grade through his senior year.
In football, he was the starting tight end and like his brother, Ray, Richard was named All-District and All-State and was awarded a full football scholarship to the University of Arkansas, where he went on to letter three years as a tight end.
Following his senior season, which produced the 1964 Arkansas Razorback national championship football team, Richard was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. He attended the team's training camp but opted to return to Fayetteville to pursue his degree.
While there for the second time, Trail coached the Razorback freshman team.
From there, Trail continued his coaching career at the University of Memphis, Virginia Tech University and Vanderbilt, where he was offensive coordinator.
While at Memphis, he coached an All-American and several players who went on to prominent pro careers.
Trail retired from coaching in 1977 and returned to Forrest City to farm, an occupation he kept until his death in 1984.
* LOCAL SPORTSMEN'S FALL SOFTBALL
Thursday, September 19
Gym 2000 vs Morgan, 6 p.m. F3
Barnes Timber vs Wynne Sports World, 7 p.m.
Young Guns vs Miller Insurance, 8 p.m.
Marion Performance vs M&T Paving, 9 p.m.
JUNIOR HIGH FOOTBALL
Thursday, September 19
Hughes at Cross County, 7 p.m.
Jonesboro McArthur at FCity White, 7 p.m.
Palestine-Wheatley at Rector, 7 p.m.
Forrest City Blue at Jboro Annie Camp, 7 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
Thursday, September 19
Forrest City at Marianna
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Friday, September 20
Osceola at Forrest City
Palestine-Wheatley at Cross County
Hughes at Rector
LR Central at cabot
Jacksonville at Sylvan Hills
Searcy at Russellville
Jonesboro at Greene County Tech
Stuttgart at Marianna
Batesville at Morrilton
Wynne at Newport
Paragould at Trumann
Marion at EPC
Brinkley at Rivercrest
Earle at Marked Tree
Salem at parkin
Walnut Ridge at Turrell
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
* FORREST CITY HS2002
MUSTANG SCHEDULE
Lost to Wynne 28-7
Defeated Marianna 41-6
Sept. 20 - Osceola at FCity
Sept. 27 - FCity at Jonesboro
Oct. 4 - Searcy at FCity
Oct, 11 - FCity at Cabot
Oct. 18 - Blytheville at FCity
Oct. 25 - Jacksonville at FCity
Nov. 1 - FCity at Mountain Home
Nov. 8 - FCity at West Memphis
* YOUTH FOOTBALL
East Arkansas Youth Football Association
Saturday, September 21
FCity Razorbacks vs FCity Ponys, 3 p.m.
Caldwell Gators vs FCity Steelers, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 28
FCity Razorbacks vs Caldwell Gators, 3 p.m.
FCity ponys vs FCity Steelers, 4:30 p.m.