By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Football, trucks and just havin' fun.
That's the way Palestine-Wheatley Football Coach Terry Farmer remembers Kenneth Edward Long, "Kenny" to those who knew him.
Long, who would have been the starting senior nose tackle for the Patriots this season, was killed in June, when his pickup truck struck a tractor-trailer rig on St. Francis County Road 107, just six miles north of Palestine.
A passenger in the truck, Josh Flowers, was seriously injured in the accident.
Tonight, preceding the Patriots' home game against Rector, Long's No. 64 jersey will be retired in what is certain to be an emotional ceremony for all who knew the young man.
It is the first high school football jersey to be retired.
Former P-W basketball standout Erica Smith had her jersey retired two years ago and the Junior Patriots retired Jimmy Parker's jersey several years ago.
The ceremonies will begin at approximately 7 p.m., at Patriot Field.
A year ago, as a junior, Long led the Patriots in solo tackles and Farmer said Long had the ability to be the best lineman in the conference this season.
In one game last year, Long recorded 17 unassisted tackles.
At 6-3 and 230 pounds, Long certainly had the size to live up to those expectations.
"That's my opinion," Farmer said. "When he first came out, you knew right away he wasn't Mr. School and football was the way he excelled. He was a fighter on the field. We miss his presence at nose guard this year. he knew how to fill the holes and most of the time he filled more than one hole on defense."
Long began playing football in the eighth grade under former Palestine-Wheatley Junior High Coach Charles "Bubba" McCain and then for Dan Cockrell, who now coaches the team.
"Kenny was a wild man on defense," Cockrell remembered. "And I mean that in the nicest way possible. He loved to hit and he loved the game. He was just a great kid to be around...straight forward and honest. He didn't fool around when he was working on his football skills."
Farmer and the Patriots aren't the only ones who miss Long on the football field.
His father, Sammy said going to the games this season is tough.
"It's not the same," Sammy Long said, fighting to hold back tears. "I see the players wearing the No. 64 arm bands and it's tough to see that."
Tonight's ceremony retiring his son's jersey will be even tougher.
"I'm gonna get through it the best I can," Long said.
Long recalled the day of the accident.
"Kenny had worked at the shop (Long's Truck Service) that day and he and Josh were going to go jet skiing," Long said. "I was in Louisiana helping a friend of mine move. They were on the way home from the lake when the accident happened. The authorities ruled that low visibility was a contributing factor, since a portion of the road is dirt and that day the dust was thick."
While the emptiness is overwhelming at times, Long's eyes light up when he thinks about the good times.
"He was just a typical teenager," Long said. "He liked to run around with his friends and he liked to spend time with his girl friend. Mostly though, he liked to aggravate me and he was very good at it."
Long's younger sister, Katie, is a student at Palestine-Wheatley Junior High.
He was a cousin to Josh Jason and Jessica Long, all of Forrest City.
Josh and Jason played both baseball and football for the Forrest City Mustangs while Jessica is a member of the volleyball, softball and cheerleading squads.
"He liked everyone and everyone liked him," Long
said. "It's an honor for the school to retire his jersey
tonight. It will be a special moment for his family and his friends."
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
BLYTHEVILLE -- Cory Embry scored all 20 points Thursday night to lead the Forrest City Blue Mustangs past Blytheville 20-0 in AAAAA-East Conference play.
Forrest City improves to 3-1 overall and 2-1 in the conference. Blytheville falls to 1-3 overall.
"I'm glad to get that game behind us," said Blue Mustang Coach Rich Trail. "I thought our defensive line played hard and well all night long. Blytheville never really got close."
Trail credited the effort of linemen Ben Wright and Richard Flenoy, both returning from injuries, as well as Dennis Carter, Ronnie Armstrong, Jimmy Bean, Matt Vaccaro, Justin Futrell, Justin Walker, Michael Alston, John Washington, Stephon Weaver, Marcus Fair and Kelvin Williams for their play on both sides of the football.
Forrest City led 14-0 after one quarter which held through the half. Embry intercepted a pass in the third quarter and returned it for the final Forrest City score.
Forrest City has an open date next week.
WMemphis West 34,
FC White Mustangs 14
West Memphis West rolled to 4-0 for the year and stayed in a tie for first place in the conference standings with Jonesboro Annie Camp with a 34-14 win over Forrest City White Thursday at Sam Smith.
West led 28-0 at the half and pushed their lead to 34-0 early in the third quarter.
The White Mustangs, playing without the services of several suspended players, got on the board with 1:15 to play in the third third when Travis Holloway ran 23 yards for the score. Lamar Isom added the two-point conversion to trail 34-8.
Otha Hall scored from a yard out with 1:07 left in the game after Forrest City recovered a West fumble at their own 26.
Forrest City falls to 1-3 for the year and will play at Annie Camp next Thursday.
Marked Tree 24,
Cross County 22
Brian Coleman scored on a 13-yard run with 3 seconds to play and sprinted in with the two-point conversion to give Marked Tree a 24-22 comeback victory over Cross County Thursday in junior high football.
Coleman finished with 172 yards on 21 carries while Patrick Powell gained 120 yards on 11 totes for the Indians (4-0).
Powell's 81-yard touchdown run gave Marked Tree an 8-0 lead after William Ruthven's two-point run early in the first quarter of the seesaw contest.
Cross County battled back to tie the game 8-8 in the first quarter on John Jennings' 35-yard run.
Jennings finished with 98 yards on seven carries for the Thunderbirds (3-1).
Marked Tree tied the game at 16-16 with 4:57 left in the third quarter before Cross County jumped back on top 22-16 with 2:55 left in the game on Dylan Karnes' 4-yard TD pass to Mike Jones but the Indian defense stuffed Jennings on the two-point run.
JB Annie Camp 46,
WMemphis East 0
Cody Pace and Damron Thomas each rushed for over 100 yards and scored two touchdowns as Annie Camp rolled to a 46-0 victory over West Memphis East Thursday in junior high football.
Pace finished with 163 yards on five carries, Thomas had 114 on five totes and John Williams added 72 on seven carries for the Whirlwinds (4-0, 2-0 AAAAA-East).
Annie Camp will host Forrest City White next week.
Mountain Home 27, JBoro MacArthur 7
Mountain Home built a 20-7 halftime lead, then halted MacArthur's opening drive of the second half at the one-yard line before pulling away to a 27-7 win Thursday in junior high football at Cooksey-Johns Field.
McArthur drops to 0-4 for the season.
Walnut Ridge 40,
Palestine-Wheatley 6
At Walnut Ridge, Adam Hufstedler rushed for 190 yards on 18 carries and had three touchdowns on the ground and tossed another to lift Walnut Ridge to a 40-6 junior high football victory over Palestine-Wheatley Thursday.
"They (Walnut Ridge) were big, strong and fast," said P-W Coach Dan Cochrell. "We are young this year but trust me, we haven't been losing to bad junior high football teams. This is a strong conference."
Walnut Ridge led 16-6 at the half and scored twice in the third quarter for a 32-6 lead.
Adam Kennedy accounted for Palestine-Wheatley's lone touchdown in the first half.
The Junior Patriots fall to 1-3 for the year.
Palestine-Wheatley will host Hughes next Thursday.