By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
If success can be measured by the number of people in attendance at Tuesday night's Evening of Challenge banquet, then the event would surely qualify as a huge success.
"I couldn't be happier," said Forrest City optometrist Dr. Dale Morris, who served as master of ceremonies for the event. "It was a tremendous success."
The Fellowship of Christian Athlete's sponsored banquet drew a crowd of 300 to the Forrest City Civic Center to meet and hear NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr, the featured speaker for the evening.
The banquet was a combined effort by the nine-county East Arkansas FCA to help establish and fund an FCA office in this area which would serve the nine counties -- St. Francis, Cross, Arkansas, Crittenden, Lee, Monroe, Phillips, Prairie and Woodruff.
All nine counties were represented at the banquet.
Morris used his time at the podium to challenge each person to pray about the much-needed office and staff person and then challenged everyone to help financially through pledges.
David Parker, director of development for the North Central and East Arkansas FCA, said the goal is to have the office open by Aug. 1.
"God has prepared this area," Parker said. I believe that. What we hope to have is about $80,000 before we commit to hiring a staff person for this area. We would like to have that amount pledged by June 1. We are not going to offer anyone a staff position here until we have the funds committed."
The office and the staff person would service the nine-county FCA area.
T. Ray Grandstaff, senior vice president of field ministry for FCA and an Arkansas native, said it was very exciting to see the support in this area for FCA.
"In years to come we will look back in retrospect and see tonight as one of those markers in the history of eastern Arkansas that will benefit the kids and the coaches in this area," Grandstaff said.
Grandstaff said nationally, there are 400,000 athletes involved in weekly FCA-led Bible studies with 1.2 million volunteers..."just like people here tonight, supporting those athletes and coaches."
Before Starr took the podium, former Wynne athlete and graduate Marlon Banks spoke briefly about how FCA has helped change his life and direction.
Banks, now a senior at Lyon College, was introduced by Wynne Basketball Coach Bobby Gross, who said it had been "a privilege to coach someone like Banks.
"Marlon is one of the finest young men I know," Gross said. "I have a new nine-month old son and my hope is that my son would grow up to be like Marlon."
Starr, who won five world championships in 15 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, issued a challenge of his own to the crowd.
"I want to encourage and challenge each one of you to be a part of doing something that has never before been done in this area," Starr said. "Helping to establish an FCA office. That will take courage, commitment and discipline. Always relentlessly chase perfection, as Coach Vince Lombardi used to tell us. You probably won't catch it but enjoy the chase and don't just settle for being great...be outstanding in whatever you choose to do."
Ken Hatfield, former Arkansas Razorback coach and current Rice University coach spoke about his involvement through the years with FCA during a videotape presentation.
Hatfield, who was invited to attend the banquet, could not attend due to his Owls football team being involved in spring football practices.
Finally, Forrest City businessman Bill Baxter offered an in depth view about the FCA in the nine-county area, saying there are more than 35,000 students in more than 30 schools in the nine counties who can be served by FCA volunteers and an FCA office in this area.
"FCA offers hope and since most of these kids are unchurched, we need to do whatever we can to provide that hope," Baxter said.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
It's been a while.
The Forrest City Lady Mustangs snapped an eight-game slide Tuesday and took out some of the frustrations associated with a losing streak, by pounding Brinkley 17-7 at the Sports Complex.
The win offsets a 13-2 loss to Brinkley earlier in the season.
Kanetra Pendleton led the Forrest City offense by scoring four runs on one hit, two walks and an error.
Alicia Kennedy scored three runs as did Tyeshia McDaniel while Kimberly Hoots scored twice.
Stacey Gracey picked up the pitching victory, giving up the seven Brinkley runs on just three hits.
Brinkley got a run in the first and four in the second inning to lead 5-4 before Forrest City plated two runs in the bottom of the second and two runs in the bottom of the third to lead 8-5. They went on to add a single run in the fourth, four runs in the fifth and four in the sixth to post the victory.
The Lady Mustangs improve to 4-15 for the year. Tuesday's game was a nonconference matchup.
Forrest City will jump back into conference play on Thursday when they host Blytheville in AAAAA-East action.
Forrest City defeated Blytheville in the second game of the season.
Against Brinkley, the Lady Mustangs scored their 17 runs on nine hits and took advantage of 11 walks and six Brinkley errors.
The annual Razorback Rally will be held Wednesday, April 16, at the Forrest City Civic Center.
University of Arkansas football coach Houston Nutt will be the featured speaker at this year's Rally, once again sponsored by the East Central Arkansas Razorback Club.
Former Forrest City Coach Harold Horton and former UA Razorback baseball coach Norm DeBriyn will be at the Rally as well.
Tickets are available now from several local merchants and are $15 for adults and $7.50 for kids ages 12 and under.
The rally will begin with a social hour at 6 p.m. and a catered dinner will be served at 7 p.m.
The West Memphis High School Blue Devils baseball team improved its record to 4-9 on the season by defeating the Forrest City Mustangs 9-5 Tuesday at Tilden Rogers Park.
The Mustangs remain in the midst of a winless season, dipping to 0-13 following Tuesday's loss.
For a time, it appeared things might turn around when the Mustangs scored two runs in the first inning when the Blue Devils committed two crucial errors in the field.
West Memphis cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first when David Neal was hit by a pitch.
Chris Oswalt singled to put runners on first and second. Tom Duck then hit into a force play at second and Neal scored to cut the Mustang lead to 2-1.
Forrest City scored two more runs in the second inning and held the Blue Devils scoreless to push their lead to 4-1 before adding their fifth and final run in the top of the fourth to lead the Blue Devils 5-1.
That changed in the West Memphis fourth when the Blue Devils exploded for seven runs in their turn at bat.
West Memphis closed out the scoring in the sixth.
West Memphis also won the junior varsity game 8-3 over Forrest City.
The Mustangs will travel to Searcy Friday.
MARION -- The Forrest City Mustang golf team couldn't repeat their efforts from last week in Tuesday's match at Marion.
Last Thursday, the Mustangs defeated Marion on their home course. Tuesday, Marion returned the favor in a nonconference trimatch against Forrest City and Paragould, winning 186 to Paragould's 190 and Forrest City's 196.
Marion's Blake Henry fired a 39 in what all three coaches described as "terrible playing conditions," to take home the medalist honors.
Brian Hacker led Forrest City with a 45 while Sawyer Ramsey and Jake Wade both shot a 49 for the day. John Scott Carroll finished with a 53.
Paragould won the JV match with a 111 while Marion finished at 125 and Forrest City 129. Doug and T.J. Drake shot a 60 and a 69 respectively.
Paige Poteet was the only girl on the course for the Mustangs. She finished with a 67.