By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The "Professor" returns from his eight-month layoff in September.
The Professor Pigskin Football Contest returns to the Times-Herald sports pages Tuesday, Sept. 2, for its 2003 season run.
Each week, readers will be given the chance to choose the winning football teams from a list of specially selected high school, college and NFL games.
At stake each week is a $50 cash prize, which will be awarded to the person who has the most correct games.
In the event of a tie between two or more entrants, the specifically designated "tie-breaker" game will come into play to help determine a clear winner.
The "tie-breaker" game this year will alternate weekly between the Forrest City and Arkansas Razorback game.
If the Forrest City game is used as the tie-breaker, the Razorback game will be one of the picks and if the Arkansas game is used as the tie-breaker, the Forrest City game will be used as a pick.
Readers will be asked to not only correctly guess the winner of the tie-breaker game but also guess the score of the tie-breaker game.
If the tie-breaker game fails to determine an outright winner, the prize money will be equally divided and the decision of the Professor Pigskin judges will be final.
Each week's list of games will appear in the Tuesday edition of the Times-Herald along with the entry form and the name of the previous week's winner.
All entries must be received and postmarked by noon on the Friday following Tuesday's published list.
For example, all entries for the Sept. 2 Pigskin, will be due by noon on Friday, Sept. 5.
This year, readers are being encouraged to use only the official Pigskin entry form --either the original or a photocopy -- and all entries should be printed or typed clearly.
Any "unreadable" entries will be discarded from that week's contest.
Entries may be dropped off at the Times-Herald main office, located at 222 North Izard, in the outside mailbox or in the "Professor Pigskin" box which will be located on the front desk in the Times-Herald lobby from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The annual Times-Herald football preseason special section will be published on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
After eight days of non-contact drills, the Forrest City Mustangs will finally put on the pads today to begin full contact drills.
Forrest City opens the season at home against Wynne on Sept. 5.
Earlier this week, Forrest City Coach Donnie Willis said his team "is ready to start hitting."
The junor high Mustangs will also put on pads today for the first time.
*First-year Mountain Home head coach Shane Patrick's Bombers practiced twice today as the team went to full pads for the first time.
Patrick is trying to turn the Mountain Home football program around this season after the team finished 1-9 a year ago.
*The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots have been working hard under the lights the past few days, practicing late into the evening.
Fourth-year head coach Terry Farmer has had about 22 players on the field for the first full week of practice, and expects to pick up a few more once schools begins.
The Patriots begin their second full season in the 3AA Conference and are the preseason favorite to finish second behind Hughes.
* The Bismarck Lions won't be playing for the 7AAA championship this year.
If they play at all, coach Jim Meyers said, it will be a junior varsity schedule.
Meyers said his program had declined to just 15 players.
The Lions had about 20 players at the end of last season, he said.
Last spring, Meyers said his school would have 31 or 32 players for the upcoming season.
Six players moved out of the district, four are believed to be transferring to Glen Rose, and the others who left the program ''didn't do what we asked them to do.''
Bismarck is the third school to cancel a varsity program this year, but is the largest. Johnson County Westside and Decatur, both AA schools, canceled their seasons after spring practice.
Registration for the Forrest City Recreation Department's fall softball, youth soccer and youth flag football leagues will continue through Aug. 20.
Youth soccer fees, ages 4-16, are $15 for players living in Forrest City and $25 for players living outside the city.
Individual flag football fees, ages 6-11, are $20 for players living in Forrest City and $25 for players living outside Forrest City.
Team fees for the adult men and co-ed fall softball leagues and the newly-formed 14-under girls' fast pitch league, are $250.
For more information or to sign up, call Forrest City Recreation Director Kenneth Taylor at 633-3667.
Leagues will begin play in September.