By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The East Arkansas Youth Football Association will begin their second full season of play tonight -- with some changes.
Last season, the league fielded six teams and operated independently, playing their games on Saturday afternoons on the Forrest City High School practice field.
This year, the four-team league is playing under the sanction and umbrella of the city's recreation department. All games will be played on Tuesday nights at the sports complex on the outfield of the high school and American Legion field (No. 8).
The first regular season games will be played tonight when the Poneys take on the Razorbacks at 6 p.m. and the Gators take on the Titans at 7 p.m.
The league will play through Oct. 13 and will play the league championship game on Saturday, Oct. 18.
*Sign ups for the youth soccer and flag football continues as well as registration for the adult men's softball, co-ed softball and 14-under girls' fast-pitch league.
Soccer will be played at the complex on Tuesday and Thursday nights while all flag football and 14-under fast-pitch games will be played on Monday.
The adult men will play on Monday and Thursday night while co-ed will play on Tuesday nights.
The city is fielding the 14-under fast-pitch league for the first time with teams from West Memphis, Wynne and Forrest City.
Registration for each of the leagues will continue through the week. For more information about any of the fall leagues, contact Kenneth Taylor at 633-3667.
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.
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.