By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
High school football in late August is becoming an Arkansas tradition. Especially multi-team jamborees.
That's because high school football teams are starting summer practice sessions a little earlier than they used to and that's because school terms are starting earlier than they used to.
The Forrest City Mustangs will host the West Helena Cougars next Tuesday (Aug. 26) at 6 p.m., at Sam Smith Stadium for what Head Coach Donnie Willis describes as a "tightly controlled scrimmage."
Willis said the scrimmage gives the coaching staff a chance to look at a lot of different players in different roles in different situations.
It is the third straight year that Forrest City and West Helena have met in preseason. The last regular season meeting between the two schools was in 1995, a 14-13 game won by the Cougars.
Last year, the Mustangs went to West Helena to play the Cougars and the Brinkley Tigers in a three-team scrimmage. Forrest City shut out both teams, winning 7-0 and 13-0.
In 2000, the Mustangs participated in a four-team jamboree at Pine Bluff.
Before Tuesday's scrimmage, the Mustangs will suit up for an intrasquad work out Saturday morning, following a team and individual photo session.
The Mustangs have been picked to finish fifth in the AAAAA-East this season, the team's highest preseason ranking in several seasons.
Likewise, the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots and the Hughes Blue Devils will take part in preseason scrimmages on Tuesday. Palestine-Wheatley will play at Clarendon while Hughes will travel to Trumann.
Also on Tuesday, the Forrest City Junior Mustangs will travel to Osceola to take part in a junior high jamboree.
Palestine-Wheatly's Tuesday scrimmage at Clarendon begins at 5 p.m. when the two junior high teams take the field. The senior high teams will kick off at approximately 6:30 p.m.
The Hughes Junior Blue Devils will also play a scrimmage at Trumann, but will do so Thursday, Aug. 28.
Arkansas Activities Association-sanctioned jamborees -- which will benefit the AAA -- will begin on Monday and continue through Friday.
The 2003 Arkansas prep football season begins in earnest on Friday, Sept. 5.
Forrest City will host Wynne on that date while Palestine-Wheatley opens at Des Arc and Hughes will host Barton.
Six teams will converge on Arkansas State University's football stadium for preseason scrimmage games next week.
Paragould, Marked Tree, Harrisburg, Bald Knob, Pocahontas and Nettleton will all participate in the Greater Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce's third annual High School Football Showcase on Thursday, Aug. 28.
Four of the six teams are first-time participants, so most of the players will be playing at 30,708-seat Indian Stadium for the first time.
Paragould and Marked Tree play the first game at 6 p.m., followed by Harrisburg and Bald Knob at 7:15. The last game features Nettleton and Pocahontas at 8:30.
Each game will consist of two 25-minute halves. The clock will run continuously except for team time outs (two for each team per half), time outs for measurement and injury timeouts.
The event has raised more than $10,000 for the Arkansas Activities Association's Catastrophic Insurance Fund. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for students. AAA cards will be honored.
Nettleton and Pocahontas are traditional scrimmage opponents.
The teams met two years ago in the inaugural showcase, which also included Highland, Westside, Batesville and Jonesboro.
Last year's field included Hoxie, Westside, West Memphis, Newport, Searcy and Wynne.
Wynne and Searcy are scheduled to meet agin this year in preseason when the Lions travel to Yellowjacket country on Friday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m.
Kick off for that scrimmage is 7 p.m.
Registration for all Forrest City Recreation fall leagues (youth soccer, flag football, 14-under fast-pitch softball, adult softball and co-ed softball) has been extended to Friday, Aug. 29.
To register or for more information, call Kenneth Taylor at 633-3667.