By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Forrest City will return its coaching staff intact when the 2003-04 school year convenes in August.
For the first time in several years, the school district did not lose any coaches. In fact, the district added three new coaches to the present staff raising the total number to 21.
The only casualty appears to be the girls' volleyball program, which has been discontinued for the second time in recent years.
Jackie England and his wife, Pam, are two of three newcomers to the district. The couple have been coaching in Texas. They join former Forrest City coach Clark McBride, who also returns.
Forrest City Athletic Director Mike Bender officially released the coaching assignments for the upcoming school year today.
"Things are looking better," Bender said. "We are making progress as to getting the right people in the right places to make the Forrest City athletic program the best we can make it. And after being here for a full school year, I know a little more about the changes that need to be made and the areas in which we need to make future changes."
Bender said the district will be asking for volunteer help from the community in several athletic areas this coming season.
"I know there are a lot of people in Forrest City who have the knowledge to be of help with our programs," Bender said. "We would like to have their input and their help."
Donnie Willis remains as head coach of the high school Mustang football team and will be assisted by Jeff Hudson, Chuck Sartin, Reggie Murphy, Monty Thornton, Tommy Wheetley, Stan Gardner and McBride, who returns to Forrest City after recent stops in Osceola and Hoxie.
McBride is a 1991 graduate of Forrest City and coached here during the 1996 and 1997 seasons, before leaving for Osceola. He spent last year at Hoxie.
McBride will coach the senior high linemen and will also be the new senior boys' track coach, replacing Hudson who requested an assignment change.
Former Mustang head football coach John Burgess will be in charge of the seventh-grade football program which returns to a morning format. Burgess will be assisted by Willis, Hudson and Lewis Etheridge, who assisted Wheetley with the seventh-grade football duties last year.
Burgess also becomes the head golf coach this next year, replacing Wheetley. Golf, along with tennis, will become a fall sport with practice beginning in late August.
Burgess has also been assigned as an assistant to Dwight Lofton, who coaches the senior boys Mustang basketball team. Burgess and Lofton will be over the seventh-grade basketball program next season.
At the junior high level the school has gone back to just one team in all sports, after three seasons of fielding two boys and two girls teams in football, basketball and track.
Rich Trail has been named the head junior high football coach and will also be the head junior high boys' track coach.
Stan Siler, Barry Hodges and Sonny Shields will assist Trail with the junior high football program.
Siler will assist with the junior boys' track program as well.
Bender said the seventh and eighth-grade football teams will continue to play on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings.
The junior high varsity football schedule will be played on Thursday nights.
Sue Jayroe remains as head coach of the Lady Mustang senior girls' basketball team and will also be in charge of the seventh-grade girls' basketball program.
Her Lady Mustang assistant coaches this season will be Amber Main and Thornton.
Main returns as head girls' softball coach and according to Bender, "will draw volunteer help during the season."
Hodges, who has been the assistant softball coach under Main, asked for and was given his release from those coaching duties.
Pam England is expected to help with the softball program on a volunteer basis.
Murphy returns as head baseball coach and Sartin will once again be an assistant.
England takes over the junior girls' basketball program while long-time Forrest City coach Jimmy Williams will be the junior high boys' basketball coach.
Shields will be Williams' assistant.
Etheridge remains as head coach of the boys and girls cross country teams and will also head coach the senior girls track program.
Kenny Gahr continues in his role as facility coordinator while Gardner will be head trainer.
The Forrest City Colts 15-under AAU basketball team won the Battle on the Bluff MAYB Tournament, played recently at Kirby High School in Memphis. The Colts, comprised of Forrest City athletes, defeated the Chicago Thunder in the finals 71-62 to cap a 5-0 run through the six-team tournament. Marcus Britt was named the tournament MVP and averaged 20 points per game, 12 rebounds and six steals.
The Colts are: Marcus Britt, Wilson Parker, Terry Woods, Rylan Nimocks, Terrill Lee, Jeremy Washington, Stephon Weaver, David Holmes, William Mitchell, Kelson Stewart, Hollis Nichols and Heath King. Coaches are Murry Cline & Casey Baxter. The team will play at the AAU state in July. The Colts are 20-6 overall for the year and the tournament championship was the first for the team this season.