By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
It's the "turn-around point" for most of the Forrest City youth baseball and softball leagues tonight.
The second time around, if you will.
And tonight's schedule, as well as Friday, features some big games which could go quite a long way in determining the final outcome of each league involved.
In the Minor (pitching machine) League tonight, unbeaten T&J Properties takes on Devazier Brothers at 6 p.m., on Field 7.
The two teams opened the season against each other back on May 1 and it was T&J taking home the 15-3 win.
Since that game, Devazier has won four consecutive games while T&J has not lost.
T&J is 6-0 while Devazier is 4-1 and in second place. A Devazier win tonight won't be enough to displace T&J from atop the league standings, but it would tighten the race, leaving Devazier only a game out of a first-place tie.
The Bambino 11-12 League is even more jumbled at the top with three teams tied for first place.
Two of the three meet head-to-head tonight at 7:30 p.m., on Field 5, when Wholesale Metal goes against Lucas Trucking.
It is the second meeting between the two teams and Wholesale Metal is looking to avenge their opening day loss to Lucas back on May 1.
Since that loss, Wholesale Metal has won five straight while Lucas opened 4-0 before being tripped up by Pearson Insurance last week.
Pearson is the third member of the Bambino trilogy tied for first.
Pearson draws Rideout (2-4) tonight at 6 p.m., on Field 6 and it is the second meeting. Pearson won the first and started the year 5-0 before losing to Wholesale Metal last week.
If you're keeping track, Lucas has beaten Wholesale, Pearson has defeated Lucas and Wholesale has downed Pearson, which leaves each of the three teams standing at 5-1 going into tonight.
Taco Bell, at 4-2, continues to hang around near the top and will play Vaccaro Lumber tonight.
Also tonight, in the Junior Babe Ruth league, Union Planters and Freeman will hook up in a key game at 7:45 p.m., on Field 2.
Friday night, the Bambino 9-10 League will be highlighted by a second meeting between unbeaten Mr. T Auto and second place Cochran Auto.
Mr. T is 5-0 for the year and owns one win over Cochran already this season.
Cochran is 4-1 and has not lost since dropping the opener to Mr. T.
The two teams will play at 6 p.m., on Field 5.
In 16-under fast pitch girls' softball tonight, Sanyo and Bonanza, both 4-1, will meet at 7:15 p.m. on F1.
Friday night, Stevens (5-0) and Walker Insurance (4-1) will battle at 7 p.m., on Field 3, in the 10-under girls' slow-pitch softball league.
CABOT -- Girls' basketball in the AAAAA-East got a little tougher last week, thanks to perennial contender Cabot.
Arkansas high school coaching legend Carla Crowder of Bryant was named Cabot's head girls basketball coach last Thursday.
Crowder replaces Skip Sanford who requested and was granted an in-school transfer to coach track.
Sanford led the Lady Panthers to a 25-7 record this past season.
Cabot Athletic Director Johnny White said hiring Crowder is a "coup" for the district. White added that Crowder is taking over a Lady Panther basketball program that is ready to explode into greatness.
"Carla is the one we wanted to take our program to the next level," White told the media. "We have some good players coming back on the varsity team and the junior high programs are loaded with talent."
Crowder is one of the state's premier basketball coaches, tallying 536 wins in her 22 years as head coach. The last 16 years she spent as the head coach of the Bryant Lady Hornets, and just this past season surpassed the 400 win plateau; she finishes her run in Bryant with a 408-65 record.
Despite Cabot posting the best record in recent years, White acknowledged there was and has been a high level of unrest on the team, especially between parents of some players and Sanford, for some time.
Nonetheless, White said Sanford "could have come back and coached next year. He and I talked a long time and he could have stayed on as coach. But we had an open track and cross country position and Skip has a track background so he elected to ask for the transfer. The administration was behind Skip all the way in the decisions he made to create a winning team."
Crowder is coming into a very good situation indeed. Cabot has some of the best athletic facilities in the conference and one of the best girls' programs in the league.
That prompted White to add that Cabot has one of the best football coaches and programs in the state.
"And now we have the state's best women's basketball coach in the state with Carla," White said.
White also alluded that a new gymnasium may be in the not too distance future for Cabot's basketball program.
The present gym complex was built in 1961.
Crowder said she "loved' her time at Bryant but said moving to Cabot was mostly a "family decision."
"My mother is not in good health, and Cabot is just 30 minutes away from her home in Bradford. Most of my family lives near there, and more than anything this is a family decision."
She said she is leaving Bryant with nothing but positive memories.
The Lady Panthers have made the Class AAAAA state tournament four of the past five years but have gotten past the opening round only once.
This past season, the lady Panthers finished second in the final conference standings and defeated Benton in the first round before losing to Bentonville in the second round.
In 2002, Cabot's girls finished fourth in the league and lost to Fort Smith Northside in the opening game of the state tournament. The team missed the state tournament cut in 2001, finishing 7-15 and in fifth place.
In 2000, Cabot ended the year at 14-12, finishing third in the East and lost to Fort Smith Southside in the first round.
The previous year, 1999, the Lady Panthers finished 19-8, second in the conference but lost to Sheridan in the state tournament's opening round.
"With Carla going to Cabot, that changes the complexion of the conference even more," said Forrest City Lady Mustang Coach Sue Jayroe. "No doubt, the league just got tougher on the girls' side."
The dates and times for the upcoming Forrest City Mustang/Lady Mustang basketball camps have been set.
And Friday, May 30, is the deadline to register. Coaches Sue Jayroe and Dwight Lofton said there is still plenty of room for campers.
The elementary camp, for boys and girls, 4th-6th grade, is June 9-12 and the junior high camp for boys and girls, 7th-9th grade, is June 16-19.The girls meet from 8 until 11 a.m., each day while the boys' meet from 12 noon until 3 p.m., at Mustang Arena. Cost per individual camper is $20 and forms may be obtained at Mustang Arena or from the appropriate offices.
Alexis Easter Jr., the son of Alexis and Roenna Easter of Chandler, Arizona, is the 2003 Track & Field Long Jump Champion in Arizona's Class AAAAA classification.
Easter's best jump this year was 24 feet,1.5 inches.
He was third in the Great Southwest Classic held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he jumped 24 feet, one inch.
Easter has received multiple awards in Academics and Athletics and he will graduate from Arizona's Westwood High School.
He has not decided which college he will attend this fall.
Alexis is son of Alexis Easter Sr., a Forrest City graduate and the grandson of the Easters in and the Gilmores from Marianna.