By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Brad Barton scored three touchdowns Friday night -- using three different methods of finding the end zone -- to lead the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots over Salem 48-0.
Barton, who has run for almost 1,200 yards this season, ran for a 55-yard touchdown, caught a halfback pass from Jonathan Wheeler for an 8-yard score and intercepted a Salem pass and returned it for another touchdown.
With the victory, the Patriots end the season in a three-way tie for first place in the 3AA Conference, sharing the title with Hughes and Cross County.
Palestine-Wheatley finishes the regular season at 9-1 overall and 8-1 in the conference. The team finished by winning their final seven games.
The victory gives the Patriots the No. 1 seed from the conference into the Class AA state playoffs which begin this week.
Palestine-Wheatley will host a first-round playoff game for the first time since the 1996 season on Friday when Hazen comes to Patriot Field.
Hazen finished fourth in the 6AA Conference.
The Hughes Blue Devils put away Marked Tree 52-26 Friday in their regular season ending game and will carry the No. 2 seed into the Class AA state playoffs.
Hughes will host Carlisle Friday at Blue Devil Stadium. Cross County, the only team to defeat Palestine-Wheatley this season, earned the No. 3 seed into the playoffs and will open at Augusta. Earle held on to take the fourth playoff seed from the 3AA and will open at Barton.
The Patriots entered Friday's game leading the state in overall rushing yards with more than 4,000 for the season.
P-W struck quickly on the opening drive when back-up senior quarterback Wheeler took the pitch from junior starter Fred Leak and hit Barton for the score. The two-point conversion failed but the Patriots led 6-0.
After a Salem fumble was recovered by the Patriots at the P-W 20, Elisha Duncan scored on a 17-yard run through the middle with 8:50 to play in the first quarter. Leak's two-point play made it 14-0.
Rashun Barnes made it 20-0 with a 17-yard touchdown run and another two-point conversion by Leak pushed the lead to 22-0 after a Salem punt.
Duncan added his second touchdown of the opening quarter when he broke free for a 60-yard scoring run and a 28-0 lead.
Barton's 55-yard scoring run came in the second quarter with 1:01 to play on the second play of a two-play drive that began at the Patriot 43. After Barnes gained only two yards on a first down carry, Barton did the rest. Wheeler's PAT kick made it 35-0. With 15 seconds to play and following a Salem time out to set up a play, Barton, playing the cornerback position, picked off a Salem pass and returned it for the touchdown and a 42-0 halftime lead after Wheeler added the point after kick.
Palestine-Wheatley began the second half with the mercy rule in effect in which the clock runs continuously as long as a team holds a 35-point advantage.
Salem's opening possession ended in a fumble recovered by Elijah Duncan which set up the Patriots at the Salem 45.
Freshman Blake Simmons, who led the Junior Patriots in scoring this season, added a 5-yard touchdown after Douglas Taylor picked a key first down off a third and four play for P-W and then carried to the 17 for another set of new downs.
Both teams traded fumbles in the fourth quarter and Taylor had a touchdown called back late in the game.
A first-round win over Hazen would put the Patriots against the Danville-Pea Ridge winner in the second week of the playoffs.
Danville, 8-2 from the 4AA Conferende, is ranked seventh in the Class AA rankings.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
For the second straight year, the Hughes Blue Devils are co-champions of the 3AA Conference.
A year ago, the Blue Devils finished the season in a tie for first with Marked Tree and went into the Class AA playoffs as the No. 2 seed after losing their final season game to the Indians.
Friday night, the Blue devils blasted Marked Tree 52-26 at Blue Devil Stadium to finish at 8-2 for the year and 8-1 in the conference and as co-champions of the league with Palestine-Wheatley and Cross County.
For the second straight year, the Blue Devils carry the No. 2 seed into the state playoffs.
Hughes will host No. 3 seed Carlisle Friday in a first-round game.
Senior Ayodele Ogunsakin led the Blue Devils by scoring three touchdowns -- all in the first half -- as Hughes rolled to a 45-6 lead at the half.
Ogunsakin ran for a 40-yard touchdown in the opening quarter and then broke loose for scoring runs of 94 and 46 yards in the second quarter.
Andre Walker added two touchdowns -- a 13-yard run and a 50-yard run -- while Kerrick Scofield scored from six and three yards out. Cory Scofield had a 40-yard run which resulted in a Hughes touchdown as well.
Hughes opened the season with a nonconference loss to Barton and suffered its only conference loss to Palestine-Wheatley, who shut out Salem Friday 48-0 to win the No. 1 seed into the Class AA playoffs.
Hughes is making their fourth trip to postseason under head coach James Wright and are hosting as first-round playoff game for the second consecutive year.
Last season, the Blue Devils defeated Des Arc in the playoff opener and then eliminated Jessieville on the road before falling to Junction City in the quarterfinals.
Should the Blue Devils get past Carlisle Friday, the likely second-round opponent would be Hector on the road.
Hector, unbeaten and ranked sixth in Class AA, opens the playoffs at home against Mountainburg Friday.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriot and Lady Patriot basketball teams will officially open the season Tuesday when they host Arkansas Baptist at Patriot Fieldhouse.
Meanwhile, the Forrest City Junior Mustangs, originally scheduled to open the year tonight, will wait until Thursday to do so.
Tonight's scheduled game against Hughes was cancelled since the Hughes football team is playing in the Class AA state playoffs.
That means Forrest City's Junior Mustangs and Junior lady Mustangs will host Wynne Thursday beginning at 5 p.m. at Mustang Arena.
And even though the P-W Patriot football team wrapped up a share of the 3AA Conference title and the No. 1 seed into the Class AA playoffs, head coach Terry Clardy said his basketball team will open as scheduled Tuesday night.
"We have some kids who have been in the gym working who do not play football," Clardy said, "and they are ready to play. They have been working hard so we will go with who we have right now."
Clardy said as long as the Patriot football team remains in the playoffs and hosting playoff games, the basketball team will play only on Tuesday nights.
"Any Friday night games on the schedule will not be played," Clardy said.
Clardy's Patriots ended last season with a loss to Harding Academy at the Class AA Regionals and lost seven seniors to graduation.
"We are a young ball club this season," Clardy said. "But we played a lot of sophomores last year and that experience will help us."
Still, Clardy expects his Patriots to contend for for the conference title this season.
As for the basketball players who are still playing football, Clardy, who is the defensive coordinator for the Patriot football team, said he will wait for them.
Clardy will also coach the Junior Patriot basketball team this season.
The Lady Patriots, 14-10 a year ago, return to the floor Tuesday as well as coach Lanny Allen returns to lead both the Lady Patriots and the Junior Lady Patriots, who will also open the year Tuesday night.
The three-game set will tipoff at 5 p.m.