To say the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots are on a roll as they open play tonight in the Class AA playoffs would be, at this point, a rather huge understatement.
The Patriots, with a 9-1 season record, the best mark since the team resumed it football program in 1996, will host Hazen in a first-round playoff tonight at Patriot Field.
The Patriots lead the state in team offense rolling up 4,567 yards in 10 games. More than 3,000 of that total has come on the ground.
That's an average of more than 400 yards per game. The patriots are second in scoring offense, having put up 457 points and allowing only 92. Only one team in Class AA has scored more points than Palestine-Wheatley and that is Junction City, who put up 543 points this season.
Brad Barton leads the Patriots with 20 touchdowns while Rashun Barnes has 16 but the team is loaded with backs and under the direction of junior quarterback Fred Leak.
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots have been to postseason five times since 1996 and tonight will be No. 6 and the team's fourth consecutive trip to postseason.
The Patriots, however, have never won a first-round playoff game. Favored by at least 10 points, that stat should change tonight.
It is also the Patriots first home playoff game since hosting Altheimer in 1996.
The Patriots, the No. 1 seed from the 3AA Conference, are picked by 10 and it probably will be worse. P-W has made a habit of scoring early in the game and not use to trailing their opponent.
Hazen, the No. 4 seed from the 6AA Conference, comes in at
5-4 and were fifth in the 6AA in scoring and third in points allowed.
Tonight's first-round Class AA playoff game at Hughes could be interesting.
Second-seeded Hughes, battle-tested in both the regular season and in past postseasons, face No. 3 seeded Carlisle tonight at Blue Devil Stadium.
On paper, it should be a first-round win for Hughes and the Blue Devils are favored -- slightly.
Carlisle, from the 6AA, brings with them some lofty credentials. The Bison are making their 15th consecutive appearance in the playoffs and they have never lost a first-round game. Carlisle has played in four state title games, losing to Barton in 1989 and 1993, losing to Rison in 1991 and most recently losing to Shiloh Christian in 1999.
The Hughes Blue Devils are making their third straight trip into postseason, the teams fifth since 1995.
In five previous first-round games, the Blue Devils are 1-3. A year ago, Hughes made it to the quarterfinals as the No. 2 seed and the co-champions of the 3AA. They are once again co-champions of the 3AA.
Hughes, 8-2 overall, ranks fourth in Class AA in points scored, second in the 3AA. The Blue Devils have been powered this year by cousins Ayodele Ogunsakin and Andre Walker while Carlisle has been led by two senior running backs, Shaun Powell and Cyle Cooney and quarterback Heath Hawkins. The Bison run from the Wing T offensive set while the Blue Devils will use the Single Wing, which operates without a true quarterback. Both offenses rely on the misdirection to be effective.
Carlisle is 6-3 for the year and was the fourth best scoring team in the 6AA and the second best team in points allowed.
The Bison defeated Marked Tree last year in the first round before losing to Mount Ida in round two.
The Blue Devils defeated Des Arc and Jessieville before running into powerful Junction City.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City Junior Mustangs won big in the opening game Thursday at Mustang Arena.
Led by Stephon Weaver and Marcus Britt, who combined for 42 points, the Junior Mustangs ripped the Wynne Junior Jackets 62-32.
Weaver finished with 22 points while Britt added 20.
BIC 88, Hughes 61
Sophomore Brooks Taylor lit up the nets with 28 points as Buffalo Island Central improves to 7-0 with an 88-61 blowout of Hughes Thursday night in senior high boys' basketball.
BIC hit 13-of-15 from the free throw line and nine 3-pointers.
Hughes (0-1) was led by David Dowden with 21, Melvin Williams with 16 and Ricky Davis with 10.
Harrisburg 57, Rector 44
HARRISBURG -- Harrisburg used a 20-11 fourth quarter to pull away from Rector for a 57-44 victory Thursday in senior boys' basketball.
Zack Owens scored 16 points and both Kyle Wiggington and Brody Heeb added 15 for Harrisburg (1-0).
MacArthur 42, Gosnell 15
The MacArthur Junior Cyclones opened the year with a 42-15 win over Gosnell Thursday night.
Roosevelt Griffin and Jeremy Thomas led the Cyclones (1-0) with 10 points each.
*In junior high girls action Thursday, the Forrest City Junior Lady Mustangs got 12 points from Fareeda Washington, including the game-winning field goal, to edge Wynne's junior girls 29-27.
Tied with 34 seconds to play, Washington banked home the winning points and the Junior Lady Mustangs weathered a couple of late shots by Wynne to hold for the victory.
Matisha Dobbins had six points for Forrest City.
"It was a good game and a good win for the girls," said first-year Forrest City coach Jacky England. "We made some mental mistakes but that is something we can fix and we will."
Wynne led 6-5 after one period and Forrest City led by a single point at the half. Both teams entered the fourth period tied at 22-22. Forrest City outscored Wynne 7-to-5 in the final period.
Joining Washington and Dobbins in the starting lineup was Astrain Allen, Shaenika Howard and Tiara Eabron.
The eighth-grade Forrest City girls got 14 points from Bookita Vaughn and 11 points from Cassandra Jackson in a 28-14 win over Wynne's eighth-grade girls.
P-W 26, McCrory 23
Keisha Stovall dropped in a pair of free throws with 20 seconds to play to lift the Palestine-Wheatley Junior Lady Patriots to a 26-23 win over McCrory Thursday night in a first-round game at the Wheatley Invitational Tournament.
With P-W leading by a single point, 24-23,Stovall rebounded a miss and was intentionally fouled on the play. She hit both free throws and P-W had possession on the inbound and ran out the clock.
The Junior Lady Patruots will face Cross County in the girls' championship game Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The final is a rematch of last year's championship game, which P-W won.
Stovall finished with 10 points while Shareka Ray added six and Chelsea Jumper and Jessica Smith added five points each.
The Cross County girls defeated Brinkley 38-33 Thursday to reach the finals.
In the junior boys bracket, the Cross County Junior Thunderbirds defeated Brinkley 53-29 to get to Saturday's final where they will face the Palestine-Wheatley Junior Patriots, big winners over McCrory, 48-28.
Phil Hicks led the Junior Patriots with 24 points while Taylor Clark added 10 and Rafhael Williams finished with nine.
Palestine-Wheatley led 19-2 after the first period.
The boys' final tips at 8:30 p.m.
ARKADELPHIA -- Don Campbell's game plan is straight forward and it revolves around what he does best -- running the football and winning.
Banged up and hurting, Wynne limps into the playoffs this week in a new position for the Yellowjackets.
The 'Jackets have lost two games in a row for the first time since 1997 and will hit the road for the opening round of the state playoffs for the first time since 1998.
After dropping its last two conference games to claim the third seed in the AAAA-East, Wynne travels to Arkadelphia Friday night to face the second-seeded Badgers of the AAAA-Southwest.
Wynne last went on the road for the first round of the playoffs in 1998 when it defeated Harrison. A year earlier, the 'Jackets dropped back-to-back games to Batesville and Newport.
Arkadelphia finished 8-1-1 record, bouncing back from a 1-9 mark a year ago.
The Badgers have speed on both sides of the ball but Harris is worried about his team's undersized defensive line getting wore down as the game goes on.
"He's right," was Campbell's response. "I hope so. But we have to block better than we did Friday night."
Last week, Wynne took a 12-0 first-quarter lead before Batesville rallied for a 29-12 victory that clinched the Pioneers' first AAAA-East title.
Wynne beat Arkadelphia twice in 1999, 21-0 in the regular season, then 28-0 in the second round of the playoffs.
This Badgers, with 23 seniors, have stood up against tough competition, with six of their 10 opponents making the playoffs.
Left-handed quarterback Justin Rogers has thrown for 800 yards and rushed for over 300 for the Badgers.
The Badgers are led by senior running back-linebacker Bradley Hill and junior Dominic Block, who has rushed for 600 yards.
The winner of the game travels to play the Crossett-Morrilton winner next week.
The Cross County Thunderbirds are excited about their first trip to the playoffs since 1995 but it has been all business this week in Cherry Valley as Cross County prepares for Augusta.
"The kids are really excited about making the playoffs," said coach Steve Williams, who guided the Thunderbirds to a 5-5 record last year after the team lost 43 straight games. "We're getting ready and hoping we're going to step up and play at that next level you have to in the playoffs."
Augusta finished as state runner-ups in 2001, then finished 5-4 last year.
This season Bobby Hart guided the Red Devils to a 7-2 record and a second-place finish in the 6AA behind powerful Barton.
The Thunderbirds can expect a heavy dose of tailback James Turner from the Red Devils' multiple-I set.
The Thunderbirds are led by halfbacks Kendole Boykin and Rolandas Hill along with quarterback Aaron Bowles, who has really come on of late behind an improving offensive line.
Hill and Boykin are each over 700 yards rushing while Bowles has rushed for 601 and thrown for 470 more.
The Cross County defense has been instrumental in the Thunderbirds' six-game winning streak, allowing just a touchdown or less in their last five games.
Conrad Cline leads the team with 102 tackles while Hill has made 98 stops from his linebacker position.