By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
FORREST CITY -- The Forrest City Mustangs got all they wanted and then some from West Memphis' running game.
Blue Devil seniors Kyle Payne and Eugene Edwards each ran for 100 yards to lead the Blue Devils to a 36-0 victory over Forrest City.
The final 16 minutes of the game was played under the 35-point mercy rule in which the game clock runs continuously.
It was the third game this season that the 35-point rule has affected Forrest City, but the first time with Forrest City on the losing end.
The Mustangs invoked the rule in victories over Marianna and Mountain Home.
The victory gave West Memphis (7-3, 5-2 AAAAA-East ) third place in the conference and the No. 3 seed into the Class AAAAA state playoffs which begin next week.
The Blue Devils will open on the road next Friday at Fort Smith Southside. West Memphis' win also handed the No. 4 seed from the conference to the Searcy Lions, who will face top-ranked Little Rock Central next Friday in the first round of the playoffs.
Forrest City (5-5, 3-4) finishes fifth, exactly where they were picked to finish in the preseason polls and will miss the playoffs for the third straight year.
Payne rushed for 123 yards on 17 carries while Edwards added 102 yards on 14 carries.
Forrest City was held to just 118 total yards of offense, the lowest total for the Mustangs this season. The Mustangs had 148 yards in a loss to Cabot earlier in the season.
The Forrest City running game netted only 31 yards with senior tailback Demarcus Sinclair leading the way with 23 yards.
Forrest City tacked on 87 yards through the air.
It took only eight seconds for West Memphis to strike against Forrest City.
West Memphis' David Smith stripped the ball from Goldie Hicks on the opening kickoff and Justin Hutchinson picked up the fumble and ran 11 yards for the touchdown.
The Blue Devils missed the extra point but led 6-0.
The Mustangs would fumble four more times before the half as West Memphis led 14-0 after one quarter and 29-0 at the half as West Memphis turned three of the Forrest City fumbles into touchdowns.
Forrest City's first possession ended in a punt and their second possession ended when Tae Chism fumbled and West Memphis' Jeremy Wallace recovered at the Mustang 25.
Seven plays later, Payne scored his 22nd touchdown of the season and Desmond Looney's 2-point conversion put West Memphis ahead 14-0.
The Blue Devils scored on the opening play of the second quarter when Payne scored from six yards out. The extra point made it 21-0 with 11:56 to play in the first half.
The Blue Devils pushed the lead to 29-0 with 3:19 to play in the first half using a 20-yard touchdown run by quarterback Vick Brown and an 8yard touchdown by Edwards after B.J. Hauswirth's fumble recovery.
West Memphis wrapped up its scoring by taking the second half kickoff and driving 78 yards in 13 plays. Brown passed four yards to junior wingback Corey Davis for the touchdown and a 36-0 advantage.
West Memphis won its third consecutive game and posted its second consecutive shutout. The Blue Devils have outscored their past three opponents 120-7.
The loss ended Forrest City's win streak at three.
*The Cabot Panthers took advantage of some early breaks against a Jacksonville team in complete disarray and turned it into a 28-0 victory over the Red Devils.
Cabot (8-2, 7-0) wraps up the undisputed AAAAA-East conference title.
The Panthers led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter thanks to a short punt, a long punt return and a defensive touchdown.
The Cabot ground game produced just 69 yards in the first half and 181 for the game.
Brandon Wade led Cabot with 61 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
Jacksonville (4-6, 2-5) caught a bad break on its first possession when what seemed like a recovered fumble after a punt didn't turn out that way because of an early whistle by the officials.
Jacksonville's second punt was short, giving the Panthers the ball on the Jacksonville 41.
Cabot put together their lone sustained drive from there, using 12 plays to cover the 41 yards.
Chris Robertson ran for a 4-yard touchdown to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead with 4:58 left in the first quarter.
Robertson finished the game with 17 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Shiell kicked the extra points after all four Cabot touchdowns.
Jacksonville's late-season meltdown continued as the Red Devils fumbled an exchange on the handoff when the quarterback and tailback collided and the ball popped free. Cabot's Nick Hester scooped up the loose ball and ran into the end zone from three yards out for the score.
A 57-yard punt return by Robertson to the Jacksonville 13 was the next big blow. That helped set up a five-yard touchdown by Wade to put Cabot ahead 21-0 just before the end of the first quarter.
On Cabot's final possession, sophomore Bronson Britt carried the offensive load with seven carries for 43 yards, the final carry going for a 10-yard touchdown to set the final margin.
The final two AAAAA-East games will be played tonight when Jonesboro hosts Blytheville Mountain Home hosts Searcy.
CHERRY VALLEY -- Cross County is playoff bound for the first time in eight seasons. And at least for a day, the T-Birds are all alone at the top of the 3AA Conference standings.
Two years removed from holding one of the longest losing streaks in the history of Arkansas high school football, the Thunderbirds are guaranteed at least a share of the 3AA conference championship, which will be split three ways provided Hughes beats Marked Tree tonight and Palestine-Wheatley defeats Salem.
A 67-6 blasting of Turrell Thursday sealed Cross County's fate as a playoff team for the first time since 1995. It is the Thunderbirds' first conference title or share of the title since 1990.
Cross County (8-2, 8-1) led 53-0 at halftime. Aaron Bowles threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Kory Ward to get things started.
The Thunderbird defense then stopped Turrell for a safety and Rolandas Hill ran for an 11-yard touchdown run, which was followed by another Cross County safety for a 16-0 lead after one quarter.
Patrick Jones opened the second quarter with a 35-yard touchdown run, and another safety, the third safety rewarded to Cross County.
Bowles added a 31-yard touchdown and Jones returned a 10-yard fumble recovery for touchdowns.
Zach Roberts and J.B. Huffman both scored touchdowns before the half ended.
Courtney Robinson and Trent Wells added 21- and 12-yard touchdowns in the third quarter for a 67-0 lead, before Turrell scored in the closing seconds to set the final score.
Cross County handed the ball off to 14 different running backs while its defense held Turrell (2-8, 2-7) to under 40 yards of total offense.
Last year's final season meeting between Hughes and Marked Tree decided the conference champion in the 3AA.
This time around, the game has somewhat the same meaning but with a little bit different tilt.
Hughes enters tonight's home game against the Indians with a chance to finish the season in a three-way tie for the league title. A win over Marked Tree gives the Blue Devils that piece of the championship and the No. 2 seed into the Class AA state playoffs.
Marked Tree, the defending conference champion, has not even been close to repeatng this season with less than 15 players dressed out, has struggled this season and win or lose tonight will end their campaign.
The Indians lost in the first round of the playoffs a year ago as the No. 1 seed while the Blue Devils used their No. 2 seed to ride into the quarterfinals.
Hughes, as the No 2 seed this time around, will host Carlisle next week at Blue Devil Stadium. carlisle defeated Hazen Thursday and will finish as the No. 3 seed from the 6AA. A first-round victory will put the Blue Devils on the road for a possible second-round matchup against Hector, the No. 1 seed from the 4AA.
Last year, the Blue Devils defeated Des Arc and Jessieville before ending the year against Junction City.
Unbeaten Hector ends the year tonight against Marshall.
Game time for the Hughes-Marked Tree game tonight is 7:30 p.m.
The mathematical equation for the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots tonight is as simple as 1-2-3.
A win over Salem tonight in the regular season-ending conference game will give the Patriots a share of the 3AA Conference title and the No. 1 seed into the Class AA state playoffs.
Palestine-Wheatley, Hughes and Cross County appear destined to end the year in a three-way tie for the league's championship but the Patriots should earn the No. 1 seed into the playoffs based points and head-to-head competition.
Even though the Patriots lost to Cross County, P-W has the edge in points over the Thunderbirds (based on 13 points for each conference victory by 13 points or more) and they have the edge in head-to-head competition against Hughes -- a team the defeated this season. That would leave Hughes in the No. 2 hole and Cross County as the No. 3 seed.
As the No. 1 seed, the Patriots would host Hazen next Friday in a first-round game. Hazen lost to Carlisle Thursday night and will finish fourth in the 6AA, thus setting up the first-round game.
The Patriots, who have led the league for most of the year in total points scored, will hold home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
In their first meeting as year ago, the Patriots defeated Salem 38-14 and earned a trip to the playoffs, losing in the first round to Harding Academy.
Kick off for tonight's game is 7:30 p.m.
The Hughes-Forrest City junior high basketball game, scheduled to be played Monday at Mustang Arena, has been cancelled, due to Hughes qualifying for the state football playoffs.
The game was supposed to be the opener for each team.
Forrest City will host Wynne on Thursday, Nov. 13.
The Lions, one of the Forrest City youth flag football teams, recently completed an undefeated run through their league to finish first.
Lions' team members are: Jonathan Gustavus, Brice Logan, Brent Carson, Blaine Coleman, Wesley Douglas, Ryan Jayroe, Kirby Alderson, Delan Parkman, Bradley Douglas, Seth Eakin, Jayme Cartillar, Alex Martin. Conner Harbin. Preston Parkman and Tommy Carson coached the team.