Sometimes, playing a winless team can be scarier than playing a team on a roll.
The Forrest City Mustangs, 2-4 overall and 0-3 in AAAAA-East, have struggled to find themselves the last three games, all losses, but have continued to work hard each week at practice and are striving to get better. Optimistically, the Mustangs could win out and get into postseason.
Tonight, the Mustangs face a winless Blytheville, 0-6 overall and 0-3, team on the road at Haley Stadium. Blytheville isn't going to make postseason. Over the past 16 games, the Chicks are 2-14.
It's homecoming for Blytheville and the Chicks will try to have a coming out party in hopes of ending their 18-game conference losing streak (tied for fourth longest in the state) and 14-game, regular-season skid.
Quarterback Brice Beck has potential and the Chicks can throw the ball. Blytheville has completed 68 of 158 passes for 906 yards thus far. Beck has the bulk of that, connecting 40 times on 91 attempts for 638 yards, five touchdowns and eight interceptions. His two favorite targets have been Chris Smith with 27 catches for 317 yards and Chris Metcalf with 15 grabs for 265 yards.
The Mustangs have to find their ground game again after being stuffed by Cabot a week ago in a 36-0 to the Panthers. Demarcus Sinclair, Tae Chism and Andrew Embry have to step up another notch to carry the Forrest City running game
Blytheville Coach Doug Quinn is concerned with the Mustangs' size.
"Defensively, we've got to try to rely on our quickness to counter their size. They're huge, they're absolutely huge. They're the biggest football team that we'll see on the field this year. They have a real heavy side there. But, they're heavy all over, in fact."
Blytheville's leading rusher, Markese Allen will not play to disciplinary reasons.
Forrest City has won the last three consecutive games against Blytheville and are 5-1 over the past six seasons against the Chicks. Three of those victories have been close including a 35-34 Mustang win in 1998 and a 13-3 win in 2001.
Game time is 7:30 p.m.
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots, 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the 3AA Conference, are on the highest of highs headed into tonight's game at Turrell. P-W Coach Terry Farmer has no idea what to expect since he and his staff had no game film of the Rockets to study. The Patriots own three straight wins over the Rockets, taking victories in 1996, 97 and last year.
Fresh off a 41-34 victory over county rival Hughes last Friday, the Patriots are in a four-way tie for first place in the 3AA Conference and need only win out to take home the title.
Turrell, 3-3 overall and 3-2 in the 3AA Conference, while not a preseason favorite, coming in at eighth in the 10-team league, could present some problems, should the Patriots get ahead of themselves.
Probably won't happen. Palestine-Wheatley's juniors have tasted the sweetness of a conference title before, winning the junior high league title as freshmen. A second helping would be great.
The dessert is home field advantage throughout the Class AA state playoffs.
Kick off is 7:30 p.m. at Turrell.
On paper, it appears tonight's 3AA Conference game should be a cakewalk for Hughes, 4-2 overall and 4-1 in the league over the Tigers, 0-6 and 0-5.
But Hughes is hurting.
The Blue Devils are without the services of starting quarterback Johnny Payton, out with a fractured foot and Clifton Smith, who suffered a broken leg in the Palestine-Wheatley game last week.
The number of healthy bodies on the Hughes sideline is beginning to show signs of thinning as the Blue Devils travel to Parkin tonight.
Parkin, through six games, has scored only 14 points. The Blue Devils have put up 204. Parkin is winless at 0-6 overall and 0-5 in the 3AA Conference and that makes them dangerous. The Blue Devils rolled past Parkin 77-22 a year ago.
Since reinstating football in 2000, the Tigers have won just four games.
The Blue Devils speed advantage on offense, even without Payton, still is too much for Parkin to handle and as always, on defense, Hughes is one of the best hitting teams in the conference.
At Tiger Stadium, kick off is 7:30 p.m.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
John Washington wasted little time in helping the Forrest City Junior Mustangs to a quick start Thursday at Blytheville.
Washington's hit on Blytheville's return man on the opening kickoff resulted in a fumble which Forrest City recovered at the Blytheville 25.
Antonio Robinson did the rest by converting the touchdown and adding one more as Forrest City improves to 4-2-1 overall and 3-1 in the AAAAA-East Conference following a 26-12 nonconference victory.
The two teams will play again on Oct. 30, at Sam Smith Stadium. That game will be the designated conference matchup.
Robinson's two touchdowns gave Forrest City a 12-0 lead after the first quarter and Wilson Parker's touchdown pass to Stephon Weaver in the second quarter helped the Junior Mustangs to a 20-0 halftime lead after Michael Holland's two-point conversion.
Blytheville scored in the third and Forrest city added a fourth quarter touchdown by Weaver.
Parker also had an interception which he returned 50 yards.
"The defense played well especially Washington, who just plays hard on every down," said Forrest City Coach Rich Trail.
Annie Camp 0, WM West 0
The defenses had their way Thursday night between Annie Camp and West Memphis West at Cooksey-Johns Field as the two junior high football teams battled to a scoreless tie.
The Whirlwinds improve to 6-0-1, 3-0-1 but with eight seconds left in the game, missed a 36-yard field goal that fluttered wide right by two feet.
Even with the tie, Annie Camp maintains its lead atop the AAAAA-East standings.
West stands at 5-2-1 and 3-1-1 in the conference.
Marion 22, MacArthur 0
Marion scored touchdowns on its first two possessions and blanked MacArthur 22-0 Thursday in junior high football.
MacArthur (4-3, 3-1 AAAAA-East) drove inside Marion's 25 twice in the second half, but turned it over on downs each time.
MacArthur trailed 22-0 at halftime and finished with 127 yards rushing compared to Marion's 255 rushing yards.
Cross County 24, Salem 16
Cross County's Michael Cook rushed for 43 yards on 8 carries and scored two touchdowns as the Thunderbirds (5-2) defeated Salem 24-16 in a 3A Conference junior high football game Thursday.
Walnut Ridge 30, Rector 12
Ryan Weir rushed for 106 yards and returned an interception 80 yards for a score at the end of the first half to help Walnut Ridge cruise past Rector 30-12 Thursday in 3AA Conference junior high football action.
Logan Morse gave Walnut Ridge (5-2) a 6-0 lead with a 51-yard run in the first quarter. Tyler Meadors put the Bobcats up 14-0 with a 1-yard run and then completed the two-point conversion pass to Seth Chamblee with 4:27 left in the first.
Marked Tree 38, Turrell 6
Brian Coleman rushed for 165 yards and John Ed Turpin picked up 111 as Marked Tree (7-0) rolled to a big halftime lead and remained unbeaten with a 38-6 junior high football victory over Turrell Thursday.
Pazlestine-Wheatley 28, Parkin 6
Taylor Clark threw three touchdown passes Thursday night and the Junior Patriots defeated Parkin 28-6.
Taylor connected with Blake Simmons twice and Nathan Bridges once.
Simmons also scored a rushing touchdown for the Junior Patriots.
Clark also ran for a two-point conversion as did Raphael Williams.
Palestine-Wheatley will host Marked Tree next Thursday for Parent's Night.