The best treat Forrest City could receive tonight would be a huge AAAAA-East Conference win over Mountain Home. An even better treat would be a Jacksonville victory over West Memphis, which would greatly enhance the Mustangs chances of getting into the postseason playoffs.
While a Forrest City victory over Mountain Home, 1-7 and 1-4, is as close to a sure thing as one can get, a Jacksonville victory over the Blue Devils may be a stretch. Jacksonville has not beaten West Memphis since the 1999 season.
But, wait. Tonight is Oct. 31, Halloween, a night when strange, out of the ordinary things can occur. Strange enough to bring a Jacksonville victory or strange enough to bring a Mountain Home upset?
"That would be the scariest thing to happen," said Forrest City Coach Donnie Willis. "Us getting caught looking past Mountain Home who has absolutely nothing to lose and suffering a loss. We can't take Mountain Home for granted. They can move the football. They did against West Memphis and against Cabot. They do a lot of things right. This is not a gimme 'W.'"
Mountain Home will have to stop Forrest City's powerful running game and that may be the sticking point for the Bombers who had struggled to stop the run the last three weeks in losses to Jonesboro, Cabot and West Memphis.
Since 1975, Halloween has fallen on Friday night only four times -- including the '75 season and again in 1980, 1986 and 1997. The night known for spooks and goblins has not been kind to the Mustangs.
In 1975, Forrest City had an open week following a 34-0 victory over Wynne and did not play. In 1980, the Mustangs hosted Fort Smith Southside for a Halloween Homecoming and lost 21-7 at Sam Smith. In 1986, the Mustangs were riding a five-game win streak when they pulled into Jonesboro for a Halloween night battle. Jonesboro pulled the upset, taking a 12-6 win over Forrest City. The loss also ended four consecutive victories over the Hurricane, which began in 1982.
The most recent Halloween night game at Sam Smith came in 1997 when the Mustangs, then 6-2 and 4-1, hosted the Sylvan Hills Bears, 5-3 and 4-1. Sylvan Hills got the upset win 27-18.
The Mustangs have had a solid week of practice. Winning does great things for player attitudes, especially after an 0-3 conference start.
Kick off is 7:30 p.m. Wear your best Halloween costume.
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots have already locked up a postseason berth into the Class AA state playoffs.
The only thing left to be decided is what seed the team will take with them.
It shouldn't be any lower than No. 2, barring total self-destruction in the last two games. Any loss from here on out could leave the Patriots in third place.
That, however, shouldn't happen.
The Patriots finish out with Marked Tree tonight and Salem next week. They have a slim one point lead in the point standings over Cross County at 72-71, which will help break the "triangle" if both teams, along with Hughes, finish in a tie.
Every Patriot player got in a lot of playing time last week in the 87-0 laugher over Parkin. At this time of year, that's a good thing.
Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
Hughes still has a shot at the outright 3AA title, but are probably looking at wearing the No. 2 seed into the state playoffs -- the same spot in the final conference standings they found themselves in last year at this time.
The No. 2 seed carried Hughes all the way to the playoff quarterfinals a year ago, before the "Junction City Boys" stopped the Blue Devils in their tracks.
To win the 3AA title, the Blue Devils will need some help from either Marked Tree or Salem and hope that one of those remaining teams can pull an upset win over the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots, who own the head-to-head bragging rights over the Blue Devils.
Hughes is on a direct path to win, as is the third team in
the league tied with the Patriots and the Blue Devils for thr
top spot, Cross County.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Before the start of Thursday night's home game against Blytheville, Forrest City Coach Rich Trail told his Junior Mustangs "to get the job done early."
After all, it was more than just a season-ending junor high football game. The AAAAA-East Conference championship was on the line and the Junior Mustangs were the top contenders to that title, thanks to the events of the previous week which helped put them into that position.
Unitl last week, Jonesboro Annie Camp was on an unbeaten roll through the conference and looked like sure league champs. That changed when West Memphis Wonder held off Annie Camp 22-20 and Jonesboro MacArthur defeated West Memphis West 22-14.
That left the Junor Mustangs in a tie for first with MacArthur, both teams at 4-1 headed into the final game.
Thursday, Forrest City, whose title hopes took a hit in a 7-6 loss to Annie Camp midway through the season, needed Annie Camp to defeat MacArthur.
That, in combination with a Forrest City win over Blytheville, would hand the title to the Junior Mustangs.
Annie Camp downed MacArthur 13-6 and the Junior Mustangs took care of their business.
Forrest City finishes 6-2-1 overall and 5-1 in the league in the first season after reverting back to just one junior high football team while Annie Camp finishes second at 6-1-1, and 4-1-1 AAAAA-East.
Leading 6-0 at the half, after a first-half touchdown run by Michael Holland, the Junior Mustangs added as third quarter scoring run by Cordero Tripp and the Forrest City defense pitched a shutout to lift the Mustangs to a 12-0 win and the outright league title at Sam Smith Stadium.
"I knew it wouldn't be easy," Trail said after the game. He was right.
Sloppy play by the Junior Mustangs in the first half made it a very close game until the end of the third quarter.
Trail's halftime speech to short and right to the point. So short, in fact, the Junior Mustangs were back out on the field before the junior high marching band had even started their halftime performance.
"Al I told them at the half was 'you guys didn't get it done in the first half and now you're in a dog fight,'" Trail said. "Then I asked them 'now what are you going to do?'"
Halftime speech complete.
The Junior Mustangs opened the third quarter with possession and drove to the Blytheville 38-yard line and moved to the 24 when Blytheville was flagged for unsportsman-like conduct. From that point, the Forrest City drive stalled when Wilson Parker's third down pass attempt to Marcus Britt fell incomplete at the goal line and Stephon Weaver's fourth-down run was several short of the 13 needed for the first down. Blytheville took over with 4:14 to play but was stopped in their tracks when the Forrest City defense flexed its collective muscle.
Getting the ball back, John Washington ran to the Blytheville 33 and Holland got to the Blytheville 1-yard line with 1:04 left in the quarter.
A penalty moved the ball back to the six and Washington got two back which set up Tripp's four-yard run, second-effort scoring run as time expired. The two-point play failed but the Junior Mustangs led 12-0 and the Forrest City defense did the rest, stopping Blytheville inside the Junior Mustang 30 when Rylan Nimocks tipped and broke up a Blytheville fourth down pass play.
Forrest City took over with 3:29 to play and ran out the clock.
"I thought we had scored too quick in the third," Trail said. "But when they (Blytheville) came out running the football, I knew they would be using a lot of clock and they did and fortunately our defense did their job and we were able to get the ball back and control the rest of the game."
Holland, who was named the offensive player of the game, scored with 16 seconds left in the first quarter on a 25-yard run to put the Junior Mustangs in front 6-0, after falling short on the two-point conversion.
Forrest City had a chance to pad their lead late in the second quarter but Antonio Robinson's fumble with 34 seconds left ended that opportunity as Blytheville recovered and ran out the clock and the half.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
MARKED TREE -- The Hughes Junior Blue Devils scored twice in the fourth quarter to rally past Marked Tree 24-14 in a battle of unbeaten teams Thursday night which decided the 3AA Conference title.
Kendric Smith ran for 177 yards on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns to lift the Junior Blue Devils to 9-0 and the league crown.
Smith scored the game-clinching touchdown with 1:16 to play.
Marked Tree's Junior Indians finish the year at 8-1.
It is the first time since 1979 that a Hughes junior high football team has gone unbeaten.
Over the past three seasons, the Hughes Junior Blue Devils have lost only one game. A year ago, the Junior Blue Devils finished 8-1 and co-champions.
Hughes led 8-6 at the half but trailed 14-8 to start the fourth quarter.
Marked Tree's Brian Coleman, ran for 126 yards on 17 carries to put the Indians on top 6-0 with a 25-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter.
Hughes answered when Smith broke free for a 97-yard run which put the Junior Blue Devils in front 8-6 after his two-point conversion run.
Marked Tree regained the lead using a 19-yard touchdown pass from William Ruthven to Loren Ghnat with 1:26 left in the third and John Ed Turpin's two-point run to put the Indians ahead 14-8.
With 6:24 to play in the game, Hughes took the lead for good on a 32-yard run from Katarrus Poney and Smith's two-point run put the Blue Devils on top 16-14.
Smith added a 9-yard run in the final minute to set the final score.
"It was a good year and the kids played hard," said Hughes Coach Bert Greenwell. "They played well on both sides of the football. To only lose one game in three years is quite an accomplishment."
In other 3AA games played Thursday Walnut Ridge defeated Parkin 34-0.
A "5-on-5" Basketball Tournament, will be played Saturday, Nov. 1, at Mustang Arena from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
The 12-team, single elimination, full court tournament will benefit Lincoln Middle School and begins at 8 a.m.
Admission to the tournament is $3 for adults and $2 for children.