By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City Junior Mustangs will host the Wynne Junior 'Jackets tonight in the home opener at Sam Smith Stadium. Kick off is set for 7 p.m.
The Junior Mustangs, 0-0-1, are coming off a 14-14 tie against Marianna in last week's season opener. Forrest City led 14-0 at the half before Marianna scored 14 second-half points to force the tie.The Wynne Junior Jackets are playing their first game of the season tonight.
It is the third matchup against a Wynne team in seven days for a Forrest City team. Last Friday, Wynne defeated the Mustangs 26-6 in the high school opener for each team and on Monday, the JV Mustangs defeated Wynne's JV 30-24.
On Wednesday, Forrest City Coach Rich Trail said his Junior Mustangs were "ready to play."
In other junior high games tonight, the Hughes Junior Blue Devils will play at Rector while the Palestine-Wheatley Junior Patriots will play at Cross County.
Hughes defeated Walnut Ridge last Thursday behind the running of Thomas Lowe and Kendric Smith.
The Junior Patriots lost to Earle 6-0 in their opener last week. PWJH will play their home opener next Thursday when they host Rector.
*In a scheduling change involving the Forrest City seventh and eighth-grade football teams, the match up against Wynne, originally scheduled to be played Saturday, Sept. 27, will now be played Tuesday, Sept. 16, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at Sam Smith Stadium.
The fourth annual Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremonies will be held Friday, Oct. 10, at the Forrest City Civic Center.
Tickets are $10 per person and are on sale by calling Bill Baxter at 633-0780. The banquet begins at 5 p.m.
The 2003 Hall of Fame Class includes Lincoln High School athletes Roy Weatherall, Melvin McAllister and Archie Colerman, and Forrest City High School athletes Jim Williams, Billy Trail and Max Graham (prior to 1970) and Richard Kimble, Richard Benson and Frederick Freeman after 1970.
Benson, who will broadcast his 300th consecutive Mustang football game on Oct. 3, at Searcy, is being inducted as a broadcast journalist.
Coleman and Graham are deceased and will be honored posthumously.
"It looks like all seven of the surviving inductees will be here this year for the banquet and induction," Baxter said. "Graham will be represented by his dad and Coleman's brother will accept in his honor."
The 2003 inductees will be honored during halftime of the Forrest City-Cabot football game.
"It will be a double treat for Richard Kimble," Baxter said. "He will be celebrating his birthday that weekend as well."
McAlister will be making his second straight appearance at the Athletic Hall of Fame banquert.
A year ago, McAlister accepted the honor on of former Lincoln coach Wallace Leon Purifoy, Jr., who was inducted into the 2002 class. Purifoy died in 1972.