By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Forrest City Coach Jimmy Williams is counting days and hours now rather than adding up basketball statistics.
For those who may not know, Williams is retiring this year, bringing an end to a 38-year coaching career which has spanned all three St. Francis County school districts.
Unlike some coaches, who stay longer than they probably should, Williams is going out on top, so to speak.
His Junior Mustang basketball team won the junior high district tournament title in late February.
The district title isn't the only one Williams owns, but it will be his last.
In a few short weeks, he will be joining his younger (by five minutes) twin brother, Herbert in the throes of the good life or the retirement years.
Brother Herbert retired last year after a long and outstanding coaching career at Brinkley and already is enjoying his new-found lifestyle.
The plan, for several years, was for both brothers to go out together. However, Jimmy Williams opted for one more year.
Besides counting down the days and hours, Williams says he is looking forward to receiving his first retirement check. And he will soon, having all the necessary paperwork already in place.
During his 38 years as a teacher and a coach, Williams says he has seen and done just about everything a coach can do.
He has seen the coaching highs and the coaching lows and even though the lows may have outweighed the highs most of the time, Williams says he was in love with coaching. And he admits that he still retains a passion for coaching and the game of basketball, he just doesn't feel the same way about being in the classroom.
Williams began his coaching career in the mid-1960s at Hughes High School -- at the old Mildred Jackson School, later to be renamed Hughes Middle School -- long before unification came to be a part of the educational system.
At Hughes, Williams coached basketball and track.
It was, in fact, the unification effort that prompted Williams to leave Hughes after 12 seasons in search of new ground.
He stayed in St. Francis County, landing at Wheatley, before the consolidation effort combined the school with Palestine.
At Wheatley, as he had done at Hughes, Williams coached the junior and senior high boys basketball teams.
He would also have the privilege to coach Jason Smith, who Williams first saw as a seventh-grader.
Smith went on to be a standout player in high school and at Ole Miss.
Williams stayed at Wheatley for 12 years, through the consolidation, before deciding to make one final coaching stop.
When given the opportunity to coach at Forrest City, in 1990, Williams decided to do just that.
Again, it was with the junior high basketball program with the girls' volleyball team thrown in for good measure.
Later, he would also coach the seventh-grade football program and would assist the varsity junior high football program.
At Forrest City, Williams said he had the pleasure to coach such athletes as Freddie Malone and countless others.
Through the years, Williams and his brother faced each other on the basketball court on a regular basis. Each brother produced talented basketball teams and each time they played each other, neither gave or asked for any quarter. The brotherly series ended after Williams made the move to Forrest City.
"Herbert wouldn't play me anymore," Jimmy Williams said.
While the two brothers coached against each other, they never coached alongside each other.
Williams says their mother was always in the stands when the two faced each other on the court.
"My mother was always there to support both of us when we played against each other," Williams said. " But I think she kinda leaned toward Herbert to win, because he is five minutes younger than I am. That's just my thinking, you understand. I believe mom favored the youngest. Now Herbert will probably deny all of that, of course, but that's what I think. I really believe she leaned more toward him."
Williams said he really fell in love with junior high sports at Forrest City.
"I never wanted to or had the desire to go anywhere else, after coming to Forrest City," Williams said.
In the coaching profession, the main thing you have to establish is player discipline and love for the game.
"If you can do that, you have a chance to have a good team,' Williams said.
But he added that was becoming more difficult with each passing season and Williams said this season, he felt the wear and tear of the coaching profession more than in his previous coaching years.
"To be honest, I don't have the energy to do it anymore," Williams said. "I still love the game and I still love coaching, But I'm burned out. I knew I couldn't go another year. It's time for me to leave. It's time for someone who has more energy to take over."
As a coach, Williams said he has tried to adapt to the changes in the game over the past 10 to 15 years.
"As the game changed, I tried to change with it," Williams admitted. "I don't know if I was always successful at that but I tried my best. Most of all, I tried to make it fun for the players. That's a key. The game has to be fun for the players who are on the court."
He said he always enjoyed coaching junior high-age kids better than senior high because "the younger kids will listen better. The senior high kids are harder to crack," Williams added.
What will Williams miss most as he heads into his golden years?
"I will miss the coaching part. I won't miss the class room," he said "Ninety percent of the time in the class room, you spend trying to teach them to behave."
As he has done in the coaching ranks, Williams has taught it all in the classroom as well, from grades seven through 12.
That all ends shortly. No more calling roll, no more scouting the hallways for misplayed students, no more monitoring lunch periods and no more grading homework.
Soon, it will be time to move on to tinkering around the house, yard work and daily "honey-do" lists.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
FORREST CITY -- Jonesboro banged out 10 hits Tuesday afternoon and got solid pitching from starter Amanda Berry in a 12-2 win over Forrest City in fast-pitch softball action at the Sports Complex.
The Lady Hurricane scored five runs in he top of the sixth inning to end the game under the "mercy rule" after six innings.
Jonesboro improves to 2-12 overall and 2-5 in the AAAAA-East while Forrest City slips to 6-8 overall and 3-7 in the conference.
Berry held the Lady Mustangs to two runs on two hits while walking three and striking out five.
After walking Forrst City's Leigh Anna Taylor in the bottom of the third inning, Berry retired the next 12 Forrest City hitters.
Stacey Gracey started for the Lady Mustangs and worked into the fourth inning before giving way to Mallory Nelson who finished up he game.
Gracey gave up seven runs on six hits and four walks. She struck out four and hit one batter.
Nelson came on in the top of the fourth inning with the bases loaded and no outs and Forrest City trailing 6-2. Nelson worked the final three innings giving up five runs on four hits and five walks while striking out three.
Jonesboro took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning but the Lady Mustangs rallied for two runs in the bottom of the inning to lead 2-1.
Rachel Sims drew a two out walk and stole second before Risondra Deans singled. Randal Ross' wind-aided bloop single scored both Lady Mustangs.
Jonesboro regained the lead in the top of the third by scoring three runs using three hits and an error to lead 4-2.
Three runs in the fourth made it 7-2 and the five-run outburst in the sixth using two hits and three walks, pushed the lead to 12-2.
Danielle Birdsong, Jenna Futrell, and Chelsey Reeves each scored two runs for Jonesboro while four Lady Hurricane players scored single runs.
The Lady Mustangs will play at Searcy Thursday, April 15, but opted to withdraw from the Marion Tournament.
Forrest City was scheduled to play Friday and Saturday at Marion, but because several players are involved in other activities, Coach Pam England said she has withdrawn from the tournament.
"We only have 12 players on roster and I'm not going to Marion shorthanded," England said. "We will try to get back in it next year."
The Forrest City Mustangs and the No. 6 ranked Seacy Lions will try again today to get in a varsity doubleheader.
Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the conference games were moved to today, replacing the scheduled junior varsity game against Marion, following day long rains on Monday and cold.
The first game will begin at 4 p.m. at the Sports Complex.
Forrrest City is 3-8 overall and 1-7 in the conference. The Lions bring an 18-2 mark into the game.
*The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots and West Helena cancelled Tuesday's game, which could be rescheduled.
The Patriots will play at Gillett Thursday.
Batesville 10-5, GCT 0-2
Grant Gatlin went 4-for-4 with a solo home run in the fifth inning of game one, and struck out 11 in the second game as Batesville swept a baseball doubleheader against Greene County Tech, 10-0 and 5-2 on Tuesday.
Gatlin also had a two-run double, finishing the first game with four RBIs. He earned the win in the second game, pitching all seven innings, giving up just three hits and three walks.
Kyle Francis went 2-for-3 in the first game, cracking a double and knocking in two runs. Woody Skinner went 2-for-4 in the second game, bringing in two RBIs while Andy Rogers went 2-for-2.
Jeremy Burba got the win in the first game, pitching a full six innings and giving up just two hits and two walks. He ended the game with eight strikeouts.
Aaron Ferguson had two hits for GCT in the second game.
Walnut Ridge 6, Riverside 1
Andrew Ballard picked up the victory for Walnut Ridge from the mound as the Bobcats defeated Riverside 6-1 in Tuesday's high school baseball action.
Ballard gave up six hits and no walks, and improved his record to 6-2. He struck out five. Jeb Davis went 2-for-3 to lead Walnut Ridge offensively.
Manila 9, EPC 5
Manila 9, Trumann 3
Cody Wells went 3-for-4 with three runs batted in as Manila defeated East Poinsett County 9-5 before traveling to Trumann to take a 9-3 victory.
Justin Hill got the win in the first game, giving up seven hits and five runs in seven innings of work. Jared Camp got the win in the second game, giving up six hits and two walks while striking out 10. Camp improved to 3-3 while Hill moved to 3-1.
Valley View 10, EPC 0
Daniel Rankin threw a 13-strikeout one-hitter against East Poinsett County, as Valley View rolled to a 10-0 victory on Tuesday.
Casey Spencer and Matt Hill added two hits and two runs for the Blazers.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Forrest City sophomore Cameron Henderson averaged 12.3 points and 10 rebounds in five games at the Boo Williams AAU Invitational played last weekend at Newport News. Va.
The tournament has been an annual event for the past 18 years.
Henderson, the Mustangs' starting 6-5 forward/center this past season, scored a total of 63 points and grabbed 50 rebounds to help lead the 16-under Lakers to the tournament semifinals.
The Lakers lost to the New York Gauchos 54-41 in the semifinal and the Gauchos lost in the tournament finals to the Boo Williams Select team.
Henderson was also named the Game MVP for his efforts in the Lakers' win over Albany, NY in pool play.
The Lakers went undefeated in their pool to advance to the championship round.
Henderson is the lone player from Forrest City on the Lakers roster.
According to Forrest City Mustang Coach Dwight Lofton, there are currently about 36 kids from Forrest City playing on various AAU basketball teams.
"This is just tremendous for the basketball program," Lofton said. "These kids are getting some valuable experience at another level of play which will only serve better as future Mustang players."
Lofton said Stephon Weaver and Marcus Britt, who will be sophomores for Lofton this fall, are playing for the 17-under Arkansas Wings.
The Wings will be playing this weekend in Houston, Texas.
There are no AAU games or tournaments scheduled to be played at Mustang Arena yet, but Lofton said that will more than likely change.
"They have used the facility for AAU games before and I'm sure that the summer months will see some of that action again," Lofton said. "It is a great way to showcase the basketball talents of the kids who live in and around the Forrest City area. It's just a great way to watch basketball."