By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
It was fitting that the clouds parted and the sun shown brightly through the windows of the Forrest City Junior High School atrium just as the finishing touches were being made to the memorial for long-time St. Francis County Coach Jimmy Williams.
It was almost as if it had been planned.
Jimmy Williams, 62, died Thursday of an apparent heart attack -- just 29 days from the final day of school and the final day of his 38-year teaching and coaching career.
Williams had already announced his intentions to retire after this school year and was looking forward to joining his twin brother, Herbert on the sidelines, so to speak.
Herbert retired last year after a long coaching career at Brinkley.
Forrest City Junior High Principal Billy Ferguson got the telephone call early Friday morning.
"I was in shock, I didn't believe it when they told me Jimmy was gone," Ferguson said. "I worked with him for nearly 13 years, and he always lived the way he believed. He was a fine man, a great coach and a great teacher in the classroom. We will miss him."
As Ferguson spoke, many of the school's student population were seeking consolation and answers as they filed into the school library to meet with crisis team workers, already in place.
The tears flowed freely, from the students and the staff as Ferguson announced that all specially planned activities today at the school would be either postponed or cancelled entirely.
"We will keep the crisis workers in place as long as we need them to be here," Ferguson said. "If we need to have them back Monday, then we will. It's going to be a long, tough day for everyone."
Assistant Principal Phyllis Conner said Williams was more than just a coach.
"He was an inspiration to me while I was in school and to all of the kids that he taught or coached," Conner said. "He was the only coach I ever played for."
Williams coached Conner from seventh grade through her senior year at Wheatley.
"It was a great pleasure for me to come to Forrest City and be able to work alongside Coach Williams here at the junior high."
Many of the coaches remembered Williams in their own way -- recalling his low-key approach to life and his always ever-presenct smile.
"I'm going to miss him," said another long-time Forrest City coach Stan Siler. "He was always the same, every time you saw him."
Forrest City Athletic Director Mike Bender said Williams will be sorely missed.
"Even though we knew he was looking forward to retirement, really looking forward to it, we knew he would always be around during basketball season. Forrest City and St. Francis County has lost a great coach and great friend."
Williams ended his 38-year coaching career in February by leading his Junior Mustang basketball team to a second-place finish in the AAAAA-East Conference regular season this past season and won the AAAAA-East junior high district title.
The team trophy, along with photos, newspaper articles, flowers, team jerseys and a basketball, rest as part of a memorial for Williams, just inside the junior high entrance way.
Williams began his career in the mid 1960s at Hughes High School and stayed there for 12 seasons coaching basketball and track before moving to Wheatley, staying through the consolidation effort with Palestine, where he coached the junior and senior boys basketball teams.
After 12 seasons there, Williams made his final move to Forrest City, where he coached boys and girls basketball, volleyball and football.
Williams is survived by his wife, Shirley, who taught school for many years at Wheatley, one son, Jimmy Jr., and a daughter, LaTonya.
As of press time, funeral arrangements were incomplete.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
In most cases, 128 points will win a track meet, especially at the junior high level.
At least that's what Forrest City Junior Mustang Coach Rich Trail thought.
Trail's Junior Mustangs put up 128-1/2 points Thursday at the AAAAA-East Junior High District Meet at Jonesboro and finished third.
Wow, the 128 points is great and I'm proud of the kids," Trail said. "I can't complain at all. It would have been nice to win it, but judging by the competition, third isn't bad."
Annie Camp swept the boys' and girls' AAAAA-East conference junior high track meets Thursday at Cooksey-Johns Field.
The Lady Whirlwinds captured their eighth straight title and the boys took their fourth straight in a tight meet.
A year ago, the Junior Mustangs finished a distant second to Annie Camp. Forrest City finished last year with 102 points to Annie Camp's 138.
Thursday, the Whirlwinds put up 136 to hold off Jonesboro MacArthur, which finished second with 132-1/2 points.
"We were just 7-1/2 points out of first and four points out of second," Trail said. "And we did what we needed to do by having multiple finishers in the top six slots in most of the events."
The Lady Whirlwinds easily won their meet with 256 points. Mountain Home fell in second with 117 1/2 and MacArthur was third with 55.
Forrest City got first-place finishes from William Mitchell in the 400-meter run with a time of 54.85, and a first-place finish in the 400-meter relay using the quartet of Justin Ross, John Washington, Mario Sims and Mitchell in a time of 46.96.
Mitchell scored 24 1/2 points to win the meet's high point honors.
Kendal Rucker ran fifth in the 400 while Kyle Houston ran third in the 800-meter and third in the mile run.
Ross was second in the 110-meter hurdlers while Washington placed fifth.
The team of Cameron Norris, Rucker, Chris Tripp and Ross ran third in the mile relay while the team of Rylan Nimocks, Houston, Justin Cochran and Nieko Walker ran fifth in the two-mile relay.
Ross was fifth in the high jump while Walker finished eighth. Ross finished third in the long jump (18 feet, 9 inches) while Walker was fourth.
In the field events, Michael Holland finished second in the shot put with a throw of 43 feet, two inches while Cordero Tripp was third in the shot with a toss of 41 feet, eight inches.
Sims finished third in the discus with a throw of 115 feet while seventh-grader T.J. Walker was fourth at 114 feet.
Annie Camp's Lauren Hall won the 1,600-meter and 800-meter runs, while teammate Trezere Calloway won the 100-meter hurdles in 17.01 and the triple jump with a distance of 32 feet.
Also for Annie Camp, Zerina Stanback won the 200 meters, placed second in the 100 meters and second in the long jump. Caroline Reddmann won the pole vault with a height of 8-0.
The Annie Camp 400-meter relay team took first place in with a time of 53.15 and the mile relay team won in 4:37. Smith added a second-place finish in the 400.
Elizabeth Jones finished second in the 1,600 and third in the 800.
Patricia Wright took second place in the Lady Whirlwinds' sweep of the 110 dash with a time of 17.04. Diamond Hawkins finished second in the high jump (4-8) and third in the 100 hurdles (18.24).
Elisabeth Edmonds was second in the pole vault (7-6) and Tayla Anderson was second in the discus (84-9).
The Lady Whirlwinds' 4x800 relay team placed second in 11:50.
Annie Camp thirds came from Valerie Ford in the 100 and 200; Lagrone in the 400; Martha Harbuck in the 1,600; Elizabeth Smith in the pole vault; and Kiearra Harris in the discus.
The boys' team receive winning performances from Kentrell Bell in the long jump (18-11), Josh Calamese in the triple jump (36-1 1/2) and Josh Lopp in the discus (127-6). David Terrel won the pole vault with a height of 11-0 and Evan Falk was third at 10-0.
The Whirlwinds' 3,200-meter relay team won the event in 9:19. The mile relay team was second in 3:51.9. Annie Camp's 400-meter relay team settled for third (:47.70).