By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The East Arkansas Youth Football Association is changing.
The four-team league, for youths ages eight through 12, is expanding to six teams this season.
The three Forrest City teams -- Ponie, Razorbacks and Titans -- and the Caldwell-based Gators will welcome the Earle Bears and the Marianna Raiders into the schedule.
Due to financial arrangements, the league will also be playing its schedule of games at Palestine-Wheatley's Patriot Stadium this year rather than at the Forrest City Sports Complex.
The six-team league will hold a preseason jamboree on Saturday, Aug. 21, at Palestine and the regular season will kick off on Saturday, Sept. 4.
League organizers are not sure if an admission will be charged at the gate for Saturday games, but did say that all donations to help support the league will be accepted and appreciated.
The league does not receive any funding from the city.
The teams are also trying to set up halftime scrimmages during the Palestine-Wheatley home football games tis season.
Oak Hill Church of God, located in Forrest City, will host a "3-on-3" half-court boys' basketball tournament on Saturday, Aug. 28, in the church gym.
The tournament will use a double elimination style bracket and age divisions include fifth through sixth grade; seventh through ninth grade and 10th through12th grade.
Teams can have three players and one alternate and the entry fee is $40 per team. The deadline to enter is Wednesday, Aug. 25. Each registered player will have a chance to win tickets to the upcoming NBA preseason game between the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat at North Little Rock's Alltel Arena. Winning team members in each age division will receive championship t-shirts.
All proceeds will benefit the upcoming LifeBuilder's Men's Conference scheduled for Sept. 17-18 at the church.
For more information or to enter, call Fred Conley at 870-238-0022.
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots, led this season by senior quarterback Fred Leak have been burning the late night practice oil preparing for the team's Sept. 3 home opener against Carlisle. The Patriots will field 15 seniors this year, back from last year's squad which finished 11-2 overall and ranked 10th in the final football polls.
The Patriots reached the quarterfinals of the Class AA State Playoffs last season. Head Coach Terry Farmer says the team is "razing the standard" for Palestine-Wheatley football this season and the team's one and only goal is to "get to the Class AA title game in Little Rock."
The Patriots will take part in a preseason scrimmage on Thursday, Aug. 26, at Mountain View. Palestine-Wheatley moved into the 6AA Conference this season as did the Hughes Blue Devils, and are favored to win the conference championship. Hughes drew the fourth place preseason pick in the conference after finishing 10-3 a year ago and reaching the quarterfinals of the Class AA State Playoffs for the second straight season.