By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots may be the preseason favored team to win the 6AA Conference, but don't tell that to the Harding Academy Wildcats.
Harding, a preseason selection to finish in the top league's top four, have experience at almost every position and would like to use that experience to get back to the Class AA state playoffs, after missing the cut last year.
The last postseason appearance for the Wildcats was in 2002 and it was also the first meeting between the Wildcats and the Patriots.
Harding hosted the Patriots for a first-round playoff game and then sent them back to St. Francis County after inflicting a 49-23 whipping.
Probably the most interesting game note was the fact that Palestine-Wheatley started five sophomores and one freshman on the defensive side of the football in that game.
That won't be the case this time around.
The Patriots are much older and a little more wiser this season -- especially after reaching the quarterfinals of the Class AA state tournament in 2003 and finishing with the best-ever season mark in school history at 11-2.
Palestine-Wheatley is scheduled for a return trip to Harding on Sept. 17, the third playing date of the upcoming 2004 prep football season.
This time, instead of being a playoff game, it is a conference game.
The Patriots will begin the season with just over 20 roster players -- 15 of those battle-tested seniors and will return both offensive and defensive lines nearly intact.
Harding will dress out an even dozen seniors on the field this year.
One of those Harding seniors, Kreg Kell, a 5-10 wide receiver/defensive back is being counted on heavily by Wildcat head coach Tommy Shoemaker.
Kell looked especially good in a recent scrimmage and especially when he ran the team's "tunnel screen" a screen pass designed for a wide receiver where the offensive lineman block down onto the defensive backfield to clear running lanes. Kell consistently took that play for gains of 20 or more yards.
In 2003, Kell caught 42 passes for almost 500 yards and two touchdowns.
From the backfield, he carried the ball 30 times for almost 200 yards.
The Patriots return a loaded backfield as well, led by quarterback Fred Leak, who has shown tendencies of not liking to lose -- at all.
Behind Leak are senior running backs Rashun Barnes and Brad Barton and newcomers Blake Simmons and Ricky Thorn who will see plenty of playing time.
From the Patriots Wing-T set a year ago, Leak threw for more than 800 yards and on those occasions when he decided to keep the football, left linebackers and cornerbacks in his dust.
There are of course, other factors which could affect the 6AA Conference race -- the ever-presence Barton Bears, who have made a habit of getting into postseason and winning state titles and the Hughes Blue Devils, who are making their own habot of going deep into the Class AA playoffs.
The Blue Devils have reached the quarterfinals each of the past two seasons.
Harding's Shoemaker likes the depth he has seen from his team so far in drills. Patriot coach Terry Farmer has raised the P-W summer drills to another level this season while "razing the standard for the team."
"It's time to strip away the past from P-W football and get rid of a lot of junk that has been standing in our way," Farmer said. "You will see a different team this year."
The Patriots open on Sept. 3 when hey host Carlisle.
Harding will host Little Rock Christian in their season opener while Barton will open against DeWitt.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Monday's Mustang football practice wasn't exactly what the coaches were hoping to see.
The team came out flat to start the third week of summer drills, after being off two days.
"Just a typical Monday practice," head coach Donnie Willis said. "We'll get back on track the rest of the week."
The Mustangs are working toward their first semi-real action of the season when the team takes part in a preseason scrimmage Tuesday at Little Rock Fair.
The jamboree starts at 7 p.m.
Forrest City will play Fair first and then go against Little Rock Hall.
"We will try to get looks at a lot of kids during that scrimmage," Willis said. "We think we have some younger kids who can help but we don't know how they will react once they are on the field and going against someone other than ourselves."
After the jamboree, the Mustangs will have a little more than a week to correct whatever mistakes show up on the film.
"We have some time and we are still taking things slow," Willis said. "We want to make certain the kids know and understand what they are expected to do."
The Mustangs open the season on Friday, Sept. 3, when they host Poplar Bluff, Mo.
"Poplar Bluff will bring a good team here," Willis said. "And they will bring a team with a lot of size, but I like our chances."
Quarterback coach Tommy Wheetley said the competition between his three quarterbacks -- senior Ben Horton, junior Marcus Fair and sophomore Wilson Parker -- is beginning to heat up.
"All three are getting a lot of reps in practice," Wheetley said. "And all three are pushing the others."
Horton is the projected returning starter and Wheetley said all three will get their chance at Tuesday's scrimmage.
"If I had to make a decision on the starter right now, I'm not sure I could do that," Wheetley said. "This is a problem but it is a good problem to have."
Horton is also being counted on to anchor the defensive unit.
"He's probably our best linebacker and he is a leader," Wheetley said. "I normally don't like my quarterback playing defense, but we probably won't have much choice. Marcus is a backup linebacker as well."
The Blytheville Chicks fell from the AAAAA-East this year right into the middle of the very tough AAAA-East Conference.
But that didn't distract the preseason polls from making the Chicks the third pick behind Wynne and Batesville.
The Yellowjackets are also the preseason's No. 3 pick in Class AAAA, after last year's 9-3 finish.
Blytheville is coming off a 2003 season the team would much rather forget, finishing 1-9 overall and dead last in the AAAAA-East.
Blytheville is the No. 10 preseason selection in Class AAAA.
Behind senior running back Courtney Williams and a rather stingy defensive unit, the yellowjackets are out to make their case to return to the top of the league, after last year's third-place finish.
Wynne, opting out of their annual contract as the opening game against Forrest City -- will open this season against Searcy.
That game is followed with nonconference matchups against Jonesboro and Pine Bluff Dollarway.
Blytheville, behind returning quarterback Brice Beck will open the season by hosting Osceola.
The Forrest City Sports Complex will host the Wal-Mart 2004 Softball Classic, Sept. 10-12.
The double elimination style adult men and women's tournament will benefit LeBonheur Hospital in Memphis and the recreation department.
Entry fees are $125 per team and the deadline to enter is Friday, Sept. 3.
For more information about the tournament, call Kenneth Taylor at 633-3667; Michael Mason at 630-0474 or Gloria White at 630-1037.