Don't look now, but the "Professor" is about to return to Forrrest City.
The Times-Herald Professor Pigskin Football Contest is scheduled to begin the 2004 run on Tuesday, Aug. 31.
Each week, readers will be given the chance to select the winning football teams from a list of carefully selected high school, college and NFL games.
At stake each week is a $50 cash prize, which will be awarded to the person who has the most correct winning selections.
In the event of a tie between two or more entrants, the specifically designated "tie-breaker" game will come into play to help determine a clear winner.
The "tie-breaker" game this year will alternate weekly between the Forrest City and Arkansas Razorback game.
When the Forrest City game is used as the tie-breaker, the Razorback game will be one of the weekly picks. When the Arkansas game is used as the tie-breaker, the Forrest City game will be used as a pick.
Readers will be asked to not only correctly guess the winner of the tie-breaker game but also guess the score of the tie-breaker game.
The person closest to the actual score will be declared the tie breaker winner.
If the tie-breaker game fails to determine an outright winner, the prize money will be equally divided and the decision of the Professor Pigskin judges will be final.
Each week's list of games will appear in the Tuesday edition of the Times-Herald along with the entry form and the name of the previous week's winner.
All entries must be received and postmarked by noon on the Friday following Tuesday's published list.
For example, all entries for the Aug. 31 Pigskin, will be due by noon on Friday, Sept. 3.
This year, readers are being encouraged to use only the official Pigskin entry form -- either the original or a photocopy -- and all entries should be printed or typed clearly.
Any "unreadable" entries will be discarded from that week's contest.
Entries may be dropped off at the Times-Herald main office, located at 222 North Izard, in the outside mailbox or in the "Professor Pigskin" box which will be located on the front desk in the Times-Herald lobby from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The annual Times-Herald preseason football special section will be published on Wednesday, Sept. 1 and will include indepth preseason looks at Forrest City, Palestine-Wheatley and Hughes football.
The special section will also include season schedules for the AAAAA-East, SEC, Sun Belt and NFL.
The three-year-old East Arkansas Youth Football Association, which is comprised of six youth football teams, will be featured in the special section for the first time this season.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City Mustangs are ready to see some real action. So are the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots and the Hughes Blue Devils.
Add in several other Northeast Arkansas prep football teams -- of the junior and senior high variety -- and next week becomes jamboree week.
Forrest City will travel to Little Rock Fair Tuesday (Aug. 24) to take part in a four-team jamboree.
The Mustangs will play Fair and Little Rock Hall.
Hall was 0-10 a year ago and are not projected to be much better as the 2004 season opener approaches.
The Warriors do have 13 returning starters but that's about it. They are picked to finish last in the AAAAA-Central.
Little Rock Fair has been picked as the sixth best team in the AAAA-Southwest this season, which is exactly where the team finished a year ago with a 4-6 record.
On paper, it appears that neither team will be much of a test for the Mustangs, but that's on paper.
The Mustangs, even with 15 seniors back, are young and inexperienced in several areas.
Forrest City finished fifth a year ago in the AAAAA-East and 5-5 overall.
But the jamboree is a good opportunity for the coaches to evaluate the younger Mustangs, according to the Forrest City coaching staff.
"We will try to play a lot of kids because we will have to rely on some of the younger ones this season to help," Head Coach Donnie Willis said. "Playing twice in the jamboree will hopefully give us good looks at everyone."
Palestine-Wheatley will play a preseason scrimmage on Thursday (Aug. 26) at Mountain View.
The Patriots, also with 15 seniors in uniform this year, are highly favored in the 6AA Conference after finishing 11-2 a year ago and making it all the way to the quarterfinals of the Class AA state playoffs.
The should get that far again and if the Patriot seniors have their way -- farther.
Moving into the revamped 6AA Conference this season, the Patriots conference path is a little tougher with Barton and Harding Academy both standing in the way.
The Hughes Blue Devils are fighting low numbers but may pick up a few more when school begins.
The Blue Devils have been practicing with about 17 players so far and return a solid backfield led by quarterback Johnny Payton and running backs Clifton Smith and Marcus Washington leading the way.
Along the lines, however, the Blue Devils are thin and small.
So far, Hughes has not announced any intentions to play a preseason jamboree.
Over at Osceola, the Seminoles are more than ready to shed last season's embarrassments and disappointments.
The Seminoles will get their first opportunity in an exhibition with Jonesboro High on Friday, Aug. 27, at the High School Football Showcase presented by the Sports Association of the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Nettleton also will play Pocahontas in the fourth annual event.
Osceola and Forrest City will hook up in Week Three of the upcoming season.
Osceola's 2003 season went from being playoff bound to suddenly having to forfeit all its games because of the use of an ineligible player.
The Osceola players do not want a repeat in 2004. The Seminoles are the preseason pick to win the 3AAA Conference.
Osceola and Jonesboro will play in the nightcap game of the two games, which will start at approximately 7:15 p.m. Nettleton and Pocahontas will kick off the event at 5:30 p.m.
Jonesboro is the No. 3 pick in the AAAAA-East this year behind Cabot and West Memphis.
*The Forrest City Junior Mustangs are scheduled to play a preseason jamboree at Osceola next week but the date and time has not yet been announced.
The registration process for the Forrest City Recreation Department's fall league adult and co-ed softball, youth soccer and youth flag football leagues is now underway and will continue through Aug. 31. For more information the leagues, or to register call Kenneth Taylor at 633-3667.