By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Little Rock Central Tigers are next on Forrest City's season basketball schedule.
"We know that they are coming in here with bad intentions," Forrest City Mustang Coach Dwight Lofton said today.
More than likely the Tigers are still smarting from a 20 point loss to the Mustangs back on Nov. 18, at Central.
Lofton said his Mustangs will have to "be ready to face the best that the Tigers have to offer."
Central's football team will be playing for the Class AAAAA state title Saturday in Little Rock, but Lofton says only two from the football team will make the move over to the basketball squad.
"That's not really an issue," Lofton said. "We're only talking about two people. What they have on the floor is what they will use this season and we have to be ready."
The Mustangs haven't played since defeating Buffalo Island Central on Saturday for a third place finish at the Rumble on the Ridge tournament.
Lofton said Monday and Tuesday, his players were still suffering from the 'Rumble hang over' but started showing signs of life at practice Wednesday. He expects his team to have a good, hard practice today.
Lofton may have to tweak his lineup and game plan a little, if guard Sherman Allen can't go.
Allen hurt his knee during the Rumble and as of today is only about 60 percent.
If Allen is unable to start, Lofton will go with either Nick Grady or Jarvis Palmer at the guard spot.
Forrest City is off to a 4-1 season start and were unbeaten going into the Rumble, which did provide some valuable insight for Lofton.
"I learned through the three Rumble games that I have a lot more confidence in the guys coming off the bench," Lofton said. "Lacody Braddock, Kelson Stewart and Palmer provided solid support from their particular roles on the floor. They showed, under pressure conditions, that they are able to come in and help us."
Asked about how he would grade the Mustangs efforts during the Rumble, Lofton said a "solid B."
Friday's home stand will begin at 5 p.m. when the junior varsity boys take the floor.
The Lady Mustangs, off to a 3-1 start will tip at 6 p.m.
It is the first meeting against Central's Lady Tigers. The lady Mustangs did not make the trip to Little Rock.
The senior girls have not played since defeating North Pulaski for fourth place at the Mount St. Mary's tournament on Nov. 20.
Senior forward Sequoria Grady is leading the Lady Mustangs in scoring, averaging 21 points per game.
Sophomore Fareeda Washington is second averaging close to 10 points a game.
Washington and Grady lead the Lady Mustangs in rebounding with 27 boards each for the year.
JONESBORO -- The holidays are coming up and that means Christmas shopping, family get-togethers with heaping feasts and the best chance for fans to see the majority of area basketball teams on display.
The Northeast Arkansas Invitational tournament will begin Dec. 18 and conclude Dec. 28 with 71 teams participating this year in two divisions for both boys and girls at the Convocation Center.
Jonesboro earned the top seed for this year's boys' 3A-4A-5A division while last year's champion Buffalo Island Central is the top seed in the boys' A-AA division.
On the girls' side, 2004 champion Rivercrest is the top seed in the 3A-4A-5A division with Cave City earning the top spot going into the A-AA bracket.
The tournament will begin Saturday, Dec. 18, with eight A-AA games. After open days on the 19th and 20th, play will resume the 21-23 before taking a break for the holidays Dec. 24-26. The semifinals and finals are tentatively scheduled for the 27th and 28th.
Jonesboro's boys (1-0) fell in the semifinals to East Poinsett County last season but the Warriors have dropped down to Class AA and will compete in the A-AA bracket.
Blytheville (3-0) is the second seed in the boys' highest classification, followed by Batesville (3-0), Nettleton (3-0), Rivercrest (2-1), Highland (4-0), Manila (10-2) and Westside (4-1) with 14 teams in the division.
Westside will open with Pocahontas in the first round, with the winner taking on Jonesboro. Nettleton, which beat Blytheville to reach last year's championship, opens with Trumann while Valley View will play Manila in the first round.
The boys' A-AA bracket is expected to be a clash between BIC (12-2) and EPC (2-1).
The Warriors were last year's Class AAA state champions and have only lost to Class AAAAA Camden Fairview so far this year.
Marmaduke (9-3) earned the third seed, followed by Cave City, Izard County Consolidated (10-2), Riverside (7-4), Bay (5-4) and Marked Tree (0-0).
There are 24 boys' teams in the division.
Behind Southern Mississippi signee Pauline Love, Rivercrest (4-2) is poised to repeat in the 11-team 3A-4A-5A division.
The Lady Colts are the top seed, followed by Valley View (9-0), Pocahontas (4-1), Manila (2-5), Trumann (4-1), Highland (1-4), Westside (3-4) and Nettleton (1-2).
Nettleton will open with Harrisburg (1-3) while Westside takes on Gosnell, with the winner playing Valley View.
Cave City drew the top seed in the girls' A-AA division, followed by BIC and Bay, which earned its first-ever NEA tournament title last year. ICC is the fourth seed, followed by Newark, Piggott, Swifton and Maynard.
Maynard will take on Weiner with the winner earning the right to face Cave City. Bay beat Weiner in last year's finals.
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots and Lady Patriots, both off and running to 3-1 season starts, will be entered into A-AA brackets this time.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Each year the State Farm Awards honors Arkansas' top offensive player, defensive player and coach of the year in each of the state's classifications.
This year's Watch List includes three Palestine-Wheatley Patriot football players -- quarterback Fred Leak, running back Antonio Leak and lineman Derrick Cooper. All three Patriot players are seniors.
Three finalists from each category will be chosen by the Hooten's Arkansas Football staff, and those finalists will be invited to attend a special ceremony on Monday, Dec. 13, at the IMAX Theater in Little Rock. The event is sponsored by State Farm Insurance.
The Patriots are coming off a 9-3 season which carried the team all the way to the Class AA quarterfinals.
It marked the second straight season that the Patriots have advanced to the quarterfinals.
The Patriots earned the No. 1 seed into the Class AA playoffs after finishing in a three-way tie for the 6AA Conference title along with Hughes and Harding Academy.
The Patriots ended regular season at 7-2 and then defeated Cross County and Lavaca to set up the quarterfinal meeting against Rison, who ended the Patriots season last Friday with a 50-30 win.
Palestine-Wheatley Head Coach Terry Farmer is a candidate for Class AA Coach of the Year honors.
Through five seasons at Palestine-Wheatley, Farmer has put together a 32-18 overall won-lost record and has guided the Patriots into postseason each of the five years.
Under Farmer, P-W has a playoff record of 4-5.
STATE FARM WATCH LIST
Class AA Candidates
Fred Leak, P-W
Antonio Leak, P-W
Derrick Cooper, P-W
Wayne Wainwright, Rison
Aaron Terry, Rison
Marquis Rauls, Rison
Billy Gridine, Rison
Ben McLaughlin, Dierks
Lance Stone, Dierks
Mason Greene, Dierks
Trent Moss, Elaine
Drew Hill, Charleston
Bubba Noakes, Ola
Chris Willis, Barton
Drew Haynes, Barton
Steve Barnett, Altheimer
Jeff Powers, Lavaca
Casey Champion, Lavaca
Kevin Ray, Lavaca
Caleb Askew, Spring Hill
Spencer Harston, EPC
Brandon Sturdivant, EPC
Andrew Pettigrew, Horatio
Ben Owens, Bearden
Dillon Carr, Mountainburg
Dallas Carr, Mountainburg
Devin Manus, Mountainburg
Anthony Geheb, Mountainburg
Kreg Kell, Harding Academy
Nick Green, Harmony Grove
Robert Stane, Bigelow
Dustin Terry, Horatio
Chase Adams, Gillett
Collin Holzhauer, Gillett
Mitch Petrus, Carlisle
T.J. Powell, Carlisle
Courtney Berry, Gurdon
Jason Bonner, Magazine
Neil Evans, Murfreesboro
Joseph Hall, Junction City
AA Coach of the Year Candidates
Stephen Wood, Charleston
David Bennett, Dierks
Tommy Shoemaker, HA
Jason Sanders, Foreman
Tom Harrell. Mountainburg
Terry Farmer. P-W
Clay Totty, Rison
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City Junior Lady Mustangs are one game away from playing for a tournament title.
Wednesday, the junior girls were able to slip past Marion 33-30 in the quarterfinals of the Turrell Invitational Tournament at Turrell.
Sharita Britt forced a steal with 25 seconds left in the game and Forrest City trailing 30-28. Britt went the length of the floor and hit the layup, drawing the foul. She completed the three-point play to put the Junior Lady Mustangs in front 31-30, which eventually led to the win.
Forrest City will face West Memphis Wonder in a semifinal game today at 4 p.m. A win puts the team into Friday's championship game against Turrell at 6 p.m.
Turrell defeated Parkin 50-40 Wednesday.
"I was proud of the girls," said Forrest City Coach Chris McManners. "We were behind 22-12 in the third and they stayed with it and battled hard."
Marion led 8-5 after one period but Forrest City led 11-10 at the half. After falling behind 22-12 in the third, the Junior lady Mustangs scored the final seven points of the period to get within 22-19 to start the fourth period.
Cassandra Jackson led Forrest City with 13 points and eight rebounds while Anna Horton, coming back from an ankle injury, helped with six points and six rebounds.