By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The registration process for the Forrest City Recreation Department's fall league softball, youth soccer and youth flag football leagues begins Monday, Aug. 2.
Youth fees for the youth soccer program, ages 4-16, are $15 for those players living inside the Forrest City city limits and $25 for youths living outside the city limits.
The city's youth soccer program has continued to grow each fall and organizers expect that trend to continue this year as well.
Individual fees for the flag football league, ages 6-11, are $20 for in-town players and $25 for out-of-town players.
The team fee for the adult men and co-ed fall softball leagues is $250.
The same team entry fee applies to the 14-under girls' fast-pitch softball fall league, which is being formed for the second straight year.
Coaches in the 14-under fast-pitch league and the adult leagues can pick their own players.
There is also the possibility of a youth fall baseball league if the interest is there, according to Recreation Director Kenneth Taylor.
"We will try to have a youth fall league if there is enough interest to do so and we have enough people who are willing to help," Taylor said. "It may not be a very big league, and we probably don't need it to be too big, but we thought we would give it a chance and see what happens."
The Jonesboro 11-year-olds travel to Paragould today for opening ceremonies for the Cal Ripken Southwest Regional Tournament.
The team received a bye through the first round and will play the winner between New Orleans P.A.C. and Tri City, Texas, at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Jonesboro earned its trip to Paragould after an undefeated stint through the district and state tournaments, defeating Springdale Red 3-2 July 20 in Blytheville.
The Jonesboro 10-year-old All Stars will also compete in the tournament. They will face Crossett at 1 p.m. Friday in the first round, with the winner playing Amarillo, Texas, later that night at 7.
Randolph County plays Sylvan Hills at 1 p.m., with the winner taking on Paragould Blue later that night at 7. Paragould Red also plays Friday at 7, against the winner of the 1 p.m. game between Sheridan and Meridian, Miss.
The Tri-County All-Stars, consisting of players from Walnut Ridge, Piggott, Rector and Marmaduke, repeated as Senior League state tournament champions earlier this month, defeating Riceland 10-0 and 12-4 in a best-of-three championship series.
The team will travel to Brenham, Texas, Aug. 6-12 for its second try at the Southwest Regional Tournament.
Coach Allen Weir said his team, which returns 10 of 12 from 2003, was made up of mostly 15-year-olds last year but played in a 16-and-under division in Senior League tournament play, which is part of the Little League organization. He also said the team considered last year's trip to Grand Junction, Colo., to be more of an honor for its accomplishments, going 0-3 in pool play and having to face the host team in the first round. Weir said he was confident this year would be different.
"Last year, it was more of a rewarded vacation for winning state and the boys were a little overwhelmed," Weir said. "We are taking almost exactly the same team as last year and being a year older and having experienced this level of competition before should help us."
Weir added his team would be depending on its offensive assault, led, in part, by power hitter Ben Engelken who blasted four homers in two games at the state tournament. The pitching staff is anchored by Engelken, Adam Hufstedler and Jacob Holcomb. Weir said their experience should show against tougher competition as well.
"Our offense is capable of scoring quite a few runs, and our pitching will be more effective than last year," Weir said.
Regional winners will advance to the Senior League World Series
in Bangor, Maine, Aug. 15-21.
Forrest City's James Green, 14, recently participated in the Hershey's Track and Field Youth Program, held in Hershey, Pa. Green was competing for the first time in the North American Finals in the Boys' Softball Throw.
Green is a member of the Forrest City Mustang Track team and
was an All-Star baseball player in the Forrest City summer league.
He is a member of Student Council, Beta Club and a member of the
Gifted and Talented Program at the school.
The 2004-05 Lincoln Middle School cheerleaders recently finished their cheerleader camp conducted by Cheerleaders Unlimited. The held a drawing for a 20-inch television to help pay for the camp.
LMS team members are: Scarlett Drake, K.K. King, Cara McCollum, Jordan Northcutt, Lauren Martin, Joy Stephens, Lena Cline, Kayla Burns, Lydia Holmes and Sydney Mitchell. Tammy Cline is the team sponsor.