By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Several Forrest City Mustang basketball players were given the chance to showcase their talents Saturday with some of the best prep players from the south.
Forrest City Coach Dwight Lofton took several players to participate in the Gerald Snyder Spring Showcase held Saturday at Millsap College in Jackson, Miss.
Seniors Deangelo "Buck" Braddock and Lorenzo Spearmon both played in the All-Star Game for "unsigned seniors" and both played very well, according to Lofton.
"There were about 90 seniors there and Buck and Lorenzo had the chance to play in the All-Star game," Lofton said. "I was extremely proud of their efforts and this gave them the opportunity to play for some college scouts and maybe gives them a better chance to play some college basketball."
Spearmon was named to the Class AAAAA All-State team just a few days before the Mississippi trip. He was also named to the Class AAAAA State Tournament All-Tournament Team and was named to the AAAAA-East All-Conference team.
Mustang teammates, Cameron Henderson and Taurus Moore, were also named to the AAAAA-East All-Conference team.
Henderson and Moore also made the trip to Mississippi as did Stephon Weaver, Marcus Britt and Chris Williams. All five players competed in the division for 9th-11th-graders at the Showcase which attracted more than 100 players.
Henderson, Williams and Weaver each played in the 9th-11th-grade All-Star Game.
"Weaver and Britt competed very well," Lofton said. "They are going to be great additions to the high school team next season."
Weaver and Britt just completed their freshman season and helped lead the Junior Mustangs to the AAAAA-East District Tournament championship.
Henderson will be a junior for the Mustangs next season while Moore and Williams will be seniors for Lofton.
The Forrest City Mustang Athletic Booster Club helped fund the trip for the basketball team members.
"We couldn't have done this without their help and support," Lofton said.
Jonesboro pounded out 22 hits and scored 30 runs last week to take a doubleheader sweep of Forrest City Tuesday in AAAAA-East high school baseball at Woodland Field.
Hurricane starting pitchers Jack McGrath and Jonathan Million handcuffed Forrest City as Jonesboro run-ruled the Mustangs in both games, picking up 15-3 and 15-0 victories.
Jonesboro improved to 5-4 on the season while Forrest City falls to 2-3.
The Mustangs are scheduled to travel to Mountain Home Tuesday for a AAAAA-East Conference doubleheader against the Bombers.
The scheduled start time is set for 3:30 p.m.
Forrest City opened the year with a loss to Rivercrest but bounced back to defeat Brinkley and Osceola.
At Jonesboro, the Hurricane broke open the game in the bottom of the second inning, scoring seven runs on four hits against Forrest City starter Casiday Hankins.
McGrath (3-1) was in control the whole way, allowing just a double in the second while striking out nine and walking one in four innings of work. The left-hander struck out the last six batters he faced.
Jonesboro picked right up where it left off, scoring five runs in the top of the second in game two.
Terrance Ware was saddled with the loss in the second game for Forrest City (2-3, 0-2).
Also last week, the Forrest City Lady Mustang softball team lost in conference play to Cabot 15-0, in a game played at Cabot.
Registration for the Palestine Youth Softball and Baseball summer leagues begins Tuesday, March 23, and will continue through April 16
Registration fees are $25 per child and youths can sign up at Palestine City Hall from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Girls, ages 4-14 (tee-ball and softball) and boys, ages 4-12 (tee-ball and Little league) are eligible to participate in the program.
The program is trying to restart its Pony league (boys ages 13-15) this summer after not being able to field the league for the past two years.
The Palestine summer league is expected to begin play in mid-May.
For more information about registration or any of the leagues, contact Program Director Stan Siler at 581-2469.