By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
With Spring Break officially in the books for another year, it's time for area prep teams to focus on spring athletics.
Palestine-Wheatley and Hughes celebrated Spring Break two weeks ago but had abbreviated schedules last week.
Forrest City students went on break last week and returned to classes today.
A full schedule of spring sports activities begins in earnest Tuesday and includes track, softball and baseball.
The Forrest City Lady Mustang softball team is scheduled to host Mountain Home today at the Sports Complex provided the fields are ready following Sunday night's steady rain.
Everything else breaks loose on Tuesday including the first outing for the area track and field teams.
The Mustang track team will be competing at the Patriot Relays in Marion on Tuesday as will the junior high track teams and the Palestine-Wheatley junior and senior boys' teams.
Clark McBride leads the Mustangs this season, taking over for Jeff Hudson, who resigned last summer, after head coaching the track team for three seasons.
The Lady Mustang track team, once again under the direction of Lewis Etheridge, is scheduled to open their season on Saturday, April 3, at the FCA Relays in West Memphis, provided the track is ready.
West Memphis has been in the process of resurfacing their track.
"If the track work is finished the relays will be held as scheduled, if not then we will run on April 15, at Greene County Tech," Etheridge said. "The West Memphis event has always been a good measuring stick for us and I'm hoping for the chance to go back."
On paper, the Lady Mustang track team looks as strong as it has in several years, even though the team appears to be over-loaded with sprinters this season.
"We don't have as many distance runners as we have had in the past and we need to develop some kids in that area," Etheridge said. "I think we have enough sprinters that we can spread the wealth, so to speak, doubling up in some areas that could work out to our benefit."
Etheridge returns several Lady Mustangs this season including senior sprinter Jessica Perkins, a two-year letterman for the team and is the defending AAAAA-East champion in the 100-meter run. She ran second in the 200-meter last season.
Perkins will also anchor the Lady Mustang relay teams.
Krystal Long returns to the team this year but in a different capacity, according to Etheridge.
"Krystal has gone from being a distance runner to a middle distance/sprinter/whatever we need runner for the team," Etheridge said. "We will use her in several areas."
Glenisha Williams is another three-year Lady Mustang returning to the team as is Melissa Humphrey.
Jessica Flowers will be a first-timer to the Lady Mustang team this season and Rasundra Deans will split time between the Lady Mustang softball team and the track team.
"When Deans is not playing softball, I hope she will be with us," Etheridge said. "We will use her as a sprinter."
Lejoy Walker, who was all-everything last year as a freshman for the Junior Lady Mustangs, moves into the senior high ranks this season.
"She has had experience at the AAU level and I am anxious to see just how good she is," Etheridge added. "At this time she is an unknown quantity. She can run sprints, as well as help us in the high jump, the long jump, the triple jump and just wherever we need her. She will probably be entered in all six events."
Etheridge said Perkins will run several event as well for the team.
"Hopefully, by the time the conference meet rolls around, I think we will be able to compete and take some points," Etheridge. "We will be competitive."
Etheridge said the Lady Mustangs will try to pick up a few points in the field events such as shot and discus, but the strength of the team lies on the track.
"The field events have not been our strength in past seasons but we hope to pick up a few points in the shot and discus this year," Etheridge said.
Meanwhile Junior Mustang Coach Rich Trail is gearing up for life after Eric Walker.
"We have a good group and we are going to be about 30 strong," Trail said. "They have been showing up and working hard and we will be competitive."
The Junior Mustangs are scheduled to open Tuesday at the Patriot Relays in Marion.
Trail hopes the success of the junior high boys during the football and basketball seasons will spill over onto the track.
"These guys have something to pull from, that's for sure," Trail said. "The junior high football team finished as conference champs and the junior high basketball team finished as district champs, so you have to believe that will help motivate the track team."
The Junior Mustangs are also the defending AAAAA-East junior high track champions.
"The momentum is there and the kids are ready and that is a good sign," Trail said. "We will be okay this year."
*The Lady Mustang softball team has not played since March 16, when they dropped a conference varsity game to Cabot.
Forrest City is 2-2 overall headed into today's conference game against Mountain Home and 2-1 in the league.
On Tuesday, the Lady Mustangs will host Jacksonville and on Friday, the Forrest City girls will host Palestine-Wheatley, in a game rescheduled from March 5.
The Lady Patriots played just once last week, defeating Marked Tree, to even their record at 1-1 for the year.
Friday's game against Forrest City will be the team's only outing this week.
*The Mustang baseball team is scheduled to play at Cabot Tuesday.
The Mustangs were the only team to play a scheduled game last week during Spring Break, dropping a conference doubleheader at Mountain Home.
The team will step away from conference action on Friday when they go to Brinkley for a rematch against the Tigers.
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots are 0-3 for the year with losses to Barton and Des Arc.
The Patriots, being head coached this season by Chris Kennon, will play at McCrory Tuesday and will play at Clarendon on Thursday, April 1.
*The Calvary Christian Eagles baseball team opened the season Friday and are scheduled to play today at the Sports Complex.
Jestin Tomblin, the only senior on the Palestine-Wheatley Patriot basketball team this past season, was named to the 6AA All-Conference team recently as well as to the All-region team.
Tomblin and junior center Vince Jones, were both named to the Class AA All-State team as honorable mention players.
Jones and Rashun Barnes joined Tomblin on the All-Conference team while Jones and Curtis Allen were both named to the All-region team.