By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Forrest City Mustang basketball coach Dwight Lofton thinks the upcoming season "will be a positive challenge."
Granted, it's still early and the season opener is still 16 days away, but Lofton said so far, the off-season has not produced any "real surprises."
"Nothing that just jumped out at me, anyway," Lofton said. "I think the people we have are where I thought they would be at this point."
Including Lofton's two high-profile sophomores -- Stephon Weaver and Marcus Britt -- who have made almost everyone's "watch list."
"They ( the sophomores) are adapting," Lofton said. "And they will play a big role for us this season. But I hope Mustang basketball fans who have watched these two play junior high and AAU for the past several seasons, don't put any unrealistic expectations on them. Just like all new players coming up from junior high, they need a chance to mature. One night they may look like all-state players and the next night they will look like the sophomores that they are."
Weaver and Britt will be surrounded by a lot of experience on the floor in the personas of Taurus Moore, Nick Grady, Sherman Allen, Jarvis Palmer, Chris Williams and Michael Alston.
Missing in action is Cameron Henderson, who transferred to a Little Rock school.
"I really love this team and the make up of this team," Lofton said. "I can say something once and I know it registers. They listen and they are eager to learn. I think the chemistry will be there. The juniors and seniors have accepted the new kids."
Lofton said the team's goal this year is to return to the Class AAAAA state tournament. For the Mustang seniors, it would be their third consecutive trip, something no other senior class has done under Lofton's regime.
"Taurus, Chris, Nick and Sherman have the chance to be the class to make the state tournament all three years," Lofton said. "As for getting past the first round, first we have to get there and the more we do that, the more our chances improve of winning once we get there."
Lofton is looking forward to seeing Allen, a 6-1 senior guard and Williams, a 6-4 senior forward, have break out seasons.
"Sherman has had some solid game moments in past seasons, but a lot of those have come on the road and the home crowd has not seen what he is truly capable of doing on the court," Lofton said. "Chris is going to have to show me this is his team. I hope he accepts that responsibility. Early on he will have the opportunity to do that. He will be the sidebar story this season. He has prepared himself for this season."
Lofton also singled out junior Michael Alston, who stepped up his game during the summer camps and Jacoby Morton, who is coming on, despite his lack of playing time at the junior varsity level a year ago.
Senior Taurus Moore has separated himself in the point guard role for the Mustangs and is returning after last year's all-conference season.
Lofton said Moore has gone against the best in the conference and believes he will be one of the top five in the AAAAA-East this season.
One thing the Mustangs do not have this season is a true big man. But, in Lofton's train of thought, that may not be an area of concern.
"I hate not having a big man but in a lot of ways it allows us to do things on the floor that we couldn't do with a big man," Lofton said. "such as full court pressure. Being small will be more of an advantage for us rather than a disadvantage. Being small, we have more interchangeable parts, if you choose to look at it that way. Just look at Little Rock Mills. They won the state title last year and did not have a player taller than 6-2. Sure, we will lose a little in rebounding, but we should have more transition points, better defensive pressure and more people playing."
On the flip side of the season coin, Lofton does have something he hasn't had since coming to Forrest City -- an academically sound team.
"Overall, this team has a grade point average of 3.2," Lofton said. "That's a solid "B" and that's higher than any of my teams have had in the past. That makes a coach feel that much better about an upcoming season."
The Mustangs open the season on Nov. 18, when they play at Little Rock Central.
On Friday, Nov. 19, Forrest City will host Marianna before opening play in the eighth Rumble on the Ridge tournament.
The Mustangs will take part in a jamboree at Pine Bluff High School on Thursday, Nov. 11.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
With eight seniors in uniform this season, first-year Forrest City Lady Mustang Coach Jacky England likes what he sees.
While the talk of a .500 season sounds good to England, he thinks his 2004-05 Lady Mustangs can do much better than that.
The team is making progress on the practice floor as they prepare for the Nov. 15 opener at the Heavenly Hoops Tournament at Mount St. Mary's in Little Rock.
England, who guided the Junior Lady Mustangs to an 8-12 season last year and into the finals of the junior high district tournament, is not just making a few changes this season -- he is putting in an entire new system, his system.
"The girls are working together and they are beginning to grasp my new system," England said. "I'm telling them to do some things none of them have done before in a particular way and sometimes it is hard for them to grasp, especially the eight seniors who have been playing together forever. But they are learning and they are adapting."
In his new system, England says he has a lot of "stuff" the team can use. He just doesn't have enough time to teach all of his "stuff" to the players.
He thinks the Lady Mustangs will probably be better in the half court game this season, but says as the season progresses, they will run the floor.
"We have been working hard on cutting down the turnovers," England said. "By doing that we have better chances to score. Turnovers, that is a sore spot with me. It really bothers me. It's just a matter of playing smart."
The returning eight seniors Sequoria Grady, Chari Agnew, Shari Rogers, Torrie Willis, Viveca Kimble, Nicole Parker, Lashundra Rogers and Alisha Jimmerson.
Those eight seniors with working with eight other juniors and sophomores.
One of those sophomores is Fareeda Washington, who England coached last year in junior high and who is making huge strides so far in practice.
England knows the varsity AAAAA-East schedule will be much more demanding than the junior conference schedule he faced last season. The West Memphis Easts and Wonders have been replaced this season by the likes of Searcy, Cabot, Mountain Home, Jonesboro, West Memphis and of course, Sylvan Hills.
England thinks his Lady Mustangs are about where he thinks they should be after seven weeks together.
"You know, they are kids. Sometimes they work hard sometimes they don't work so hard," England said. But every coach goes through that. It's just the way things are sometimes."
England said the players, especially the eight seniors, made it their goal as early as the start of summer, to get to the state tournament this season. It's ts been a long dry spell.
"Everything we do on the practice floor and in games this year is geared toward that<" England said. "They are thinking about it and that is a good sign."
England took over the Lady Mustangs basketball program when former coach Sue Jayroe resigned that position in March.
England will be assisted by his wife, Pam, who also serves as the head coach for the Lady Mustangs' softball team.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
CABOT -- Running in conditions Forrest City cross country coach Lewis Etheridge described as "a quagmire" the Mustangs and Lady Mustangs both finished fifth at the AAAAA-East Conference meet held Monday at Cabot's Rolling Hills course.
In fact, due to part of the course being under water after heavy rains moved across the state, the course was shortened for the conference meet.
In the boys competition, Cabot ran to the conference title while Jonesboro finished second. Mountain Home was third, Searcy fourth and after Forrest City's fifth-place finish, West Memphis ended in sixth place. Jacksonville and Sylvan Hills did not field a team.
Kyle Houston, coming off a fourth place overall finish at Harding Academy last week, finished third overall Monday. That finish automatically put Houston on the Cross Country All-Conference team.
"Kyle is running cross country for the first time," said Etheridge. "He has done extremely well for us this year and being just a sophomore, he has plenty of time to get better and be one of th best cross country runners in the conference and in the state. It will be interesting to see what he does this coming Saturday at the state meet."
Running behind Houston was Blake Davis, Kyle Gaines, Dexter Lyles, james McKinney and Thomas Broussard.
Melanie Cook had the best time and finish for the Lady Mustangs, finishing 27th overall. She was followed closely by Kayla Grantham, Alyssa Aldridge, Leigh Anna Taylor, Bailey Pettus, Jessica Flowers and Kerri Shepperd. Jonesboro ran to the overall girls conference title while Cabot finished second.
Forrest City's cross country program is in its fourth season and for Etheridge, this season marks the first time he has had a full boys and girls' team. In cross country, a team must have five members.
Etheridge will take both full teams to the state meet Saturday at Hot Springs.
The Forrest City Junior Mustangs will close out the 2004 football season tonight when they host Jonesboro Annie Camp.
Tonight's game, at Sam Smith Stadium, marks the second time this seeason the two teams have played and is a AAAAA-East Conference matchup.
A Forrest City win would give the Junior Mustangs a tie for second place in the final league standings.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.