FAYETTEVILLE -- Last Friday, Jonesboro's Willie Little was in the middle of the student section dubbed the "12th man" at a Hurricane football game.
An avid football fan, Little still had just one thing on his mind and it didn't involve an oblong pigskin but a little white ball.
After failing to three-peat at last week's AAAAA-East conference championship, the JHS golf team gets one more shot at a state crown today when the Class AAAAA state golf tournament will tee off at Fayetteville Country Club.
"This one is for that ring," Little said.
Forrest City freshman Matt Howton fired an 81 and finished tied for 11th in the AAAAA-East boys conference tournament last week to qualify for the state tournament.
First-year Forrest City Golf Coach Wally Rauth said that he expects Howton to continue to do well at today's state tournament.
"Matt did really well, finishing 11th out of 40 boys at the tournament. The three low scores from the non-qualifying teams moved on and Matt was our low scorer. He just really had a good tournament and I'm expecting him to just keep on improving," Rauth said.
Nettleton and Greene County Tech will also be competing in the Class AAAA state tournament today at Eagle Mountain in Batesville while Highland leads an area contingent in the AAA tournament Wednesday at Chenal Country Club in Little Rock.
Jonesboro finished fifth in last year's state tournament with a team total of 315, the same score the Hurricane put up in the conference tournament last week as it lost to Cabot in a playoff.
The senior golf trio of Little, Stephen Cox and Klayton Seyler have led JHS to a 29-3 record, including a fourth straight Hurricane Classic title.
While Little and Cox boast 73.5 stroke averages with 8 medalist honors between them, the Hurricane's depth has been the difference with junior Nathan French (77.8) and Seyler (79.4) each earning medalist honors.
At the conference tourney, Cox was second overall individually with a 73 while French shot a 79, followed by Seyler (81), Little (82) and freshman Joseph Boone (87).
Fort Smith Southside is back to defend its title and will be one of the favorites along with Conway, Little Rock Catholic, host Fayetteville and JHS. Southside shot a 301 last year to edge Conway by 5 strokes.
Benton finished third with Catholic taking fifth.
Little finished seventh overall in last year's state tourney with a 75 while Cox fired a 78 and Seyler carded an 86.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Senior guard/forward Tasmin Mitchell returns to the eighth annual Rumble on the Ridge Thanksgiving basketball tournament in November as just one of many nationally-recognized players.
Mitchell, along with guard D.J. Thomas, will anchor a talented Denham Springs Louisiana team that finished runners-up to Pulaski Academy a year ago.
Mitchell is ranked No. 2 in the nation, behind Poplar Bluff's Tyler Hansbrough, who is ranked No. 1.
Poplar Bluff is among this year's elite eight teams.
Mustang Arena will host the Rumble on the Ridge tournament, Nov. 25-27.
The 2004 Rumble field also includes the host team Forrest City Mustangs, who will showcase the talents of two super sophomores -- Stephon Weaver and Marcus Britt as well as senior Chris Williams.
Tournament first-timers are Lanier High School from Jackson, Miss.; Buffalo Island Central from Monette, Ark.; Bolivar High School from Bolivar, Tenn.; Richwood High School from Monroe, La.; Reserve Christian High School from Reserve, La. and Poplar Bluff, Mo.
Hansbrough and Mitchell will go head-to-head on Thanksgiving Day when Poplar Bluff and Denham Springs play the 8 p.m. first-round game.
Hansbrough is headed to North Carolina to play his college basketball while Mitchell will head to LSU.
Forrest City will battle Lanier at 6:30 on Thursday while Bolivar will meet Reserve Christian at 3:30 p.m. and Richwood will play BIC at 5 p.m.
Lanier is led by 6-3 senior Monta Ellis who has committed to Mississippi State.
Lanier also features super sophomore Al Graham, a 6-2 guard.