The Forrest City Mustang golf team played its toughest schedule this year in several seasons.
Next year, the team's schedule will get even tougher.
"It's the only way to build a successful program in any sport," said Mustang golf coach Wally Rauth, who took over the golf program this summer. "We took some baby steps this year and we made some strides as individuals and as a team. We tried to beef up the schedule and we tried to play some tough courses. The kids will face more of the same next year."
Already, Rauth is charting the Mustangs' courses for the 2005 prep season.
"I think if things go as I hope they will, we will be playing one of the most ambitious schedules next year that a Forrest City golf team has faced," Rauth said. "We will play 12 regular season dates -- most of them tri-matches _ and we will play in two tournaments."
And next season, the golf teams can begin playing sanctioned Arkansas Activities Association matches as early as August 1.
"We probably won't play quite that early, but we will have some August dates on the schedule," Rauth said. "Of course, that means practice begins in earnest in July but I hope the kids we have coming back will continue to play all summer."
Rauth is optimistic about next season's schedule because he has everyone returning plus several up and coming freshmen, who will be joining the team.
While rauth had a full boys team this season, he had only one girl on the team, Katie Ramsey.
"I really want to field a full girls squad next year," Rauth said. "Katie had an extremely good season and qualified for the Class AAAAA state tournament where she finished 40th out of 72 girls. She was ranked sixth among the AAAAA-East Conference girls. She has a lot of potential."
Freshman Matthew Howton also qualified for the Class AAAAA state tournament and finished 27th out of 72 entries.
"Matt had an outstanding year for us," Rauth said. "Even though he is just a freshman, he was a leader for us on the courses we played. he improved each time out."
Rauth also praised team members Doug Drake and Nehemiah Stephens.
"Doug made magnificent strides this season," rauth said. He will return next year as an experienced member of the team. Nehemiah was an incoming freshman with very little experience, but he turned out to be a pleasant surprise. He will only get better for us."
Overall, rauth said he felt the team far exceeded what he thought they would accomplish during the season.
"They were just good kids to be with," Rauth said. "They all had good work ethics and they played hard each match. They are the future of Mustangs' golf program."
The Mustangs are scheduled to play some of the state's best courses next year including Jonesboro's Sage Meadows and RidgePoint, Mountain Ranch at Fairfield Bay, Thunder Bayou at Blytheville, Meadowbrook at West Memphis and NLR's North Hills.
Forrest City will be returning to the Hurricane Classic Invitational in Jonesboro for the first time in several years and will play at the Goblin Invitational in Harrison.
Forrest City finished 4-6 for the year in regular season.
"I want to also thank eceryone in the school district, the school board members and the Booster Club for their support," Rauth said.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Nearly 500 runners from 26 Arkansas high schools, including Forrest City, competed last Saturday at the Bob Courtway Invitational cross country meet held at Hendrix College in Conway.
The runners braved wet and muddy conditions following early morning rains which moved across the state.
Conway runners Raven Fuller and Erika Setzler took first place for the Wampus Cat teams.
Fuller, a junior, made his move about a quarter into the run and finished 120 yards ahead of second-place Nathan Peters of Russellville. Fuller finished the 3.1mile course in 16.43 minutes.
It wasn't Fuller's best time on the home course.
Setzler, just 12 years old and a seventh-grader running for the Conway White team, won the junior girls competition over a bevy of older runners, the eighth and ninth graders.
Setzler ran the two-mile junior course in 12.34 minutes.
Russellville's Jamie Blackman won the senior girls race in 20.12, and Thomas Fancher of Russellville came in first in junior boys in 11.09.
Team honors went to Russellville senior boys, junior boys and junior girls and to the Heber Springs senior girls.
Forrest City cross country coach Lewis Etheridge took only four girls to the meet. Each school needs five runners to qualify as a team.
"We had some involved in the band competition on Saturday, so we went with just the four girls," Etheridge said.
Melanie Cook posted the best time of the four Lady Mustangs, completing the course in 30:16, some three minutes slower than her season-best time.
Kayla Grantham ran second in 33:46 while Bailey Pettus ran 36:28 and Keri Shepperd ran a 37:58, both season-best times for the two Lady Mustang runners.
Forrest City is scheduled to run today at Harding University in Searcy with the girls starting at 3:45 and the boys taking the course at 4:15 p.m.
The Cross Country Mustangs will run Saturday at Marion in the final meet before the state meet begins at Hot Springs.
"We should have everybody at Searcy and at Marion," Etheridge said.