By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Forrest City Junior Mustang coach Rich Trail isn't quite sure about this year's team.
He knows even less about Marianna, tonight's opening opponent for the Junior Mustangs at Sam Smith Stadium.
Kick off is set for 7 p.m.
On Wednesday, Trail said very little has changed since last week's preseason scrimmage at Osceola.
"We plan to have the same people in the same places," Trail said. And that includes sticking to Trail's past pattern of using two quarterbacks.
"Demetrius Hunter will start and we will use Anthony Smith," Trail said. "Both are about equal and we will try to split them up evenly."
Trail said everybody is healthy and ready to go.
"We had a few bumps and bruises from the scrimmage but we're okay and ready to play."
Meanwhile, second-year Palestine-Wheatley Junior Patriot coach Terry Clardy thinks his team has the experience to improve on last year's season.
"We have several kids back who started a year ago as eighth-graders and that should help us," Clardy said. "We only won three games a year ago. I think we can do much better this time."
The Junior Patriots host Clarendon tonight at Wheatley beginning at 7 p.m.
The Junior Mustangs are the defending AAAAA-East Conference champs and even though Trail likes what he has seen so far, he stops short of talking about a "repeat performance."
"We are confident the kids are going to play hard, we know that," Trail said. "We have worked on correcting some of the little mistakes we made in the scrimmage. If we don't put the ball on the ground, we will be okay. We started slow a year ago but finished strong. Trying to win the conference again is just a week-to-week process. For the most part, it is blind faith."
The Hughes Junior Blue Devils, who have lost only one game over the past three seasons, will not open their 2004 season until next week.
The scheduling rotation gave the Junior Blue Devils an open date tonight.
Hughes will open against Clarendon next Thursday.
The Forrest City seventh and eighth-grade Colts will open the season Tuesday at home.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
On a scale from "1-to-10" Forrest City Coach Donnie Willis says his Mustangs are "about halfway there, period, exclamation point."
Offensively, Willis thinks the 2004 Mustangs will be fine. The team did show the ability to move the football during last week's preseason scrimmage against Little Rock Fair and Little Rock Hall.
It's the defense that may be the telling point for the team this year.
"We still have some trouble spots with our defensive backs and linebackers who are young and inexperienced," Willis said.
That doesn't bode well for this Mustang team who lost 24 seniors and who will face a seasoned, and for the most part, veteran Poplar Bluff, Mo. team Friday in the season opener at Sam Smith Stadium.
Poplar Bluff returns a three-year starter at quarterback who threw for 1,883 yards and 17 touchdowns a year ago, a running back who ran for more than a thousand yards a year ago and a tight end and wide receiver who figure greatly into the Mules' offensive scheme.
How do the Mustangs counter those weapons?
"One of the ways to stop a good passing offense is to put pressure on the quarterback and keep that pressure on," Willis replied. "It's not so much that we have to make tackles, but we have to hurry him. The people up front will have to do that. We will have to stunt some and pass rush. We have to slow him down."
And hope he doesn't shred the Forrest City secondary, which is young and untested.
Up front, the Mustangs have some people who can handle their own defensively, but what worries Willis are the defensive backs.
"Our linebackers are young, but there have made some progress and I think they can hold their own," Willis said. "I think they will be where they are supposed to be. We have our work cut out for us. Poplar Bluff has some inexperience along their offensive line as well and that means they have some big shoes to fill."
The Mules do not have a very big junior class, which means, much like the Mustangs, the Mules will have to rely on some sophomores for needed help.
"We know that and that's why we believe it will be a good game for both teams," Willis said. "I think both coaching staffs will be looking for a lot of kids to grow up on the field Friday. Plus, it's a home opener and we expect a big crowd."
The Mules also have a telented kicker in Trell Edington, who hit two field goals a year ago -- from 50-plus yards away.
"What can you say about that," Willis said. "We know they are tough but being at home should help us some. I hope that gets the kids excited . We jjust need to play hard."
Junior quarterback Marcus Fair will get the start after returning senior Ben Horton was injured in the preseason jamboree.
"Fair is a totally diffrent kid than he was last year," Willis said. "He's young, just a junior, and he will have to deal with a lot of things this year -- one of those being h-ow to over come adversity on and off the field. But he is working hard. Sometimes he makes the right decision, sometimes he doesn't. Those things will come with game experience."
Willis knows who will start on both sides of the football Friday, but look for a lot of people to see playing time.
On offense, Fair will start at quarterback with terrance Ware and Richard Flenoy in the backfield. Preston Echols and John Scott Carroll will be the wide receivers while Chaerles Freeman will line up at tight end.
Jimmy Bean will be at right tackle while Matt Vaccaro is the right guard. Willie Berry is the center. Darry Banks is the left guard and Jeffrey Sims is at tackle
Varrell Hawkins, Michael Holland, Chris Barrett and Flenoy are the linebackers while Kelvin Williams and Berry will split time at defensive end. Ben Wright, Jimmy Bean and Banks will line up at the tackle spots while Echols will be the free safety. Augustus Haggans and DeMarco Johnson are the corners. Haggans will also help out as a wide receiver.
Fair will handle the kick offs while Carroll will kick PATs and field goals.
Sophomore backup quarterback, Wilson Parker will do the punting.