If there is a key word for tonight's Forrest City-West Helena nonconference game, it would be "CONTAIN."
Tonight, the Mustangs travel to West Helena to face the Cougars for the first time since the 1995 season.
West Helena was inserted into the Forrest City lineup this season when Marianna was bumped from the schedule.
Willis says the Cougars have speed to burn. While the Mustangs aren't exactly slow, Willis likens this West Helena team to the Deangelo Williams-led Wynne team that won the Class AAAA state title. "They have that kind of explosive speed," Willis said. "And that means we have to contain that speed, somehow. They can take it to the house."
The Mustangs have been working on that all week.
The Cougars use a rotating backfield and do not lose a step when they substitute in the backfield
West Helena will run the ball about 80 percent of the time. The Mustangs hope to confuse their linemen by doing some different things defensively. They will use a swarming defense to help achieve that.
The big key is keeping the Cougars turned inside instead of outside -- to negate the speed.
The Mustangs have had a good week of practice even though some of the players are banged up from the opener against Poplar Bluff.
"Some of the guys are day-to-day, but I think most will be able to play at West Helena," Willis said. "All we have to do is play hard and everything will take care of itself."
The Cougars were the preseason pick to win their conference and many feel that this will be a "break out" year for the Cougars.
Kick off is 7:30 p.m.
The Palestine-Wheatley Patriots did not figure to be 0-1 going into Week Two.
But after last week's fourth-quarter meltdown against Carlisle, which left the Patriots on the wrong side of a 45-42 score, the Marvell Mustangs may be just what the football doctor ordered for tonight as Palestine-Wheatley begins 6AA Conference play.
Tonight's game is the first between the two teams since the 1998 season.
Leading 42-23 with seven minutes to play in last week's opener, the Patriots could not stop Carlisle's rally which resulted in 22 unanswered points and the win.
Marvell is playing its first game after having an open date last week. It probably is not going to make any difference.
The Mustangs are 1-17 over the last two seasons and even though Marvell returns 20 starters -- 10 on each side of the football -- the winning tradition is nonexistent.
The Patriots, still stinging after the loss to Carlisle will probably be out to prove a point tonight. And that is important seeing as how the Patriots have their first road test of the season next week against Harding Academy -- at Searcy.
Marvell will open with senor quarterback Jeremy Robinson and running backs William Henderson and Michael Douglas.
Palestine-Wheatley's offense put up 42 points a week ago, but the defensive secondary showed signs of weakness, giving up the big play to the Bison running backs. Tonight is a chance for the Patriots to plug some of those holes.
Going into the season schedule, the Hughes Blue Devils had an open date scheduled for tonight.
That changed when Rector decided to drop its football program this year due to a lack of players.
That left Cross County with a hole to fill tonight and who better to plug that gap than Hughes.
The Blue Devils will make their second straight road trip tonight to Cross County to face the Thunderbirds, who were shut out 28-0 in their opener last week against Harrisburg. It is the second straight year that Hughes has played at Cross County as well.
Harrisburg held Cross County to a mere 44 yards on the ground.
The Blue Devils opened a third-quarter 20-13 lead in last week's opener against No. 10 ranked Jessieville, but watched that lead dissolve into a 27-20 loss when the Lions rallied late.
Hughes trailed 13-12 at the half against Jessieville -- a team they defeated two years ago in the Class AA state playoffs, but rallied in the third to take a 20-13 lead. Jessieville rallied in the fourth period to score 14 points for the win.
Hughes scoring came from Cliff Smith, Johnny Payton and Marcus Washington. Washington led Hughes with 49 yards on 12 carries.
The Hughes coaching staff was not displeased with last week's effort, saying the kids played hard.
Hughes owns the last two wins over Cross County, winning 33-7 a year ago and 35-0 in 2002.
No doubt, those stats will have to improve as the Blue Devils began to maneuver their way through the 6AA starting next week.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
WYNNE --Forrest City had their chances for a win Thursday night. It just wasn't meant to be.
Playing at Wynne, against the Junior Jackets, the Junior Mustangs lost 20-14 and fell to 0-2 for the year.
Maybe the best 0-2 team in the area right now.
The Junior Jackets improve to 1-0-1 after opening last week with a 6-6 tie against Jonesboro Annie Camp.
The Junior Mustangs did accomplish something Thursday against Wynne they didn't do a year ago -- they scored. Last year, Wynne shut out Forrest City 28-0.
Forrest City started fast, when Xavier Jones took the opening kickoff and returned it 65 yards for an apparent touchdown.
The scoring run was wiped out by a penalty against the Junior Mustangs leaving them with a first and 10 at the Wynne 32.
Getting inside the five, Forrest City's Jeffery Vaughn was stopped by Wynne's Dustin Hudson forcing a change of possession.
Forrest City got another chance when the Junior Jackets fumbled on their first play from scrimmage and set up at the Wynne 16.
A pass interference call against Wynne put Forrest City at six with a first down. Chris Tripp did the rest, scoring on the first down play with 3:35 to play in the opening quarter. The two-point run was good and Forrest City led 8-0.
Wynne tied the game at 8-8 on a 35-yard touchdown run by Romero Harper with 7:50 to play in the second quarter. Harper added the two-point play.
The two teams exchanged fumbles before the half leaving the score knotted at eight to start the second half.
Wynne, running behind Harper and Johnny Davis chewed up most of the third quarter and used a Davis two-yard run to take a 14-8 lead with 4:24 to play.
Forrest City forced a 14-14 tie in the fourth when Tripp scored on a short run but the two-point conversion run by Leonard Banks fell short.
The on sides kick by the Junior Mustangs failed and Wynne took over, eventually moving the ball to the Forrest City four-yard line. Harper did the rest, covering the final three yards for the game-winning touchdown with 45 seconds showing.
Wynne intercepted a Forrest City pass with three seconds to play to seal the victory.
"I think we improved and the kids played hard," said Forrest City Coach Rich Trail. "We need to make some adjustments and we have two weeks to do that before we start conference. We just need to get back to basics."
Palestine-Wheatley 14, McCrory 6
Nathan Bridges and Troy Sparkman each scored touchdowns to lead the Palestine-Wheatley Junior Patriots to a 14-6 road win over McCrory Thursday.
The Junior Patriots even their record at 1-1.
Bridges got the Junior Patriots on the board with a 20-yard scoring run. He added the two-point play after Sparkman's touchdown.
"We got a win and the kids are getting better," said P-W Coach Terry Clardy.
Clarendon 45, Hughes 14
Clarendon went to the air Thursday and the effort paid off big as the Junior Lions cruised past Hughes 45-14 at Blue Devil Stadium.
"They threw the ball on almost every down," said Hughes Coach Bert Greenwell. "We weren't ready for that."
Freshman running back Melvin Sims and eighth-grader Tommy Smith scored touchdowns to lead Hughes.
In other junior high games Jonesboro Annie Camp shut out Mountain Home 27-0 and Blytheville downed Mt. Home 32-0.
The Calvary Christian Lady Eagles varsity volleyball team improved to 2-1 for the year Tuesday by defeating Faith Heritage on the road.
The Lady Eagles dropped the first game of the best of five match before rebounding to win the next three games.
Calvary is scheduled to play at Macon Road Baptist today.
The Calvary Elementary Eagles soccer team will host Ridgefield
Christian Saturday, Sept. 11, at 10 a.m. at Eagle Field.
The East Arkansas Youth Football Association will be in action Saturday on the baseball field located behind the Palestine-Wheatley high School gym.
Beginning at 10:30 a.m., the Earle Bears will battle the Caldwell Gators and then at 11:40 a.m., the FCity Razorbacks will take on the FCity Titans.
The FCity Poneys will be at Marianna for their game against the Raiders at 12:40 p.m.
Last Saturday, the Gators defeated Marianna, the Titans downed the Bears and the Poneys got past the Razorbacks.
Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for kids 12-under.