By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City Athletic Booster Club is in need of local support as well as new members to bolster its dwindling ranks.
In the past, the club has had as many as 120 members. That number has fallen to 35 over the last few years.
On Monday, the Booster Club got some help in the form of a commitment from the Forrest City Wal-Mart and added to their membership.
Wal-Mart co-manager Amie Rhoden said Monday the store has signed a pledge to help support the Booster Club.
Season-long plans include making each Friday a Spirit Day as each department manager decorates their area for an in-store competition; decorating the front of the store; having the store associates wear the Mustangs blue and white colors and offering free face painting in the arts and craft area.
Rhoden also said the store will hold a luncheon for the Forrest City Mustang football players later this month which will become an annual event.
The Forrest City Mustang cheerleaders will be in the store in October to hold a pep rally. That time and date will be announced later.
The store employees and associates will have their own Homecoming Celebration to coincide with the annual homecoming football game.
"This is a step forward for the Booster Club," said Club President Frederick Freeman. "We want to encourage all concerned parents, patrons and business owners and their employees to become Booster Club members."
Freeman said a drive is now under way to sign up new members.
The Booster Club traditionally helps local athletics by providing a preseason cookout for the high school and junior high football teams; helping in the purchase of equipment for the basketball and football programs; purchasing windbreakers for the Mustang baseball team; helping with the purchase of cheerleader uniforms and providing meals for the various athletic teams; supporting the local AAU basketball teams; helping to secure weights and equipment for the school; providing financial support for Forrest City athletes to attend team camps and helped with the upkeep and renovations to the Sam Smith Stadium press box.
The Club has several membership packages to choose from and those include the Champion for $250 which includes two reserved seat tickets for all athletic events at Forrest City with preferred parking; the Stallion for $150 which includes two reserved seat tickets to all home football games and preferred parking; the Wildhorse for $150 which includes two reserved seat tickets for all home basketball games with preferred seating; the Mustang Football for $50 which includes one reserved seat ticket to all High school home football games; the Mustang Basketball package for $60 which includes one reserved seat ticket to all high school home basketball games and the Booster Club for $10, which is club membership only.
The Forrest City Mustang golf team traveled to Blytheville Monday for a trimatch at the Thunder Bayou Course with Blytheville and Marion.
Marion took the win, 169-to-196 over the Mustangs. Blytheville did not field a complete team but did take home medalist honors.
Forrest City's Mattthew Howton led the Mustangs with a 45 while Nehemiah Stephens finished with a 47 and Doug Drake was one shot back at 48. Steven Holmes finished with a 56 and Dustin Lewis had a 67.
In junior varsity play, Zach Jones carded a 45 and Weston lewis finished with a 49. Katie Ramsey finished with a 48.
The team will play at West Helena on Thursday.
In other high school golf matches played Monday, Highland cruised to a 14-shot victory in play-5, count-3 high school golf Monday at Victory Lake Golf Course.
Crowley's Ridge Academy shot a team score of 242 to win the Manila Invitational high school golf tournament by 13 strokes Monday at Big Lake Country Club.
Pocahontas was second in the team standings with a 255. Trumann finished third while Manila placed fourth with 263, followed by Piggott (266), Harrisburg (267), Buffalo Island Central (283), Valley View (299) and Gosnell (320).
Nettleton and Stuttgart battled to a tie in a 3-way match with Wynne Monday at Crowley's Ridge Country Club, each team shooting a 310 in the play-5, count-4 format. Wynne finished with a 319 in the 18-hole match.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The fifth annual Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will be held Friday, Oct. 1 at the Forrest City Civic Center.
This year's banquet will add nine new members to the Hall. Tickets are available for $10 each and may be purchased at edwin-houston, Taylor-Casbeer and Times-Herald Printing and Office products.
With this year's group, the Hall grows to 51 members.
The Hall of Fame selects three members each from three different eras: Lincoln High School, Forrest City High School before 1970 and Forrest City High School after 1970.
This year's honorees include Ed Henderson, Bill Baxter, Cato Brooks, Verlond Brown, Cliff Garrison, John Childress, Rayfield Black Thurman Vanzant and the 1977 Forrest City Mustang mile relay team which still owns the state record. The quartet of Michael Gray, Clifton Blanchett, Terry Brown and Pat Mitchell made up the relay team.
The new class will be introduced at halftime of the Forrest City-Searcy AAAAA-East Conference game that night at Sam Smith Stadium.
*Tickets are still available for the Arkansas State University Letterman Club Banquet scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17, in the Fowler Center on the ASU campus.
Four former Arkansas State University standouts in men's basketball, baseball, football, and women's basketball and track and field will be inducted into the Hall of Honor.
Joining the Hall's 101 members, the 2004 class includes football player Wayne Dorton, baseball player Tim Maloney, men's basketball player Jeff Clifton, and women's basketball and track and field performer Sonja Tate.
Tickets are $30 each and may be purchased by calling Louis Nisenbaum (932-5905), J. H. Williams (972-0002), Dennis Zolper (932-1400), Linda Allison (935-8631), Tim Allison (935-8631)or Scott Roper (935-6649).