Forrest City Mustang Coach Donnie Willis had hoped to be 2-1 to start AAAAA-East Conference play.
Instead, the Mustangs start league play tonight at No. 3 Jonesboro at 1-2, after a lackluster perfomance against Osceola last Friday which resulted in a 28-0 Forrest City loss.
"We took it to them (Osceola) in the first half but then we played dead in the second half," Willis said.
The Mustangs opened with an impressive win over Poplar Bluff, Mo. and then stood toe-to-toe with West Helena. Against Osceola, the Mustangs found themselves evenly matched -- but miscues, the lack of offense and having two touchdowns slip through their hands, proved to be the team's undoing.
The Mustangs dropped a sure touchdown pass in the endzone and had another one called back by a penalty.
Headed into conference play, Jonesboro is leading the league in points scored with 82, more than double the 40 points mustered by Forrest City through three outings.
The Mustangs defeated Jonesboro in 2001 but have since suffered two straight losses.
The Hurricane have been playing throwback football of late, grinding out three early victories to earn the school's highest ranking in 25 years.
Jonesboro has come-from-behind to win all three of their nonconference games. The Hurricane rallied from fourth-quarter deficits of at least a touchdown in victories over Camden-Fairview and Wynne. After falling behind 14-0 on the road last week at Poplar Bluff, Mo., the team took command in the third quarter.
Jonesboro rotates eight players up front, led by senior standout left guard Brian Clark and running back Cowan Hutson ran for a school-record 297 yards agsainst Poplar Bluff.
The Mustangs run behind Terrance Ware and Ben Wright while utilizing receivers John Scott Carroll, Preston Echols and Augustus Haggans.
Last Friday's game-winning overtime field goal against then No. 3 Harding Academy, was probably the best thing that could have happened to the Palestine-Wheatley Patriots.
After blowing Marvell off the field the week before 62-0 and losing to Carlisle in the final seven minutes, the Patriots needed to "to win a tough road game."
They did just that, taking down HA on the Wildcats' home field and doing it after leading by two touchdowns twice in the game only to watch those leads slip away.
"At this point, we are just trying to teach the kids how to hold a lead," said P-W Coach Terry Farmer, whose Patriots find themselves back at No. 5 in the Class AA rankings this week "Our kids have to find some football savvy...by that I mean, being aware of down and distance, time outs, the little things that can turn a game around in an instant. We have very little of that."
Tonight, the Patriots appear to have another easy win ahead of them in an 0-3 Augusta Red Devil team. Farmer is quick to point out "nothing from here on out will be easy."
After playing Earle close in the opening game, Augusta has been trounced by Des Arc and Clarendon. The Red Devils do have several returning starters but do not have the varsity experience the team had a year ago when they put together a 7-3 season for a second-place conference finish.
The Patriots have shown they can put up a lot of points but have been inconsistent on defense, especially late in the game. Antonio Leak, Brad Barton and Rashun Barnes each had 100-plus rushing yards against Harding Academy.
While the Patriots have put up a league best 151 points in three games, they have given up 89, third worst in the conference.
P-W has two weeks to get ready for their next real test, Barton. While tonight it not a "gimme" it is a critical game and a "must win."
Finally, tonight, the Hughes Blue Devils get to face a team with a larger number on the left side of the season record than on the right.
The Blue Devils host Harding Academy tonight in a key 6AA Conference game for both teams. It is also the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Hughes is coming off consecutive victories over Cross County and Marvell (together, a combined 0-5).
Harding's Wildcats were wounded last Friday on their home field when Palestine-Wheatley pushed a chip-shot field goal through the uprights in overtime to take the victory.
Wounded animals, especially Wildcats, are dangerous.
That gives tonight's game "serious overtones." Harding has already lost one conference outing and can ill afford to drop another. A Hughes win over the No. 6 Wildcats would only solidify the Blue Devils claim for another run through the Class AA state playoffs.
Hughes will have to deal with Harding's trio of tall receivers -- junior Kurt Adams (6-4), senior Michael Kee (6-3) and senior Ryan Higginbotham (6-6). All three are favorite targets for junior quarterback Zack Tribble, who threw for more than 2,000 yards last year from the Wildcats' very effective Spread Offense."
The Blue Devils start a very talented back field but have been inconsistent along the lines.
Marcus Washington, Johnny Payton, Clifton Smith and Kerrick Scofield are all capable of breaking the big run at any time.
Certainly, it will be a game of stark contrasts.
Harding will have to try and contain Hughes' running game from the team's no quarterback Single Wing set while the Blue Devils, who have not been known for their pass defense in recent years, must stop the Wildcats' aerial game. Both teams can put up a lot of points.
It could come down to whoever has the football last.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Early on, it looked like the Forrest City Junior Mustangs were going to have another long night.
Xavier Jones' 68-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game was called back by a penalty -- the second time this season the Junior Mustangs have had that happen.
Two weeks ago, against Wynne, Leonard Banks returned the opening kickoff 65 yards for the score which was called back by a penalty.
The Junior Mustangs (1-2) did not recover from that, falling to the Junior Jackets 20-14.
Thursday night, at Sam Smith Stadium, however, Forrest City overcame the early miscue to win their first game of the year, putting down Wonder 22-6.
Facing a second and long midway through the opening quarter, West Memphis Wonder went to the air. Forrest City's Jeffrey Vaughn made the interception, returning it 26 yards for the touchdown. The two-point conversion put the Junior Mustangs up 8-0.
They added another score just before the half when quarterback Anthony Smith hooked up with Brandon Barnett for a completed pass that took the Junior Mustangs to the Wonder 17.
After Jones carried to the one, Banks did the rest, scoring with 5:35 to play in the second quarter and Jones added the two-point run for a 16-0 cushion at the half.
Dexter Adams, who has been the anchor for both the offensive and defensive lines this season, blocked a Wonder punt to give Forrest City possession early in the second half. The Junior Mustangs, however, couldn't sustain the drive and punted back to Wonder just before the start of the fourth quarter.
Wonder recovered a Forrest City fumble at the Junior Mustangs 29 yard line and got on the board with a two-yard scoring run by Nehemiah Cummings. The extra point attempt failed leaving the Junior Mustangs in front 16-6.
Chris Tripp provided the final points for Forrest City, scoring with 2:17 to play in the game from 25 yards out to make it 22-6.
"We getting to where we need to be," said Forrest City Coach Rich Trail. "The kids played hard and I think they finally put some pieces of the puzzle together tonight to get the win. We are still making some mistakes, but I think things are improving overall for the team."
nThe Hughes Junior Blue Devils got touchdowns from five different players Thursday night to take a 42-0 win over Marvell's Junior Colts.
Hughes improves to 1-1 for the year, overall and in the conference.
Melvin Sims, Tommy Smith, Jamie Cody, Justin Jones and Dexter Hamilton all scored for the Junior Blue Devils.
Jones recovered a fumble and returned it 20 yards for the score. Hamilton blocked a punt and covered it in the endzone for a score.
Hughes will be at Elaine next week.
*The Palestine-Wheatley Junior Patriots righted their ship Thursday night with a 32-6 conference win over Elaine.
The Junior Patriots were back in sync this week after suffering six turnovers a week ago (five fumbles, one interception) in a 28-0 loss to Des Arc.
Last night's win leaves PWJH at 2-2 overall for the year and 1-0 in the 6-AA Conference.
Troy Sparkman scored all of the Junior Patriot touchdowns except for one, which went to Tim Prentiss.
"We played much better tonight," said PWJH Coach Terry Clardy. "I don't know what exactly happened last week but I guess we corrected whatever it was."
The Junior Patriots will host the Barton Junior Bears on Thursday, Sept. 30, at Wheatley.
It will be Homecoming for the Junior Patriots.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
Medalist Matt Hogan fired a 37 and Nettleton defeated Wynne and Forrest City in a play-5, count-4 high school golf match Thursday at Sage Meadows Golf Course.
Nettleton (11-5-1) fired a team-total 165 to top the Yellowjackets (180) and Mustangs (202).
Also for the Raiders, Jeremy Luther shot 39, Jared Wolf 41 and Aaron Weick 48.
Wynne was led by Devin Turner's 42.
Forrest City was led by Matt Howton, who shot 39. Nehemiah Stevens finished with a 47 while Doug Drake shot a 55, Steven Holmes fired a 61 and Dustin Lewis finished at 65.
Taylor Reid led the girls in individual play, shooting 55 for Nettleton.
Katie Ramsey also shot 55 for Forrest City to force the tie with Nettleton.
The Mustangs are scheduled to play Jonesboro Monday but head coach Wally Rauth indicated that the game could be cancelled.
"It won't be a home game, that much we do know," Rauth said.
Forrest City will host West Helena on Wednesday, Sept. 29, at Forrest City Country Club.
The conference tournaments will be played in October at Mountain Home.
*Jonesboro's Willie Little sank a birdie and Stephen Cox parred in a one-hole sudden death playoff to help the Hurricane escape Highland Friday at Cherokee Village North Golf Course.
Each team scored 230 through the first 18 holes of the play-5, count-3 match and Jonesboro's Klayton Seyler shot a 1-over 73 to lead all golfers.
Nathan French shot a 78 for the Hurricane, while Cox shot 79, John Williams 80 and Willie Little 81.
*Morgan Wilson tallied a 95 to win medalist and lead Corning to the 3AAA-North district tournament title at Victory Lake Golf Course Thursday.
Emily James shot a 105 and Katie Conway notched a 110 for Corning (5-2), which finished with a score of 310 in the play-5, count-3 format.
Pocahontas finished second with a 313. Blair Green and Brook Steimel both shot 100 for the Lady Redskins, and Katie Baltz shot a 113.
Jonesboro tennis came out victorious in a tri-match with West Memphis and Mountain Home at home on Thursday, both the boys' teams and girls' teams beating each team.
Jonesboro's boys beat Mountain Home 6-1 and West Memphis 1-0, while the JHS girls topped Mountain Home 4-1 and West Memphis 1-0.
Each Jonesboro team improves to 5-0 in the AAAAA-East.
*Nettleton High School's tennis teams picked up a pair of victories in a tri-match against Beebe and Marion Thursday.
Nettleton's boys defeated Beebe 8-1 and Marion 6-2, while the girls defeated Beebe 5-1 and Marion 3-2. Nettleton's boys improve to 7-1, while the girls move to 6-2-1.