Dr. Cato Brooks could have enjoyed a long and prosperous career in professional football, but at the age of 29, he willingly gave it up to enter into the ministry.
Brooks, a 1957 graduate of Lincoln High School, was an All-State wide receiver with the Tiger football teams which won 33 consecutive games and won three consecutive championships under legendary coach M.O. Livingston. Brooks, who was also an All-State player in basketball during his junior and senior seasons, played alongside Hall of Fame members Melvin McAllister and Roy Weatherall. Friday, Brooks will also be inducted into the Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame.
After two years at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., Brooks decided to join the Army. It was during his military stint that he found his true position on the football field at running back. In 1961, he was named to the All-Europe team and scored 17 touchdowns that season with the 3rd Infantry Division stationed in Germany.
Completing his military obligation, Brooks entered the University of Kansas and for a while shared an on-campus apartment complex with famed Chicago Bears' running back, Gale Sayers.
Brooks played football with the Charleston Rockets of the Continental Football League and spent the last six years of his career playing for the Canadian Football League.
It was here, he answered the call to preach God's word.
"There was no doubt about the ministry," Brooks said. "It was a strong calling. I knew what I had to do."
He enrolled at Ouachita Baptist University to help gain his "spiritual direction." He eventually earned a Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate of Divinity from Indiana Christian University and began preaching in 1969.
In 1962, after returning to Forrest City from overseas, Brooks began to organize peaceful protests in an effort to bring about change for the city's African-American population. His local efforts mushroomed into a statewide rally under then governor Winthrop Rockefeller.
In 2002, Brooks was recognized for his early civil rights efforts by the NAACP.
Brooks began his ministry in Forrest City and pastored his first church in Little Rock. He has since pastored churches in Chicago and now resides in Gary, Indiana.
Rayfield Black may be the first Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame inductee who was an accomplished vocalist before he took up the game of football which helped him earn his way into this year's Hall of Fame.
Black, who resides in Forrest City, is a 1957 graduate of Lincoln High School and was a member of the famed Tiger football teams which won 33 consecutive football games and three championships.
Before he made his way to the football field, however, Black was part of the Lincoln school chorus.
"I always enjoyed singing," Black said. "And I really liked singing with the chorus at school and that paved the way for me and Frances Jones Rogers to form a duet. We would give concerts and we would sing at different events and we sang all styles of songs."
When Black decided to play football, he was told by some of the Lincoln coaches that he was too small.
But under legendary Lincoln coach M.O. Livingston, Black grew into the role of being a solid guard and tackle for the Tigers.
"Coach Wallace Purifoy wanted me to play fullback and I did a little," Black said. "But I preferred to play tackle. I wanted to do the hitting instead of getting hit. I think that Archie Coleman and myself were the smallest players on the team"
Later Black would help anchor the left side of the Tigers' offfensive line paving the way for running back and 2000 Hall of Fame inductee Robert Harris.
"Coach had special plays called for our side of the line and Harris would run behind us. That's where we scored most of our points."
Black did not have the opportunity to attend college, but did play a little semipro football in the Chicago area.
"I was still small and most of the guys who tried out for and did not make the pros would come back down and play semipro football," Black recalled. "They were getting bigger and I wasn't. I decided to move on to something else."
He did, working for the Zenith Electronics Corporation, helpng build televisions, for more than 30 years before retiring.
When he got the call that he had been selected for the Hall of Fame, Black said "it made me feel like playing again. It made me think about my old teammates."
One of the Lincoln High School teammates, that Rayfield Black thought about after learning he would be inducted into this year's Forrest City Athletic Hall of Fame, was the late Thurman Vanzant.
Vanzant, a 1957 graduate of Lincoln will be honored posthumously when the 2004 Hall of Fame will hold its annual induction banquet and ceremonies Friday, Oct. 1.
Vanzant passed away in 1999.
Like many of the Lincoln High School athletes in the mid to late 50s, Vanzant was a multi-sport athlete, but he was probably best known for his baseball skills
"He was better at baseball than the other sports, but he always played hard and gave his all in football and basketball," said Rayfield Black, former Lincoln classmate and good friend to Vanzant.
Vanzant played some minor league baseball following graduation from Lincoln and at one point the St. Louis Cardinals showed some interest in him.
According to his sister, Leegirtha Walker, Vanzant was in the New York area when the Cardinals asked him to try out.
"He couldn't make the trip back for that tryout," Walker said. "I don't know if he ever had another opportunity."
"He was tall and lanky and knew how to use his body playing the game," Black said.
Vanzant played football for the Tigers his senior season and was named not only All State for his efforts on the gridiron but also made All State for his basketball abilities.
Like Black, Vanzant did not attend college although he did manage a tryout with the New York Giants football team.
Vanzant moved to Michigan where he started his own carpet-laying business.
He and his wife, Pauline, who died shortly after Vanzant, raised five children. Vanzant made his home in Sagniaw, Mich. until his death in 1999.
Vanzant's niece, Donna Steward of Forrest City, will be on hand at the banquet to accept the induction honor.
She said she remembers being able to watch her uncle play some minor league baseball.
"He was good, I know that," Steward said.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Forrest City eighth-grade Mustangs made it a clean sweep Tuesday night at Wynne.
The eighth-graders defeated the Junior Jackets 12-6 to sweep the two-game series.
The win didn't come easy.
Wynne scored in the first half to lead 6-0 at the half before Forrest City tied the game on an 80-yard touchdown run by Lee Smith and then took the lead with the game deciding touchdown -- a two-yard run by Smith in the second half.
"We played hard, especially in the second half," said Forrest City Coach Rich Trail. "We missed some opportunities in the first half."
One of those came after Arsenio Clinton opened the game with a 60-yard run to put the eighth grade Mustangs in scoring position.
The drive sputtered and Forrest City came away empty-handed.
Forrest City improves to 2-2 for the year.
*The seventh-grade Forrest City Colts lost for the first time Tuesday, dropping a 20-14 decision at Wynne.
Scoreless after one quarter, both teams found the endzone in the second quarter and the first half ended in a 6-6 tie.
Quarterback Barrett Astin hit Tevin Hughes for a 60-yard touchdown pass for the Colts.
Wynne took a 12-6 lead in the third quarter and went up 20-6 after Forrest City fumbled.
The final Colts' touchdown was another Astin pass, this time to Clinton Sumter. Arthur Franks added the two-point conversion to provide the final margin.
The Colts stand at 2-1-1 for the year with two games remaining to be played.
"The kids could have quit after Wynne went up 20-6," said Coach Lewis Etheridge. "But they continued to play hard and got the last score."
Etheridge said the entire defensive unit played very well especially Charles Banks, Jeremy Buchanan, Harrison Hargraves, Jonathon Norman, Eli Walls and Tillman Mason.
Offensively, Etheridge credited Astin with another well-played game at quarterback.
"He is developing into a good quarterback and leader on the field," Etheridge said.
Etheridge said Jim Bailey, Hughes, Franks, Desmond Pigue and Chris Barton all played well on the offensive side of the football.
WYNNE -- Olympic athlete Jillian Schwartz will fire the starting pistol at the Mid-South Championship Marathon and Half-Marathon in Wynne Nov. 6.
Schwartz competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens for the United States team in the pole vaulting competition.
Mid-South race organizer David Reagler said Schwartz, who is from Illinois and trains in Jonesboro, was happy to participate.
"Schwartz was nice enough to help us out and the runners should be excited to meet her," Reagler said. This is the sixth year for the marathon which is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.
Racers from across the nation, including a few from overseas, meet each fall for the 26.2-mile or 13.1 races across Crowley's Ridge in the Mississippi Delta.
Reagler said the race differs from marathons in larger cities because of its small town charm.
Residents come together each year to put on the race with many volunteering at aid stations dressed in costume to pass out water and food to runners.
"This really is a community-wide event," Reagler said. "From the PTA to the police, the residents really get into it and welcome the runners to Wynne."
Reagler started the race in 1999 with his wife Karen with hopes of bringing outsiders to his hometown. The race has grown steadily with more than 550 racers competing last year. This year, organizers hope to do even better with applications from runners across the nation including from California and Florida.
The race starts at 8 a.m. by the Wynne High School. A pancake breakfast for the public will be served during the race at the First United Methodist Church in Wynne. Music and food will also be available after the race for the racers and the community.
For more information check the website at www.midsouthmarathon.com or contact Karen and David Reagler at 870-238-5528.
By FRED CONLEY
T-H Sports Editor
The Calvary Christian School varsity Lady Eagles volleyball team swept past Heritage Baptist Academy Tuesday.
Led by Amber Hart, Kriston Hogland and Summer Hess, Calvary won the three-game match 25-18, 25-11 and 25-18.
Calvary will host an elementary volleyball jamboree Saturday, Oct. 2, beginning at 9 a.m., at the school's gym.
The jamboree is being held to give the elementary volleyball team a chance to play a few more matches.
Not all of the schools in Calvary's district have elementary teams, which makes a short season.
The Calvary junior varsity volleyball team will open the jamboree at 9 a.m. and the Calvary varsity girls will play at 10 a.m.
The two opponents, at press time, were not yet known.
At 11:30 a.m., Calvary's elementary girls will play Central Baptist and at 12:30 p.m., Central Baptist will play Macon Road Baptist.
Calvary will play Macon Road in the final match, which is set to begin at approximately 1:30 p.m.
Beginning Monday, Oct. 11, Calvary Christian School will host the Junior Varsity District Tournament, which will run through Saturday, Oct. 16.