PARIS- On an opening night of high school football that concerned many with the extreme heat in Arkansas over the past several weeks, the Paris Eagles and the Waldron Bulldogs kicked off the 2023 season with a “zero week” game in Paris. Paris and Waldron had agreed the previous weekend to push the kickoff time back one hour to 8 p.m. to allow the game to be played primarily at night in cooler temperatures. On game day, Johnson County Westside and Dover announced the cancellation of their game due to concerns with the forecasted temperature at kickoff. Unofficially, it was reported to RNN Sports that JC Westside forfeited their game with Dover, but that has been unconfirmed.
But approximately 4 p.m., cloud cover moved into Logan County and dropped the temperature significantly before game time. In fact, it became dark enough around 6 p.m. to force the administration to turn on the game field lights before the teams arrived on the field for pregame warm-up. The cloud cover was a big break for everyone concerned, and it set the stage for a great night of opening weekend high school football.
Going into the game, Paris was looking to shake the bad memories of the 2022 season that included a loss at Waldron. Paris needed a big win at Eagles Stadium to avenge last year’s loss and to get the 2023 season off to a good start. Waldron was going into the game with its new coach, Cain White who had just joined the district in the spring from Manila. So, both programs were in similar spots, but for different reasons going into Friday’s game.
But on this night, it would be the young and talented Paris Eagles who would come out and take the game to the Bulldogs. Paris’s offense moved the ball seemingly at will and only stopped itself on a few turnovers that are indicative of a first game of the season. Waldron fought hard and tried to respond, but every time Waldron would score, Paris had a quick answer.
The Paris defense was impressive against the run, and the defensive line was also able to put pressure on the Waldron quarterback to force their own turnovers. Perhaps most encouraging for the Paris fans were the number of sophomore and junior players who contributed heavily to the win over Waldron. Paris, with just three seniors on their roster, has a lot of talent that is young, but they have some experience from last year, and on Friday, a group of talented sophomores gained valuable experience in the win.
Watch for more on this game, along with a preview of next week’s game in Mansfield that will feature Paris traveling to Mansfield to play a Tigers team that played at home on Friday, defeating Magazine, 56-0. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Waldron Bulldogs will return home to host the Lamar Warriors at Bulldogs Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Waldron.
Congratulations to coach Jeff Weaver, his staff, and the young Eagles on a great victory to open the 2023 season! Watch for photos from the game on Sunday evening on RNN Sports’ “Team Press Pass” Facebook page, and, on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports.
