Our Blood Institute Urges Community to Donate as Illnesses Strain Blood Supply
Seasonal illnesses, including the flu, are significantly impacting blood donations. Arkansas is among the hardest-hit states, with widespread flu cases leading to school closures, missed appointments and canceled blood drives. Many adults caring for sick family members are also unable to donate, further straining the local blood supply.
Our Blood Institute is calling on all healthy, eligible individuals to donate as soon as possible to help ensure patients receive the lifesaving care they need.
“We are doing everything we can to prevent a critical blood shortage, but we need the community’s help,” said Dr. John Armitage, Our Blood Institute president and CEO. “When regular donors get sick, it creates a gap in donations. That’s why we’re asking those who are healthy to step up and donate now.”
Blood is needed every day for trauma patients, surgeries, cancer treatments and other medical emergencies. There is no substitute for donated blood, and it must be readily available when patients need it.
“If you’re feeling well, we encourage you to make an appointment as soon as possible,” Armitage added. “Your donation can make a real difference.”
As a thank-you, successful donors will receive a superhero-themed T-shirt, and those who donate at an OBI donor center will also get a special kid-sized donor T-shirt.
Blood can be donated every 56 days. Platelets can be donated as often as every seven days, up to 24 times a year.
Anyone who is healthy and 16 years old* or older can give blood. Appointments to donate can be made online at obi.org or by calling 877-340-8777. Walk-ins are also welcome.
*16-year-olds must weigh at least 125 pounds and provide signed parental permission; 17-year-olds must weigh at least 125 pounds; 18+ year olds must weigh at least 110 pounds. Photo ID required.
Cool-season annual grasses offer high-value hay, baleage, silage to Arkansas producers
By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Livestock producers who grow their own hay often find themselves playing “beat the clock” when it comes to harvest, knowing that once a seedhead appears, the forage quality declines.
This race to beat the clock is heightened when wet springs keep farmers from making dry hay.
“Producers have increasingly turned to round bale silage, or baleage, to improve the timeliness of harvest operations,” said Jonathan Kubesch, extension forage specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“Silage, traditionally corn, was popular with the state’s dairy industry,” he said. “Grass silage is often referred to as ‘baleage’ in the southeast.
“Grass sileage, or ‘baleage,’ is a growing opportunity to produce high-quality forage at a time when it is hard to produce dry hay — think rainy April,” Kubesch said. Baleage involves wilting cut forages to 45 to 65 percent moisture, then rolling them into round bales wrapped in plastic.
Cool-season annual grasses, such as annual ryegrass or the small grains like wheat, oats and cereal rye, are routinely planted to provide forage for livestock. “These plants provide excellent forage quality while in vegetative, but protein and digestibility can quickly decline following emergence of the seed head,” Kubesch said. In the southeastern United States, harvest of small grains for hay in the spring is often delayed by spring rains.
“Maturity at harvest has a large impact on quality,” he said.
Kubesch discusses research on cool-season annual grass opportunities in a newly revised fact sheet available for download from Cooperative Extension Service, Using Cool-Season Annual Grasses for Hay and Silage.
He noted three key takeaways from the new fact sheet:
- Winter annual forages offer a lot of nutritional value in Arkansas forage programs
- Multiple cool-season annual grasses can be used to stagger production in early spring. Harvesting these forages on time at the correct moisture level is crucial to making hay, baleage or grass silage.
- Late winter plantings are a possibility for farmers to make up for missed fall plantings.
Kubesch reported new late winter planting recommendations. Farmers might consider annual ryegrass or spring oats for planting between late February to mid-March for early hay, baleage, or silage.
“We’ve been having dry falls which preclude the typical planting window of September-October,” he said. “We ran a three-year trial at Jonesboro in collaboration with Arkansas State University to develop these late winter recommendations.”
For more information on baleage, see: Baled Silage for Livestock.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
State Capitol Week in Review from Senator Terry Rice
The Senate voted to provide all public school children with free lunches, regardless of their income, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.
Also, the Senate passed legislation to restrict students’ cell phone use during the school day.
State budget officials estimate that it will cost $14.7 million a year to ensure that all students get one free breakfast every day. The governor has publicly announced her support of the measure, Senate Bill 59. It is co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 25 senators.
When children go hungry their long-term health is negatively affected, and their grades suffer. Hunger affects a child’s academic performance and increases their chances of being punished for behavioral problems and missing classes, according to testimony before the Senate Education Committee.
National studies indicate that students who have eaten breakfast perform better on standardized tests. Students improve academically in general, and some studies show that they specifically do better in mathematics.
After passing SB 59 the Senate sent it to the House of Representatives, where it has sufficient co-sponsors to guarantee passage.
Currently, students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals depending on their family income. The legislature passed Act 656 in 2023 to prohibit schools from charging students a copayment.
SB 142, to restrict cell phone use by students, also passed overwhelmingly but with a few dissenters who said the measure should also apply to students in private schools. Supporters countered that most private schools already have policies that restrict cell phone use.
SB 142 requires all school districts to adopt a policy to restrict the use of cell phones “from bell to bell.” Its sponsor said the bill’s purposes include eliminating distractions in the classroom and improving the mental and emotional health of young people.
Some students have an individualized education program (IEP) because they have special needs. An IEP may include the use of electronic devices or cell phones. Students with an IEP would be exempt from the restrictions in SB 142.
The state already had been helping school districts with cell phone restrictions. Last year the state provided about $7 million to 180 school districts pay for magnetic pouches and other devices for storing cell phones during the day.
Expanded Child Care
The state Education Department has added 2,600 children to a program that helps families pay for child care, bringing the program to its greatest capacity of about 18,300 student.
According to the department, Arkansas gets about $100 million a year in federal grants to help low-income families pay for child care, thus better preparing them for kindergarten.
Last year the department expanded the program to make more families eligible. The Office of Early Childhood anticipates a waiting list, due to higher demand, beginning this month. However, teen parents and those on welfare, homeless families, children with special needs and foster children will be exempt from the waiting list.
U.S. food, drug makers have 2 to 3 years to remove banned Red No. 3 from products
By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
The Food and Drug Administration has revoked use of the synthetic dye Red No. 3 — approved to provide color in food and drugs since 1969 — but is giving U.S. food manufacturers and drug companies two to three years to remove it from their products.
The Jan.15 ban comes in response to a 2022 petition that requested the FDA review studies that showed cancer in male lab rats exposed to high levels of Red No. 3. It addition to food and medication, it has been used in cosmetic items such as hair dyes.
Quad Whitson, extension culinary nutrition program associate for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the FDA revoked the use of Red No. 3 in food and drugs due to the Delaney Clause, part of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
“The clause explicitly prohibits the use of any chemical that is found to cause cancer in humans or animals based on carcinogenic testing,” Whitson said. “Data presented by the FDA in 2022 showed that in large doses, Red No. 3 had the potential to cause cancer in male lab rats due to its effects on processes that control the release and action of hormones in the body of male rats.”
Red No. 3 is primarily used in food products, such as candy, cakes, cupcakes, frozen desserts and frostings, as well as some ingested drugs.
Whitson explained that “revoking” the use of something like a food additive “means that you are formally taking away the privilege to use an additive that was previously allowed.” He said Red No. 3 was initially approved for food in the United States in 1969.
Complex process
The ban on Red No. 3 immediately affects food imported from other countries. Manufacturers in the United States will have until Jan. 15, 2027, to remove the dye from food products, and until Jan. 18, 2028, to remove it from drug products.
Whitson said these deadlines are extended “due to the complex process of product reformulation.”
“Changing a product’s recipe can be lengthy, due to the extensive testing required to ensure that the new product or products maintain the desired taste, texture and functionality of the original product,” Whitson said. “They want to ensure they can maintain customer satisfaction despite the changes.”
There is not an official comprehensive list or resource that details all the food and drug products that contain Red No. 3, which Whitson said is due to the “difficulty of capturing every new and pre-existing food or drug product on the market containing the dye.”
Read the label
“If consumers aim to remove products containing Red No. 3 from their households and dietary patterns, the best way to do so is to review the ingredients of food labels,” Whitson said. “Under current FDA food labeling regulations, certified color additives must be made known to consumers.”
The color additive No. 3 can appear in the following ways on the ingredients of a food label:
· FD&C Red No. 3
· FD&C Red 3
· Red 3
Learn more about food safety on the Cooperative Extension Service’s website or contact Whitson at [email protected].
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Obituary: Virginia Yandell (1934-2025)
Virginia Mae (Maxey) Yandell of Waldron, Arkansas (formerly of Harvey Arkansas) went to be with her Lord and Savior Wednesday, February 5, 2025 in Waldron with her loving family by her side. She was born March 21, 1934 in Mauldin community near Mt. Ida, Arkansas. Her parents were Louis Franklin Maxey, Sr. and Edna Ruth (Smith) Maxey. She was from a very large family being one of the only set of twins.
She married her loving husband of 64 years-LD Yandell on September 9, 1950. They raised a family in their beloved community of Harvey where they supported their church-Harvey Assembly of God. Virginia spent many Sundays preparing lunch for the pastors and their spouses. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother to her family. Her hobbies included reading, gardening, tending flowers, needlework and sewing. She also served as the bookkeeper to her husband’s logging business.
Virginia is survived by three daughters: Sharon Evans (Larry), Cathy Barnett (Kerry), and Karen Culbertson ( Lane); five grandchildren: Travis Evans (Hala), April Shockey (Jonathan), Derek Barnett (Krystal), Amber Culbertson, Rachel Khanal (Dilen); and five great grandchildren: Hunter, Gage, Karli, Gunner Evans and Brayden Barnett. She is also survived by three siblings: Joe Maxey (Shirley), Patsy Owens (Ules Ray), and Norma Pierce (Phillip) and a host of nieces and nephews.
Virginia is preceded in death by her husband, parents and sisters: Lucille Speigle, Charlene Haggard, Francis Maxey, Euginia Maxey, Maxine Brown, Ann Wise, Linda Yandell and brothers: Bud Maxey, Whit Maxey, Edward Lee Maxey, Don Maxey and Jerry Mac Maxey.
Virginia’s life celebration will be 3:00 p.m., Friday, February 7, 2025 at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Mike Shaddon officiating. Interment will follow in the Monroe Cemetery in Harvey, Arkansas. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
Virginia’s pallbearers will be Kerry Barnett, Lane Culbertson, Travis Evans, Jonathan Shockey, Derek Barnett and Hunter Evans. Honorary pallbearers will be her Harvey Church family.
Virginia’s visitation will be Friday, February 7, 2025 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas.
Obituary: Billy Ray Harwell (1946-2025)
Billy Ray Harwell of Waldron, Arkansas went to be with his Lord and Savior, Sunday, February 2, 2025 in Waldron, Arkansas with his loving family at his side. Billy was born March 16, 1946 in Waldron, Arkansas to James and Madlein Harwell. He was 78 years old.
Devoted, faithful, kind, compassionate and caring are just a few of the words used to describe Billy Harwell. He was truly a committed man of God and he led by example and humility. He was ordained in 1983 as a Reverend and spent the better part of his years ministering in different churches in and around Scott County. The number of lives he has touched is immeasurable. Leading young and old alike to know God, baby dedications, weddings, funerals, visiting the sick, praying for those in need, and lending a listening ear are just a few of the many things Billy did and he did it with ALL the love in his heart. He was active in the men’s prayer breakfast and was always happy to fill in the pulpit for others. He was a mentor for many and highly respected by all.
Billy was a carpenter by trade. Mastering everything from framing to finish work. However, over the years, he had worked in several different industries learning many occupations and expanding his knowledge and experience. With all of Billy’s vast opportunities, by far the most treasured of that was being a husband, father and Pawpaw. His love for his family was like no other. He looked forward to time spent with his family and extended family and friends.
Billy leaves behind to cherish his memory, his wife, companion and best friend Lanis of the home and sons: Steve Harwell and wife Jeannie of Belleville, Arkansas, Alan Harwell and wife Michelle of Hector, Arkansas, Derek Brashear and wife Melissa of Urbana, Illinois, Darrell Brashear and wife Julie of Greenwood, Arkansas and daughter in law Merianda Harwell. Pawpaw Harwell will forever remain in the hearts of his grandchildren: Hunter Hughes, Caleb Harwell and wife Kelsey, Lucas Harwell and wife Lexie, Abigail Harwell, Blake Harwell, Kaleb McGlothlin, Trevor Brashear and wife Brooke and Ryan Harwell as well as great grandchildren: Rhett Brashear, Wrenley Brashear, Hazel Harwell, Scarlett Harwell and Lynndy Harwell. He is also survived by one sister Ann Bingham. Billy will be missed by all that knew him and the many whose lives he impacted including a host of extended family, friends, and loved ones dear to his heart.
Billy was preceded in death by one son James Harwell, his parents, James and Madlein, siblings: Cecil Harwell, William Harwell, MaryLavene Mays and his first wife Eutha Harwell.
Billy’s life celebration will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, February 8, 2025 at the Waldron Pentecostal Church of God with Rev. Jeff Wilkinson and Rev. Gary Martin officiating. Interment will follow in the Bush Cemetery in Waldron, Arkansas.
Billy’s pallbearers will be Blake Harwell, Caleb Harwell, Kaleb McGothlin, Lucas Harwell, Winston Philmon and Todd VanDeWiele.
Billy’s visitation will be Saturday, February 8, 2025 from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m. at the Waldron Pentecostal Church of God.
SR Lady Tigers Left Limping After Physical Loss To Lamar
The Mansfield Lady Tigers have made it a point to be one of the top teams in the state over the past few years. Moving up from the 2A last season to 3A this year hasn’t seemed to phase the Lady Tigers either as Mansfield sat as the second-ranked team in the 3A-4 before their game on Tuesday, February 4th. While Mansfield doesn’t have the numbers on their roster to match most of their 3A opponents packed, they have shown that they could hang with the top dogs in the 3A. But the team that lingered in front of the Lady Tigers at the number one spot in the 3A-4 was the Lamar Lady Warriors. Lamar sits atop the 3A-4, and the Lady Warriors are a Top3 team in most of the state polls. So, could a Lady Tigers team new to the 3A go toe to toe with an annual 3A powerhouse like Lamar? The only thing left to do was play the game, so, number one versus number two….game on!
Mansfield’s Kaylee Ward won the jump ball, but it was Lamar who turned on the scoreboard lights first as the Lady Warriors swished a long-range three-pointer to start the game. Ward wasn’t going to let her team be shown up, though, as she battled for a hard-fought board bucket to put the Lady Tigers on the scoreboard. Senior, Trinity Triska, dished a sweet assist to Kaylee Ward for another bucket to give the Lady Tigers the lead. With a 4-3 score and plenty of physicality to spread around, both teams showcased why they were sitting at first and second place in the 3A-4. An epic defensive battle ensued as steals, fouls, and tipped shots stole the show down to the 4:13 mark of the opening quarter. Lamar was able to get a big layup off of an inbound, but senior Lady Tiger, Shelbie Fuller, kicked right back with a laser-guided three-point shot to tie that game at 7-7 with 3:00 left on the clock. The Lady Warriors found their groove though and rattled off four fast points and capped things off with an added buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the first quarter ahead of Mansfield 14-7 on the scoreboard.
The second quarter started rough as bodies hit the floor more often than not, but rough and tumble basketball isn’t anything new to the Lady Tigers. Kaylee Ward was fouled on the way up for a layup, giving her a plus-one on the free throw attempt. Now only down by four points, Mansfield put the pressure on Lamars fast paced offense. The pressure led to only a single free throw point for the Lady Warriors in two trips downcourt, setting the score at a narrow 15-10 lead by Lamar. Miley Clopton hit a two-point shot to close the gap by a little more, but the momentum shifted quickly back to Lamar with the Lady Warrior’s three-point shot. Clopton again put in a board bucket, forcing Lamar to call a time-out with an 18-14 score and 4:53 left in the half. Lamar came out of the timeout and went on a 6-0 run against Mansfield’s defense before Abby Smith tripped up the Lady Warrior’s scoring spree with a Mansfield layup. Holes in Mansfield’s defense continued to give Lamar a distinct advantage on the scoreboard, though, as the Lady Tigers began to slip further and further behind. Kaylee Ward drained a long-range three-pointer, but the big-time bucket only got Mansfield within ten points of Lamar as the game stood still with a 29-19 score. The Lady Warriors added one more bucket to boot before the halftime buzzer sounded as Mansfield went into the locker room down 31-19 to the Lady Warriors.
Both Mansfield and Lamar must’ve been bitten by the turnover bug during the halftime period as the teams burnt away the first two and a half minutes turning the ball over to one another. Lamar was able to sink a single free throw to score first in the third quarter but Kaylee Ward one-upped them with a pair of free throws of her own. That’s when the gas tank of the Lady Tigers began to show as Lamar’s deep bench was able to give breaks to the Lady Warriors while Mansfield was left gasping for air. Out of gas and down 35-21 is usually where most teams would lay down and take the L. Not this group of Lady Tigers. Miley Clopton struck with a powerful board bucket and was followed shortly after by Kaylee Ward with a layup and free throw to close the score to 35-26. A misguided pass by Lamar gave Mansfield the ball right back, but before the Lady Tigers could capitalize, Lamar called a full time out. The timeout was just enough for the Lady Tigers to set up a solid play and it was none other than Miley Clopton who racked up a basket for Mansfield at 1:19 left in the third quarter to set the score at 35-28. Slowly but surely, Mansfield was going to make this into one heck of a ball game. The Lady Tigers outscored Lamar 9-4 in the third quarter but were still down 35-28 to the Lady Warriors.
The fourth and final quarter of this heavyweight battle began with Lamar triple-teaming Kaylee Ward at every turn, but the Lady Warrior’s tactic fell short as Ward was fouled and sent to the line for a free throw point. Now with only a six-point lead, Lamar began to look a little desperate as they shot and missed from nearly every corner of the court. Kaylee Ward again took on the triple team and again powered her way through for a layup forcing Lamar to take a time-out with 6:24 left in the game. Four points was all that kept the top two teams in the 3A-4 apart which was something that got the Tiger faithful on their feet. Kaylee Ward cut Mansfield’s deficit to a 35-33 score, but Lamar came right back with a circus shot and added a free throw to top it off. The Lady Warriors doubled down and scored again which forced Mansfield to call a timeout with a 40-33 score and only 4:43 left in the fourth quarter. With Mansfield showing they could hang with Lamar, the Lady Warriors opted for some full-court defense to try and shut down any momentum Mansfield had left. The plan worked to a T too as the Lady Warriors went on a 4-0 run off of Mansfield turnovers. Holding on to an eleven-point lead, Lamar went for the scoreboard’s throat jumping out to a 46-35 lead before Shelbie Fuller gave the Lady Tigers some breathing room with a pair of free throws. Mansfield tried to mount an offensive comeback, but the scoreboard was just too far out of reach as Lamar defeated the Lady Tiger with a 49-40 final score.
SR Tigers Fall In Hard Fought War Against Warriors
Aggression and competitiveness are always front and center when watching high school boy’s sports. The Mansfield Tigers have faced adversity in the 3A-4 this season but have not left an ounce of effort on the floor at the end of every game. Blood and sweat have been left on the floor, but not effort. So, when Mansfield hosted Lamar on Tuesday, February 4th, the same effort was expected by the Tigers’ hometown crowd. The effort was there. The competitiveness was there. The aggression was definitely there. The win on the other hand would have to wait for another day as Mansfield suffered another tough loss in 3A-4 play falling to Lamar 81-64.
It didn’t take long for Lamar to jump all over the Tigers as the Warriors won the jump ball, sank a three-pointer, and followed everything up with a breakaway layup to take an early 5-0 lead over Mansfield. Samuel Burton stepped up for the Tigers to end Lamar’s scoring streak with a powerful board bucket to put Mansfield on the scoreboard and make it a one possession 5-3 game. Burton’s bucket didn’t seem to faze the Warriors, though, as they again ran rampant on the court with all-star moves to score another five unanswered points on the Tigers. With Lamar scoring in quick bursts, the Tigers stomped on the brakes to counter the Warrior’s momentum. The plan worked seemingly perfect too as Mansfield passed the ball around to try and set up perfect shots. Perfect shots are in Daniel Burton’s DNA. Burton drained back-to-back three-point shots to get the Tigers within two points of Lamar. Samuel Burton then tied the game up after getting fouled on a layup and adding the plus one, setting the game at 10-10. The tie lasted only a couple of seconds as Lamar hit a three-point shot on the other end of the court and then caught a fast break steal that ended in a Warriors slam dunk. This game was getting hot and so were the attitudes as players on both teams began to get a little bit chippy as the opening quarter was winding down. Cooler heads prevailed though, and the Tigers closed the score to a 17-16 Lamar lead with a pair of hotshot threes by Winston Allison and Samuel Burton with just 2:21 left on the clock. Mansfield took their first lead of the game off another three-point swish, but Lamar regained the lead on the scoreboard to end the first quarter with a narrow 21-20 lead over the Tigers.
Larmar struck first in the second quarter with a layup and a pair of free throws to extend the score to 25-20 in the Warrior’s favor. Winston Allison answered with a short shot from inside the box which was enough to make Lamar call an early timeout at 6:46 in the second quarter. The time-out gave the Tigers time to cool down but only allowed Lamar to heat up as the Warriors hit a three-pointer right after coming back onto the floor. But facing the heat isn’t anything new for Mansfield as Daniel Burton showed his poise under pressure and sank a three of his own to set the score at 30-25. Andrew Burton then brought down the house with an extremely contested power bucket to bring the Tigers within three points of the lead. With their lead cut to 30-27, Lamar began to scramble which stirred up errors for the Warriors in the form of fouls. With Lamar holding their aggressiveness, Daniel Burton cranked his up to 10 and took a steal the length of the court to tie things up at 30-30. Lamar quickly regained the lead with a layup as the back-and-forth basketball bantering continued. Winston Allison sent the home crowd into a frenzy when he swished a three-pointer to give Mansfield their first lead of the night putting the Tigers ahead of Lamar with a 33-32 score. The Warriors weren’t done yet either though as Lamar blazed back with four unanswered points to again regain the lead, 36-33, with 1:41 left in the half. Lamar began to hit another hot streak as the second quarter winded down. Andrew Burton plowed his way through traffic for a board bucket to break the Warrior run, but Lamar was just too skilled to stop. The first half wasn’t a battle, not even close. This was a downright war down to the buzzer with Lamar leading Mansfield 44-35 going into the half.
The third quarter started off with, well, not a bang as both teams shot and missed by a mile from beyond the arch. The slow start didn’t last very long though as Lamar was able to put up a duce, but Samuel Burton pulled off a spin-a-rooni layup to match the Warrior’s score. The Warriors were able to land a double-digit lead with a free throw setting the score at 47-37 at the 6:03 mark. While their scoring wasn’t as fast-paced as the first half, Lamar was making their shots count as they stretched their lead to 50-37. When the break was over though, it was game on for the Warriors as Lamar rolled in a soft shot. Daniel Burton wasn’t so soft with his shot though as Burton drained a long-range three-pointer. Winston Allison drilled a three-pointer of his own to set the score at 52-44 still in Lamars favor with 3:24 left in the quarter. Allison again showed his skills with a mid-air floating shot. Both teams went back and forth playing a game of “anything you can do I can do better” as the score kept creeping higher and higher. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Lamar never let Mansfield within a ten-point spread during that stretch. That is until Andrew Burton powered his way in for a board bucket to cut Lamars lead to 58-50 with 0:37 left in the quarter. An ally-oop put-back hoop jumped Lamar back into a double-digit lead again as the third quarter ended with Mansfield down 61-50, but still in the game.
Mansfield started the fourth quarter with the ball, but a Lamar player piggybacked off of Samuel Burton’s shoulders on a rebound which stopped the game for Burton to shoot free throws. Burton went one for two to bring the score within 10 points, 61-51. Even though fatigue was setting in on both teams, the players were still putting on quite the show. While both teams were playing their tails off, it was Lamar who was scoring points as the Warriors jumped out to a 68-51 lead forcing Mansfield to call a timeout and regroup at the 6:31 mark of the final quarter. Que Daniel Burton. Burton saw a three written on the wall and swished his shot. Andrew Burton followed suit with a board bucket to cut the Tiger’s deficit to ten points again, but Lamar kept finding a way to hit their mark on the scoreboard to go up 72-56 on the Tigers. The trend continued as the game went on, but the Lamar Warriors proved to be just too much for Mansfield as the Tigers fell to Lamar with an 81-64 final score.
Three Bulldogs To Further Football Careers
National Signing Day is a big day for any high school athlete wanting to make it to the next level. For three Greenwood Bulldogs it is building upon a legacy of those that have come before them. Names like Kris Weible, Tyler Wilson, Drew Morgan, and Hunter Wilkinson, have laid the foundation for Bulldogs to make it to the next level. Cash Archer, Grant Karnes, and Eddy Castelo get to etch their names with the other greats in Bulldog Football history and chart their own paths collegiately.
Cash Archer – University of Central Arkansas
A force on defense that had opposing coaches’ game planning to stop his relentless style of play. From the same mold of former Bulldog defensive monsters Morgan and Jordan Hanna (Arkansas/UNLV), the 6’1.5″ 222lbs older brother of Kane Archer, made his name disrupting offensive backfields. With 39.5 sacks coming out of a 3-year career with 224 tackles there was rarely a play at the line of scrimmage or behind that did not involve the two-time All-State selection. For his work on the field the University of Central Arkansas offered Cash and became the front runner for the 2025 grad. Cash won the Hooten’s Arkansas Football 2024 6A Defensive Player of the Year.
“I’m excited, I’ve always dreamed of playing at the next level.” Cash Archer said. “I took a visit down there and it was way better than I could’ve imagined. The coaching staff was amazing. It feels like a place I could adapt to.”
“With Cash, I don’t know if we’ve had a guy with a motor like him in a long time.” Head Coach Chris Young said. “A dynamic player that rushes the passer unlike anything I have ever seen. Tremendous athlete, you know, UCA is getting a heck of a steal.”
Grant Karnes – University of Arkansas
In a long line of great receivers, Grant Karnes left his legacy on the field for the Bulldogs. The three-sport athlete was originally committed to Wichita State for baseball, where he is a two-time All-State pitcher for the Bulldogs. Early in the summer, Karnes made the decision to re-open his recruiting to Football and within the first couple weeks it paid off when the Razorbacks made an offer. In Grant’s time at Greenwood, 3589 yards on 248 catches for 47 touchdowns puts him behind Josh Bell (55 ’98-’00) and Kris Weible (51 ’94-’96) all-time in the Greenwood school record book for receiving touchdowns in a career. While most teams will have one receiver go over 1000 yards and then some, Grant was able to share 1000 yard seasons with L.J. Robins (NSU) and Champ Davis. This year the Bulldogs were on pace to have three 1000-yard receivers with Karnes, Davis and the late Isaiah Arrington. Grant Karnes won the Hooten’s Arkansas Football 6A Offensive Player of the Year and was a three-time All-State selection.
“It means so much to me. It’s been a dream since I was a little kid to go play at Arkansas. There’s nowhere else I would want to go.” Grant Karnes said. “Finally getting the opportunity, after all the years of hard work. Everyone that has helped me throughout the journey, I mean, I can’t wait for it”
“He played in four consecutive State Championship games. I don’t know anyone has ever done that.” Coach Young said. “Lead the entire state in receiving yards. As good of a football player he is, he’s a better young man. He made our locker room better; he made practices fun. I think he had a huge impact on the younger receivers, which will carry us through for the next few years.”
Eddy Castelo –Henderson State University
Eddy came to Greenwood a year ago from Fort Smith Northside. An offensive lineman for the Grizzlies, Castelo was tabbed to fill one spot at guard as Junior Cody Taylor moved to center. Then the Fayetteville Scrimmage happened. Senior Nose Guard Mark Garretson went down with an injury and it left some question marks on a defense that was already having to replace several starters. Eddy, known for his aggressive run blocking, and relentless work in the weight room was moved over to defense with Junior Akira Fujibayashi to work alongside Junior DeAndre Stephens to find the best fit. Week 0 the pieces fell together, with adjustments on the offensive side with Taylor moving to back to guard, Fujibayashi at center, and Castelo sporting a new number 94 at nose guard on the defense. Eddy would get 50 tackles and 9.5 tackles for a loss in his Senior season effort. Recruiting for Eddy started with offers from Lyon College and Centenary College in Louisiana, but a move to the opposite side of the ball opened offers to the next rung up the college football ladder. First Southern Nazarene in OKC then Henderson State in Arkadelphia.
“The main thing that made me choose Henderson; it reminded me a lot of Greenwood.” Eddy Castelo said. “The head coach reminded me of Coach Young. They already have the mindset that ‘We’re going to win’. They were going to make sure that this next season was going to be something everyone remembers.”
“Eddy is a great example, guy moves over a year ago and he wants to be a part of winning program.” Coach Young said. “He comes in with the right attitude, comes in immediately and goes to work. He never caused a problem. Seeing his growth throughout the year. He was a good player when he started. But just every week he got better.”
Final Thoughts
Under Head Coach Chris Young, seventeen players have signed to play collegiately since the 2020-2021 season. In that first class of seniors Coach Young had, nine players signed to play college ball on every level it is offered NAIA, D3, D2, and D1.
“It’s an indication of what our guys put into the program. We have special young men at Greenwood that’s different.” Coach Young said. “I think, from the Pittbulls, to the Junior High, to the High School. I think they learn things that gives them the opportunity to play at the next level if their willing to put in the work. These three are great examples of good things happen when your’re willing to go to work every day.”
On the topic of the feeder programs into the high school, as a program; junior high, junior varsity and varsity, for 2024 they finished 45-2 with 7th grade, JV, and Varsity going undefeated. The Pittbulls program that is the foundation builder, of the 17 players that have signed since 2021, 12 of those came through youth football program.
“Our kids go through the process, I think youth program, like you said, is better than anybody else’. It allows our junior high coaches maybe to do a little bit more than most junior highs are able to do.” Coach Young said. “Our junior high does such a good job, that allows us at the high school to do some things that normally we wouldn’t be able to do.”