Resident News Network

Mansfield Muscles Past Lavaca 43-19

Sports

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5:07 pm

The Mansfield Tigers started off their 2023 campaign strong by ripping off five straight wins in a convincing fashion. Nonconference blowouts over Magazine, Paris, and Waldron with conference wins over West Fork and Lavaca had fans hungry for more. Unfortunately, the Tigers ran into a midseason buzz saw when they were edged out by Charleston and then smashed by Booneville the following week. The back-to-back losses caused critics to quickly start whispering terms like “overrated”. All of the negativeness could have flattened the team’s morale as they traveled to Lavaca on Friday, October 20th to face a scorching 6-1 Golden Arrows program. Instead, the Tigers took the naysayer’s words and regifted them back with a 43-19 golden bowed victory tied on top.

Going into the game, Lavaca’s offense boasted the most overall points scored in the 3A-1, and Mansfield’s defense held the title of least overall points allowed. Lavaca won the coin toss and elected to send their offense on the field first to try and get a step up to Mansfield early in the game. The Golden Arrows started off on target by shooting their way to two quick first downs on the Mansfield defense before the Tigers were able to force a punt. The punt set Mansfield up at the ten-yard line to start their offensive drive. With their backs against the wall and the Tigers ground-and-pound run game tactics, Lavaca thought they had Mansfield pinned. After two expected runs though, the Tigers long darted a double pass from Cole Kindle to Tyler Turnipseed for a 60-yard completion. The Tigers unfortunately coughed the ball up with a fumble on the very next play to give Lavaca the ball back. Mansfield’s defense still held strong though forcing Lavaca to punt. But not so fast, the Golden Arrows pulled out their own bag of tricks on fourth and long and ran a fake punt to earn a first down. The Tigers again held strong and were able to stuff a fourth down attempt by Lavaca to get the ball back again. It only took one play for Mansfield running back, Daniel Burton, to get the Tigers in scoring position as Burton took the ensuing handoff for a 54-yard run. Daniel Burton crossed into the end zone three plays later from ten yards out for a Tiger touchdown. Lavaca jumped offsides on the extra point attempt, so the Tigers went for a two-point conversion and were successful in setting the score at 8-0 in Mansfield’s favor at the end of the first quarter.

The Tigers jumped on Lavaca early in the second quarter with a pair of solid runs by Daniel Burton and Tyler Turnipseed. The Golden Arrows again sucked up into the back to stop the run, but Jeremy Strozier would connect with Peyton Martin on a 32-yard pass and then dumped a short pass off to Andrew Burton to keep Lavaca’s defense on their heels. Strozier and the Tigers offensive line powered over Lavaca from five yards out on a quarterback keeper for Mansfield’s second touchdown of the game. The Tigers extra point kick was no good holding the score to a 14-0 lead. Mansfield’s defense struck again on Lavaca’s next drive as Zander Walters forced a fumble on the Tigers own 35-yard line giving Mansfield the ball back again. Five plays later and another quarterback keeper by Jeremy Strozier and the Tigers were in the endzone again. The extra point kick was good setting the score at 21-0. Lavaca wasn’t about to lay down and get shut out on their senior night though. The Golden Arrows found a busted coverage in the Tigers secondary and completed a 64-yard touchdown pass. The point after kick was no good leaving the score 21-6 as the second quarter wound down. Mansfield tried to hang one more score on the Golden Arrows with seconds left in the second quarter, but a hail mary pass was intercepted and taken back 95 yards for a Lavaca touchdown. Lavaca’s two-point conversion attempt failed, but they put the Tigers on edge as the teams went into halftime with Mansfield narrowly leading Lavaca 21-12.

With momentum going into halftime favoring the Golden Arrows, Mansfield had to find a way to jump-start the second half in their favor. Lavaca kicked off to Mansfield to open the second half and it was Trey Powell who hooked up the jumper cables to the Tigers team and kicked it into overdrive with an 88-yard kick return for a Tiger touchdown. Mansfield sent Daniel Burton across the goal line to add on a two-point conversion and just like that, the Tigers were up 29-12. Mansfield’s defense again showed that they could hang with some of the top offenses as they quickly forced a three-and-out against Lavaca’s potent offense. Mansfield began to march the ball downfield when an unfortunate accident happened as tight end Cole Kindle was rolled up from behind by a falling player. The pause in the game did not result in any extra coaching, any excitement by players, or a momentum shift for either team. Instead, both teams and fans in the bleachers did what anyone should do in that situation. They all prayed. After the injury hiatus, the teams took to the field again and went back to work. Mansfield continued their drive with seven more plays before Daniel Burton rolled across the goal line from 21 yards out for a Tiger touchdown. The extra point attempt was good giving Mansfield a 36-12 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was where Mansfield filed down the sharp edges of the Golden Arrows with some good old-fashioned ground-and-pound football. Daniel Burton, Tyler Turnipseed, and Andrew Burton tucked in behind a determined offensive line to work their way downfield in 18 plays to eat up a bunch of clock before Daniel Burton ran the ball into the endzone for a touchdown. The extra point kick by Ethan Martin split the uprights putting Mansfield ahead 42-12 late in the fourth quarter. Lavaca would make a push to get back into the game with a play drive for a touchdown, but the damage had already been done as Mansfield lined up in victory formation to run the clock out and earn a 42-19 win over Lavaca.

Mansfield now sits with a 3-2 conference record and an 8-2 overall record. Their conference record sits in a three tie with Lavaca and Hackett. Hackett holds the tiebreaker over Lavaca after their 42-35 comeback victory in Week2 and the Tigers also hold the head-to-head win over the Golden Arrows after Friday’s victory. With Booneville seeming to secure the 1Seed for the Playoffs and Charleston right behind them, the 3Seed could come down to the November 3rd rivalry between Mansfield and Hackett. Both teams will have to win their games next week to set up this awesome showdown, but if it does come down to the Tigers and Hornets game to determine a higher Playoff seeding, then you can bet your bottom dollar it’ll be an instant classic. But first, the Tigers will host their final home game of the season on October 27th for Senior Night against the Cedarville Pirates at 7 pm.

Bulldogs Roll Over Cyclones: 56-20

Ross Fujibayashi

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3:54 pm

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Greenwood moves to 8-0 overall with a win over Russellville in 6A West Action

It was Homecoming night, and it was a night to remember for the Greenwood Bulldogs as Sophomore QB Kane Archer found the end zone 7 times enroute to a 56-20 win over Russellville. The Bulldogs did not stop there with with the milestones as Senior Running Back Brayedan Davis reached 1000 yards rushing on the season.

The Bulldogs received the kickoff and got to work against the Cyclone defense. On 4th and 3 from the Russellville 46, Kane Archer ran in his 1st Touchdown of the night. Senior Bodey Steinfeldt’s kick was good for the extra point Greenwood up 7-0. The Cyclones would stall on their own 18 and attempt a fake punt on 4th down. Greenwood would stop the attempt and start their drive on the Cyclone 26-yard line. Three plays later, Kane Archer found Senior L.J. Robins for the 17-yard Touchdown pass. Point after was good, Greenwood up 14-0. Russellville would answer back with a mix of running and passing to pull within 7 in the first quarter. The Bulldogs would drive down to the Russellville. The Bulldogs answered Russellville right back with a pass to L.J. Robins, who took it around the end for the Greenwood touchdown. The kick was good making it 21-7. Russellville’s next possession was stopped by Senior Braden Skaggs’ interception. Greenwood ran out the clock on the first quarter.

Opening the 2nd quarter it was Kane Archer on the touchdown run from 13 yards out. Bodey Steinfeldt’s kick was good making it 28-7. Russellville’s Tracey Daniels rushed 79 yards for the Cyclone touchdown, point after was good 28-14. It would take the Bulldogs 7 plays to but the game back up by three scores. Kane Archer found Grant Karnes at the Russellville 29-yard line. From there Karnes hit two defenders on his way to a touchdown. Point after attempt was good, Greenwood leads 35-14. The Cyclones looked to be putting together another long drive but stall on the Bulldog side of the 50 yard line. Cash Archer would stop the Russellville running back behind the line of scrimmage on fourth down. Brayedan Davis would get Greenwood down to the 21-yard line, where Kane Archer kept it on the read play and ran in for the touchdown. Extra Point was good 42-14, Greenwood. The Cyclones punted on their next possession. Greenwood tried to put the game into Mercy rule territory for the 2nd half but could not get the touchdown. Bodey Steinfeldt attempted a field goal that would not make it through the uprights. Greenwood up 42-14 at the half.

Russellville opened the 2nd half stalled and punting pinning the Bulldogs back on their own 9-yard line. Passes to L.J. Robins and Junior Isaiah Arrington got Greenwood deep into Cyclone territory. A scramble by Kane Archer had him out on the 1 yard line, then a rare offensive miscue dropped them to the 6 yard line. From there Archer would rush it in for the touchdown. Point after was good, Greenwood in the lead and the start of the Mercy rule, 49-14. The Cyclones did not want to quietly into the night. Putting together a long drive for a Russellville touchdown. Greenwood was still in the lead 49-20 as the 3rd quarter clock ran out.

With the running clock and trying to finish out the game, the Bulldogs took to the ground with runs from Sophomores Cooper Goodwin and Wesley Raggio. Raggio ran for 9 yards to get the final Touchdown of the night, Hudson Meeker’s point after was good 56-21. The Cyclones ran out the rest of the fourth quarter clock.

“It’s great to see all the former Bulldogs back. It’s the great thing about Homecoming is you get to see all kids you’ve coached in the last 24 years come by and hug your neck. It’s awesome to see former Bulldogs here, and hopefully we gave them a good show tonight.” Head Coach Chris Young said after the game.

“We’ve played so unbelievable all year.” Coach Young speaking on Defense.

Avoid These Investment Mistakes

Business

Tammy Teague

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12:48 am

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We all make mistakes in many areas of life. These mistakes are usually fairly harmless — we took a wrong turn while driving, used the wrong ingredients in a recipe and so on. But sometimes, our mistakes can be costly — especially those connected to investing.
Here are some of the most common investment mistakes:
• Too much buying and selling – Some people find it exciting to constantly buy and sell investments in the pursuit of big gains. Yet, frequent trading can work against you in a couple of ways. First, it can be expensive — if you’re always buying and selling investments, you could rack up taxes, fees and commissions. Perhaps even more important, though, excessive purchases and sales can make it difficult to follow a unified, cohesive investment strategy. Such a strategy requires, among other things, careful construction and management of an investment portfolio that’s appropriate for your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. Heavy trading can disrupt this strategy.
• Failing to diversify – If you only owned one type of asset, such as growth-oriented stocks, your portfolio could take a hit when the financial markets go through a downturn. But not all investments will respond the same way to the same forces — for example, stocks and bonds can move in different directions at any given time. And that’s why it’s usually a good idea to own a mix of investments, which can include domestic and foreign stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit (CDs) and government securities. Keep in mind, though, that while diversification can help reduce the impact of market volatility, it can’t guarantee profits or protect against losses in a declining market.
• Trying to “time” the market – “Buy low and sell high” might be the original piece of investment advice, but it’s pretty hard to follow — because no one can really predict when an investment will reach “low” or “high” points. Also, trying to “time” the market in this way can lead to bad decisions, such as selling investments whose price has dropped, even if these same investments still have good business fundamentals and strong prospects.
• Not understanding what you’re investing in – If you don’t know the nature of investments when you buy them, you could set yourself up for unpleasant surprises. For example, some companies, by the very nature of their business and the type of industry they’re in, may consistently pay dividends to their investors even though their stock prices may only show relatively modest price gains over time. If you bought shares of this stock, thinking it had the potential to achieve quite substantial appreciation, you might end up disappointed.
• Making the wrong comparisons – You’re no doubt familiar with some of the most well-known investment benchmarks — the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite. But it might be counterproductive to compare your results against these indexes. If you have a diversified portfolio, you’ll own an array of investments that won’t fit into any single index or benchmark, so you won’t get an apples-to-apples comparison. You’re better off comparing your portfolio’s performance against the only benchmark that really matters — the progress you need to make to help achieve your goals.
Investing will always have its challenges — but you can help make it easier on yourself by staying away from as many mistakes as possible.
This article is provided by Jeffrey O’Neal, Financial Advisor
Edward Jones
20 N Express St, Paris, AR 72855
479-963-1321
jeffrey.o’neal@edwardjones.com
edwardjones.com/jeffrey-o’neal
Edward Jones, Member SIPC

City Council Approves Resolutions to Condemn Nuisance Properties

News

Tammy Teague

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12:44 am

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City Council Approves Resolutions to Condemn Nuisance Properties

The Mansfield City Council met in regular session on Thursday evening, October 19. All members of the council were present including Julie Thomas, James Steele, Glen Hurt, Beverly Lyons, Sheri Hopkins, and Boyd Farmer. Also present, Mayor Buddy Black and Recorder/Treasurer Becky Walker.
After approving the minutes and financials from the September 28, 2023 meeting, the council heard the city services reports.
Fire Chief Michael Smith reported a total of 25 calls, two fire and 23 EMS. He stated that the E One was awaiting delivery after being repaired, that the new tornado sirens were currently in Little Rock, and that ISO would be coming to do an inspection. It was also reported that the fourth quarter Act 33 money had been received. Lastly, Smith reported that the station roof was still leaking, but that all other trucks were up and running.
Next, Police Chief Wayne Robb gave his report to the council, noting a total of 50 calls, 12 agency assists, three school calls, 12 medical calls, nine incident/arrest reports; one accident report; one adult arrest, one juvenile arrest and two animal calls. In Scott County, there were 18 citations, and 19 violations. In Sebastian County, there was one misdemeanor warrant.
In matters of unfinished business, the council considered and ultimately approved seven resolutions to condemn “nuisance” structures.
In matters of new business, the announcement that an officer would be resigning.
The council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance to levy taxes in both Scott and Sebastian Counties.
The council then considered raises for the elected official’s pension, voting to increase the amount by 3%.
Next, the council approved the annual contract to support the senior center for the year of 2024.
Lastly, Keith Vaughn addressed the council regarding the old tennis courts next to city hall and sought approval to explore updating them for a pickle ball court.
Before adjourning, it was announced that the Christmas parade would be held on Saturday, December 2, and the town’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony would be on Friday, December 1 at the gazebo, 6 p.m.
With no other items of business, the council voted to adjourn the meeting.

RNN Sports Lock of The Week: Week 8

Ross Fujibayashi

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2:36 pm

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We are so close to the end of the season, so many big match-ups in the coming weeks.

Last week we had Mansfield vs Booneville as the of the Lock of the Week. Turns out Booneville is still Booneville and they are laying claim as to why they are the number one team in Class 3A. Does anyone have anything for the Bearcats? We’ll find out this week.

RNN Sports Lock of The Week

Booneville @ Charleston

Booneville is rolling through Conference and this is a re-match of the 2022 Class 3A State Championship. This was a tough choice because Mansfield vs Lavaca and Elkins vs Ozark are very appealing match-ups. Both of those will have Playoff implications just as this one will. Booneville wins and then wins out the rest of their games they will be the 1 Seed out of the 3A Region 1, same goes for Charleston. While the Tigers seem to be trending upward, Booneville has proven week in and week out the are the team this year. There are a lot of teams hitting their stride in 3A. While #3 in 3A, Salem is undefeated they stand to make the most noise out of the Top 5 that includes Prescott, Glen Rose, Harmony Grove.

The Rest

Mansfield @ Lavaca

Adam Hecox pointed out this matchup is the Conference’s best Defense and the Conference’s best Offense. I mentioned at the beginning of the season I felt that Lavaca was the sleeper in the Conference. Over the next three weeks we will see if I am right or not. I am really conflicted on this, the past two games for Mansfield have obviously been ones they want to forget. So how do you bounce back after demolishing your non-conference and first third of conference and then a loss to Charleston and Booneville. A Mansfield win will hold the hope they are 3 seed out of Region 1.

West Fork @ Hackett

To many weapons on the Hackett side of the ball to give West Fork the nod in this one. Hackett stings the Tigers early and often in this matchup.

Greenland @ Cedarville

1 and 6 Greenland traveling to 0 and 7 Cedarville. I don’t have a quirky one liner fo this game.

Magazine @ Hector

Magazine continues the struggle to finish the season. Hector takes this one by the sportsmanship rule.

Centerpoint @ Paris

We are both divided on this. I think Paris has what it takes to pull out a victory tonight.

Waldron @ Nashville

The 8 time State Champion Nashville Scrappers play host to the Waldron Bulldogs. Waldron may be down this year, but their is fight left in this Bulldog.

Elkins @ Ozark

Ok so the last two weeks I thought the Hillbillies defense was going to be tested. They for sure will this week with Central Missouri commit Dizzy Dean, RB De’Shawn Chairs is a very underrated athlete for Elkins. So who has the edge., Elkins. They have been remarkable this season.

Russellville @ Greenwood

Does Greenwood enact the Sportsmanship rule for the 7th time this season? The Cyclones have been playing close games, but they have not faced the type defense Greenwood is bringing. Sophomore QB Kane Archer was 14-for-14 at halftime against Lake Hamilton. Greenwood has two match-ups in the coming weeks that will determine were how the top three shake out. The Bulldogs will have to remain focused on the task at hand as this could be a trap game, last year Russellville went toe to toe with Greenwood in the first half, before the ‘Dogs pulled away.

The Others

Fort Smith Northside @ North Little Rock

I’m going all in on Northside in this match up. Weird to think that traditionally talent rich that these two have been, that they are dealing with struggles.

Springdale Har-Ber @ Fort Smith Southside

The toughest part of the Southside schedule is behind them. With Playoff seedings on the line, after a fast start to the season, Southside finds themselves on the cut-off line in the 6th spot. A win against Har-Ber vaults them into the 5th spot, with 3rd place Bentonville West next week. Could Southside play the spoiler and jump spots in the next two games?

Games	Ross’s Picks	Adam’s Picks
Booneville @ Charleston (LOTW)	Booneville	Booneville
Mansfield @ Lavaca	Mansfield	Mansfield
West Fork @ Hackett	Hackett	Hackett
Greenland @ Cedarville	Greenland	Greenland
Magazine @ Hector	Hector	Hector
Centerpoint @ Paris	Paris	Centerpoint
Waldron @ Nashville	Nashville	Nashville
Elkins @ Ozark	Elkins	Elkins
Russellville @ Greenwood	Greenwood	Greenwood

MES First Quarter Honor Roll/Principal’s List 2023-2024

Featured

Tammy Teague

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8:44 pm

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MES First Quarter Honor Roll/Principal’s List 2023-2024

Kindergarten
Honor Roll: Jaiden Bentley, Tucker Brumbelow, Penelope Dang, Maci Davis, Dayson Elmore, Castyn Hancox, Weston Hattabaugh, Elijah Ingle, Conner Jolley, Emerson Krigbaum, Hunter Plowman
Principal’s List: Jani Cowan, Lawson Gitthens, Allie Goines, Lainey Hattabaugh, Hadley Heydenreich, Emily Langford, Logan Leland, Leena Little, Addison Mize, Finn Moss, Zoey Nguyen, Allison Nichols, Lucas Pennington, Colten Ronzzo, Jessie Swearingen, Theodore Templeman

First Grade
Honor Roll: Brylee Bennett, Rhett Blevins, Eli Clay, Addison Deeds, Aiden Elmore, Bentley Elmore, Piper Hall, Chase Hansel, Giovannie Hartman, Roque Hattabaugh, Liam Helms, Wyatt Howard, Paislee Huddleston, Mylah McNeil, Stade Mitchell, Gabriella Moore, Della Newman, Fabio Pantoja, Clayton Parsons, Zurina Ross, Hunter Smith, Tyler Smith
Principal’s List: Aurora Alvarez, Damien Brown, Trynadee Bryen, Lucas Craig, Maxwell Dennis, Mason Dickinson, Marleigh Fuerst, Sawyer Godwin, Emily Griffin, Cole Hobbs, Cambrie Mason, Buck Pacek, Ellie Polk, Emmalee Pollard, Eyana Reed, Jayce Reed, Wade Roper, Aurora Sylva, Aiden Whittaker, Deacon Wilson

Second Grade
Honor Roll: Presley Adams, Noah Branche, Ezekiel Buckley, Jerra Dewitt, Dalylah Himes, Roslyn Himes, Sydnie Jones, Oliver Martin, Corbin Mason, Sarah Morton, Adalynn Pennington, Hugh Strozier, William Worley
Principal’s List: Lincoln Bozant, Makayla Eubanks, Coda Griffin, Ainsley Hawkins, Carson Lloyd, Elijah Mccutcheon, Elaina Robinson, Natalle Young

Third Grade
Honor Roll: Ryleigh Andrews, Brently Battles, Kaylin Black, Emma Carlton, Racyn Clopton, Hunter Elmore, Matthew Escalante, Montana Hattabaugh, Matthew Hudcovic, Kamrynn Jackson, Brooklynn Johnson, Harper Jolley, Brayden Jones, Oliver Jones, Kinsley Norton, Noah Peters, Hailie Prater, Jo-Hanna Russell, Hayden Smith, Ethan Trinh, Tyler Tuck, Kiara Worley
Principal’s List: Alexis Bates, Ella Brown, Nora Godwin, Aiyanna Gordon, Layton Heydenreich, Alexandria Howell, Riley Kelley, Ellie Martin, Anniegayle Minden, Brody Schete

Fourth Grade
Honor Roll: Nathaniel Adams, Remington Boyd, Raelyn Bozant, Emmitt Buckley, Jordan Cesaire, Braxton Clay, Serenity Cooper, Madrox Cormier, Easton Crossland, Korben Eyerman, Abram Gentry, Riley Hall, Meaghan Leland, Alexander McCatferty, Austin Pacek, Zoey Schossow, Xavier Shores, Liam Soares, Ryder Staton, Piper Sudbeck, RJ Swearingen, James Thomas, Kalea Trautwein, Tripp Williams, Kassidy Wilson
Principal’s List: Dahlia Collier, Tyler Derr, John Luke Felton, Faith Harris, Caroline Mort

Paris High School Holds National Honor Society Induction Ceremony

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Resident News Network

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8:00 pm

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Paris High School Holds National Honor Society Induction Ceremony

PARIS- Paris High School held its annual National Honor Society induction ceremony for first year inductees, as well as second year members. The ceremony was held last week at Paris Gymnasium in front of the PHS student body and a large crowd of parents and visitors.

Members are chosen based upon scholastic achievement, citizenship, leadership, and recommendation from the Paris High School faculty and administration.

The Paris High School National Honor Society chapter was founded in 1950. Each year since, the school has recognized its finest students for academic and citizenship accomplishments for membership in the service-oriented organization. The core values of NHS are scholarship, service, leadership, and character. During the induction ceremony, officers lit candles representing each of the core values and gave short speeches on the meanings of each value.

Second year member inductees of the Paris High School chapter of the National Honor Society (RNN Photo / Jim Best)

RNN congratulates each member of the Paris High School National Honor Society!

Volleyball travels to Canyon for clash with No. 5 West Texas A&M

Resident News Network

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7:09 pm

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FORT SMITH, Ark. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Volleyball is rejuvenated after a weekend off and will return to Lone Star Conference action Friday at No. 5 West Texas A&M in a clash of the league’s top two teams.

First serve for Friday’s match is set for 6 p.m. UAFS will also visit Cameron Saturday at 2 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network with live stats available at uafortsmithlions.com.

NOTES:

LAST WEEK: UAFS defeated Texas A&M-Kingsville, Texas A&M International and Arkansas Tech a week prior to having last weekend off.

TOP 25: The Lions received five votes in this week’s AVCA Top 25 Poll. UAFS is one of three LSC teams to be in the top 25 or receiving votes.

KEEP DIGGING: UAFS continues to lead the LSC and is fourth nationally with 18.96 digs per set. Libero Paola Fragalle is fifth in the league at 4.92 digs per set.

.356: The Lions hit a season-high .356 in the sweep of Arkansas Tech. It was the second time the Lions hit over .300 this season.

BEST OF THE BEST: West Texas A&M leads the league with a .262 attack percentage while UAFS is first in opponent attack percentage at .149.

RECORD WATCH: Setter Chloe Price is second all-time with 1,985 career assists while right-side hitter Reagan Macha is sixth all-time with 832 career kills. Price also ranks 10^th with 717 total digs.

SCOUTING WT: The No. 5 ranked Lady Buffs are 17-2, 7-1 LSC having won seven straight matches. Middle blocker Carly Evetts and outside hitter Emma Becker are both hitting over .340 for WT this season while middle blocker Taytum Stow averages 1.14 blocks per set. Libero Bryli Contreras is seventh in the LSC with 4.77 digs per set.

SCOUTING CU: The Aggies snapped a 10-match losing streak with a win over Midwestern State but are just 4-18, 1-7 LSC. Cameron is last in the LSC in attack percentage at .127. Outside hitter Paris Patterson averages a team-high 3.44 kills per set for the Aggies.

Tri-State Spooker Preview

Ross Fujibayashi

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5:35 am

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It is the time of the year when the track up on the hill sees a record number of racers.

This weekend marks the 44th time the end of the season classic has been run. Drivers from all over the country make the trek just over the border into Oklahoma to try and win the now coveted Reaper trophy.

Points Championships were run three weeks ago and for at least two classes it is to have their names into eternity. Ok, not so much eternity but on the back of shirts and hoodies that will be seen everywhere. Names like Larry Phillips, Terry Phillips, Jason Hughes, Billy Moyer, Ryan Gustin have won either the Late Model portion or the Modified portion of the event. Terry Phillips and Ryan Gustin won the Late Model and Modified, with Gustin the only driver to win it in the same night.

What can you expect to see? Saturday night from 5pm to 6pm drivers will be in front of the stands to hand out candy to the kids. Plus, face painting and a photo area for the kids and adults. 12 classes of cars will take to the Pocola High Banks at a chance to snag part of the $80,000.00 up for grabs.

Fans Guide to the Spooker

Wednesday Night: Practice. Have you ever stumbled upon multi-class racing while looking for something to watch? Well look no further. Initially the same cars will roll out together, but every so often you will see a Stock Car running with Modifieds or a Mini Stock with Stock Cars. Participants in all 12 classes will be on hand testing and tuning. The later in the night runs will be crucial for the drivers as Tri-State has become famous for its Dry Slick track prep. Once cars have started to lay down rubber it will be interesting to see what lines certain cars start to work looking for grip or compensating for a lack of.

Thursday: Classes – Front Wheel Drive, Mini Stock, 360 BMods, Area Pure Stock, Area Factory Stock. Below I will have a fan spotters guide showing and trying my best to show the cars that will be racing. There will be heat races and features for Front Wheel Drive, Mini Stock, and 360 Bmods. Area Pure Stock and Factory Stock will have qualifier races.

Friday: Classes – USRA Modified, B-Mod, Stock Car, and Factory Stock. Area Pure Stock and Area Factory Stock. USRA Modified is running a full show of heats and a Feature. USRA B-Mod, Stock Car, and Factory Stock are running qualifier races. Area Pure Stock and Factory Stock are running their Features.

Saturday: Classes – All USRA classes that ran Friday, plus Super Dirt Late Models and Area Super Stocks. USRA Modified, Late Models, and Super Stock are running heats and Features. The USRA classes that ran qualifiers on Friday will be running their features.

Now that we have the schedule, what is the difference in all the classes? To be honest, not much in appearance.

Front Wheel Drive

These are the most basic of the cars that will run, as the name implies they are just normal passenger cars with a roll cage put in. They will range from Honda Civics and Volkswagen Jettas to V8 powered Chevy Impalas.

Mini-Stock

Small pick-ups and 4 cylinder Fox Body Mustangs from the 80’s and 90’s are the majority on this class

Area Factory Stock and USRA Factory Stock

These next two classes are relatively the same, and will look the same as their big brother Area Pure Stock and USRA Stock Car. While they are a touch slower than the Stock Car, they are also quieter. But physically they “almost” look identical.

Area Pure Stock and USRA Stock Car

The biggest similarity between these two is the exhaust. Really, there’s been past Spooker’s I wasn’t sure what class I was watching. The USRA Stock Car class put on the best show week after week during the Tri-State season.

Super Stock / Grand National

These look a bit different than the above mentioned classes. While they resemble an 80’s Monte Carlo it is more of a Silhouette of one. This class used to put on a show at the end of the summer with a $5,000 to win Super Stock Showdown. For a few years it was ran at the same time with a Super Stock race at Batesville Motor Speedway in Arkansas and Lucas Oil Raceway in Missouri.

360 B-mods and USRA B-Mod

If there’s a difference I am not aware of it. The B-mods that race Thursday night, most will be back Friday night. There is another Modified class and to the eye they will look the same except B-modifieds do not run a spoiler.

USRA Modified

The class that will get your name on the annual shirt. The USRA Modified shares a rules package with National touring series United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS). Over the past several years, if USMTS is not running on Spooker weeked the drivers will hop over to Tri-State to run the Saturday portion.

Super Dirt Late Models

These are the cars we grew up watching Billy Moyer Sr. and Scott Bloomquist run. Fast full bodied cars that will leave you in awe. Two major series, Comp Cams Late Model and World of Outlaws Late Models, drivers will come to Tri-State to try and win the Reaper Trophy.

Timepiece: a Grandfather’s Tale

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Tammy Teague

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12:47 am

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By Dr. Curtis Varnell

The chair was surrounded by eager students, all pressing forward around Charles Apple, eager to get their book about Mr. Apple’s early life signed. The book, written by his relative Gayla Edwards, described Charles’s experience in growing up during the 1930 and 40’s on Magazine Mountain. Followed by a question and answer session, the students experienced true history as Charles shared stories from his past, a past shared by many grandparents in rural Arkansas.

The Apple farm, located at the base of Magazine Mountain, had been purchased as excess public land by Charles father, Will, at a cost of about $2.50 per acre. His father built a nice home on a flat bench along a road leading to the top of the mountain. Clearing land, he planted twenty acres of peach and apple trees as well as the more typical crops of corn, vegetables, and upland cotton. The fruit trees were very productive and Mr. Apple peddled the fruit to the visitors at the hotels on Magazine Mt. The road he travelled to the top and around the mountain is now known as Will Apple road and trail.

Like most rural families the farm was nearly self-sufficient. A few staples such as flour, salt, and sugar were purchased at the nearby small town of Millard. Most meals consisted of garden vegetables, cornmeal, beans, fruit, and, when available, meat. The most common meat was from pigs, killed in the fall and cured so the meat would last through the winter. Several families would often meet during “hog” killing season and share the labor of dressing out the hogs. One of the men stated that every part of the hog was eaten except the squeal. Kids were astonished when Mr. Apple said there were no dear or bear available to hunt- all of them were killed off by the farmers during the previous generation and had to be reintroduced into Arkansas by the game and fish commission. The group were not to enthused about the game available and eaten by the Apple family. This included lots of squirrel, rabbit, coon, and possum, something few of the kids had ever eaten and, seemingly, few had the desire to try.

The kids were amazed that Mr. Apple and his family had no electricity which meant no television, lighting, and no refrigeration. Fresh meat and milk products were placed in a well house, built over a spring, and cooled by the fresh water. One of the neighbors bought a large box radio and was able to power it by a battery. Charles, his family, and others would go over the neighbor’s house on Saturday night and listen to the Grand Ole Opera. Often, so many neighbors showed up for the entertainment that the house could not contain them. When this occurred, doors and windows were left open and people sat about the yard to hear the latest hits. Sometimes local musicians showed up and provided live entertainment.

Each township of public land had a section of land that was sold and the money used for public education. As a result, small one-room schools sprang up across Arkansas. Charles and his family attended school at nearby Rich Mountain school. The building consisted of one room, several hard-backed chairs, a chalk board, a wood-burning stove, and the teacher’s desk. One teacher taught all grades and all subjects up to the 8^th grade. Education past that level required going to an academy where one had to pay an attendance fee. Even in elementary school, students were required to purchase their own books and supplies. Charles and his sisters rode to school in a make-shift school bus consisting of a flat-bed truck equipped with a canvas tent cover and with benches that ran down each side of the truck bed. School terms were short and were held around planting and harvesting season.

Students commented about how difficult and hard that Mr. Apple’s life must have been. He chuckled as he answered each question and kindly explained the joys of growing up in a community and with a family where people shared the values of hard work, patriotism, and faith. Several members of his family were present with him at the Magazine Mountain visitor center and he and they expressed and showed the strength of family love and support that has sustained them through a long life-time. It was evident that he may not have had every modern convenience that kids do today but that he had those things that were most important to a happy life.

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RESIDENT NEWS NETWORK