FORT SMITH, Ark. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Volleyball continues Lone Star Conference action this week as the Lions head to Oklahoma Christian and Western New Mexico.
UAFS will face the Eagles on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before making the trek to Silver City to face the Mustangs at 7 p.m. Friday. Both games will be streamed on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network with live stats available at uafortsmithlions.com.
The Lions will then travel to Drury University for a nonconference matchup October 3.
NOTES:
LAST WEEK: UAFS opened conference play with a 3-1 win over Lubbock Christian and a sweep over Eastern New Mexico at the Stubblefield Center.
POTW: Setter Chloe Price was named the LSC Setter of the Week after averaging 9.71 assists per set and recording a pair of double-doubles in the Lions’ two conference wins. Price leads the LSC in total assists with .464.
KEEP DIGGING: UAFS is fourth nationally and second in the LSC with 19.12 digs per set.
BLOCK PARTY: The Lions tied their season high with 11 blocks in the win over LCU. Middle blocker Hannah Watkins contributed on seven of those blocks and ranks sixth in the LSC with 1.14 blocks per set.
RECORD WATCH: Price continues her chase to the assists record with 1,737 career assists. Right-side hitter Reagan Macha is eighth with 781 career kills.
SCOUTING OC: The Eagles split their opening conference weekend and are 7-6, 1-1 LSC. OC is third in the league in blocks at 2.27 per set and second in aces at 1.94 per set. Outside hitters Giorgia Turri and Annie Davis have each totaled over 100 kills for the Eagles while middles Megan Rek and Camryn McGough are each averaging more than one block per set.
SCOUTING WNMU: The Mustangs rank near the bottom in numerous LSC statistical categories after starting the year 4-10, 0-3 LSC. Setter Leticia Correa dishes out 7.48 assists per set while outside hitter Jazmyne Walker averages 2.85 kills per set.
SCOUTNG DU: The Panthers are just 1-11 through the first month of the season. Outside hitter Juliana Squire does a little bit of everything for the Panthers, leading the team with 3.11 kills per set and is second with 4.37 digs per set.
THE SERIES: The Lions are 5-1 all-time against Oklahoma Christian and 4-1 versus Western New Mexico. UAFS is 4-2 against Drury – winning the last three meetings – including a win earlier this season at the Gorilla Classic.
FAYETTEVILLE- After an inspired effort at Baton Rouge last Saturday that ended in a disappointing 34-31 loss to LSU, Arkansas faces a must-win game this Saturday in Dallas. To avoid going 0-2 early in the conference season with road games coming up at both Ole Miss and Alabama, the Hogs must defeat an improved Texas A&M team this Saturday. The series has been dominated over the past 12 years by the Aggies, although the series has also been characteristic of close games that have gone down to the wire in most years. So for the Hogs, they must quickly put last Saturday’s disappointment at LSU behind them and focus on a very dangerous Texas A&M team this weekend.
This Saturday’s edition of the Southwest Classic will be one of a few remaining games in the series that will be soon discontinued. Future games between the two schools appear to be headed back to their respective campuses in the coming seasons.
To preview this week’s upcoming game at AT&T Stadium, here are some pregame notes as provided by the University of Arkansas:
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (3-1, 1-0 SEC) Head Coach: Jimbo Fisher (Salem, ‘90) Career Record: 125-45 (14th season) Record at Texas A&M: 42-22 (6th season)
• Arkansas hits the road for the second week in a row to clash with longtime rival Texas A&M in this year’s edition of the Southwest Classic. Kickoff between the Hogs and Aggies from inside AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, on SEC Network.
• The Razorbacks’ trip to Arlington, Texas, is their second of four consecutive SEC games away from the friendly confines of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. This season marks the first time since 1925 that Arkansas plays each of its first four conference games away from home.
• Arkansas boasts a 42-34-3 record against Texas A&M. The Razorbacks, however, have dropped 10 of their last 11 meetings with the Aggies, most recently securing a win in 2021 to snap a nine-game losing streak in the series.
• QB KJ Jefferson has completed 77-of-108 (70.4%) passes for 918 yards and nine touchdowns while also rushing for 128 yards and a touchdown through four games this season. Jefferson, who has thrown for at least one touchdown in each of his last 15 games under center, ranks first on Arkansas’ career touchdown responsibility list with 77 (57 passing touchdowns, 20 rushing touchdowns) after his three-touchdown performance at LSU.
• RB Rashod Dubinion has rushed for 174 yards and a touchdown on a team-high 41 carries (4.2 ypc) through the Hogs’ first four games of the 2023 season. Filling in for injured star RB Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, Dubinion logged a career-high 15 rushing attempts for 78 yards (5.2 ypc) and recorded three receptions for 35 yards at LSU.
• WR Andrew Armstrong has quickly emerged as QB KJ Jefferson’s go-to receiver, leading the Razorbacks with 24 receptions for 273 yards and three touchdowns through four games this season. The Texas A&M-Commerce transfer, who is in his first year at Arkansas, has recorded at least one catch in 20 consecutive games dating back to 2021.
• DB Dwight McGlothern, the Hogs’ active career leader in interceptions, is responsible for a team-leading three takeaways this season. The transfer from LSU has picked off two passes and forced a fumble through Arkansas’ first four games. For his career, McGlothern has totaled seven interceptions — six of which have come as a Razorback.
Note to Our Readers: Portions of this story were sourced directly from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Kyle Parkinson.
For the first time in her rookie season with the UA Rich Mountain Lady Bucks, former Mansfield Lady Tiger Jadelynn Wood ran her first college cross country race outside the state of Arkansas. On September 23, Wood and company found their way to Stillwater, Oklahoma for a morning 6K run on the Greiner Family Cross Country Course.
Wood had started the 2023 college cross country season in the comforts of her own backyard with the UARM Home Opener in late August. A week later on the first Saturday of September she and her two teammates ventured to central Arkansas for the UCA Bear Invitational. This past Saturday’s trip to Stillwater for the Cowboy Jamboree hosted by Oklahoma State University was the college freshman’s first racing venture west of the Arkansas border.
Former Lady Tigers Jadelynn Wood now at UARM, and Darby Jones currently at Ouachita Baptist University reunite in this file photo at a conference cross country championship.
The Lady Bucks were scheduled to head south to Texarkana in Bowie County, Texas on September 8 for the Eagles Opener. That meet was canceled due to severe storms and lightning. That made the Mena based university’s recent Oklahoma commute their first long trip for a long distance race.
“After everything, I’d say it was a pretty good day,” said Wood through a message she sent to her former high school coach John Mackey after the trip to Stillwater. “I placed 199 out of what seemed like a thousand girls.”
Officially, there were not that many competitors in Wood’s actual race. However, according to the Track & Field Results Reporting Service website, there were 1,239 athletes overall that received a time throughout the 4 event jamboree.
Sisters Jadelynn Wood and Laney Wood celebrate at the 2023 Mansfield Athletic Banquet with former Lady Tiger Coach John Mackey.
The OSU Cowboy cross country event schedule included a pair of 5K races for high school boys and girls, a 6K race for the college women, and an 8K race for the college men.
Nineteen universities received a team score in the older women’s race in which Wood participated. Some of the other postsecondary schools that competed carried unattached athletes or were without the necessary five person scoring limit.
Wood’s UARM team fell into that final category. The Lady Bucks ran shorthanded with only three official entries. Therefore, their team results were deleted from the final standings.
Mansfield’s former All-Star racer competed at OSU in her first 6K race which is equivalent to 3.7 miles. The normal distance that she competed at while in high school and for her first two collegiate meets were all 5K races or 3.1 mile equivalents.
“The cutoff time was supposed to be 30 minutes,” continued the message from Mansfield’s former team captain. “Today, I ran a 30:19.9 and I just barely made it in time.”
A review of recent race results revealed Wood’s typical pace may have been affected by the longer distance. An adjustment to the unfamiliar distance failed to reach her best rate registered at the UCA Bear Invitational from a few weeks ago.
At that University of Central Arkansas race around Beaverfork Lake Park in Conway, Wood averaged 7:10.9 per mile. Along the longer Greiner Family OSU course, Wood slowed to an 8:08.1 per mile average.
The OSU collegiate course went through a state-of-the-art renovation in 2019. According to the Oklahoma State University Cross Country website, “The Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course is unlike any other in the nation, making it the standard for collegiate cross country competition”.
The facility’s multi-million dollar upgrades were completed in time for the 2019 Midwest Regional, the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships, and the 2022 NCAA National Championships.
At the same time Wood started the Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, her younger sister Laney was racing back in Mansfield at the 20th Annual Today’s Bank Invitational. Laney finished in sixth place in the 1A-3A division with a 5K time of 24:25.3. It was also just days after her older sister Hailey had given birth to a baby boy.
“I’m glad you got to go watch baby sis today,” wrote Wood, UA Rich Mountain’s top female cross country runner through the team’s first three meets, to her former coach. ”And, I’m going to have that nephew of mine running as soon as he can walk.”
UARM is scheduled to run the twilight race at the prestigious Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville on Friday, September 29. There Wood will meet among the masses her former MHS teammate, Darby Jones. Jones is a sophomore runner competing for Ouachita Baptist University.
Mansfield’s prep team will compete in the Chile Pepper open division high school race the next morning. If luck lends a hand, the once dynamic Lady Tiger trio of Wood, Jones, and Wood will gather for a weekend reunion.
BATON ROUGE- Arkansas opened SEC conference play on Saturday with a heart-breaking 34-31 loss to the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge. The game with LSU was the earliest the Hogs have played the Tigers in a season schedule.
With the loss, Arkansas’s overall record drops to 2-2 and 0-1 in conference. The loss at LSU is the second consecutive loss for the Hogs in the early 2023 campaign.
And now, Arkansas will have to regroup and prepare to play Texas A&M in Dallas next weekend at AT&T Stadium. That game has become a must-win for Arkansas who finds themselves in the midst of a gauntlet four-game stretch that includes last night’s game at LSU, next week’s game in Dallas against Texas A&M, a road trip the following week to Ole Miss, and a trip to Alabama on October 14. The Hogs do not return home to friendly confines of Razorbacks Stadium until October 21 when they host the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Here are some post-game notes as provided by the University of Arkansas:
» QB KJ Jefferson has thrown for a touchdown in 15 consecutive games under center. His 57 career passing touchdowns tie for third-most in the Razorbacks’ record book. Jefferson matches QB Matt Jones for the program record in touchdown responsibility with 77 (57 passing and 20 rushing).
» QB KJ Jefferson posted his 10th career game with at least three passing touchdowns. Jefferson finished 21-for-31 with a season-high 289 yards and three touchdowns.
» WR Tyrone Broden caught his first career touchdown as a Razorback – a 19-yard reception from KJ Jefferson. Broden caught three passes for 31 yards and a score.
» TE Luke Hasz recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game, finishing with a career high six catches for 116 yards and a season high two touchdowns. He’s the first Razorback true freshman to register multiple touchdown receptions in a game since Hunter Henry did at LSU in 2013.
» TE Luke Hasz is the first Arkansas player to record a 100-yard receiving game since Matt Landers had 121 in the 2022 Liberty Bowl vs. Kansas.
» RB Rashod Dubinion charted a career high 15 rushing attempts for 78 yards (5.2 ypc).
» LB Jaheim Thomas posted his fourth career game with double-digit tackles after logging a career high 13 stops, including a 0.5 sack. Thomas has tallied 10+ tackles in three of four games as a Razorback this season.
» Since the start of the 2020 season, the Razorbacks have totaled 41 interceptions in 40 games. » After intercepting LSU QB Jayden Daniels, DB Dwight McGlothern tallied his third forced turnover of the season (2 INT, 1 FF). It’s his seventh career interception.
» DT Cam Ball finished with a career high six stops.
» After nailing a pair of 23-yard field goals in the first half, K Cam Little is 15-for-15 from inside 30 yards throughout his career. For his career, Little has connected on 37-of-45 field goals.
» K Cam Little notched a season high three field goals made (3-for-3) after connecting on a season-long 40-yard attempt in the third quarter.
» The last time Arkansas wore all-cardinal uniforms was against LSU in 2018.
Note to Our Readers: Portions of this story were sourced directly from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Grace Tafola.
STILLWATER, Okla. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Cross Country continued its 2023 season Saturday morning by running in the Cowboy Jamboree.
Both teams started seeing improvement as they approach the halfway mark of the season in their buildup to the conference meet. The women finished 13th with 389 points while the men placed 17th with 525 points.
“This weekend’s racecourse was a big challenge for both teams,” Head Coach Mason Rhodes said. “We raced very smart and focused on beating as many runners as possible. We are starting to seeour hard work from summer and early fall show up. This is the perfect point of the season to start seeing improvement.”
Rachel Malik led the Lions in the 6k event with a time of 24:36.7 to finish 79th while Zoe Nesbitt placed 114th in 25:46.7. Hailey Malik was not far behind in 118th in 25:58.2.
Rounding out the top five for UAFS were Madison Thurston in 131st in 26:29.3 and Quincy Efurd in 158th in 27:24.9. Cecilia Perez finished one spot behind Efurd in 27:25.5.
Corey Maxwell paced the men’s team in the 8k race with a 125th-place showing in 28:06.1. He was followed by Parker Brown in 150th in 28:41.0 and Isaac Teague in 162nd in 28:59.5.
Luke Bledsoe (174th) and Vincent Gonzales (205th) completed the top five for UAFS in 29:24.9 and 30:34.5, respectively.
“We now look forward to this two-week training block we have to iron out some rough spots as we get prepared for our final regular season meet,” Rhodes added.
UAFS will run its final regular season meet October 7at the UAH Chargers Invitational in Huntsville, Alabama.
FORT SMITH, Ark. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Volleyball moved to 1-0 in Lone Star Conference play by defeating Lubbock Christian, 25-19, 15-25, 25-15, 25-20 at Gayle Kaundart Arena at the Stubblefield Center Friday.
The Lions got big performances from the middle of their lineup, as middle blocker Hannah Watkins hit .727 with eight kills while also adding seven blocks. Angelina Hardison added nine kills on a .364 attack percentage with three blocks.
UAFS started fast, hitting .378 in set one. It led 17-8 after the Lions used a 12-4 run to break the set open. LCU rallied within four late before the Lions put the set away.
Lubbock bounced back in a big way in set two by hitting .405, but the Lions quickly responded with a 7-0 run to start set three. The Lions slowly grew the lead as they hit .257 while holding the Chaps to .065.
It was déjà vu in set four, as the Lions raced out to an 8-1 lead after five LCU errors. The Chaps answered with a 6-1 spurt and would later even the set at 13-13. After a back-and-forth few points, UAFS took the lead for good with a 3-0 run and closed the match on a 6-2 run.
Right-side hitter Reagan Macha led the Lions with 13 kills and a .367 attack percentage while outside hitter Caelyn Gunn added 12 kills.
Libero Paola Fragalle had half of her 26 digs in set one to lead the Lions’ back row, with setter Chloe Price, Gunn and outside hitter Nyia Anderson also recording double-digit digs.
Price dished out 41 assists to go with five kills, as well.
UAFS had an 11-5 advantage in blocks and outhit the Chaps, .268-178. Anderson had three of the team’s five assists.
The homestand continues Saturday as the Lions host Eastern New Mexico at 2 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center.
When it comes to the first conference game of the season, coaches and players alike have a lot on the line. Of course, you want the win, but you also want to put on a dominant show for the rest of the conference to see. The Mansfield Tigers tripled that pressure though on Friday, September 22nd as they welcomed the West Fork Tigers to the Jungle for homecoming. West Fork has created quite the Tiger tussle against Mansfield over the years beating the Tigers in 2020 and 2021 before Mansfield was able to edge them out for a win in 2022. But with all of the detractions and pressure put on the shoulders of Mansfield for this years game, could they pull off the win?
West Fork opted to start the game by receiving the opening kickoff to try and get a jump on Mansfield. That move proved to be fatal for them though as it played right into Mansfield’s strength, their defense. The Tigers mauled West Fork’s run game pinning them back early with a third down and nine yards before forcing a fumble which gave the Tigers offense an opportunity to shine. Two plays later, Daniel Burton blinded West Fork with a 41-yard scamper into the end zone for a Tiger Touchdown. Jeremy Strozier tacked on the extra point kick and just like that, the Tigers were up 7-0 on West Fork. With Mansfield’s defense only off the field for two plays to catch their breath, the Tigers defense decided they would give West Fork no choice but to let them rest. On West Forks’ second play of their second drive, Mansfield got their second turnover of the game with a Tyler Turnipseed interception. The Tigers offense slowed down the pace a little running behind Andrew Burton and Tyler Turnipseed to wear down West Forks massive-sized defensive line. The game plan panned out too as West Fork tightened their defense which allowed quarterback, Jeremy Strozier, to find Peyton Martin on a nine-yard pass for another Tiger touchdown. Strozier would add an extra point with an extra point kick giving the Tigers a 14-0 lead with plenty of game left to play.
Junior, Dakota Deer, led another defensive stance for Mansfield with the speed and tenacity of a true Tiger which created chaos for West Fork at every turn. The pressure led to a punt attempt by West Fork, but instead, the snap was bobbled and defensive lineman, Ethan Martin, came up with the Tigers third consecutive turnover in the first quarter. With a short field and all of the momentum in the Tigers corner, Andrew Burton took a handoff on the Tigers second offensive play after the turnover and roared 20 yards for, you guessed it, another Tiger touchdown. West Fork was able to block the Tigers extra point kick, but Mansfield was still left with a commanding 20-0. Mansfield’s defense as a whole again proved that they’re both the rock and the hard place that opponents get stuck between as James Bausley, Zander Walters, and Jeremy Strozier shut down the black and gold Tigers to force another West Fork punt. West Fork bowed up a little bit putting Mansfield in a third and long position, but that didn’t last long as Daniel Burton bounced outside on West Fork’s defense and jetted downfield 68 yards for a Tiger touchdown. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful leaving the score at 26-0. Mansfield’s defense remained in control, but the offense sputtered a little bit for the remainder of the second quarter. The Tigers were able to stuff West Fork at their own one-yard line for a turnover on downs, but that pinned the Tigers back into their end zone which resulted in a two-point safety for West Fork at the end of the half. Even with a minor slip-up, Mansfield was in full control going into the half with a 26-2 lead.
The second half of the game was dominated by Mansfield’s defense and unfortunately, some penalties and mental mistakes too. For nearly every big play, there seemed to be a flag to follow leaving the game at a relative stalemate between the teams. It was a back-and-forth battle as West Fork was able to put together some good drives in the second half but couldn’t break through on Mansfield’s defense. The Tigers were able to punch through late in the third quarter to take a 32-2 lead on West Fork. Both teams would cross into the end zone in the fourth quarter, but Mansfield still rolled out with the homecoming victory by defeating West Fork with a 38-8 final score. The victory gives Mansfield a 4-0 overall record and more importantly, puts them at 1-0 in conference play. Mansfield now faces a gauntlet on their schedule as they travel to Greenland, host Booneville, go to Charleston, and then will square off with an offensive onslaught in Lavaca. But the Tigers one game at a time mentality doesn’t tell the future, it only tells who’s next. The Greenland Pirates have held the Tigers’ number over the years as the Pirates have defeated Mansfield the past four years straight. Greenland currently sits with a 1-3 overall record after losing 51-9 to the defending State Champion Charleston Tigers. All bets are off when Mansfield plays Greenland though as both teams play hardnosed football, and both are eager to prove themselves to the entire state of Arkansas. It’ll be a game of the ages on Friday, September 29th as Mansfield travels to northwest Arkansas to face the cannons of Greenland.
The Greenwood Bulldogs defeated the Van Buren Pointers 61-17 in 6A West Action.
If there were any questions about this Greenwood Bulldog team and how they would handle their conference games with Kane Archer injured, the game last week should have been an indicator.
Van Buren would take the opening kick out to midfield but stall and punt. On the first drive for Greenwood, a would be L.J. Robins touchdown was called back due to a penalty. The Bulldogs would get to work and drive down the field with Senior Brayedan Davis finding the end zone, the Body Steinfeldt kick was blocked leaving the score 6-0. Van Buren punted on their next drive after a dropped pass on 3rd down. The Pointer punt had the Bulldogs starting on their own 3 yard line. Greenwood would make it close to midfield after runs by Davis, but also could not capitalize on 3rd down and would punt. The Pointers started putting together a drive into Greenwood territory when Junior Cash Archer would apply the pressure that lead to a Senior Brady Mackey interception. Cooper Goodwin would find Grant Karnes for the 34 yard touchdown two plays later. Steinfeldt’s kick was good 13-0. Van Buren would run out the clock on the 1st quarter.
Starting the 2nd quarter, Van Buren stalled out and punted again. A pass from Goodwin to Grant Karnes set up a 1 yard touchdown run by Brayedan Davis, Body Steinfeldt was perfect again 20-0 Bulldogs. Van Buren punted on their next drive. Cooper Goodwin took to the air on the next Bulldog drive and found a leaping Grant Karnes at the back of the end zone for the touchdown, point after was good 27-0. A penalty on the Pointers next drive put them driving toward Greenwood territory, the drive would stall out and the Pointers settled for a Field Goal that was good making the score 27-3. The Bulldogs answered back after two catches by L.J. Robins and Grant Karnes, Brayedan Davis took it in from 11 yards out. Kick was good, 34-3 in the 2nd quarter. Van Buren punted on their next drive. Cooper Goodwin was intercepted in the red zone and it was returned for a Touchdown. Point after was good, Van Buren 10, Greenwood 34. Van Buren would recovery the kick off then stall out attempting a 43 yard Field Goal that was no good ending the half.
Opening the second half Cooper Goodwin would find L.J. Robins down the home sideline for the touchdown, point after good 41-10. Junior Zack Zitzmann would come away with a QB sack on 3rd down setting up another Pointer Punt. An interception on 4th down stopped the Greenwood drive. Greenwood would return the favor when Cash Archer would tip the Bryce Perkins pass into Brayden Skaggs hands. Skaggs would take it in for the touchdown, Steinfeldt’s kick was good 47-10 Bulldogs. Van Buren would be intercepted again on their next drive with Junior Kaylor Jasna taking it back across the field and dragging defenders into the end zone. Hudson Meeker’s point after was good 54-10. Van Buren would run out the rest of the time in the 3rd quarter driving down to the Greenwood 21 yard line.
The Pointer offense would make it on the board in the 4th quarter with a 5 yard run. Point after was good. 54-17. Next series, QB change, Junior Scott Holland finds Sophomore Benton Hossley down the Van Buren sideline for a 41 yard touchdown, Sebastian Fernandez point after was good making it 61-17 Greenwood. Van Buren would run out the clock ending the game.
Greenwood moves to 5-0 on the season and will face Greenbrier at home next week. Kickoff at 7pm.
GLEN ROSE- The Paris Eagles traveled to southeast Arkansas on Friday night to take on last year’s undefeated 3A-4 champs, the Glen Rose Beavers. And on the last day of summer, it was too much experience, too much talent, and… too much Glen Rose for the young Paris Eagles. Glen Rose jumped out to a commanding first quarter lead, scoring on their first offensive possession to begin what would become a rout. The Beavers defeated the Eagles in Glen Rose on Friday by the score of 52-6. Glen Rose did not lose a conference game in 2022, and on Friday, that streak has now extended into the 2023 conference season.
Glen Rose went immediately to work on the defensive corners of the Eagles, taking advantage of physical mismatches of the tall and athletic Glen Rose receivers over the Paris secondary. The Glen Rose running game was equally impressive, breaking tackles at the line of scrimmage and producing explosive plays for touchdowns. In the words of one person at the game, the Paris disadvantage was characterized by playing a group of sophomores against a team comprised of many talented and experienced seniors. Paris was simply overwhelmed, but better times are ahead for this group of Eagles as the young team continues to gain experience that will pay off in the future.
With the win, Glen Rose improves their record to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Paris’s record drops to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference. The Beavers will travel to Jessieville next week, and the Eagles will return home to host the Bismarck Lions for homecoming. Next week continues a tough two-week stretch for Paris as the Eagles play the top-two teams in the 3A-4.
The Beavers led tonight at the half by the score of 45-0. As a result, the Paris coaching staff pulled many of the starters in the second half, playing young reserves in the sportsmanship rule-shortened second half. On a positive note, it appeared that the Eagles escaped the game without injuries that will impact next week’s homecoming game, and, perhaps more importantly, a stretch run in October where the Eagles have several legitimate opportunities to win conference games. A successful October stretch could land the Eagles in the state playoffs that begin November 10.
Glen Rose is one of the largest schools in the 3A classification. In fact, the Beavers were originally slated to move up to Class 4A in the next cycle, but eventually found themselves remaining in 3A. As a result, the 3A-4 may be one of the tougher conferences in the 3A classification from top to bottom throughout the conference.
RNN Sports will have a preview of the Eagles’ upcoming game with Bismarck in the RNN Logan / Franklin County weekly newspaper next week. And watch for photos from this game that will include a special album of the Paris band’s halftime performance, on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports on Monday.
So, have a great weekend, and get ready for a fun week of homecoming activities, and we will see you at Eagles Stadium on Friday for the Eagles’ game with Bismarck.
Managing your finances and investing for your future are important tasks — and they can be challenging. But you don’t have to go it alone. Many people benefit from working with a financial advisor, someone who knows their needs and goals and makes appropriate recommendations. If you’re considering getting some help, you’ll want to ensure a particular financial advisor is right for you, so it’s a good idea to ask questions. Here are some to consider: • Have you worked with people like me? All of us are unique individuals. Yet, you do share certain characteristics with others — age, income, family situation and so on. And you might feel comfortable knowing that a financial advisor has worked with people like you and can readily understand and appreciate your needs and specific goals: college for your children, a certain type of retirement lifestyle, the kind of legacy you’d like to leave and others. The more information you can provide about yourself upfront, the better your chances of finding a good match. • Do you have a particular investment philosophy? Some financial advisors follow a particular investment style, while others might focus on specific investments or categories. There’s nothing inherently wrong with these types of approaches, but you might be better served by working with someone who takes a broader view — one that emphasizes helping clients meet their goals over any particular philosophy or strategy. • How will you communicate with me? Open and frequent communication are key to a successful relationship with a financial advisor. So, you’ll want to know what you can expect. Will you have annual or semi-annual reviews of your accounts? In between these reviews, can you contact your advisor at any time with questions you may have? How will an advisor notify you to recommend investment moves? Is the financial advisor the individual you’ll communicate with, or are other people involved? • How do you define success for your clients? Some investors track their portfolios’ performance against that of a specific market index, such as the S&P 500. But these types of benchmarks can be misleading. For one thing, investors should strive for a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds and other investments, whereas the S&P 500 only tracks the largest U.S. stocks. So, when you talk to potential financial advisors about how they define success for their clients, you may want to look for responses that go beyond numbers and encompass statements such as these: “I’m successful if my clients trust me to do the right things for them. And, most important, I’m successful when I know I’ve helped my clients reach all their goals.” • How are you compensated? Financial advisors are compensated in different ways — some work on commissions, some charge fees, and some combine fees and commissions. There isn’t necessarily any best method, from a client’s point of view, but you should clearly understand how a potential advisor is compensated before you begin a professional relationship. These aren’t the only questions you might ask a potential financial advisor, but they should give you a good start. When you’re trusting someone to help you with your important financial goals, you want to be completely comfortable with that individual — so ask whatever is on your mind. 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
