To be successful in most endeavors, it’s important to develop good habits — and that’s certainly the case for investors. And the earlier one develops these habits, the better. So, if you have teenagers who may be starting to work at part-time jobs, now may be a great time to introduce them to investing — and one place to begin might be a Roth IRA.
As you may know, a Roth IRA is a popular retirement savings vehicle — its earnings can grow federally tax-free, provided withdrawals aren’t taken until the investor is at least 59½ and has had the account five or more years. But because a Roth IRA is funded with after-tax dollars, contributions can be withdrawn at any time, penalty-free, to pay for any expenses — including college. Roth IRA earnings can also be used to help pay for college, although these withdrawals will be taxable. However, if a child is the account owner, a lower tax bracket will likely apply.
In 2023, up to $6,500 per year can go into your teenager’s Roth IRA, as long as the
amount contributed doesn’t exceed the amount of their taxable compensation for the year. And your child doesn’t have to put all the money in — you and the child’s grandparents can also contribute. In fact, you might want to “match” your child’s contributions up to the limit to provide an incentive for them to continue investing in the Roth IRA. Not only will your matching contribution help build the Roth IRA’s assets but it can also instill in your child’s mind the benefit of earning a match – which can prove valuable later on, when your child is in the workforce full time and has a chance to receive an employer’s matching contributions in a 401(k) or similar plan.
Your child may well find a job at a local restaurant or shop, as these businesses have experienced a shortage of workers the past couple of years. But if you have a family business, you can employ your teen to provide income that can go into a Roth IRA. Furthermore, if the business is one parent’s sole proprietorship, or it’s a partnership in which each partner is the parent, the payments for a child younger than 18 are not subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes. As an employee, your child must perform reasonable tasks necessary for the business and be paid reasonable wages — that is, wages comparable to what you’d pay a regular employee for the same work.
But wherever your child’s wages come from, using some of them to help fund a Roth IRA can be a good move. For one thing, it gives you a chance to explain the value of putting time on your side when you invest — simply put, the more years you invest, the greater your chances of accumulating the resources you need to meet your goals. And by helping your teen open a Roth IRA, which holds stocks, mutual funds or virtually any other type of security, you can discuss the different risk/reward characteristics of various types of investments — the kind of basic knowledge that all investors should have.
Once your teen’s first paychecks start coming in, consider bringing up the idea of opening a Roth IRA — you may well be opening the door to a lifetime of consistent and informed investing.
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
Robin Yvonne (Howell) Helton of Waldron, Arkansas passed from this life, July 11, 2023 in Fort Smith, Arkansas with loved ones by her side. Robin was born November 10, 1960 to JT Howell and Sharon (Reagan) Howell. She was 62 years old.
Robin married the love of her life, Grady Helton, in 1981. Together they shared 42 years of love, companionship, becoming parents and then enjoyed the titles of grandparents. Robin enjoyed going to yard sales, fishing, and taking care of her home. Her true passion was being surrounded by family and making precious memories. Robin touched the lives of many young children over the years as she served as a teacher in the Early Child Development. She treated each child as her own and loved them fiercely. Robin had a sweet spirit and kind heart she shared with everyone.
Robin leaves behind to cherish her memory, her loving and devoted husband Grady Helton, her children: Brandi Wesley and Jay Helton. Meme will forever remain in the hearts of 5 granddaughters and 2 grandsons. Robin leaves a legacy with her siblings: Krystal Chisum and David Howell. Robin will be missed by all that knew her and the many whose lives she impacted including a host of extended family and friends.
Robin was preceded in death by her parents: JT and Sharon Howell, brother James Travis Howell and sister Cindy Howell.
Robin’s memorial life celebration will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, July 17, 2023 at the New Life Center in Waldron, Arkansas with Trey Broomfield officiating.
By Ryan McGeeney U of A System Division of Agriculture
Pasture managers across Arkansas are reporting extraordinarily low yields from first cuttings.
Kenny Simon, instructor and extension forage specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said growers are seeing yields from first cuttings of ryegrass and other forage grasses reduced anywhere from 25 to 75 percent of expectations.
According to the July 10 Crop Progress report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, 81 percent of non-alfalfa hay was in good or fair condition, with 11 percent rated poor or very poor. The same report showed 24 percent at a second cutting of hay, compared to 50 percent last year. Ninety-eight percent had completed a first cutting of hay, just short of last year’s 100 percent.
Simon said that with record-high fertilizer prices last year — doubling and nearly tripling in some cases — many growers chose to put out less fertilizer in fields than they typically would.
“Or perhaps none at all,” he said.
“But this low fertility issue is not something that’s come about overnight,” Simon added. “It’s an accumulation of several years.”
Simon said that despite outreach efforts by the Cooperative Extension Service and other farming resources, there persists a widespread misunderstanding of soils’ true nutritional needs.
“It’s typical that a producer will fertilize a field with a complete fertilizer early in the season, then only come back with nitrogen as needed,” he said. “We’ve been doing our best to educate growers about the importance of soil fertility and the correct fertilizer applications.
“Of course, sometimes it’s simply the case that the producers understand what they need to be doing, but it’s just not economically feasible,” he said.
Other issues have conspired to affect the year’s hay crop as well. Les Walz, extension agriculture and natural resources educator,said the first cutting in the state fell victim to the “perfect storm.”
“Last year, we had the drought across a large portion of the state,” Walz said. “Nobody wanted to fertilize during a drought, especially given the high prices, so we had low-fertility fields going into the winter.
“Then we had that freeze the week of Christmas, where we had single-digit temperatures, and we got a lot of winterkill on some of our warm season perennial grasses, like Bermuda and bahia, as well as turfgrass and some ornamentals” he said.
This year’s notably wet spring was then capped off by an unusually cool May, with overnight temperatures consistently in the 50s in the northern part of the state. The southern portion of the state saw those cool temperatures during the first week of May, which Walz said delayed their growth.
“With 50-degree nights, the warm season grasses really didn’t take off,” Walz said. “All those things fell in line to add up to a really bad first cutting.”
Most cattle and hay producers in Arkansas tend to let cattle graze those pastures for much of the first half of the year, Simon said, executing a first cutting in the early summer and a second cutting three to five weeks later, depending on the grass variety. Producers who maintain dedicated hay fields may take as many as four or even five cuttings in a season.
For the majority of Arkansas producers, however, much is riding on this year’s second cutting. Simon said that the ongoing rainfall throughout much of the state will likely benefit most growers, provided they can harvest their grasses at the right moment.
“The nutrient value is largely tied to the maturity stage of the plant,” Simon said. “It’s the No. 1 thing that influences forage quality. In areas where we’re getting rain, grass is maturing quickly.”
In 2022, many cattle producers in Arkansas and elsewhere were forced to deeply cull their herds, selling off more than they preferred, as the year’s widespread drought made forage scarce. Simon said that despite a disappointing first cutting, cattle producers may yet be able to harvest and stockpile enough forage to avoid a second year of drastic culling.
Greener in 2023 “We’re a lot greener now than we were this time last year,” Simon said. “We might have a really good second cutting, or even a third.”
Going forward, Simon said that soil testing — and adhering to appropriate fertilizer recommendations in response — will be key for pasture managers hoping for a more reliable first cutting in 2024 and beyond. Additionally, managing the canopy height of grasses will also be essential to success, he said.
“When doing a hay cutting, we need to raise our mower to a 2 to 3-inch height,” he said. “A common thread I’ve seen in damaged fields is that they were scalped to the ground, cut at 1-1.5 inches, and cut late in the season.
“With the forage top growth, the root system is a mirror image of the canopy,” he said. “If you have 1-2 inches of top growth, your roots are going to be really shallow in the soil.”
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter 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 Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
Hello everyone! I was on vacation last week, that is why I didn’t write my article. I took the week off. I had a nice week and only had one fall on Friday and fell flat on my back. I was pretty sore, let me tell ya, but I’m about over it. We took a little trip to Hot Springs and had a good time.
This week I am going to talk about my husband, Chuck. I could write for days on the things he’s done during our married life. I will never forget the first time I saw him. I wish I could tell you that there was Berry White music playing in the background and my hair was blowing in the wind, but that was not the case. Chuck had just got off work and was dirty, but he had the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen. He was a Yankee; he was born close to Pittsburgh. He never had fried okra or white gravy. Yes, you read it right. I thought he was crazy. He never learned to like either one. We had many travels, adventures and fights.
One Christmas we decided to go to his dad and stepmoms in Toledo, OK. We loaded up and away we went. Chuck Hopkins always, always insisted that he could drive straight through any where we were going. This caused endless arguments when traveling with kids, that is not a good practice. When we left, he says, we are driving straight thru and not stopping. My first clue that it would be an awful trip. When we were young, he would never let me drive because he said I didn’t know how to drive and when I backed up, I backed up by braille. He got tired that night and took an exit and stopped in a grocery store parking lot to get a few winks of sleep. When he woke up, he was behind the wheel, and he starts yelling at me asking “where in the world have you took us?” I yelled, “ME???! You’re the one behind the wheel, I don’t know where we are!” We finally make it to Toledo for Christmas, and I sure dreaded the drive back home.
One night we had a big fight, and I was going to leave (just for a little while) and he disconnected something on the car so it wouldn’t start. So, I marched in the house and got a skillet and whacked him with it. He laughed at me! Can you believe that? It just made me madder. One time we were not really fighting, he was just mouthing a little and I told him to hush. He proceeded to mouth, and we were bickering back and forth. I was cooking supper and had a can of green beans in my hand, and I threw it into the living room just to get his attention. Low and behold, it hit him right in the side of the head. It’s a miracle I didn’t kill the man. He didn’t laugh about that at first, and then we both busted out laughing.
Memories are all I have of him now. We had a lot of good times. He took me to Niagra Falls for our Honeymoon. We traveled a lot before we had children and saw a lot of sights. Trust me, he wanted to drive straight thru everywhere we went.
Just a FYI, anytime I take a road trip, I take my small ice chest. I guess I have PTSD from hardly ever getting to stop. Even if I go to Fort Smith, I put me some pop and ice in the ice chest and head out. When I went to Fayetteville, I had my ice chest in the car and Curtis was wondering where I was going. Just Fayetteville, Curtis. Can’t be took careful, you might get to needing a road beverage.
We had a tornado last night and I hope everyone is ok. We had several houses with damage. Be safe, more is on the way. This week’s recipe I got from Tawana Williams. It’s called Church Salad. Women used to take it to church dinners and such. It’s a nice treat for the summer. Hope y’all have a great week!
CHURCH SALAD 1 can of cherry pie filling 1 cup crushed pineapple 1 cup coconut (optional) 1 cup crushed nuts 1 cup mini marshmallows 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 regular tub of Cool Whip 1 cup of mandarin oranges (optional) Mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. I would mix the sweetened condensed milk and Cool Whip first then stir in the rest.
ST. JOSEPH, MO- Teams across the National Football League (NFL) will open training camps starting next week. Of local interest, RNN Sports will highlight regional teams in our company’s footprint that include the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, and the Tennessee Titans.
The defending World Champion Kansas City Chiefs, 38-35 winners over Philadelphia in Super Bowl LVII, will go back to work next week on July 18. Chiefs rookies will report on this date and veterans will report on July 25. The Chiefs’ training camp is located in St. Joseph, Missouri and will be held on the campus of Missouri Western State University. Kansas City is coached by Andy Reid who was most recently named as “The Best Head Coach in the NFL” by Pro Football Focus.
The Dallas Cowboys, whose last Super Bowl appearance was in 1996, will open their training camp on July 25. Rookies as well as veterans will report on this date. The Cowboys Training Camp has traditionally been held in Oxnard, California with the team residing at the Marriott Residence Inn. Media outlets are predicting that Dallas will be in the playoff hunt again this season, but there is a feeling that they will once again not be a Super Bowl contender again in 2023. It will be a big year for quarterback Dak Prescott and their head coach, Mike McCarthy.
To the northeast, the Tennessee Titans’ rookies will report on July 22. Titans veterans will report a few days later on July 25. Tennessee is one of a few teams in the NFL that do not leave home for training camp. The Titans will hold camp in Nashville at the Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park. Tennessee faces hard decisions in the direction the Titans will take in 2023 and in the near future. The team’s offense has revolved around former Alabama running back Derrick Henry, but the aging Henry has a limited time left in the prime of his career. The Titans will have to decide how long they stick with Henry and other aging veterans before they begin to look to younger players and rebuilding for the future.
All in all, it should be another great season in the NFL. Personnel questions will play out throughout the league in July and August preseason camps and games leading up to the start of the regular season on September 7. The “NFL Kickoff” game officially starting the 2023 season will feature the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs vs the up-and-coming Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Stay with RNN Sports as we periodically update you on NFL teams of regional interest.
FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas softball’s head coach Courtney Deifel announced the hiring of former Razorback Danielle Gibson Whorton as assistant coach Friday. The program’s first two-time NFCA All-American, Gibson Whorton will assist with the program’s offense and defense.
“I could not be more excited to announce Danielle Gibson Whorton as the newest member of our Razorback coaching staff,” said Deifel. “Danielle not only represented Razorback softball at the highest level both on and off the field, she has also quickly made a name for herself as one of the brightest young coaching minds in the game. Getting to bring Danielle home and work alongside her is one of the proudest moments of my coaching career. She is the perfect addition to complete our staff, and I cannot wait to get to work.”
Gibson Whorton spent the 2022 season as a volunteer assistant at Georgia. While in Athens, Gibson Whorton guided Georgia hitters to four All-SEC honors, four NFCA All-Region accolades and two NFCA All-America selections.
“I’m ecstatic to be returning to Fayetteville in a new and exciting role. Joining Coach Deifel, Coach Meuchel and Coach Gasso is an experience I couldn’t pass up,” said Gibson Whorton. “It’s home for my husband and has become home for me. It all made sense. How fortunate am I to have an opportunity to push this amazing program forward outside of my playing days? New opportunities come with new challenges, and I cannot wait to get started. We will Call the Hogs on The Hill once again.”
Gibson Whorton assisted with the Bulldogs’ offense in 2023, helping Georgia sit among the nation’s best in several categories. On a national scale, Georgia ranked second in slugging percentage (.578), fourth in home runs (92), sixth in home runs per game (1.61), 12th in scoring (6.18) and 14th in batting average (.318).
Gibson Whorton had a prolific four-year playing career for the Razorbacks from 2019-22. She set single-season school records in batting average (.445), hits (81), RBI (70) and total bases (155) as a senior in 2022. She was named a Top 10 Finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year along with racking up NFCA First Team All-America, NFCA First Team All-South Region, First Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive team honors in her final year. The Murrieta, Calif., native’s 70 RBIs and 155 total bases paced the SEC. Gibson Whorton led the SEC in RBI (33) and total bases (65) during conference play while sharing the conference lead with 10 home runs and ranking second in hits with 32. Piecing together a team-best 26 multi-hit games, she powered a dangerous Razorback offense that achieved several single-season program records in 2022. She became Arkansas’ all-time RBI and total bases leader during her senior season.
As a junior in 2021, Gibson Whorton earned NFCA Second Team All-America status. In addition, she reeled in Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team honors.
Gibson Whorton was drafted by Athletes Unlimited in spring 2022 and recently concluded her second professional season in Rosemont, Ill.
She completed her bachelor’s of science degree in Psychology from Arkansas in 2022. Gibson Whorton married her husband Mallie in 2021.
For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
– ArkansasRazorbacks.com || On Twitter @ArkRazorbacks || Facebook.com/ArkansasRazorbacks
Note to Our Readers: The previous story was sourced directly and in its entirety from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Grace Tafolla.
The way you sleep affects how you feel every day. If you can’t get a good night’s sleep, you can’t set yourself up for success the next day. Unfortunately, achieving quality sleep isn’t always easy. But there are a few things you can do to help your body and mind relax so that you can fall asleep easier and wake up feeling well-rested. Achieve better physical and mental health with these tips for improving your quality of sleep every night.
Create a Consistent Routine
Consistency is key to a good night’s sleep. Going to bed and waking up at drastically different times throughout the week can disrupt your body’s circadian rhythm and lead to poorer sleep quality.
Do your best to find a routine that works for you and stick with it. Establish a consistent bedtime and set your alarm so that you wake up at around the same time every morning. Do this even on weekends or days when you don’t have any plans in the morning. Consistency builds a habit and trains your body into a healthier sleep routine, which will make it easier to fall asleep and wake up on time.
Look for Underlying Issues
Sometimes, it’s hard to fall asleep no matter what kind of bedtime routine you have. If you struggle to fall asleep quickly, stay asleep at night, or sleep until the morning, there might be an underlying issue that’s causing insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can stem from a wide variety of issues, including daytime habits, stress, life changes, or mental health disorders. Understanding where insomnia comes from and how it’s affecting your sleep can help you address the issue and improve your sleeping habits.
Pay Attention to Light Exposure
Light exposure affects your circadian rhythm and the way your body keeps time. Sunlight tells your body that it’s time to be awake, while darkness tells your body it’s nighttime. Artificial lighting can throw a wrench in your body’s timekeeping, though. If you don’t get enough bright light exposure during the day, you might not feel tired when it’s time to go to bed. Similarly, if you experience too much blue light exposure in the evening, you can trick your body into thinking it’s still daytime.
Paying attention to light exposure throughout the day is one of the most important tips for improving your quality of sleep at night. Seek out bright light exposure during the day through natural sunlight or artificial bright light. At night, reduce blue light exposure by limiting the time you spend looking at electronic screens, such as your phone or laptop. These habits will support your circadian rhythm and help you follow a natural, healthy sleep pattern.
FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas women’s golf’s 2023-24 schedule has been unveiled, as announced by head coach Shauna Taylor on Thursday. The Hogs will play three fall tournaments, including hosting the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, as well as five spring events before postseason play.
“We are excited about our upcoming schedule and the opportunity it affords our team to compete at some of the best golf courses and fields in the country,” said head coach Shauna Taylor.
Arkansas’ season will start the same way it did last year, as the Hogs will play in the Carmel Cup at the beautiful Pebble Beach Golf Links. Played at the site of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open, the tournament will be held from Friday, Sept. 1 to Sunday, Sept. 3 in Pebble Beach, California.
The Arkansas men’s and women’s teams are set to host the fourth annual Blessings Collegiate invitational Presented by Tyson Foods, set for Monday, Oct. 2 to Wednesday, Oct. 4 at Blessings Golf Club. This tournament’s format will remain the same with each team playing in fivesomes across 54 holes of stroke play.
The ten schools, both men’s and women’s programs, set to play in this year’s Blessings Collegiate are Clemson, Mississippi State, North Carolina State, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Texas, South Carolina and Washington. Coverage of each day of the tournament will be broadcast on the Golf Channel. The Hogs will look to win their third Blessings Collegiate Invitational title in the past four years after finishing third last season.
Closing out the fall season, Arkansas will play in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup from Monday, Oct. 9 to Wednesday Oct. 11 at Trinity Forest Golf Club. Arkansas has played in the annual tournament since its start three years ago. The teams will play 54 holes of stroke play on the first two days with the four highest placed teams moving on to Wednesday’s match play. The other teams in the women’s field includes Duke, South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M and 2023 NCAA Champion Wake Forest.
“Our fall schedule is the exact same as last year,” said Taylor. “We start at Pebble Beach, the host of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open, and it’s a great place to showcase our team. We then turn to a home event with the Blessings Collegiate, which has become an exciting opportunity for the NW Arkansas community and for Razorback Nation to watch the men’s and women’s golf programs compete on national television on our world-class golf course.
“We are only playing three events in the fall and will end with the Jackson T. Stephens Cup in Dallas. Our fall schedule will be a great test to see our team compete at the highest level,” added Taylor.
The spring slate will get rolling in the Island of Enchantment at the Puerto Rico Classic from Sunday, Feb. 4 to Tuesday, Feb. 6. This tournament will be played at the Grande Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Arkansas will then play three staple tournaments with two week breaks in between. This stint starts at the Moon Golf Invitational on Sunday, Feb. 18 to Tuesday, Feb. 20 at the Suntree Country Club in Melbourne, Florida. The Hogs’ appearance in the tournament is the fourth straight year, fifth overall. Arkansas is coming off a seventh-place showing last season with a 9-under 855 (285-284-286).
The Hogs will make another return to the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate from Monday, March 4 to Wednesday, March 6 at Long Cove Golf Club in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The Hogs will play in the tournament for the 10th time in program history with its best team finish coming in 2018 with second place and Maria Fassi winning with a 3-under 210 (70-71-69).
For the third straight year, fourth overall, Arkansas is set to play at the MountainView Collegiate at the MountainView Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona from Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 17. Kajal Mistry won the event in 2022 with a 10-under 206 (68-67-71).
Arkansas will finish the regular season spring schedule at The Bruzzy, hosted by North Texas at the Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club in Ardmore, Oklahoma from Saturday, March 30 to Sunday, March 31. This will mark Arkansas’ first appearance in this tournament.
“As we head into the spring, we start in Puerto Rico and then head to many staple events that we have played in for several years,” said Taylor. “Moon Golf Invitational, the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate and the MountainView Collegiate will be great tests as we head to the last leg of our season. We have added The Bruzzy in South Central Oklahoma to end our regular season spring schedule.”
The SEC Championship will be played away from Birmingham for the first time since 2013, as the 2024 championships is set for Friday, April 12 to Tuesday, April 16 at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. Postseason then continues on to NCAA Regionals to be played at host sites of Auburn, Washington, Texas A&M, Michigan State, UNLV and Wake Forest from Monday, May 6 to Wednesday, May 8. The top five teams from each region advance to the NCAA Championship that will take place from Friday, May 17 to Wednesday, May 22 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. This year will mark the first of three NCAA Championships that will be played in Southern California through 2026.
Arkansas is coming off its 20th straight NCAA Regional appearance, 21st overall. The Hogs bring back eight returners and two freshmen, as 17th-year head coach Taylor will look to guide the Hogs to their 12th NCAA Championship appearance, second SEC title and 30th tournament win.
“We did not lose anyone from last season and gain two great freshmen in Abbey Schutte and Maria Jose Marin,” added Taylor. “We have depth and a schedule that will prepare us for a deep run into the postseason.”
2023-24 Arkansas Women’s Golf Schedule:
DATES
TOURNAMENT
GOLF COURSE
LOCATION
Sept. 1-3
Carmel Cup
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Oct. 2-4
Blessings Collegiate Invitational
Blessings Golf Club
Fayetteville, Ark.
Oct. 9-11
Jackson T. Stephens Cup
Trinity Forest Golf Club
Dallas, Texas
Feb. 4-6
Puerto Rico Classic
Grande Reserve Golf Club
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Feb. 18-20
Moon Golf Invitational
Suntree Country Club
Melbourne, Fla.
March 4-6
Darius Rucker Intercollegiate
Long Cove Club
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
March 15-17
MountainView Collegiate
MountainView Golf Club
Tucson, Ariz.
March 30-31
The Bruzzy
Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club
Ardmore, Okla.
April 12-16
SEC Championship
Pelican Golf Club
Belleair, Fla.
May 6-8
NCAA Regionals
Site TBD
TBD
May 17-22
NCAA Championship
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa
Carlsbad, Calif.
More Information
Keep up with all of the latest news and information and get behind the scenes looks into our program on our social media accounts. Follow us on Twitter at @RazorbackWGolf and check out our Facebook page “Razorback Women’s Golf.” Stats, news and player information can be found at ArkansasRazorbacks.com.
Note to Our Readers: The previous story was sourced directly and in its entirety from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Kylie Magar.
CHARLESTON- He will go down in history as one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in Charleston football history. And for everyone who had the privilege of watching him play, everyone knows that former Charleston quarterback Brandon Scott is a winner. He is a winner both on and off the field. And now that he has graduated and played in his last game, Brandon Scott is moving forward to be a winner in life.
There is an addiction to watching Brandon play. He is a natural talent in any sport that he plays, and when you had the opportunity to watch him play, you knew you were watching a great athlete do what he enjoys the most. His tenure as a high school athlete came to an end all too soon for the many fans who watched him play, but Brandon is much more than a talented athlete. And now, Brandon looks to the next phase of his life, preparing to be great at whatever he chooses as his life long passion. And in true Brandon Scott fashion, whatever he chooses to do, I know he will be great at it.
Brandon Scott drops back to pass in a 2022 state playoff game vs Centerpoint (RNN Sports File Photo / Jim Best)
After a huge basketball win at Cedarville a few years ago, I referred to Brandon as “Great Scott!” in the RNN headlines. Greatness is the only way I can describe him; from his “yes sir, no sir” respect that he pays others, to his play on the field, Brandon is a class act.
Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting with Brandon on the phone to interview him for this story. It was a special occasion for me. I, along with the many others who watched him play over the past four years, had grown to admire his play and the type of person that he grew to become. And our time on the phone for me was the culmination of having watched him play and was a final opportunity to share with him just how special I think he is, and how much I enjoyed watching him play. He may be, one of the greatest quarterbacks in Charleston football history, taking his place with Ty Storey and others in the rich tradition of Tigers football.
Brandon Scott (12) on his way to being named MVP of the 2022 Class 3A state championship game (RNN Sports File Photo / Jim Best)
To begin our interview, I had to get the big question out and on the table. So many fans looked forward to Brandon playing college sports. So, I asked him about his decision not to pursue college athletics. When I asked him if college sports were on the horizon for him, Brandon began by saying, “No sir, I don’t think so. Mainly, I’m just ready to move on with my life. I’ll still be playing pickup games and all of that, but I guess I’m just ready to move on.”
His feelings may be hard for some to understand. When we watched him play, he always seemed to be right at home and in a place where he wanted to be. The field or the court seemed to be his sanctuary, where he was free to do what he enjoyed doing best, and make no mistake, he was the best both on the floor and on the field. Brandon explained, “I’ve played basketball and football pretty much my whole life, and I felt really comfortable out there. I just had fun; I loved football and basketball so much. So, I really enjoyed being out there with them (teammates).”
Brandon, in this writer’s opinion, is a natural leader on the field and on the court. But he did not lead by yelling, getting in his teammates’ faces…he led by example. He led by his play. When I asked him about his approach to team leadership, Brandon shared, “It’s what I strived to be. My mom, growing up, that’s what she taught me, lead by example…don’t say too much, let your play do the talking. That’s what I always remembered, and that’s what I always tried to do.” That has been a breath of fresh air in today’s world of athletics. Brandon would seemingly make one great play after another, and he would not take advantage of the opportunities to go overboard with celebrations, pointing at the opponents, etc. He would just come back and do it again. There was not a lot of trash talking on the field; he would just go out and beat the Tigers’ opponents.
Brandon also gave credit for this approach to his head coach, Ricky May. “It also has a lot to do with Coach May. He is such a great dude. I feel like all of us (Tigers teammates) as a team were kind of like that. We were confident in ourselves, but we were not too cocky. We didn’t really play like we were cocky.”
That confidence that Brandon spoke of was apparent in what I think may be the most impressive run through the state playoffs on the way to a state title. Charleston took a narrow lead into the locker room in their first-round game against Gurdon, but from that point on, they were never seriously challenged for the rest of the way to a state title. The Tigers played in cold, rainy weather, bitterly cold weather, on the road, and in a rain delayed final in Little Rock, but none of those factors seemed to phase the Tigers. Perhaps their most impressive victory was a shellacking of the Rison Wildcats in Rison in the state semifinals. Charleston scored on the first play of their first offensive possession, and the rout was on. It was never close against a very good Rison team on their home field. “I felt like in the playoffs we were a different team. We played together so much better, and we just played better overall. It was really fun.”
Brandon Scott goes to the basket in the 2023 Class 3A state basketball tournament (RNN Sports File Photo / Jim Best)
During our telephone conversation, one thing that became clear was his relationship with his former head football coach, Ricky May. Not surprisingly, Brandon speaks very respectfully and fondly of Coach May. So, I asked Coach May for his comments on Brandon, telling him that I was writing this story. Coach May responded by saying, “Brandon…the best way to put it, is he is a winner. No matter what he does, he will excel because of his work ethic. He is probably the most natural athlete I have ever coached. He started the All-Star game the other night and had a great game. I told him a couple of weeks before the game that he would be the best player on the field. He ended up being named the All-Star game MVP.”
Brandon’s All-Star Game MVP award was his second in the past seven months. In December of 2022, he was named the MVP of the Class 3A football state championship game. Quite an accomplishment for such a talented, yet modest player.
After all of his success and the teams’ successes over the past four years, I asked Brandon what his favorite memory was of playing at Charleston. I asked him to do this without considering their state championship, and he said, “Mostly, just like a practice, just hanging out with my teammates. We were all so close and we had so much fun to do in practice…we just laughed together. I just enjoyed it so much. I think that is why we had so much success in our games; we had so much fun in practice.”
During the epic playoff run in 2022, the Charleston Tigers may have been the most unselfish group of players I have ever watched play together. And that unselfishness translated into a laser focus that made them unbeatable in the state playoffs. It didn’t seem to matter who the star was going to be each game, they just wanted to win the game. “I felt like no one cared about stats. And that also was because of Coach May. Because I think, last year (2021 season) someone had said something about stats. Coach May really tore into that person about how the stats didn’t matter; it was not about any single person, it was about the team. So, I think when we got into the playoffs (2022) we were all just focused on winning, and that was all that mattered.”
I began covering Charleston in their 2019 football season, and that year, I have said many times, may have been Coach May’s best coaching job up to the state championship in 2022. Charleston that year was devastated by injuries, and Coach May managed the team and kept them playing hard each week until they eventually secured a state playoff berth. That year, Brandon Scott was a freshman, and the freshmen Tigers were a talented group that everyone had placed great expectations on their future potential. The word was that this freshman group had set a high goal for themselves over the next four years. When I asked Brandon about this, he said, “I guess, we knew that we had a chance to be pretty good. And we definitely didn’t want to end our senior year the way the 2019 season ended (losing to Prescott in the first round of the state playoffs). Our first two years, (a first round loss in 2020 at home vs Glen Rose, and a 2021 first round loss to Glen Rose in the state playoffs) provided the motivation for this year (2022 state playoffs). We felt like state championships were the standard at Charleston. That’s what we always talked about, was playing in and winning a state championship.”
One aspect of the Charleston football program that Brandon described was the feeling of obligation by the underclassmen for the success each year for the seniors. In a day when many players think of their senior years’ being “their turn” and underclassmen thinking about themselves, the tradition of Tigers football is much different. Brandon expressed disappointment of sending off the 2020 and 2021 seniors with first round losses in the state playoffs. “I felt really bad for those guys that they didn’t have the opportunities to go deeper into the state playoffs.” It is all part of the since of family in the program. This past season, as Charleston played the first three rounds of the state playoffs at home, several alumni players returned to Charleston to root on their Tigers. “It’s just the pride that Charleston has. It is just what everybody expects. Seeing all of those guys there to cheer for us…we just wanted to do it for them and all of the fans.”
Another variable in the program is that each Tigers player knows they are a target for every opponent. Due to their long term success in the Charleston football program, every Tiger knows that every opponent they play will bring their best effort against Charleston. No matter what their season record is going into their game with Charleston, the Tigers expect the best effort of the year against them. “Coach May tells us pretty much everyday that our opponents are going to play their best game against us; it doesn’t matter what the record is, they are going to bring their best against us. So, we are more prepared and ready to go for that game.” Perhaps the greatest measure of respect of a program by an opponent is how seriously they take you in their game preparation. And Charleston has a tradition of going into battle knowing that their opponents want to beat them badly. The Tigers embrace this, and this is, in part, a big factor in their success as a program.
The 2022 regular season ended on a stormy night in Lavaca. Brandon referred to this game as the pivotal point in the season when he thought the Tigers had a chance to go far in the playoffs. The game had been delayed due to a torrential rain storm that hit the field about 6 p.m. that night. The game was delayed and did not start until approximately 9 p.m. Brandon described that night by saying, “It was pouring down rain and was really cold. We took a step forward and played really well that night. We were basically just getting ready for the playoffs. From that point, we didn’t look back. That’s when we started playing really good.” And Brandon is right…the state playoffs started the next week on a cold and rainy night against Gurdon at Alumni Field. The second week of the playoffs, the weather was dry, but the temperatures were frigid. Eventually, the state championship game would be played at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on another cold and rainy night, and after a long delay before kickoff. Brandon continued by saying, “I don’t think it affected us that much (cold, rainy weather in the state playoffs and the championship game), but even the Lavaca game in the regular season was played with tornado watches or warnings, and we didn’t get to play until like 9 p.m. I remember Coach May telling us that this could just be setting us up for a future game in the playoffs, and we will be ready. And we played three games in the playoffs where we had to play in the rain and cold. So, he was absolutely right that it was just getting us ready for the playoffs. So, I don’t think the weather affect us too much in the playoffs; we were focused and ready to go.”
Before the state title game, I asked Coach May what preparations he was making to prepare for a possible wet championship game. Was he using wet footballs in practice to prepare for the rain? In classic Coach May fashion, he answered my question by saying, “We played in a monsoon in Lavaca…I don’t think the rain in Little Rock will phase us.” That confidence and motivation was shared by Brandon and his teammates, and Coach May was right…the rain in Little Rock didn’t phase the Tigers.
One of the things Brandon will take from his playing career at Charleston will be his relationship with his coach. “I absolutely love Coach May. He’s such a good guy. He’s a defensive coach, but our defenses always played so good, so he is amazing as a coach. From the standpoint of being a man, he is one of the best I have ever met. He has helped us become better and I feel like he has shaped our futures. I don’t think we would be the guys that we are without him. He’s just such a good dude.”
Under Coach May’s tutelage, Charleston continues to improve as not only a good football program, but as a program that develops good young men. The Tiger football program is a program that any parent would want their child to play in.
Brandon Scott was a talented football player and basketball player for Charleston. In 2022, Scott led the Tigers to the second round of the state playoffs, earning All-State honors along the way. Scott is the type of athlete that is good with any sport he plays. Whether it is football, basketball, or golf, Brandon is a talented athlete. In fact, many have said that Brandon can really hit a golf ball!
So the Charleston career for Brandon Scott is in the history books, and I suspect we will see Brandon returning to Alumni Field over the years to support the future Tigers who will carry on the tradition of Tigers football. I also expect that he will, at some point, be invited back by coach Ricky May to speak to future Charleston teams as part of May’s “Uncommon Man” series of talks with his teams. The “Uncommon Man” visits by former players, community members, and others who are connected to the program are all part of Coach May’s mentorship program.
Brandon is now turning his sights on going to the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith as a freshman student. He has not declared a major as of now, but he eventually will, and he will discover what his new, lifelong passion will become. And whatever he chooses to do, he will be good at it.
RNN Sports would like to thank Brandon Scott for visiting with us for this story, and to his coach, Ricky May, for his contribution to this story, as well. We will all miss Brandon on the playing field or on the court, but he is not gone. I am sure we will see him on Friday nights, sharing his example of what it takes to be a good person, and to be, a winner.
Good luck Brandon Scott! We know that whatever you ultimately choose to do in life, you will be a winner.
When a new era arrives in any kind of program, there is a lot of excitement mixed in with a lot of questions. When new Mansfield Head Coach Whit Overton came in, he made it clear that there would definitely be some changes being made. Coach Overton was announced as the Mansfield Head Coach on June 7th which was just a couple of weeks before the AAA mandatory dead period. It didn’t give Overton much time to instill his changes, let alone time for the Tigers to adapt to those changes.
The Tigers offense lines up against Danville in their first snap of 2023. Photo courtesy of Danielle Overton
While other programs in the state were polishing up their skills with multiple practices and camps before the dead period, Mansfield hadn’t even snapped on a chin strap. But finally, after just three days of actual practice after the dead period, the Tigers traveled to Lavaca for their first camp of 2023 against the Golden Arrows and the Danville Little Johns. The Tigers stepped onto the field for the first time in 2023 with a new coach, new offensive plan, and new defensive plan, but the same Mansfield Tiger tenacity. With Mansfield and Lavaca both playing in the 3A-1 and Danville in the 3A-4, the programs had a chance to weigh each other out early for conference play and possible State Playoff matchups.
Defensive linemen Ethan Martin & Dakota Deer zero in on Lavacas quarterback. Photo courtesy of Danielle Overton
The scrimmage plan was that each team would send out their defense to face the other two teams’ offenses for three plays each (six plays total) and then take a five-minute break. Mansfield started with offense first and busted out of the gate quickly as senior Tyler Turnipseed ran up the gut for big yards. The Tigers ground-and-pound mentality was very effective which eventually opened up their passing game. The “Flying Tigers” receivers chewed up chunks of yards which balanced out an already dangerous offense. Even with just a hand full of days to grasp their new game plan, Mansfield saw success on nearly every play against the Golden Arrows and Little Johns defenses.
Mansfield’s offensive line opens up a battleship-sized hole for their incoming running back. Photo courtesy of Raine Hecox
While the offense was rolling all over the field, Mansfield’s defense was eager to get rocking. The Tigers defense finished 2022’s regular season ranked 6th in the state overall which put a lot of eyes on them to repeat that success in 2023. Those eyes had to be covered with safety goggles in the scrimmage though as Mansfield not only showed they could still stuff opponents, they locked and bolted down the doors of their scrimmage opponents offenses. There was no one stand-out player for the Tigers defense either as Mansfield was watertight in every position even with rotations coming in and out. The defensive linemen cut through offenses like butter and the linebackers mauled the run-and-pass game of the offenses, while the defensive backs swarmed the ball like madmen.
Coach Overton gives Mansfields players instructions to prepare them for their next series. Photo courtesy of Danielle Overton
Overall, the Mansfield Tigers have a lot to be proud of in their first scrimmage. In just three days of actual practice, the team has shown that they can hang with other teams who have had full productive offseasons. Coach Overton praised his players for their impressive scrimmage performance, but also reminded his team to not be content with it. “I saw a lot of good things out there today,” said Overton, “I also saw several things we need to work on”. Mansfield has a lot more than just three days left before the 2023 schedule kicks off which will give the Tigers ample time to polish themselves up with more practices, camps, and events. As good as Mansfield looked today, one can only imagine what’s to come once they learn all of the new ins and outs of their playbook.
