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Obituary – George Helton Jr. (1944-2023)

Obituaries

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9:54 pm

Obituary – George Helton Jr. (1944-2023)

George Helton Jr. known to many as Junior or Footsie of Waldron, Arkansas passed from this life on May 26, 2023. Junior was born May 19, 1944 to two loving parents George and Laverne (Essman) Helton. Junior was 79 years old.

Junior was a kind and caring person who always put others before himself. He was a strong man who faced every challenge in his life with courage and dignity. Junior enjoyed fishing, hunting and spending time with his family and friends.

Junior is survived by his oldest son Todd Lindquest of Alabama, daughter Edith Rogers of Arkansas, son Tom Helton of Arkansas, one brother Jerry Helton of Texas and sever grandchildren, nephews Ron Helton, Josh Helton and Trenton Helton. Junior will be missed by all his extended family and friends.

Junior was preceded in death by his parents George and Laverne Helton.

Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home & Crematory in Waldron, Arkansas. A private memorial will be held a a later date.

Support Arkansas First Responders by Giving Blood

Featured

Tammy Teague

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7:16 pm

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Support Arkansas First Responders by Giving Blood

Roll up your sleeve and support your local first responders by giving blood with Our Blood Institute at a local blood drive and you too can help save a life!

Our Blood Institute (OBI) will hold the Lavaca Boots and Badges Blood Drive on Thursday, June 15, from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church H2O Building. With your blood donation you’ll receive a free voucher to Magic Springs Theme park, and a voucher for 2 Dugout Premium Seats at an Arkansas Naturals Ball game.

Successful donors will also receive a limited-edition Boots & Badges T-shirt, while supplies last.*

“Each and every single day Arkansas’s first responders see the need for life-saving blood donations,” said Dr. John Armitage, president and CEO of Our Blood Institute. “We are incredibly thankful for our local first responders who continue to keep us safe, and we owe it to them to do our part in making sure blood is readily available in emergency situations.”

Anyone who is healthy and 16 years old* or older can give blood. Blood can be donated every 56 days and platelets can be given as often as every seven days, up to 24 times a year.

Appointments to donate can be made online at obi.org or by calling 877-340-8777.

Mansfield School Board Meets in Special Session

News

Tammy Teague

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7:05 pm

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Mansfield School Board Meets in Special Session

At the special meeting of the Board of Education of the School District aforesaid, at the Administration Building, on May 31, 2023, 6:00p.m., there being present Rick Nicodemus, Lesli Baggett, Michael Gipson, Steve Hattabaugh and Owen Edwards; Absent: none.
All members of the board, the following business were transacted to wit: (Minutes were recorded by Joe Staton)
STAFF PRESENT: Joe Staton
The meeting was called to order by Rick Nicodemus, School Board President, at 6:03 p.m.
IN THE MATTER OF: Consent Agenda Items
A motion was made by Nicodemus, seconded by Gipson, to approve the consent agenda as presented.
Voting for the motion: Nicodemus, Gipson, Baggett, Hattabaugh, Edwards Voting against the motion:
Motion passed 5-0.
IN THE MATTER OF: Personnel
Executive session was requested at 6:04p.m. for personnel matters. The meeting was called back to order at 7:53p.m.
A motion was made by Gipson, seconded by Baggett, to approve Mr. Staton’s recommendation to accept Lori Lamb’s retirement resignation effective the end of the 2022-23 contract year.
Voting for the motion: Nicodemus, Gipson, Baggett, Hattabaugh, Edwards Voting against the motion:
Motion passed 5-0.
A motion was made by Baggett, seconded by Edwards, to approve Mr. Staton’s recommendation to accept the retirement resignation of Joe Davis effective the end of the 2022-23 contract year.
Voting for the motion: Nicodemus, Gipson, Baggett, Hattabaugh, Edwards Voting against the motion:
Motion passed 5-0.
A motion was made by Baggett, seconded by Gipson, to approve Mr. Staton’s recommendation to accept the resignation of Tim Cothran as Athletic Director effective the end of the 2022-23 contract year.
Voting for the motion: Nicodemus, Gipson, Baggett, Edwards Voting against the motion: Hattabaugh
Motion passed 4-1.
IN THE MATTER OF: Adjournment
A motion was made by Hattabaugh, seconded by Baggett, to adjourn the meeting at 7:56 p.m.
Voting for the motion: Nicodemus, Baggett, Gipson, Edwards, Hattabaugh Voting against the motion:
Motion passed 5-0.

Postseason Honors for Arkansas Continue with Hedgecock and Delce Named as All-Americans

Resident News Network

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3:42 pm

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Postseason Honors for Arkansas Continue with Hedgecock and Delce Named as All-Americans

FAYETTEVILLE– No. 13 Arkansas softball’s Rylin Hedgecock and Chenise Delce have been named to National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s (NFCA) All-America teams, the organization announced Wednesday.

Hedgecock (DP/UTL) claimed NFCA First Team All-American status while Delce (P) added Second Team recognition for the second consecutive year.

Delce is the program’s first pitcher and one of two Razorbacks to be distinguished as a two-time All-American, joining former Hog Danielle Gibson who was selected to All-America squads in 2021 and 2022.

It marks the third consecutive season multiple Razorback student-athletes have been named to All-America teams.

11 of the program’s 12 All-American awards have been accumulated under head coach Courtney Deifel. Hedgecock is the seventh First Team selection under Deifel.

A native of Valdosta, Ga., Hedgecock was explosive at the plate in her breakout season on The Hill. Slashing .335/.774/.459 with 21 home runs, 55 hits, 62 RBI, 41 runs scored and 127 total bases, the redshirt junior ranked among the nation’s best in several categories en route to hauling in All-SEC honors. Hedgecock ranked second in the league and fifth nationally in home runs along with ranking second in the conference and ninth nationally in RBI. She quickly wrote her name into the program’s single-season record book, launching the third-most home runs (21) and RBI (62). Hedgecock’s 127 total bases rank fourth while her slugging percentage sits fifth in the program’s single-season top 10.

Closing out a remarkable career for the Razorbacks, redshirt senior Chenise Delce continued to dominate in her final season, posting a 21-11 record and 2.02 ERA with 193 strikeouts, 17 complete games, six solo shutouts and four saves while limiting opponents to a .200 batting average. The 2022 SEC Pitcher of the Year, Delce picked up where she left off in 2023. The Oklahoma City product charted the fourth-most strikeouts (193) and saves by an SEC pitcher this year. She also filed the third-most wins by a league pitcher. Illustrating why she’s a force in the circle, 11 of her victories came against ranked competition.

Arkansas NFCA All-Americans

*under head coach Courtney Deifel

Year – Name – Team – Position

2010 – Miranda Dixon – Third Team – Utility

*2019 – Autumn Storms – Second Team – Pitcher

*2021 – Braxton Burnside – First Team – Shortstop

*2021 – Mary Haff – First Team – Pitcher

*2021 – Danielle Gibson – Second Team – First Base

*2022 – Hannah Gammill – First Team – Third Base

*2022 – Danielle Gibson – First Team – First Base

*2022 – Linnie Malkin – First Team – Utility/Designated Player

*2022 – KB Sides – First Team – Outfield

*2022 – Chenise Delce – Second Team – Pitcher

*2023 – Chenise Delce – Second Team – Pitcher

*2023 – Rylin Hedgecock – First Team – Utility/Designated Player

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.

Coaching Shake-Ups Change The 2023 3A-1 Football Landscape

Adam Hecox

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9:09 pm

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Coaching Shake-Ups Change The 2023 3A-1 Football Landscape

It is a well-known fact that the 3A-1 is one of Arkansas’ most well-rounded and toughest conferences in football. If the fact that two 3A-1 teams battled in the 2022 State Championship game isn’t enough proof of that, then just keep in mind that seven of the conferences’ eight programs have made the State Playoffs in the past two seasons. With such a rough and tumble conference schedule each year, it’s hard for teams to stay consistent in the pecking order. That trend is sure to remain the same as four of the 3A-1s programs will have a new face at the head coaching position going into the 2023 season. With eight total programs in the conference, replacing half of the conference’s coaches could really shake up the 2023 season and the future landscape of the 3A-1.

Mansfield Coach, Tim Cothran, gives the SR High Tigers a post-game talk.

Hackett, Cedarville, Greenland, and Mansfield all lost their head coaches within a two-week period in late May. Hackett’s head coach, Michael Meador, departed “The Hive” for an offensive coordinator job in Jonesboro. Meador took the Hornets to three State Playoff appearances while earning an overall record of 22-20 in his four-year tenure. The ol’ Jolly Roger flew at half-mast in Cedarville on May 17^th as long-time head coach, Max Washausen, announced his move to Prairie Grove to become the Tigers’ new offensive coordinator. Washausen’s 34 wins with the Pirates over seven seasons more than doubled all four of his predecessors combined. Mansfield and Tigers head coach, Tim Cothran, parted ways in late May. Cothran took the Tigers to two State Playoff appearances and finished with a 17-24 overall record in his four years at Mansfield. Although his record was on the low side, Cothran still ended his career with the Tigers as the second-winningest coach in Mansfield in twenty years. Cothran has now found a new home as the Russellville Cyclones’ running backs coach. And lastly, Greenland’s head coach, Lee Larkan, who had the longest tenure as a head coach in the 3A-1, set sail for the sunset of retirement.

Cedarville Coach, Max Washausen, celebrates with his players after a big win.

Going into the spring, all four programs had the potential to compete well in the 3A-1 for the upcoming 2023 season. Hackett and Cedarville had a rough go at it in 2022 with injuries and lack of experience being a factor, but both looked like they could open up the scoreboard at any moment toward the end of last season and will have multiple returning players heading into spring and summer practices. Mansfield lost 13 seniors after the 2022 season but maintained plenty of their offensive skill positions and most of their starters on defense. The Tigers will also have a very talented upcoming sophomore group with the numbers to help make up for what was lost. Greenland has been a steady contender for the conference title and State Playoffs for many seasons and was primed to make another run at success in 2023.

Hackett Head Coach, Michael Meador, closes out Hackett’s practice with a talk.

It didn’t take too long for these programs to fill their head coaching positions though. Hackett rounded up former Hackett graduate and Lincoln Wolves offensive coordinator, Mason Wann. Cedarville was able to reel in a solid coach also by getting offensive coordinator, Spencer Adams, from Barton. Mansfield scored Booneville JR High head coach and Tiger graduate, Whit Overton. Lastly, Greenland found their treasure with former Gentry defensive coordinator, Cody Napier. With new coaches come new game plans for a new era in the programs. Things on either side of the ball may change a lot or just a little, but a change in each of the program’s landscapes will still come, nonetheless. Although change will always be inevitable, the players in these football programs will have to stick together and be willing to buy into whatever direction their new coaches lead them. That shouldn’t be a problem though as each of these teams are hungry for success and have new leaders that are looking to make their mark in the ever-powerful 3A-1 conference.

The loss of a head coach though can turn even the best programs over on their head. Players grow a bond with their coaches and already know what to expect each and every day they suit up. But a change in leadership is something these young men will face their entire lives so the adjustment of a new coach is merely an early life lesson for their future. Immediate success with a new coach is always the desire of players and fans alike, but patience will have to be key with the newfound coaches as it tends to take time for a program to grow out of the old and into the new. The old saying is that you have to give a coach three years to develop his own program and by the fourth year, you’ll pretty much know what the future holds. Until that time comes, the coaches and players alike in Mansfield, Hackett, Greenland, and Cedarville will continue to work hard and move forward with their goals of success in the 3A-1 in 2023.

First full moon in June prompts annual spike in cricket sales

Outdoors

Tammy Teague

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9:01 pm

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First full moon in June prompts annual spike in cricket sales

Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — Bait shops across Arkansas are preparing for another wave of bream to go to their spawning “beds” and the subsequent wave of anglers looking to fill their cricket cages to chase these feisty fighters during the prime days of the bream spawn.

“The first full moon in June,” was a saying told to me by Johnny Riley, the first boss I ever worked for. Riley knew better than anyone when the bream spawn was because his livelihood depended upon it. He owned and operated Riley Bait Farm in Southaven, Mississippi. I spent much of my free time during my sophomore year of high school feeding and watering crickets he hatched and raised for bait shops to sell throughout eastern Arkansas and northern Mississippi. It was hot, sweaty and stinky work, but for a kid who just got his driver’s license, it paid enough to keep gas in the family car and fix a few bent bumpers and dings my folks pretended not to notice.

Three dates always stood out as the hectic time for those little brown morsels of bream candy: Memorial Day, Labor Day and that first full moon in June. The first two were the result of the traditional three-day weekends that bookend summer. The last spike was the product of some primordial switch that triggered redear sunfish and bluegill throughout the Mid-South to bed up for their spawn and destroy anything that found its way into their spawning territory.

Bluegill and redear are the primary bream species anglers will try to catch in Arkansas. Both species get large enough to put up a healthy fight on an ultralight rod and make bringing home a limit for the dinner table well worth the effort. Both prefer to spawn on gravel bottoms in shallow water. Both also are colony nesters, meaning they will gather in large groups next to each other to help protect each other’s nests and mob intruders. Each bream will make a small dish-shaped depression in the lake bottom to deposit eggs, fertilize them and protect them from thieves. With some searching, anglers can find massive honeycomb-shaped blocks of nests that can produce for days. Often, the same area will produce year-after-year because it has just the right mix of bottom content, nearby cover and water depth to play nursery duty.

Finding bream beds can take a little time, but it’s well worth it with the large amount of sunfish that can be caught. Look for those gravel bottom areas on the sides of secondary points and other areas shielded from waves and current. Old road beds from before lakes were flooded also offer that hard bottom spawning bream seek. In some lakes that see drawdowns, you can sometimes find the dish-shaped remnants of last year’s beds during winter and mark them for future fishing opportunities. If the water’s clear enough, you may even see the depressions themselves as you scan the shallows. Modern electronics can make finding bream beds a little easier, as many anglers have learned to use side-scanning sonar to locate these patches of pockmarked sand and gravel.

Once you find an active bream bed, you’ll know it instantly. Rarely will a cricket or red wiggler be left unmolested for more than a few seconds if it’s in the neighborhood of a spawning bluegill or redear. Anglers without the benefit of sonar can simply cover water pitching to likely targets along the way until they make contact. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Beginner’s Guide to Fishing is chock full of great information on how to rig up rods, reels, hooks and line to make the most of your fishing trip.

If the baitshop is out of crickets, redear sunfish are also suckers for worms.

Be careful not to catch all the bream in the colony, however. Leaving a few behind to guard the nests can prompt more bream to set up shop between trips, replenishing your fishing area for a few trips before a bed plays out. Veteran bream anglers will keep a rotation of bream beds locked away in their heads and keep only five or 10 of the largest fish from each before moving on.

Even if you can’t make it to the water for the first full moon in June, there’s still plenty of opportunity for panfish in Arkansas throughout the summer. Spawning activities are likely to occur in the few days before and after each full moon of the summer as well. Even if you’re not able to time your trips with the lunar schedule, bream are one of the most cooperative species on Arkansas’s angling menu, especially if you have one of those little brown bugs that helped pay for some of this author’s wonder years.

Free Fishing Weekend slated for June 9-11

Outdoors

Tammy Teague

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8:56 pm

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Free Fishing Weekend slated for June 9-11

Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — Thanks to a proclamation by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, anyone may fish in Arkansas without a fishing license or trout stamp from noon Friday, June 9, through midnight Sunday night, June 11.

AGFC Director Austin Booth read the proclamation at the May 18 meeting of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, thanking Gov. Sanders for her continued support of hunters and anglers and their contribution to conservation as well as Arkansas’s economy.

The weekend presents an excellent opportunity for people to try fishing for the first time, or maybe try a new form of fishing, without investing in an Arkansas fishing license or trout stamp.

For anglers who fish primarily Arkansas’s warmwater lakes and rivers, the weekend also provides the opportunity to try out some of Arkansas’s famed coldwater fisheries below the Norfork, Bull Shoals and Greers Ferry dams or the Spring River for trout. The proclamation also applies to residents and nonresidents so that visiting friends and family can join in on the fun.

The biggest events during the weekend of free fishing are expected to be the AGFC’s annual hatchery fishing derbies, being held June 10 at all four of the agency’s warmwater fish hatcheries. These derbies are for youth 18 and younger and their families who would like to fish alongside them.

“We have changed the focus of these derbies to include the family members of those youth in the last few years and the response has been incredible,” J.J. Gladden, assistant chief of education for the AGFC, said. “The best fishing trips are those where people can share the experience with family and friends, and we want to foster that tradition from the first cast of a young angler’s experience.”

People interested in fishing at one of the derbies must register in advance.

“We want to provide a great experience for the anglers who are registered, but the hatchery ponds can only have so many guests before they become crowded or cause possible safety issues,” Gladden said. “So we have to have a limit to the number of participants. The required registration will ensure all anglers arrive with the best chance at having a memory of a lifetime.”

Visit the links below to register for one of the AGFC’s hatchery derbies:

In addition to the hatchery derbies, the AGFC also has provided catchable-sized catfish in nearly 50 Family and Community Fishing Program locationsand an additional 25 fishing derbies being supported by local communities on June 10. Details for each of those derbies is available through www.agfc.com/freefishing.

Youth shooters move to state championship round at Jacksonville

Outdoors

Tammy Teague

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7:43 pm

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Youth shooters move to state championship round at Jacksonville

Jim Harris Managing Editor Arkansas Wildlife Magazine

JACKSONVILLE — What started out in April as a competition drawing nearly 5,400 young trap shooters ranging from fifth grade to seniors in high school has been whittled down to about 640 boys and girls who will compete this weekend (June 2-3) to be the best youth shooters in Arkansas.

Following four weeks of regionals, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Youth Shooting Sports program has reached the state championship stage in both the junior and senior divisions, and they’ll shoot at clay pigeons Friday and Saturday until team and individual winners are determined.

Both Friday’s junior division and Saturday’s senior tournament – 64 teams in each, competing in single-elimination matches like a NCAA basketball tournament bracket, with top seeds playing No. 16 seeds, second seeds playing No. 15 seeds and so on – will start at 9 a.m. at the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Jacksonville Shooting Sports Complex at 2800 Graham Road. There is no charge to watch the action. Concessions are available, and archery and fishing areas will be set up east of the shooting stands for everyone to enjoy.

After state championships are determined on both days, individual shooters who hit all targets during regional competition at the complex over the past month will compete — one shot at a time, one miss means elimination — until a single shooter in each division is left standing as Champion of Champions.

Konnor Fulbright of the Batesville Pioneer Shooting Buddies, Seth Smith from Corning’s Senior Squad 1 and Reed Proctor from Foreman’s Senior A team were the three shooters to hit all 50 shots during regional senior division shooting. Manny Waites from Rose Bud’s Sharpshooters Full Strut, Addison Price of the Cross County Thunderbirds and Caney White of the Nashville Scrapper Jr. Orange squad were a perfect 25-for-25 in the junior division regionals to make the Champion of Champions shoot-off.

The seniors in the shoot-off will be competing for $2,500 in college or trade school scholarship money. The scholarship is funded by an endowment set up by Dr. Doyne and Nancy Williams, trap-shooters themselves and longtime promoters of youth shooting sports in Arkansas.

Five-person teams in the senior state tournament bracket will also be seeking not only trophies, but scholarship money for the top finishing teams. First-place finisher will receive $7,500, $5,000 to the runner-up and $2,500 for third place. Money for those scholarships comes from the Youth Shooting Sports program.

Bergman’s Dolly Parton Fan Club (North), Corning Senior Squad 1 (East), Ashdown Senior 1 (South) and Shiloh Christian School’s Thunderbirds (West) were senior regional winners over the past month. Ashdown’s squad was the most accurate of all the winners, hitting 239 of 250 attempts and beating rival Foreman by one clay for its title. Foreman and East winner Corning come into the state having both hit 238 clays out of 250. Corning, whose team includes members from the 2021 state junior champion, won its regional by one clay over the Rocket Tight Wad team from Little Rock Catholic. The East region was the tightest in terms of high accuracy at the top, with eight out of 16 squads hitting 230 or more clays. However, varying weather conditions seen on the different weekends for regionals could cause the disparity in overall scores.

Junior regional teams had 25 shots total per individual (125 maximum per team) during the run-up to state. Rose Bud Sharpshooters Full Strut was the top junior regional team, hitting 116 out of 125 targets to win the North regional. Cross County Thunderbirds won a card-off after tying Corning Junior Squad 2 at 113 to win the East; Ashdown Junior 1 (111 clays) rolled in the South; and Berryville Shooting Sports’ Mators and Tators (100 clays) took the West regional. Interestingly, Corning’s shooting sports program placed three teams in the top five of the East regional.

The purpose of the Youth Shooting Sports program, led by the AGFC’s Jimmy Self, is to bring the joy of outdoors and the rewards of safely learning to shoot to young Arkansans.

The junior division includes grades 5-8. Seniors include grades 9-12. Home schooled students 15 or older compete in the senior division. Any type of shotgun action is allowed as long as the bore is 12 or 20 gauge. Trap machines throw targets at unknown angles.

Senior State Championship Qualifiers (By region, seeding and score)
NORTH: Bergman Dolly Parton Fan Club, 234; Bald Knob Bulldogs Trapshooting Team Blue, 233; South Side FAA Blue, 231; BK Bulldogs Trapshooting Team White, 227; Searcy Shooting Sports Red, 225; Cave City Sharpshooters Duck Commanders, 224; Batesville Pioneer Trap Team Shooting Buddies, 223; Mountain Home Bombers Bomb Squad, 223; Highland Trap Shooters 1, 223; Pioneer Trap Team Holler Boys, 222; Beebe Shooting Sports Red, 222; Beebe Shooting Sports Black, 220; Bigelow 5, 218; Rose Bud Sharpshooters Royal Flush, 218; Clinton Shooting Sports Hot Shots, 217; Rose Bud Sharpshooters Straight Flush, 215.

WEST: Shiloh Christian School Thunderbirds, 222; Berryville Shooting Sports Dust Bunnies, 222; Alma Youth Trap Club Long Shots, 216; Lamar Trap Team Nothing But Dust, 213; Greenwood Bulldogs Trap Happy, 212; West Fork Shotgun Club 1, 209; Shiloh Christian Blue Angels, 209; Russellville Shooter Team Desperados, 208; Alma Trap Club Boomsticks, 206; Shiloh Christian Jolly Rogers, 204; God’s Great Outdoors (Farmington) 1, 204; Lamar Trap Team Clay Slayers, 203; Huntsville Trap Team 1st Squad, 22; Dover Clay Bird Crushers, 201; Cossatot River FFA 201; Greenwood Bulldogs Powder Monkeys 199.

SOUTH: Ashdown Trap Team 1, 239; Foreman Trap Team A, 238; Mountain Valley Sportsman’s Association (Lonsdale) Angry Birds Eagles, 234; Sheridan Trap Team Blue, 232; Camden Fairview Red, 227; Nashville Scrapper Trap Orange, 226; Bradley High School Trap 1, 225; Garrett Memorial Christian School Saints 1 (Hope), 224; Horatio Shooting Sports Red, 223; Texarkana Arkansas Razorback Trap Team Red, 222; Camden Fairview White, 219; Magnolia Panther Trap Team White, 218; Fouke Trap Shooting Team Claybusters, 218; Hamburg HS Trap Team 2, 217; Harmony Grove Hornets 1, 217; Backwoods Trap Shooters 1, 216.

EAST: Corning Trap Team Squad 1, 238; Catholic High Rocket Tight Wad, 237; Harrisburg Hornet Trap Team 2, 236; Jonesboro Westside Trap Team Red, 234; Five Rivers Trap 11-Point River, 233; CAC Mustang Shooting Black, 233; Cabot Panthers Red, 232; Manila Trap Team 1, 230; Jonesboro Westside Trap Team White, 229; Brookland Bearcats 6, 227; Jonesboro Trap Team UnCoachables 11, 226; Cabot Panthers Black, 225; Jacksonville Titans Trap Team Wigeons, 223; Newport Gunning Greyhounds Squad 3, 222; Greene County Tech Eagles 4-H Ice, 221; Cabot Panthers White, 217.

Junior State Championship Qualifiers (By region, seeding and score)

NORTH: Rose Bud Sharpshooters Full Strut, 116; Bald Knob Bulldogs Trapshooting Team Blue, 112; Pioneer Trap Team Shooting Buddies, 110; Southside Batesville 1, 110; BK Bulldogs Trapshooting White, 109; Bergman 3, 107; Mount Vernon-Enola Claybusters 1, 107; Cave City Schools Cavemen 1, 102; South Side FFA Blue, 101; Melbourne Bearkatz 2, 101; Faulkner County 4-H Shooting Sports Straight Off the Couch, 100; Cave City Sharpshooters Clay Crushers, 100; Highland Trapshooters 1, 100; Pioneer Trap Team Holler Boys, 98; Southside Batesville 2, 97; White County Central Shooting Sports Squad 1, 97.

WEST: Berryville Shooting Sports Mators and Tators, 100; Greenwood Bulldogs Shell Shocked, 97; Shiloh Christian School Boomers, 92; Eureka Springs Shooting Sports 1st Squad, 87; Booneville Bearcats Purple, 87; Alma Youth Trap Club Pull My Finger, 87; Cossatot River FFA 1, 85; Jasper Shooting Sports Team 1, 83; Berryville Shooting Sports Fuzzy Monkeys, 82; God’s Great Outdoors Trap Team 2 (Farmington), 81; County Line Trap Team 1, 80; Johnson County Westside Trap Team 1, 80; Pottsville Apache Trap 1, 79; God’s Great Outdoors Trap Team 1 (Famington), 79; Accuracy In Motion 1, 77; Greenwood Bulldogs Blazing Barrels, 76.

SOUTH: Ashdown Trap Team 1, 111; Nashville Scrapper Trap Orange, 108; White Hall Trap One Dog Night, 103; Sheridan Trap Team Blue, 103; Horatio Shooting Sports Red, 101; Ashdown Trap Team 2, 100; Camden Fairview Red, 100; Garrett Memorial Christian School Saints 1 (Hope), 99; South Pike County Rattle Traps D Squad, 99; Bradley HS Trap Team 1, 99; Foreman Trap Team 1, 98; Magnolia Panther Trap Team Grey, 98; Magnolia Panther Trap Team Red, 97; Nashville Scrapper Trap Black, 97; BackWoods Trap Shooters 1, 96; Bradley HS Trap Team 2, 96.

EAST: Cross County Thunderbirds 113, Corning Trap Team Squad 2, 113; Cabot Panthers Red, 109; Corning Trap Team Squad 1, 108; Corning Trap Team Squad 3, 102; Jonesboro Trap team Cole’s Crushers, 100; Northeast Arkansas Christian Home Educators (Neache) Eagles 1, 100; Gunning Greyhounds Squad 4, 99; Jonesboro Westside Trap Team Red, 98; Lonoke Jackrabbits 1, 97; Jonesboro Westside Trap Team White, 97; Brookland Bearcats 3, 96; Pulaski Academy Blue, 92; Cabot Panthers White, 91; Des Arc Eagles Smokin’ Guns 90; Harrisburg Hornet Trap Team Squad 1, 90.
(Note: All ties were broken by a card-off based on comparing individual shooters’ results.)

Kyle Slader wins Back to Back nights

Networks

Ross Fujibayashi

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1:21 pm

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It was a Night to Honor at the Mighty Tri-State Speedway

Winning one race night in what could be a three night race weekend is tough in the USRA B-Mod class. But it was perfectly fine for Muskogee’s Kyle Slader. Winning one of two A Feature’s at Arrowhead Speedway (formerly West Siloam and Flint Creek) in Colcord, OK. It was Slader in the 19K Hughes Chassis B-Mod outlasting longtime competitor Dalton Ragsdale in the Tri-State Speedway USRA B-Mod A Feature. Ragsdale won the other A Feature the night before at Arrowhead Speedway. Kyle Slader and Ragsdale would win their heat races putting them starting on the front row for the A. 2nd row was last weeks winner Cody King and Greenwood’s racing veterinarian Kyle Ledford. It was a relatively clean race as the 19K and 22 of Ragsdale jumped out to an early and quick gap to 3rd place Cody King in the 510. Three separate cautions for a two spins and a car slow in turn 2 would bunch the field up, but it did not prove to be the deciding factor as Kyle Slader took the checkered flag. Top 5 in USRA B-Mod were Slader, Ragsdale, Cody King, Hackett’s Jacob Campbell and Kyle Ledford.

USRA Modified was not as quick as last week but got exciting close to the end when Dickinson, North Dakota native Mike Hansen took the high line of the track with Trevor Hughes and ran down the leading pair of Jared Russell and Jake Davis. Russell would start on the Pole Position after winning his heat race with Jake Davis in the 2nd row behind him. The before mentioned Trevor Hughes started behind them in 5th and Mike Hansen in 7th. Greenwood Alumni Michael Hines started on the outside front row. From the there Jared Russell and Jake Davis were inseparable on the track, with Davis playing follow the leader for several laps of the 20 lap feature. Mike Hansen would get past Trevor Hughes mid way through the race by taking the high line, with Hughes jumping up there to chase down the leaders. Lap traffic was not in the favor of the tandem of Russell and Davis as it backed them into the quickly running duo of Hansen and Hughes. Coming to the checkered flag Hansen and Hughes were finally able to separate Russell and Davis. Top 5 in USRA Modified Russell, Hansen, T. Hughes, Jake Davis, and Rogers’ Brent Holman

In Medieval USRA Stock Car action, it was the same cars in front as last week but a different result. Last week’s winner Greenwood’s Andy Milliken was running a different car for the night. When the owner of the #327 that Andy drove to victory, Dale Richardson was the pilot of the very quick Monte Carlo. Richardson and Alma’s Brandon Hunter started on the front row after winning their heat races and similar to the B-mod race they took off and the rest field was left playing catch up. Last week, Hunter’s night was cut short due to an overheating issue, Saturday night that was not the case as the 1/4 car got past the 327 and never looked back taking the win. Top 5 in Stock Car were, Hunter, Richardson, Cody Jones, Neil Johnston in his first race at Tri-State of the year, and Andy Morris.

Sunoco USRA Factory Stocks presented by PG Roofing had Pocola’s Wesley Bourne win from the pole position. The original Pole sitter Adam Gibson pulled off before completing a lap. From the drop of the green it was Bourne’s race to lose.

USRA Tuner only had one entry the 8 of Chris Tuck.

Tri-State is back in action June 3rd with the Drive4JRT.com $3,000 to win Modster Wars. There will be a full show for all USRA Classes, with a $300 to start and $3,000 to win for the USRA Modifieds. This is a perfect feeder for the race the week after when Tri-State hosts the American Racer USRA Modified Series AND the COMP Cams Super Dirt Series on the same night on June 10th. This will be a make up night for COMP Cams as the previous race date was postponed.

COMP Cams will be racing Friday night at Arrowhead Speedway as well. American Racer Modified Series was scheduled to run June 9th at Arrowhead as well but will be rescheduled. Come out June 10 to Tri-State Speedway to watch this touring series Double Header.

Greenwood Spring Game

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Ross Fujibayashi

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1:19 pm

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Greenwood capped off their Spring Practice schedule with their traditional Spring Game.

Although they were without several key players on Defense the Bulldogs took to the field and the defense held strong against the offensive fire power. It would Brayedan Davis that would break the ice and take a run up the middle from mid-field for the Touchdown. The Bulldogs have three running backs looking for time at the spot. Davis, upcoming Senior Isaiah Niles and incoming Sophomore Wesley Raggio. Each bring a different aspect to the backfield.

Defensively the Bulldogs saw great plays from Brady Pettigrew, Brenden Chick, and Kaleb Garner. Riley White, Cash Archer, and Landon Nelms were held out from their usual positions due to injuries, but are expected to return as the team now embarks on the 8 practice events allowed by the Arkansas Activities Association during the summer months.

Offensively the QB play of both Sophomore signal callers, with their legs and their arms gave notice that the Bulldogs were in good hands with the departing Hunter Houston. Kane Archer would us his legs for a score up the left side, and then take to the air to find Isaiah Arrington for another touchdown. Cooper Goodwin got extensive reps in Junior High with Archer playing up a grade most of his time in Junior High. Goodwin would have two highlight throws for touchdowns on the night, one to Isaiah Arrington and another to classmate and longtime teammate (going back to 3rd Grade Pittbulls) Cooper Bland. Arrington’s touchdown was a perfect pass down the left sideline, while Bland’s touchdown was caught over the top of the defender.

A one handed catch by L.J. Robins punctuated the final drive for the group listed as 1’s.

“You know we are so fortunate, so blessed. You show up on a Thursday night in May and the stands are packed at a Spring Game.” Head Coach Chris Young said after the scrimmage.

“The thing you saw tonight was we have two Sophomore quarterbacks. We have confidence in both those guys, both talented, both making plays.”

When asked about the defense, “Bunch of guys returning. You know it’s hard we don’t let those guys tackle all spring. Then we come out here in the Spring Game and we tell them to go full speed. They’re used to me yelling at them ‘Don’t hit the Quarterback’ or ‘Don’t hit the receiver’. I think you saw them adjust to it in the second half and played a lot better in that half.”

The Bulldogs summer schedule breaks down like this. Three team camps (Greenwood, Northside, and Russellville.) Three 7 on 7 Tournaments (Alma, Russellville, and Siloam Springs). Then 2 nights where Greenwood will get with Alma and Elkins for a 7 on 7 type of practice.

May 31: Team Camp at Greenwood
June 7: Team Camp at Northside
June 9: 7 on 7 Tournament at Alma
June 14: 7 on 7 Tournament at Russellville
June 15: Team Camp at Russellville
July 13: 7 on7 and OL/DL at Alma
July 20: 7 on 7 and OL/DL at Alma