Virtually every Church sign, regardless of denomination, is currently announcing the date and time for their annual Christmas play. Usually composed of children actors and choir, the play tells the Christmas story portrayed by very novice children actors. Most plays include Christ, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men and a menagerie of animals.
The choice roles are Mary and Joseph and kids at our church waited for years for the opportunity to assume those roles. My sister Glenda had dreamed for years of being Mary, with high hopes that one of the Trusty boys would play Joseph. She was extremely disappointed when her turn as Mary came and she found that she was stuck with me playing Joseph.
Kids practiced for weeks leading up to their debut as stage stars. Attendance that night was at a maximum. Grandparents and relatives that had not seen the interior of a church in months were suddenly vying for the front seat to see and hear their budding star. The end product often resulted in more comedy than drama as kids portrayed or sang everything imaginable and parents laughed at the resulting fiasco.
My cousin Roy was portraying the innkeeper and was doing a very respectable and dramatic recreation of sending the poor Joseph and Mary to the stable behind his Inn when his clothing caught the prop holding the inn upright. Not in the script but with urgency, the poor Sunday school teacher director screamed, “Stop Roy, stop. Your pulling it …..” Her line was interrupted as the entire wall toppled forward, narrowly missing the Virgin Mary and Joseph. Fortunately, Roy was left untouched surrounded by the remnants of his Holiday Inn.
The young children were the most fun as they sang the Little Town of Bethlehem or what passed as a facsimile of it. The loudest voices always seemed about a half-sentence behind the lead singer while two of the children verbally and physically fought over the microphone. At my colleague’s church at Golden City, her four-year-old niece Millie showed off her new dress and undergarments by mooning the congregation. The second part of her act was to get on all fours and to crawl under the benches and through the sea of legs with auntie in hot pursuit.
Little kids dressed as animals were always cute. Sheep, camels, and horses were included in the manger scene, all gathered around the manger celebrating Christ’s birth. Somehow, our church at Midway got a full-sized donkey suit so two adults were enlisted to portray the donkey. Wes White played the head of the donkey and his braying was something to behold and brought gales of laughter. I am not sure who played the donkeys rear end but that are no shortages of names that come to mind!!
Live manger scenes with animals did not work well as we discovered at Caulksville Cumberland Presbyterian church. I think our reenactment would have been much more pleasant if the owners of the animals had properly toilet trained the cattle and sheep before debuting them as actors. Reverend Vanmeter’s shoes will never be the same.
My son Lucas is a budding star and will make his first (and maybe final) appearance at our Christmas play on Dec.18th. I am anticipating, with some trepidation and fear, what secrets he may share or actions he may do as he gets his few minutes of fame.
As your holiday approaches and you remember the Christmas’s of the past, don’t forget to go watch some of these budding stars as they portray the true meaning of Christmas.
Georgia Littleton, Booneville gifted and talented teacher, has been selected by Rutgers University to participate in the prestigious I.D. Antarctica program. Each year, hundreds of teachers from across the U.S. apply to participate in the program. Georgia was one of three, and the only one from Arkansas, selected to be a part of the program.
I.D. Antarctica provides curriculum and materials to the teacher and students of selected schools. The materials allow students to work closely with research scientists as they explore life in the Southern Ocean. During Jan-Feb, students participate in a weekly blog session facilitated by research scientist Andrew Corso. During this time, students explore the unique organisms that exist in polar climates. Each week students are provided a challenge and task to complete as part of the course. During the blog, students will be able to interact with the scientist and explore the data as they discover answers to such questions as how do whales find food, how do glaciers change over time, how are oceans changing, and how does pollution such as plastic cycling affect life in Antarctica.
The complete program promotes students’ science, literacy, data interpretation (math), and history while assisting in solving “real world” problems.
Booneville 5th and 6th grade students will begin the program following the Christmas break. Even before the program begins, students are busy collecting information and preparing to actively participate in the research effort.
The program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Other teachers participating are Sandra Stamos of Bayonne, N.J. and Jessica Packard of Kansas City, Kansas. Georgia and Booneville are to be congratulated for becoming the first school and instructor selected from Arkansas.
Without question, a state championship, in any sport…is special. Most players never get close to being in a state championship game or match, much less win one. Being in the state title game is something that can never be taken for granted. It is truly special. Reaching the pinnacle of high school sports at the championship level is the nexus of talent, experience, tradition, hard work, sacrifice, and yes, sometimes the ball has to bounce your way. In the rare times in an athlete’s career that all of this may come together, and often it does not, the result is a truly magical moment that cannot be artificially created in the movies or on television. And so it is for the players and coaches for the Charleston Tigers and the Booneville Bearcats.
At press time for this story, Charleston and Booneville were making final preparations for their historic date in Little Rock where they will play for the Class 3A state football championship at War Memorial Stadium. And for one Charleston family, the third generation of high school football players in their family will be on the turf Saturday playing for a state title. The Merechka family, who have played in two previous state title games, will be cheering for Charleston’s Reese Merechka who will be playing in the third state title game in his family’s history.
Lynn Merechka played in the 1974 state championship football game for Van Buren against Magnolia (RNN Sports Photo / Jim Best)
Reese is a junior football player at Charleston who plays offense, defense, and special teams for the Tigers. In other words, he rarely comes out of a game. In 3A football, playing at least two ways (offense and defense) is very common place across the state. It has always amazed me at the players’ conditioning and their ability to play all night with very little rest and be as effective as they are.
Earlier in the week, RNN Sports had the pleasure of sitting down with Reese’s grandparents, Lynn and Mary Merechka. Lynn played for the Van Buren Pointers in the 1974 state title game vs. Magnolia. Later that school year, Merechka was named to the state All-Star game in the summer of 1975.
Lynn and Mary Merechka (Photo courtesy of Brandy Merechka to RNN Sports)
I had the pleasure of recording approximately 90 minutes of an interview with the Merechkas at a local restaurant in Charleston, and I greatly enjoyed my visit with both Lynn and his wonderful wife, Mary. They were both beaming about their grandson Reese having the opportunity to play on Saturday, and in the words of his son, Matt, who also played in a state championship game for Van Buren, Lynn “has not been this excited in a long time.”
Matt Merechka played for Van Buren in 1996 state championship game (Image courtesy of Brandy Merechka to RNN Sports)
Lynn began by saying, “I played for Van Buren in the state title game against Magnolia in 1974. And then, Matt, played in the state championship against Fort Smith Northside in 1996. And now, we have Reese. So, we have three generations (who have or will play in a state championship football game). But Ransom, his team last year (played for Charleston), they got beat in the first round ( a loss to Centerpoint in the second round of the state playoffs after having received a bye in the first round.)
I asked Lynn what is has been like watching Reese play this year. He responded by saying, “It has been great. I don’t see how he plays the whole game with the intensity that he does. With me playing ball and coaching Little League, I coached Matt and I coached Reese, also. They kind of learned my kind of ball. You know how Rison controlled the ball? That was my idea. I was thinking that was no different than what I used to do. I know Reese didn’t get his athletic ability from my side. He had to have gotten it from Brandy (Reese’s mother). I have seen him do some things on the field and I was like where did he learn that from? I saw him laying flat on his back once after a play was over, and all of the sudden he just jump up right to his feet. I wondered, how did he do that?”
The competitive spirit and the way the game should be played is something that Lynn instilled in his son Matt as a young player, and now Matt has passed it along to Reese. Mr. Merechka continued by saying, “What I instilled in Matt and he instilled it in Reese and Ransom is play the game like it is your last game. We used to have a championship game between Alma and Van Buren every year. We would come around to who got to go to Alma to play in this game. We were tied for first place with another team, so, we had to play Friday night. While we were waiting to play, one of my best players showed up and he wasn’t dressed. I asked him why he wasn’t dressed, and he said “Well, I have some bad news Coach. I can’t play. Doctor says that I have diabetes and can’t play. Can I talk to the team?” I said, “sure”, so he goes over to the team and talks to them. And I could tell the team was pumped up. We later went out and beat that team like 40-0. Before, it had been a 7-7 game in the past. So, we won the game, and I went home, and it was getting late, and I asked a player what had been said to him to get them so pumped up. The player said, “He told us that he couldn’t play anymore, and he started crying. We all got a little choked up about it, and then he told us to play like it would be their last game.” That was at about 9 p.m. that evening, and “I said, you just need to go to bed because we have to play early in the morning. So, he went to bed, and about midnight, he woke up and the house was on fire. He died in the fire.” This was in 1992, and a wife and two children were lost in the fire.
Matt Merechka (77) played for Van Buren in 1996 state championship game (Image courtesy of Brandy Merechka to RNN Sports)
Since that time, as he continued, “That is what we always said from that time on was, “Play like it is your last game.” So, the saying by the Merechkas, “Play like it is your last”, is more than a saying. It is a belief and a motivational philosophy that is based on reality and human tragedy. It is also a legacy piece of the player and his family who died tragically, and on Saturday night, that legacy will be in play again when Reese takes the field. Thirty years later, Reese and the Tigers will play like it is their last time to have the privilege to take the field for their school and community, and the legacy will live on.
Lynn, “instilled this into Matt (his son) and it went from him to his sons. And my youngest son, Maverick, he has two kids and they are ball players, too. And that is what he (Maverick) is instilling in his children, too. It’s a real deal; it is much more than a saying or a cliche. Maybe that is why we have always won over all of these years. I would like to think that my teams have passed down all of these great athletes, and I think it is just because they were taught the right things; not to quit. I think Reese is a 4.00 point student, as well.”
Lynn has great respect for the Tigers’ coach, Ricky May. Talking about last week’s semifinal win at Rison, Merechka talked about Charleston having a 27-0 lead late in the game. The Tigers were in scoring position late with less than a minute to go in the game, and could have scored to make it a 33 or 34 -0 win. But Coach May elected to call a conservative play that was intended to run the clock out. Lynn said, “He could have easily scored to run the score up, but he didn’t. He had the game won, and he didn’t run the score up.” That is, in my opinion, what the Charleston program under Ricky May is all about: win the game, that is the objective…nothing else.”
Saturday’s state championship match-up has all of the trademarks of a high school classic. It could be one that people will talk about for years. In fact, of all of the classifications, the 3A championship with Booneville and Charleston may be the best game. We will see.
But one thing is for sure….the chance to play in a state championship game is truly special, and RNN Sports congratulates all of the players and coaches from all schools across every classification who has earned the right to play for the state championship. One day, we may be writing a story on you, perhaps twenty or more years later, reflecting back on this special moment. Enjoy it, and soak in every second of it. You have earned that right.
According to Dylan Hann, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fisheries supervisor for southwest Arkansas, some anglers have called with reports of red dots on the skin of some bass they’ve caught. He stresses that there’s no cause for alarm.
“We have seen some bass with these spots ourselves during routine sampling on Dierks Lake recently,” Hann said. “As we’ve mentioned in a recent post on the AGFC Black Bass Facebook Page, red dots don’t only appear on Rudolph’s nose this time of year. These are actually caused by a very common parasite called Epistylis.”
Hann says these parasites are commonly found on bass and bream when water is cooling. The organism Dr attaches to the fish, which causes the red spots of inflammation.
“The parasites are filter feeders, so they don’t actually feed on the fish,” Hann said. “The red inflammation spots are usually contained to the outer skin. Occasionally, the fish will get secondary fungal and bacterial infections and the spots will look fairly irritated; however, the fish’s immune system will catch up and fight it off.”
Another common call that comes from anglers enjoying the solitude of cold weather angling concerns bass and crappie with white, pimple-like bumps along their bodies. This disorder is called Saprolegniasis.
Kelly Winningham, AGFC fish pathologist in Hot Springs, says this disease will fuel more than a few calls during winter as well.
“It’s a fungal disease of fish and fish eggs called Saprolegniasis,” Winningham said. “Some members of this fungi family are primary pathogens, but most are secondary pathogens and cause disease when there are other illnesses, injuries or stress.”
These types of fungus, also known as water molds, can affect any freshwater fish species, and are present in nearly all freshwater environments, but are most prevalent when water temperatures are below 60 degrees.
“Saprolegnia in Arkansas typically occurs between October and March,” Winningham said. “This is generally when water temperatures are in the optimal growth range for the fungi. Water molds are everywhere in the environment, but when the water temperature cools and a fish gets stressed, it gives the fungi an opportunity to get through the fish’s natural defenses.”
In severe cases, individual fish may die from the infection, but Saprolegnia also poses no large-scale threat to fish in a wild setting.
Although unsightly, neither disorder poses a threat to people or pets. In small cases where only one or two spots occur on the fish, the area where Epistylis or water molds are present may be cut from filets without cause for alarm if the angler chooses. In extensive cases, the entire fish may need to be discarded.
“Everyone has a plan until they’ve been hit. You my friend have just been hit. The getting up is up to you”. That is a quote from actor Michael Douglas in the 1996 movie “The Ghost and The Darkness”. Douglas made the quote to costar Val Kilmer after Kilmer missed a shot while hunting a pair of lions. The Lady Tigers were rolling high on the hardwoods going 7-0 overall and on their way to a Booneville Classic tournament championship. They literally couldn’t miss. That is until they got “hit” by the Dover Lady Pirates with a 53-41 loss in the championship game. Now with a loss in their pockets, would Mansfield stay hit or would they get back up? That question was answered when the Lady Tigers took on the Hackett Lady Hornets on Tuesday, December 6th.
Trinity Triska maneuvers the ball around the perimeter to open up a pass.
The early answer wasn’t hit, it was a downright H-I-T. The Lady Tigers seemed to be playing on two left feet and without thumbs which gave Hackett an early 8-0 run on Mansfield. Mansfield’s shots and passes were wildly missing the mark while Hackett was running smoothly through the Lady Tigers defense. It was Alyson Edwards who finally broke out onto the scoreboard on a free throw with just 1:32 left in the opening quarter. Edwards created a spark for the Lady Tigers, but it was a far cry from the normal bonfire the Lady Tigers usually produce as Mansfield ended the first quarter down 8-4. Hackett continued to pour it on the Lady Tigers in the second quarter with three-point shots and owning the backboards for rebounds. Although Kynslee and Kaylee Ward kept the Lady Tigers idling along by making a couple of shots and steals, Hackett was able to continue swarming numbers up higher and higher on the scoreboard. With Mansfield unable to get up to play, things began to look dismal as the halftime buzzer sounded with Hackett having a commanding 24-9 lead over the Lady Tigers.
Kaylee Ward posterizes her way to the net for a Lady Tigers score.
After their first loss followed by a 15-point deficit, the Lady Tigers didn’t look like they would be able to get back up. Looks can be deceiving though and Mansfield began to straighten things out behind the hardwood buzzsaw herself, Alyson Edwards. Edwards started the second half with a quick bucket off the boards and then was fouled on the way up for another shot for a plus-one. But wait, there’s more. Edwards powered her way back to the nets for a solo score and backed that one up with yet another rebound and board bucket. Hackett was still scoring on the Lady Tigers, but Edwards determination kicked the rest of the team into gear. Kaylee Ward drew a foul on a rebound putback and sank both free throws. Natalie Allison got the Lady Tigers long-range game on par by draining a three-pointer from downtown to close out the third quarter. Mansfield was closing the gap on the scoreboard, but the gap was still ever present with the Lady Hornets leading 33-19 as both teams prepared for the final quarter.
Alyson Edwards lets it be known that she will not be stopped as she battles to the basket.
Hackett started the fourth quarter with a double-digit lead and the ball. Both would be taken from the Lady Hornets though as the Lady Tigers began to roar back. Harlie Fuller lit the fuse for Mansfield’s dynamite comeback when she jumped amongst a bigger group of Lady Hornets and fought her way for a huge rebound. The rebound by Fuller not only turned into points on the other side of the court, but also gave Mansfield a lot of momentum. Kynslee Ward brought the score to a one-point 33-32 gap by sinking a three-pointer. Ward was quick to steal the ball on Hackett’s next possession to roll in an easy layup to give Mansfield the lead for the first time in the game. Jump shots by Natalie Allison and Alyson Edwards, and a three-pointer by Harlie Fuller put the Lady Tigers on an unprecedented 20-point run on Hackett forcing the Lady Tigers to take a time-out. With a 39-33 lead on Hackett, the Lady Tigers went back on the court to make up for the previous three quarters. Now with their offense clicking, Mansfield put on the full-court defense to shut down any Hackett comeback attempts. It was all Mansfield from there as Harlie Fuller and Natalie Allison dropped some threes through the net while Seven Sanderson, Kaylee Ward, and Alyson Edwards dominated the backboards. The Lady Tigers held Hackett to just three points and racked up ten times more than allowed in the fourth quarter by collecting 30 points in just one quarter to defeat Hackett 49-36.
Harley Fuller provides some impressive man-to-man defense on a Hackett shooter.
If there were any questions as to whether the Lady Tigers could get back up on their own after a loss, their game versus Hackett proved that they definitely have the capability to stand tall. Now with an 8-1 overall record, Mansfield will go into conference play. This is where all the hits count as Mansfield eyes another conference championship. The first conference game will be against a very unfamiliar opponent. In fact, many players on the team may not have ever even heard of them. Mansfield will host the Hector Wildcats on Friday, December 9th. Although the players may not know much about Hector, many of their parents know what the Wildcats used to bring to the table in the 90s. Hector will be no walk in the park, but the Lady Tigers aren’t walkers, they’re runners.
Laurie Lynn Denham, 57, has been charged in the Circuit Court of Sebastian County. Arkansas, with Theft of Property, Class “B” Felony. On November 23, 2022, the Affidavit for Warrant of Arrest was presented to the Honorable Stephen Tabor who found that probable cause existed for the arrest. Bond was set at $3,500 legally sufficient at that time.
A redacted copy of the file-marked Information and Affidavit for Warrant of Arrest are attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. Ms. Denham will be arraigned on these charges on December 7, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. In addition, the investigation by the Arkansas State Police, the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, and other law enforcement agencies is ongoing with regard to this criminal offense.
Lastly, pursuant to the Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3.6, the charges filed against Laurie Lynn Denham are merely accusations, and Laurie Lynn Denham is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
According to a statement by the prosecutor, Denham Committed as follows: Count # 1 Offense Theft of Property >$25k The defendant on or between the 1st day of January, 2018 and the gun day of August, 2022 (date), in Sebastian County, Arkansas did unlawfully and feloniously knowingly take or exercise unauthorized control over or make an unauthorized transfer of an interest in the property of City of Bonanza with the purpose of depriving the owner of the property, and the value of the property is twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or more Against the peace and dignity of the State of Arkansas.
On Friday, December 2, Bonanza Mayor Elmer Nelson, Denham’s father, fielded questions from legislators after a state audit indicated the city’s administrative assistant (Denham) took thousands of dollars from the city just a couple of years after pleading guilty to stealing from the city while serving in the same role.
Photo courtesy of Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office
Spring football practice for the Arkansas Razorbacks will unofficially start in December of 2022 when the Hogs begin bowl practice to play in the Autozone Liberty Bowl later this month. Undoubtedly, one of the biggest benefits of playing in a bowl game, regardless of stature, are the additional practices the team will now have to prepare for the game. It is a time when teams can give younger players additional practice time before the official start of spring practice in March.
Arkansas, who limped to the finish line this year with a season-ending loss at Missouri, finished the season 6-6 after several close losses throughout the year. Since the loss at Columbia, several players have entered the NCAA transfer portal, and one standout in particular, Jadon Haselwood, has declared his eligibility for the NFL draft.
The University of Arkansas released the following information yesterday regarding the Hogs’ acceptance of the bid to play in the Liberty Bowl:
“FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Razorbacks are headed to Memphis to take on Kansas in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28 at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN.
For the third straight season under Head Coach Sam Pittman, the Hogs have received an invite to a bowl game making Pittman the fourth Arkansas coach to ever achieve bowl eligibility in each of first three years alongside Houston Nutt, Ken Hatfield and Lou Holtz. This year’s trip to the Liberty Bowl will mark Arkansas’ sixth appearance in the game dating back to the program’s first trip in 1971. The Razorbacks last played in the Liberty Bowl in 2016 – a 45-23 victory over Kansas State.
“We’re extremely excited to be headed to Memphis to play a really good Kansas team in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl,” Arkansas Head Coach Sam Pittman said. “Coach Leipold and his staff have done a tremendous job with their team, and we look forward to the challenge. For us, the opportunity to play a bowl game in what we consider our backyard is going to be special. We can’t wait to see our fans in Memphis in a few weeks.”
Arkansas will meet Kansas on the gridiron for just the third time in history with the only two games coming in 1905 and 1906. Arkansas opened the 1905 season with a 6-0 home loss to the Jayhawks and dropped a 37-5 decision at Kansas the following season.
The Liberty Bowl will be Arkansas’ 44th bowl appearance after the Razorbacks wrapped up a 6-6 season. QB KJ Jefferson, who announced his plans to return for the 2023 season last week, led the Hogs with 2,361 yards passing and 22 touchdowns to go with 510 yards rushing and seven more TDs despite missing two games. RB Raheim Sanders finished the regular season with 1,426 yards rushing – the second-most in the SEC and 12th nationally – and a team-high 10 touchdowns. The Arkansas defense wrapped up the regular season with 39 sacks – one shy of the school record set in 1998 – to lead the SEC and rank fifth nationally.
Liberty Bowl Tickets
Season ticket holders and Razorback Foundation members who pre-ordered Liberty Bowl tickets will have their order request fulfilled. Those who pre-ordered can expect to receive an email from the Razorback Ticket Center early this week and credit cards will be charged on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
For fans who did not pre-order, a limited number of Liberty Bowl tickets will go on sale on Sunday evening on a first-come, first-served basis. The seating locations will be allocated in Razorback Foundation priority point order. A limited number of tickets will be available to the general public on Sunday evening by visiting arkansasrazorbacks.com.
Student Tickets
University of Arkansas students can expect to receive an email with ticket on-sale information Sunday evening for the allotment of tickets specifically reserved for Arkansas students.”
RNN Sports will have coverage of the Hogs game in Memphis later in the month. And on behalf of everyone at RNN Sports, we thank you for following our coverage of Razorbacks football this year, and we sincerely appreciate your loyalty, subscriptions, and comments regarding our coverage. On a personal note, I would also like to thank our photographers, James Shelly, Selena Shelly, and Ronni Tate Young who brought our readers great field-level photos of Razorbacks football this fall!
See you in Memphis on December 28!
Note to Our Readers: Portions of this story were sourced directly from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Kyle Parkinson.
Although December is bringing us closer to a cold winter, you might be thinking about the next home improvement projects you can complete when the weather gets more agreeable. Consider the additions you could make outside your house to add more space. In fact, there are some very good reasons why your home should get a patio.
Get More Space
You may have wanted to do more in your kitchen or create a new place to exercise, but you couldn’t because of the lack of room inside your house. A new patio allows you to utilize that new space as you see fit. Your kids will even be happy that they get a new space to play outdoors.
Use it to Entertain
Another good reason why your home should get a patio is that it provides you with a new environment in your backyard where you can entertain guests. On your patio, you can host all types of dinners, parties, and other gatherings for your friends, family, and neighbors. Even if you don’t have people over, the patio gives you a nice space to sit, relax, and enjoy the outdoor weather.
Add Visual Appeal
One of the things to expect when you install a new patio is the ability to customize your patio however you like. You have an array of options regarding the colors and materials you can integrate into the patio, its design, and its location. Many people tend to put it directly in the back of their house, but you also can have it in other areas of your backyard.
Grow Your Home’s Value
Your addition of a patio will add to your enjoyment of your home as well as its worth. Because many view patios as a feature they want when buying a home, it will add value to your property and make your home more appealing if you decide to sell it someday. So when you install a patio, you’re adding more luxury and making a long-term investment.
Adding a patio can liven up your life and make your home more attractive to yourself, your neighbors, and even future buyers. Your next question should really be when you’ll get to building!
The Pulaski Academy Bruins beat the Greenwood Bulldogs 42-35 in the Class 6A Championship
To make it to the State Championship game it is an honor. It is a culmination of 13 weeks of things going just right to put you in the position to go. There’s hours of practice, being in the film room, working in the weight room all to to play a game and to have pride to do it for your school and town. Two teams went to battle and momentum swings were huge in the game. Pulaski Academy would go on to win their 11th State Championship, Greenwood would get their 6th State Runner-Up.
On a cold night in Little Rock, among the confines that is War Memorial, the Class 6A State Championship game, that folks predicted would happen in preseason, was about to be underway. State Championship winners this week were momentous, Izard County captured their 1st 8-man Championship. 2A Hazen would win their first State Championship ever. 7A Bryant would absolutely steam roll Bentonville to win their 5th in a row. Former Greenwood Defensive Coordinator Brad Bolding would get that elusive State Championship as Little Rock Parkview would beat Shiloh Christian for the 5A Championship. Friday night Bonneville and Charleston punched their tickets to face each other in the 3A Championship game. Then two of the states most-storied programs of this century were about to face off in the Saturday night game, Hollywood couldn’t have written a better script.
Pulaski Academy would get the opening kickoff. A batted pass at the line of scrimmage would get to the hands of Greenwood Defensive Back Josh Allen for the interception. Greenwood has short field position and Junior Brayden Davis gets it in for the first Touchdown of the game. Bodey Steinfeldt’s kick would be good putting Greenwood up top 7-0 with 9:53 in the 1st. The Bruins would answer back and Kenny Jordan would punch it in for 6, the 2 point conversion would fail. Greenwood’s drive would find them backed up 3rd and 20 when Hunter Houston would find Isaiah Arrington to get them close to the first down. Greenwood would get the first and then Jake Glover would rumble it in for the touchdown, kick was good 14-6. Kel Busby answers back with a deep pass of his own and then calling his own number to run it in the end zone for the TD. 2 point would fail 14-12 with 2:29 in the 1st quarter. Hunter Houston makes quick work and finds Jake Glover on the screen pass. Glover takes it down the Pulaski sideline for the touchdown kick was good 21-12 1:40 still in the 1st quarter. Pulaski then drives down into Greenwood territory as time expires.
Kel Busby again rushes it in for the touchdown and the 2 point try would fail 21-18 11:32 in the 2nd quarter. Greenwood has a shot to put the game up by 10 but are stopped on 4th and 5 deep in the red zone. The Bruins take the opportunity to drive down the field and Kenny Jordan gets it in for Pulaski’s first lead of the game. 2 point would fail leaving the score 25-21. With 3:40 left in the half. Greenwood’s next drive would end in a punt. The Bruins would take over but would try to go through the air after big stop by Cash Archer. Brady Mackey would get an interception to take it into the locker room. Halftime 25-21
Greenwood receives the 2nd half kick and drives down into Bruin territory. The ‘Dogs would be stopped on 4th down. Pulaski’s drive would stall on their side of the field with a stop from Evan Williams, an intentional grounding call, and what looked like another Josh Allen interception would have the Bruins punting on 4th down. Greenwood would punt on 4th down as well. Pulaski would punt again after a defensive stand with a stop from Eli Whitaker and a pass breakup from Isaiah Arrington. Greenwood’s next drive would be highlighted by a Grant Karnes catch. Karnes would lineup at QB start to run to the left then pitch to Houston. He would try to throw over the middle but it would be incomplete. Houston’s next pass would be just out of reach of an open Aiden Kennon. On fourth down Houston passes to Karnes who comes up short from getting the 1st down. The Bruins took over on the suddenly now defensive chess match waiting for the for either team to break the ice. Brady Mackey would get a pass breakup on the first play of the drive. Two plays later on a screen play, Busby would find Kenny Jordan, Braden Skaggs and Evan Williams stopped what was the first big play for the Bruins in the 2nd half. Stops from Josh Allen, Mackey, and Brady Pettigrew would have the Bruins settle for a Field Goal. 28-21. Greenwood would get back to work. Runs from Glover and passes from Houston to Karnes and Kennon setup a long pass to L.J. Robins for the T.D. Steinfeldt kick was good score 28-28 8:20 in the 4th.
The Bruins would drive down the field facing 4th down a critical pass interference call set up another Kenny Jordan TD the extra point would be blocked 34-28. A pass from Houston popped in and out of the hands of L.J. Robins into the hands of a Pulaski defender. Two plays later Busby would find the end zone and Pulaski would get their first two point conversion of the game. 42-28.
Greenwood would get a deep kick from Pulaski Academy, with Houston finding L.J. Robins open behind the Bruin secondary. Kick was good 35-42. On the first play of the drive Brady Pettigrew would come through and force a fumble that would be recovered by Kel Busby. Busby would complete one pass on the drive then punt the ball away putting Greenwood deep in their own territory, giving the ‘Dogs one drive to tie or win the game. A high pass intended for Aiden Kennon would fall incomplete. A pass to Karnes is complete but still short of the first down. An incomplete pass on the next play set up 4th down. Houston would go over the top to L.J. Robins and the Pulaski defender broke up the pass sealing the game for the Bruins. They would take a knee to run out the final minute.
“Greenwood kids are special, they don’t give up. I am proud to be their football coach, I am lucky to be their football coach. We [have] an outstanding group of young men in there that make us proud every single day.” Head Coach Chris Young said after the tough loss. “We got beat by a great football team tonight. You got to take your hat’s off to Pulaski Academy. Those guys are very talented, they’re good at what they do.”
Regarding the Seniors class “That’s small group for us. We talked to them last night, there’s a lot of local teams that we play around. That these guys actually played a full season more than the Seniors at those schools did, because they played 4 weeks in the Playoffs for 3 years.” Coach Young went on to say, “We had a young football team, but we had great leadership from those eleven. And we have some great football players in those eleven guys. Although we got a lot of guys coming back next year, we lost a lot of really good football players.”
Author’s Note: Over the past 5 seasons I have followed this team in different capacities. Doing photos for the Greenwood Dog Pound, Sideline Highlight video, and writing for this excellent newspaper. We take for granted that Greenwood goes to State every year no matter the sport. But underneath these are still kids that have a passion for the game. This was the first Senior class that I became close to due to how much I was able to be around. Covid almost took away their Sophomore year, but they fought through and played for a Championship and won. The next year was full of adversity and injuries and still made it back to the Championship and took a loss to El Dorado. This year had it’s highs and lows but still ended in the same stadium. I cannot thank these Seniors like Tanner McKusker, Evan Williams, Hayden Webb, and Logan Taylor enough for upholding the Tradition at Greenwood. Adding yet another trophy to the cases at H.B. Stewart and a seasons worth of memories.
My son who has been a part of this team alongside me has become friends with the Upperclassmen in this time. He hugged the Seniors as they walked off the field, embraced his classmate and long time teammate Kane Archer. He then stood by himself watching Pulaski celebrate their 11th Championship. Folks will say it is just a game. For some it is a way of life. A dream since he was 3 years old watching Current Co-Offensive Coordinator Stephen Hogan throw the ball all over the field at Smith-Robinson Stadium. I asked Coach Young as we walked away from the Post-Game press conference “When do you start preparing for the next one, tomorrow?” He chuckled a little bit and said “We will take a little time off.” For some preparation starts today.
Tara Crippen recently opened her own law firm, but she is no stranger to the legal profession. Prior to becoming an attorney, she worked as a legal assistant and law clerk for 16 years. During that time, she assisted counsel with preparing and filing appellate briefs, trial preparation, research, and has participated in every stage of the litigation process.
Tara’s practice is primarily focused on family law. Her practice covers a broad range of family law issues, including paternity, custody, parenting time, support and property issues. Tara’s training in dependency neglect proceedings translates to a more child centric approach in her domestic relations matters. In addition to family law, however, Tara’s smalltown practice is evolving to include LLC formation, estate planning and many other facets of law. She appreciates a challenge and wants to work with people who want to work with her.
Tara went to law school to learn to be an advocate for people who were not able to advocate for themselves. Her approach to law brings her straight to your door, and she will meet you where and when it is convenient for you.
She prefers working from unconventional spaces, so don’t be alarmed if you see her in the day at her favorite coffee shop or in the evening with her laptop at the local brewery. Feel free to stop and say hi. When she is not hard at it working for her clients, you will find her working hard on Cicada Song Farms. She and her partner have a small herd of dexter cattle and a flock of Rhode Island Red and Barred Rock chickens.
“I am grateful for an opportunity to serve a community that has been helpful and welcoming since we moved here in May,” shared Crippen. “There are few options to access legal services locally. I recognized that there was a hole that I could fill. In this area, clients may make too much to qualify for legal aid, but it also can be difficult to pay a large retainer. I keep my overhead low so that my prices can be reasonable, and people can access the services they need.”
