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Top Things Parents Worry About Involving Their Kids

Lifestyle

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10:01 am

Top Things Parents Worry About Involving Their Kids

When it comes to parenting, it doesn’t matter if you just started or have been at it for years; there will be many things that keep you up at night. We’re here to tell you that there’s nothing wrong with that, and you’re not alone. If you’re curious about whether you stress out about the same things as everyone else, here’s a list of the top things parents worry about involving their kids that will help you.

Health and Safety

When it comes to potential worries, the fear of how healthy and safe your children are is easily the most common. It’s a primal instinct hardwired into all of us. As a result, it’s almost impossible not to worry about how your child is feeling or if they’re in a safe environment.

Problems at School

Another classic fear is if they’re having problems at school. Many things could go wrong in this category, whether it’s bullying, struggling in class, not making any friends, or getting taken on their way to school. Fortunately, with that last example, there are certain things you can do to make their trip to school safer, but the other ones are up to the school’s staff and your child.

The Friends They Have

If your kid successfully makes friends at school, the next worry that usually comes up is if they will be a good influence on them or not. Sure, you can do everything you can to raise your child correctly, but friends leave a massive impact on each other, and if they’re a group of bad kids, all your hard work can come tumbling to the ground.

How You’re Raising Them

All of this hinges on the fact that you are raising them correctly in the first place. While it’s easy to tell people that you’re proud of how you’re doing with your son or daughter, deep down, you might wonder if there’s more that you could do.

Dangers of the Internet

In the modern age, there are cases where the things you teach them or what they learn from their friends get washed away by the things they see on the internet. While the freedom of the internet is great in most cases, it has its downsides, especially when considering children. Social media can be horrible for young children, and it’s difficult to stop them from accessing it.

Their Future

All of these things parents worry about involving their kids come together to culminate into one last fear: how it will all affect their future. Any choice you make could be the turning point for your kid to head down the wrong road in life.

However, that’s not a healthy way to think about any of this. It’s OK to worry about your children and their futures, but don’t let it be the thing that drives you. Instead, focus on the good things in both of your lives and focus on those. You’ll never get rid of all the bad, but you can strengthen and better develop the good if you take the time and effort to do so.

For Lady Eagles Seniors, NOW is the Time to Bring a State Championship to Paris

Sports

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12:31 pm

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For Lady Eagles Seniors, NOW is the Time to Bring a State Championship to Paris

There is no doubt that there is pressure playing for a program such as Paris that has a championship tradition and expects to be in the state title hunt every year. That’s just the way it is, and in programs that are successful most years, it is a factor that is embraced by championship teams. Championship teams do not shy away from the expectations. In fact, they welcome the expectations and know that is why they like to play in programs that have a chance to be special every year. And for perhaps one of the most talented senior classes in program history, NOW is the time for the Lady Eagles to bring a state title to Paris.

The Lady Eagles have a very high win percentage both statewide and within the 3A West over the past five years or so. But none of that matters this time of year. Starting next week with conference tournament play, each game could be a player’s last, and for this Paris senior class, they do not want that day to come until October 30 in Hot Springs for the Class 3A state championship.

Two seasons ago, Paris entered the quarterfinals on their home court in the state tournament and were upset by the eventual tournament champion, Little Rock Episcopal. In 2020, after a roller coaster year that saw a young team win big games and fight their way through a long COVID quarantine, the Lady Eagles played magnificently in the first three rounds of the state tournament, only to have a bad day against the eventual 2020 Class 3A Hackett Lady Hornets in the state finals. This year, Paris has dropped both regular season matches to Hackett, and has had a little bit of an up and down year that has seen Paris play lights out at times, and only to struggle in losses at others. So for this year’s senior class that has been looked to over the past three years as being a class that could bring home a title, it is time to bring home the title NOW.

Paris is one of the few programs in the state that can feel like it failed by bringing home a state runner-up trophy in the state tournament. To most programs, a second place finish at state is something that would be revered for years at most schools. But not Paris; not for a program that has higher expectations, and not for a fan base that expects titles every year.

The 2021 Lady Eagles senior class is full of outstanding student-athletes who are very personable and are just great kids. But they have high expectations for themselves, as well as what the fans expect and hope for them as Paris athletes. And now, the second season begins with the district tournament that will take place next week in Booneville. Both Paris and Hackett have byes to the semifinals, and a semifinal win by both will guarantee them of no lower than a #2 seed going into the state tournament, and with the winner being a top seed and the district tournament champion. Additionally, the first three rounds of the state tournament will be at Paris, and the Lady Eagles will be playing to erase the memories of the devastating quarterfinals loss at Paris in 2019.

So any way you slice it, the time is NOW for Paris and their senior class. No more time for experimentation; no more time for any distractions. The time is NOW to play six games at the best of their abilities. NOW is the time to leave everything on the floor, and NOW is the time that will determine the legacy of this year’s Lady Eagles seniors.

We wish Paris and all teams the best of luck during post-season play, and Resident Press will be there to bring you all of the action!

Mansfield Players Run On Muddy Pointer Trail

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10:10 am

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Mansfield Players Run On Muddy Pointer Trail

Within seconds past the start of the Van Buren Classic, a sarcastic “Thanks sister” could be heard from Mansfield cross country runner Hope Rainwater. The senior runner was given the business end of her twin sister’s fast start off the muddy line, and she was motivated to respond out loud.

The quicker of the two siblings, Faith Rainwater, flung mud from her feet like the tire spray of a 4-wheeler stuck in muck. Within seconds of the senior girls’ 5K race on Mansfield’s most recent road trip, Hope felt the unwelcome splatter of water and mud on her face, arms, and legs. It hardly mattered though as the Mansfield sisters along with everyone else that ran the soggy bottoms along Van Buren’s Pointer Trail found a free mud bath.

The Rainwater girls and Tiger teammates entered the two-day meet located just below the Van Buren High School campus at the Freshman Academy. On Friday, October 15, the opening rounds began with the junior high divisions running just after the afternoon rains stopped. The next morning on Saturday, the meet continued with the senior high pairings privileged with ripened puddles from the previous day.

Three of Mansfield’s seniors and one junior all made the awards announcements on day two. A freshman and an eighth-grader made the medal roll call on day one.

Darby Jones, as she has done all season, was the Lady Tiger’s top finisher for the senior high. Faith Rainwater and McKenzie Griffin were also among the top in the small school rankings. Junior Jadelynn Wood was the group’s fourth medal recipient.

Jones climbed into contention versus all participants early in the race. She worked the pack passing players from both big and small school divisions. The senior peaked at number three in the 1A-4A grouping and fifth place overall.

Only Ella Gray of Episcopal Collegiate and Julia Whorton of Gravette crossed the small school finish before Mansfield’s Jones. Gray was listed as the state’s second-ranked runner among all class 3A runners. Whorton sported the number one ranking among the state’s class 4A participants.

Jones earned her tenth consecutive medal of the season. Her mark of 21:45.97 for the bronze medallion at Van Buren wrapped up Mansfield’s regular-season schedule.

Faith Rainwater finished ninth for the Lady Tigers. It was her eighth award winner in ten tries this season. The senior closed fast posting a time of 23:34.06 for the soupy sludge 5K course.

Wood bounced back with a 13th place finish after missing some training time in recent weeks. Her 3 loop measurement was 24:02.50.

Griffin took the last of the Top 15 medals. The senior forged ahead of most with a mark just five seconds behind Wood.

Hope Rainwater made it past in 23rd place to secure the team score. Together the Mansfield top five posted a combined score of 50. That put the Lady Tigers into third place among scoring teams.

Episcopal won the small school title with 46 points. Gravette came in second with 49 points as the top three teams were within a four-point range.

Mansfield freshman Laney Wood was third at Friday’s junior high 2-mile race. The prep team’s top performer was eighth overall. Her time was 13:57.57.

Wood will join the older high school team at the Southwest Regional next on October 20 in preparation for the state meet on November 4.

Laney Wood wraps up the regular season with her tenth medal.

Tiger eighth-grader Joey Fildes was fourth in the junior boys’ race. The Mansfield marquee runner has medaled in every meet this season. His Van Buren time was 12:15.77.

Mansfield’s top five junior boys were Fildes, Rylan Nichols, Jonah Martin, Braxton Bartlett, and Joseph Carter. Collectively the group placed fourth as a team behind Waldron, West Fork, and Pottsville.

The top five for the Mansfield junior girls were Laney Wood, Aidan Fildes, Addie Bowman, Ashley Martin, and Danielle Lowery. They were third as a team behind Pottsville and West Fork.

Mansfield senior girls wear the mud from Saturday’s cross country meet.

Timepiece: Sorghum Molasses and a Cat-head Biscuit

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12:30 pm

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Timepiece: Sorghum Molasses and a Cat-head Biscuit

By Dr. Curtis Varnell

Fall has arrived and with it all the beauty attached to the changing colors of tree leaves, fall pumpkin patches, and huge fields covered with bales of hay for the winter. The mountain slopes are a kaleidoscope of colors ranging from dark red, orange, yellows, and perpetual green of the pines.

During my grandparent’s time, crops were put by, summer canning was done, and it was time to harvest the sorghum cane to make, what is called in Arkansas, sorghum molasses. Much of the south never has a long or hot enough summer to produce sugar cane and, needing a cheap and available source of sweetener, had long-before learned to make a syrupy mixture from sorghum.

The process had begun back in late May or early June when the sorghum seeds were planted. Usually, a farmer only planted eight or ten long rows, just enough to make a plentiful supply of cane for the ten gallons of sorghum the family would consume. Come October, the top of the plant containing the seed was cut off along with all of the leaves. The stalk was then cut off at ground level and allowed to sit for a day or so while the sorghum mill was cleaned and ready. The needed machinery was expensive so one person usually owned and operated the mill for the surrounding community. The mill consists of a series of rollers through which the stalks are pressed, extracting the juices contained in the plant. Powered by a horse or mule moving slowly in a circle turning the gears, the mill exerted tremendous pressure on the stalks. Unfortunately, many accidents occurred while feeding the stalks into the mill. My grandfather’s cousin, John Rhinehart got his hand entangled in the mill. He died a few days later from a gangrene infection. Others lost arms and legs as they tried to push the stalks through the mill, a dangerous job.

Once the juice is extracted, it was poured into boiling pans set over a wood-burning fire. Almost ten gallons of juice was needed to make one gallon of sorghum molasses. Mixed with water, the juice was moved up a large copper or iron vat that was divided into a series of trays. As the juice was paddled upward through these trays, materials were boiled away and the greenish scum that formed on the syrup was removed. After a number of hours, the sorghum reached perfection at just the right consistency, slightly thicker than syrup. The left-over stalks and materials skimmed from the juice were fed to the pigs, preparing them for their harvest day which would arrive after the first frost.

Refined sugar was relatively expensive and a luxury item to cash-starved people of the mountains. Another and easier source of sweetener was to rob a honey tree but extraction was not always without pain or risk. Locating a hollow tree where the bees were encamped was often the easy part, robbing the bees was another thing entirely. My Oklahoma relatives located a tree near our house in the Ellsworth community. Convinced they were going to get several gallons of honey from the active hive, they covered themselves with every available piece of clothing they owned. My uncle Ed, a large man, found a heavy black suit made of some sort of rubberized material. I watched from a nearby hill as they carefully approached the tree and began using the chainsaw to open the trunk. The bees swarmed, covering my uncles. Some managed to find an opening into Ed’s costume and, trapped between skin and suit, began to extract vengeance on his body. Bellowing, he began to run, removing and flinging pieces of his clothing as he circled the hill, thousands of more bees in hot pursuit. A three-hundred-pound naked man covered with red whelps is not a pretty sight.

Slather a hot cat-head biscuit with fresh butter, apply a liberal dose of molasses or golden honey, now that, my friends, is a pretty sight!

Eagles Soar to 7-0 on the Season with 42-6 Victory Over Atkins

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12:23 pm

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Eagles Soar to 7-0 on the Season with 42-6 Victory Over Atkins

For the second consecutive season, the Paris Eagles (7-0, 4-0) handed the Atkins Red Devils a 42-6 defeat. But last night’s game did not include the first drive, quick strike pass by the Paris offense. But instead, saw the Eagles play dominating offense and stout defense in going away with the big win at Eagles Stadium. The rain held off for the game, but the field was saturated from heavy rains earlier in the week and on the morning of game day. The wet field did not seem to hinder any team, but it was Paris who was able to make big plays, convert on third downs, and see their playmakers, Chase Watts and Duke Walker make big play after big play.

The Paris defense was put to the test, particularly in the third quarter when Atkins, trailing big, fought hard to get back into the game. The Red Devils had the ball for most of the quarter, but the defense held Atkins scoreless in the second half. The defensive effort for Paris was highlighted by a big fourth down stop, deep in Paris territory, Following the stop, the Eagles outstanding player, Duke Walker, took a hand-off and raced around the left end and up the Paris sideline for an 80 yard touchdown run that put the clincher on another 3A-4 conference win for the Eagles.

Paris, who is currently in the midst of a three-game home stand, will be at home again next Friday against the Perryville Mustangs. The game with Perryville will be the final conference game before a possible showdown in Booneville for the conference championship on October 29. But first, the Eagles must focus on a very good Perryville team who will come to Paris seeking revenge for a loss to the Eagles last season at Perryville. Paris cannot afford to overlook the game with the Mustangs, and coach Jeff Weaver and his staff will be counting on an outstanding Eagles senior class to help keep the team’s focus on Perryville and not overlooking the Mustangs with Booneville two weeks away.

Photos from the Eagles victory over Atkins will be available this weekend on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend and get ready for another big conference next week at Eagles Stadium!

So, Paris fans, don’t look now, but for the second season in a row, your Eagles are off to a 7-0 start!

Bear Hunters Needed to Provide Research Samples

Outdoors

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12:20 pm

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Bear Hunters Needed to Provide Research Samples

Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications

SPRINGDALE — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is asking anyone who harvests a bear in the Ouachita Mountains or Ozarks to consider helping collect valuable samples from their bear to help research an increased occurrence of mange in the Ozark bear population.

According to Myron Means, bears in Arkansas have not had any reported cases of mange until 2018. That year, four cases were documented in Ozarks bears. In 2019, 15 cases of mange were reported, and in 2020 that number rose to 40 reported cases. All of these cases were in bears in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma.

“This year, we’ve already received 40 reports from hunters, biologists and wildlife watchers,” Means said. “So far, it’s only in the Ozarks, so we’re developing a plan to research possible factors that may be contributing to the problem.”

Means says the mites that cause mange in bears are common on bears, but they rarely cause any issues.

“Sarcoptes scabies is the mite that causes bear mange, and it’s been around ever since bears have been around,” Means said. “The bear’s immune response usually allows it to live without seeing too many harmful effects from the mites, but something seems to have changed with some bears in the Ozarks.”

Dr. Jenn Ballard, state wildlife veterinarian for the AGFC, says research is needed to determine any underlying cause contributing to the apparent increase in cases seen recently.

“Toxins, viruses and other environmental factors may be increasing the frequency of clinical mange, or it could be a new form of the mite,” Ballard said. “In the west, bobcats that are exposed to rodenticides in the animals they eat have been documented as having increased occurrence of clinical mange.”

Similar toxins responsible for weakening the bear’s immune system could be detected in samples of livers from bears taken by hunters. Hunters who take a bear, whether it has mange or not, can submit a 3-inch by 3-inch square of the bear’s liver to help with this research. The sample can be placed in aluminum foil or a zip-sealed bag and kept in a freezer until arrangements can be made to drop it off at an AGFC regional office.

Not only do Ballard and Means want samples from bears that have mange, they also want samples from bears that do not exhibit the parasite. Bears from the Ozarks as well as the Ouachitas also are important for the study.

“So far the Ouachita population has not exhibited the same rate of mange, so we want hunter-harvested bear samples from there as well to compare to the Ozarks bears,” Ballard said. “Other states, namely Pennsylvania and Virginia, have had studies on bears with mange as well, but we are looking to see if what is happening here is similar.”

Samples of skin taken from bears with obvious mange also are needed for analysis.

“We want to do genetic analysis of the mites that cause mange in different species,” Ballard said. “If a hunter harvests a bear with obvious mange, they can collect a 3-inch square of the skin at the edge of the affected area, close it in a zip-sealed bag and submit it for testing as well.”

Anyone who sees a bear with obvious mange or any bear in poor condition also may report it to the AGFC’s wildlife health email at agfc.health@agfc.ar.gov with a location. Even if biologists cannot find the bear after the initial sighting, they can keep a record of these locations to watch for future outbreaks of mange and act accordingly.

Fighting Drug Abuse Through Arkansas Take Back

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12:09 pm

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Fighting Drug Abuse Through Arkansas Take Back

From the Office of U.S. Senator John Boozman:

According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 20 million Americans misused prescription pain relievers, stimulants, tranquilizers or sedatives that year. A majority of these misused prescription drugs came from family and friends’ home medicine cabinets.

Clearly our nation continues to battle an epidemic of substance abuse – particularly the misuse of prescription medications. The results have been tragic.

In Arkansas, we are intimately familiar with the consequences.

In 2020, over 500 Arkansans died from drug overdoses, an increase of 195 from the previous year. Drug overdoses have been the second leading cause of accidental deaths in Arkansas since 2010, and many of those overdoses can be attributed to opioid misuse. Last year, for the first time in our state’s history, fentanyl surpassed methamphetamine to become the deadliest drug.

Thankfully, there are multiple efforts underway to combat this crisis, bring overdose deaths down, and treat and prevent substance abuse.

One such initiative is a partnership between the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and state and local law enforcement agencies called National Drug Take Back Day. Twice per year, a concerted campaign is organized and promoted by DEA along with state and local partners to encourage Americans to properly dispose of prescription drugs and curb their abuse.

The Natural State has fully embraced this approach to ridding homes of expired and unused prescription medications. Arkansas Drug Director Kirk Lane has mobilized support for Arkansas Take Back, which each spring and fall facilitates numerous collection sites in communities across the state. Here Arkansans can bring their surplus medicines and have confidence they will be safely discarded instead of winding up in the wrong hands. To date, Arkansas has collected 442,162 pounds (221 tons) of prescription drugs through Take Back events.

In recent years, we had actually been reducing overdose deaths through a combination of prevention and addiction treatment services, as well as widespread deployment of Naloxone, sometimes referred to as Narcan, which is used to reverse the effects of an opioid-induced overdose.

The second Drug Take Back Day in 2021 is quickly approaching and presents an opportunity to once again clean out our homes and medicine cabinets. On Saturday, October 23, over 250 locations will be collecting expired and unneeded medications. If you need to find the closest collection site to your home, just visit artakeback.org.

I’ve been proud to back federal efforts to help combat the opioid epidemic, including increasing resources for law enforcement, allocating money to grant programs that help state and local governments offset the costs of opioid abuse and providing funds for research into opioid addiction and alternative treatments.

We all have a part to play in getting these medications off the streets and out of the hands of our family, friends and neighbors who might misuse them accidentally or intentionally. I will continue to support policies and programs that offer solutions to help get this crisis under control, save lives, and restore families and communities that have suffered so deeply from the effects of these drugs.

There’s no doubt our state and the country suffered a setback in drug abuse because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that does not mean we can’t get back on the right track. The first step will be to join together and commit to safely, securely disposing of potentially dangerous medications at the upcoming Arkansas Take Back events. I encourage all Arkansans to take that step.

Scott County Prosecutor Will Not Pursue Charges in Harris Case

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11:40 am

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Scott County Prosecutor Will Not Pursue Charges in Harris Case

Scott County Prosecutor Tom Tatum II has announced that his office will not be pursuing charges against Hartford resident, Daniel Harris. Harris was arrested in Mansfield on Wednesday, August 4, for being in possession of firearms on school property.

Police Chief Wayne Robb responded to the call of a suspicious person in the joint parking lot of Mercy Family Medicine and the Mansfield Elementary School, located at 100 N. Walnut Street. Upon arrival on scene, Robb made contact with a male subject and sought a consent for search. According to Robb, Harris was cooperative and agreeable to the search. That search led to the discovery of four firearms, a set of handcuffs, and a bulletproof vest.

Harris, a Security Corporal at Choctaw Casinos and Resorts, was allegedly waiting inside the vehicle on a female he had brought to the clinic. The female reportedly alerted the staff that she was fearful because of the number of guns Harris had.

The concealed handgun carry license holder was arrested on four charges of firearms possession on school property, class D felonies. He was transported to the Scott County Detention Center and booked in at 8:09 p.m. Following a hearing on Friday, August 6, Harris was released on $35,000 bond.

Charges were pending in both Sebastian and Scott County. Following an investigation into allegations occurring in Sebastian County, the prosecutor’s office announced Friday, August 27, that no criminal charges would be filed in the case. After 60+ days following Harris’ arrest, the Scott County Prosecutor’s office indicated that they, too, would not be pursuing charges in the case.

Harris’ property has since been returned to him.

Rattler Runners Unable To Keep Up With Jones

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6:05 am

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Rattler Runners Unable To Keep Up With Jones

If someone envied what another person had, and they strived to achieve as much as their neighbor; they were said to be trying to “keep up with the Joneses”. That innocuous phrase may have taken on a whole new meaning thanks to Mansfield High School’s latest cross country winner this past week.

On Tuesday, October 12 the Jones everyone was chasing was MHS Lady Tiger Darby Jones. At the Magazine Rattler Run, a large consortium of distance runners laid chase but could not catch Mansfield’s top performer. The senior blistered the course in a huge personal record to win the senior girls 5K race.

Lady Tiger junior high runners have found success this season.

Jones went the 3 loop obstacle in 20:08 to win the overall individual girls title. Even more impressive was who she beat and who was watching as she bettered her previous 5K time by 51 seconds.

Jones passed and then pulled away from the 2020 Farm Bureau River Valley All-Star winner, Maggie Gregory of Pottsville. Gregory, who has drawn the attention of several postsecondary schools, would end up finishing second in the race.

Mansfield junior boys keep momentum as they near the end of the regular season in cross country running.

Coming to watch Gregory among other athletes in attendance was Ouachita Baptist University Assistant Cross Country Coach, John Jones. By coincidence, Ouachita happens to be on the college wishlist of Mansfield’s Jones; no relation to the coach.

“It was curious that Coach Jones was one of the contacts we were going to make after the Magazine run,” said Mansfield mentor John Mackey. “Darby and I sat down and plotted a pace schedule targeting what we hoped would be a big run at the Rattler. It just so happened she set a PR and he was there to see it.”

Coach Jones made a beeline to the finish as the athlete Jones crossed for the win. As fate would intervene, no need for email introductions now as the Joneses did a “face to face” as multiple Mansfield players continued to congeal the top 20.

Lady Tiger and college prospect Faith Rainwater rolled into sixth place. She set a personal record as well with a 21:39 mark. That was 1 minute and 16 seconds faster than her All-State performance from last year’s state finals.

Mansfield’s McKenzie Griffin gained momentum with another PR for the senior high Tigers. Her 17th place crossing was logged in at 22:26.

Soon after at 22:53 was MHS junior Jadelynn Wood who posted a 20th place finish. Wood and the previously mentioned trio of Tigers were all anointed medallions for their efforts.

When Hope Rainwater passed the finish in 34th place, Mansfield’s women secured the small school team championship. Hope Rainwater’s new career best of 24:09 was the clincher. Teammate Katlynn Moore was next in a PR for her at 24:19.

“It was a good day to be a Tiger,” said Mansfield’s Coach Mackey. “All our players from top to bottom seemed to perform really well tonight. The light drizzle and cooler air made the conditions just right.”

Included in that scenario were junior high runners Laney Wood and Joey Fildes. The two individuals have been the top performers for the Tigers’ junior high girl’s team and boy’s team respectively.

Wood took second place overall with a 1.5 mile race time of 9:44. The outstanding freshman has won five first place finishes on the year and several seconds.

Fildes dug deep around the single loop course to eclipse his best time at the Magazine venue. The eighth grader produced an 8:34 clocking for the 1.5 mile race.

Top 5 finishers for the Mansfield junior boys were Fildes, Gunner Williams, Holden Powers, Rylan Nichols, and Joseph Carter.

Powers, just a seventh grader, collected his first medal of the season with a 19th place effort in a time of 9:44. Williams, also a seventh grader, brought home his fifth medal of the year. He finished 16th in a time of 9:33.

The Mansfield junior girls were unable to score as a team as conflicts reduced the squad to less than the mandatory five runners. Addie Bowman, Aidan Fildes, and Ashley Martin followed Wood as the Lady Tiger completors. Wood was the only medalist from the group.

Undefeated Charleston Visits Improved Hackett in Huge 3A-1 Conference Game

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5:55 am

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Undefeated Charleston Visits Improved Hackett in Huge 3A-1 Conference Game

The football facilities at Hackett are not the only part of the football program that has improved. In addition to the beautiful new artificial turf that has been installed, the Hackett Hornets are 5-1 on the season and will be looking to tie the 3A-4 conference race tonight when they host the 6-0 Charleston Tigers.

The improvement in Hackett has been seen over the past two seasons, and for Charleston, the Tigers are maintaining the tradition of high standards in their program. Charleston was undefeated a year ago in conference play, and they continue to win in the 3A-1 conference. The last conference loss for Charleston was in early November of 2019 when the Tigers lost at home to now Class 4A Lamar.

Hackett will be fresh off of their impressive road win at Cedarville a week ago. In fact, the only loss of the season for the Hornets was a narrow, high-scoring game loss to Lavaca. Charleston defeated Mansfield soundly in week six and has three Class 4A victories from the non-conference portion of its season win total. Tonight’s game will be a very important game for both Charleston and Hackett. If Hackett can defeat the Tigers at home tonight, the two teams would be in a tie for first place with Hackett having the tie breaker advantage over Charleston. If Charleston wins, the Tigers would give Hackett their second conference loss, and Charleston would begin to distance themselves from the rest of the conference in the standings. Both teams tonight have a lot to play for, and both teams should be in this year’s state playoffs. But as coaches will tell you, there is a big difference going into the playoffs as a seed lower than #2. Teams finishing #3 or lower usually play on the road in the state playoffs. Playing on the road can mean bus trips in excess of four hours and is very difficult to do and win in the playoffs. Conversely, a top seed going into the playoffs will keep a team at home for the majority of the rounds, and thus give them a significant advantage in the cold and difficult weeks of football state playoffs.

Both teams tonight have good team speed, and the new artificial turf at Hackett could resemble a track meet at times during the game. Weather could be a factor, possibly bringing rain throughout the contest. But the new turf should be an ideal setting for a rainy night. It will be up to the defenses to contain the speed of each others’ great skill players in this important contest.

So football fans, get out your rain gear and get ready to make the drive to Hackett for what should be a great game. Watch for a recap of this game next week in Resident Press.

Enjoy a great night of high school football!

R

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