In 1985, after purchasing the home farm of 110 acres from my parents, my dad gave me the best economic advice on making a living on the farm that I’ve ever heard. He said: “Son, if you want to make a living on the farm, don’t go to town. When you go to town, you will spend money. Wait, and when you go to town, take something to sell, and come home with more money than you went to town with, and you will always have plenty of money.”
After building up a 40 plus cow/calf operation, in about 1993, on December 25, I had five momma cows give birth in the 24 hour period of Christmas Day. Feeling magnanimous, I told my wife she could have any one of those calves as an additional Christmas gift. When I shared that with dad, he said: “Son, I gave your mother a cow one year for Christmas. The next year, I had to give her another one. First thing you know, she had more cows than I did.”
In 2001, after five years of a custom hay baling operation with only a Ford 2000 tractor, I decided to buy an additional larger Ford 3000 model tractor. (More horsepower for mowing and bailing, less changing of implements). When I told my dad, he responded: Son, you need to think about it, you can only ride one tractor at a time.” I now own three tractors, and guess what? I still can only ride “one at a time”.
I lost my dad in May of 2020, the day after my 70th birthday. I miss him. One of the last things he ever told me, and the most important, was: “I love you”.
Replacing the tires on your car can get expensive. You typically want all four treads to have equal wear, and when one tire goes, you need to think about whether it’s safe to replace one or if it’s time to replace all of them. Save yourself some trouble by asking, “tire plugs or tire patches: which is better?” and learning which will keep you safest on the road.
How Tire Plugs Work
After your vehicle runs over a sharp object, whether a nail or a pointed rock, it will puncture the rubber and cause air to leak out. Normally, people will see this and determine that the tire is no longer suitable for use. But by pulling out the sharp object, you can insert a tire plug into the hole to seal the damage. The plug will adhere to the tire, creating a strong bond and making your tire usable once more.
Safety Considerations
While you can insert a plug to seal a puncture, it cannot heal every wound. You cannot properly repair a hole that is too big, and it will tear again. Know what damage you can safely seal and what will require a new tire.
How Tire Patches Work
Patching a tire is a more involved process that requires you to remove the tire from the rim and use a die grinder to cut a two-inch diameter hole around the puncture. The patch is then pushed from the interior of the tire to the exterior, forming a strong seal.
Convenience Considerations
A patch is commonly regarded as the stronger of the two options, providing better, more reliable results and a stronger tire. But the downside is that it is a very hands-on process, requiring you to directly work on your tire and manipulate it further. A patch is not as quick and easy a fix as a tire plug, but it can provide astounding results for the effort.
Know When To Get a New Tire
You can’t salvage every tire; there are times when you need to know when to replace a tire. If the hole is too big or the tire is damaged too badly, you may need a replacement. Even after you know whether a tire patch or a tire plug is better, you still need to acknowledge when both aren’t enough. Know when you need to change your tire if your current one is no longer safe.
In a warmup for the season opener against the Muskogee Roughers, the Varsity Bulldogs welcomed Fayetteville into Smith-Robinson Stadium.
Fayetteville would strike first with a pass from Bladen Fike to Oregon commit Isaiah Sategna. Greenwood would answer back with a run by Austin Mitchell. Before halftime Hunter Houston would find Luke Brewer. The scoreboard was reset at halftime with the score 14-14.
Senior Parker Gill puts pressure on Fayetteville’s QBSenior Hunter Houston throws to Aiden KennonHead Coach Chris Young Junior Jake Glover looks for more yardage Senior Luke Brewer during Warm-UpsSenior Tyler CrossnoSenior Bryce CaldwellSophomore Slade Dean
There is a saying that Greenwood does not rebuild, they just reload. If last Tuesday’s scrimmage game against Fayetteville is any indication, opponents are going to have a tough time against a high-powered offense and a tough physical defense.
The first half of the scrimmage saw the Freshmen going against Fayetteville White and the second half against Fayetteville Purple. While still a scrimmage and the score being arbitrary, Greenwood put up a staggering 53 points to Fayetteville’s 19. Three different QB’s saw action Tuesday and had a lot of success through the air. Kane Archer, Kaylor Jasna, and Scott Holland were able to slice through the Fayetteville secondary. Daniel Burton and Isiah Arrington provided some deep threat prowess and speed. Daniel Burton the son of former Greenwood WR great Jacob Burton, along with Arrington showed great hands and the ability to get to the ball.
The hard-hitting defense rarely let Fayetteville get a first down. Gage Hanna, Cash Archer, and Hudson Meeker, just to name a few, kept pressure on the Fayetteville QB all night only giving up 3 big plays.
Daniel Burton catches a long pass from Kane Archer on the way to a TD
Gage Hanna awaits the snap
Isaiah Arrington with the run after the catch
Kane Archer loads up to throw
Grant Karns catches a TD pass after a being left open in the Fayetteville secondary
Kaylor Jasna awaits the snap on an extra point attempt
It is no secret that the Greenwood Bulldogs have been creating their own history as an all-around top public school in the state.
This past February on National Signing Day, Greenwood saw 9 gridiron Bulldogs sign letters of intent for college, which is believed to be a record at the school. Jordan Hanna went to the University of Arkansas, Jayden Jasna and Hunter Wilkinson to Arkansas Tech. Brayden Stein and Peyton Carter signed on the line with Pitt State. Conner Marvin became a Hendrix Warrior. Jase Strozier took his unbeatable work ethic and receiver skills to Southern Nazarene. Beau Asher signed with Lyon College. State Championship MVP L.D. Richmond inked with Chattanooga Valley Community College.
Kinley Fisher signed with Mercer University in Macon, Georgia
Any school would rest upon that but not Greenwood, nearly every sport had athletes sign the past school year. The Girls Basketball team saw two go on to further their careers. After setting school scoring records, Kinley Fisher heads off to Mercer University. Shea Goodwin signed with University of Arkansas Monticello. Softball sends two to University of Arkansas in Fayetteville with Ally Sockey and Chelsi Possage. Volleyball had two sign this year. Hannah Watkins goes to the University of Central Arkansas. Larkin Luke signed with Henderson State. Across Highway 67 in Arkadelphia, Ouachita Baptist Marcie Cash joins the Cross Country team. Four players on the Varsity Baseball squad make their way to the College diamond. Reed Carroll signed with Carl Albert, Chance Eoff with Arkansas Tech, speedster Caden Brown to University of Central Arkansas, and Pitcher Landry Jurecka heads to Manhattan, Kansas to play at Kansas State. Golf had two sign with Olivia Walker going to Williams Baptist and Brady Fein to Hendrix.
Four Baseball players signed in the spring
Not be outdone, cheer had two sign, Southern Arkansas University picked up Chloe Novak, and Aniston Basham goes up the road to join a plethora of Greenwood Alumni as a member of the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Cheer Team. Soccer standout Riley Wann signed with National Park College in Hot Springs. Dance Team member Kylee Corbett signed with Johnson County Community College.
Amongst this, the Football team won their 10th State Title, wrestling won back-to-back State Championships, Volleyball won their third State Championship, E-Sports also became back-to-back State Champions.
Greenwood winning their 10th football state title, QB L.D. Richmond put on a clinic and garnered the State Championship MVP award
To say they are continuously creating history would be an understatement. What if there was something else Greenwood laid claim to this summer? Reportedly the youngest athlete, has been offered an opportunity to further his football career before even playing a down of his eighth-grade year. Within 24 hours of each other, Kane Archer received offers from Missouri and Michigan. While the offers cannot be official until the athlete’s junior year, getting an early offer is certainly not unheard of.
8th Grader Kane Archer looks to throw during the 9th Grade Scrimmage against Fayetteville
Missouri is familiar with Archer as legendary Greenwood Head Coach Rick Jones joined the Missouri staff after 16 years of leading the Bulldogs. Kane participated in several QB sessions with Coach Jones leading up to his 7th-grade year. The incoming 8th grader has been a two-sport athlete (football and basketball) in Greenwood since the start. In 3rd grade, he joined the Pittbulls, and it laid the foundation in his football career. That evolved into joining something almost unheard of, a travel football team. It is with the Outlaws out of Kansas City where Kane garnered the most attention. His exploits on the field are well documented and in the era of social media, they have taken on a life of their own. Search his name on YouTube and you will find a dozen or so videos of games against teams out of Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston. Locally for some, it is overwhelming and too much hype or publicity for someone so young, but for others across country, the accolades and comments keep feeding into the story.
Archer looks for running room against Los Angeles Rampage in Kansas City
The beginning of this is a story similar to that of former Springdale/Razorback/USC QB Mitch Mustain, put upon a pedestal before taking a Varsity snap. He played the game and those watching applied the labels “#1 QB” or “Top of his class”. Deep down underneath the highlights there is still a kid that just wants to go to Dark Water at Parrot Island. A kid that wants to improve on the field with his pocket presence and maturity. A kid that is trying to keep the all American QB persona, no flashy bands or anything extra, an American Flag mouthpiece, the close-cut hair style. Just a kid.
On the football side of things, Kane has not stayed put this summer. He made a trip out to California for five days, to work with John Beck, who works with and has worked with several NFL QB’s. “If they’re getting trained by them and I’m getting trained by them. Then we are absolutely in the right place,” Kane Archer mentioned in an interview the night before his matchup with LA Rampage. Asked on what he could improve the most in his game, “Watching some more film, got to break down more coverages. It’s still little league football, it’s just backyard football (in reference to the style of play for the K.C. Outlaws). I still have to watch more film and find out what defenses they are running, so I can find where the weaknesses are and attack it.”
This fall Kane gets the opportunity to play up with the Freshmen Bulldogs. It’s a group he is very familiar with as his brother Cash Archer is class of 2025 and played football since the Pittbulls. At the end of the regular season, Pittbulls Head Coach Justin Jasna and his staff would take the Pittbulls to a few tournaments bringing along Kane. “Finally getting to play up is something I’ve been trying to for 3 or 4 years now. Playing with these guys is a step ahead and I think that’s really what I need.” Archer said. While other national powerhouse High Schools (Mater Dei, St. Francis Academy) have tried to swoon the young Archer over the summer, it is Greenwood where he remains true too.
Speaking with Kane’s dad Adam Archer, when asked about how much of a proud dad moment this was, he said “Seriously I couldn’t be any prouder. But I told him already, we still haven’t played a snap of high school. So we haven’t earned anything yet. It’s a long journey, a long journey.” A journey that will hopefully end with a goal that a lot of kids have, to play college ball.
After watching Tuesday’s scrimmage against Fayetteville, the Bulldogs put up 53 points with Kane finding the end zone 7 times. The offensive fire power that the Freshmen have, plus the talent in the grades above and below, have Greenwood simply reloading for years to come.
Archer in action against Charleston in the 6th Grade
Currently, there are three QB’s in the grades ahead of Archer. Junior Hunter Houston looks to be a lock-in the position for the next two seasons. Slade Dean will be a Senior Archer’s Sophomore year and will have two years of Varsity experience by then. Cole Kindle did well in the Spring and will improve on his skill set in the next few seasons. As of now there have been six QB’s from Greenwood that signed Division 1 letters of intent since Coach Chris Young has been at Greenwood. Those include Daniel Stegall, Tyler Wilson, Stephen Hogan, Jabe Burgess, Luke Hales, and Connor Noland. With Hogan and Hales on the coaching staff this year and working with the QB’s, can they elevate that number to nine, this writer believes so. They not only bring experience and the skill set of the QB, but bring the knowledge of what is expected of a QB at that level.
Junior Hunter Houston throws to classmate Aiden Kennon in action against Fayetteville
Sophomore Slade Dean looks to throw late in the Scrimmage against Fayetteville
One thing is for certain, Greenwood will continue to create history on the field, on the court and in the classroom.
Coleen Elizabeth (Lambert) Wagner of Waldron, Arkansas went to be with her Lord and Savior, Friday, August 20, 2021 in Waldron, Arkansas with her loving family by her side. Coleen was born September 5, 1938 in Lindsey, Oklahoma to Flake E. Lambert and Mildred (McMillian) Lambert. Coleen was 82 years old. She was a long-time member of Friendship Pentecostal Church of God. She loved the Lord with all of her heart and loved her church family.
Coleen married the love of her life, Carl Wagner December 11, 1954. Together they raised a family, became grandparents, and lived life to the fullest. Coleen was a collector of many items. She enjoyed her flowers but her true passion was that love for her family. Coleen especially enjoyed being around her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She looked forward to spending time with them making memories, laughing and just being together.
Coleen leaves behind to cherish her memory, her loving husband of 66 years Carl Wagner of the home, children: Jimmy Wagner, Tina Phillips and husband Dale, Tammy Self and husband Rev. James Self all of Waldron, Arkansas. Nana will forever remain in the hearts of her grandchildren: Nathan Wagner (Jacquelyn), Gail Velazquez (Edgar), Christina Tabor (Travis), Philip Self (Cindy) and Jastin Smith (Ashley) as well as 15 great-grandchildren. Coleen will be missed by all that knew her and the many whose lives she impacted including a host of extended family, friends and church family she loved dearly.
Coleen was preceded in death by her parents, Flake & Mildred Lambert and a bonus mom Nettie Lambert, one son Jerry Wagner, granddaughter, Terry Smith and grandson Justin Wagner two sisters, Aileen Hester her twin and Betty Fisher.
Coleen’s life celebration will be 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 24, 2021 at the Friendship Pentecostal Church of God near Waldron, Arkansas with Rev. Donnie Wagner and Rev. James Self officiating. Interment will follow in the Lamb Cemetery near Waldron, Arkansas. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
Coleen’s pallbearers will be Rev. James Self, Philip Self, Edgar Velazquez, Jastin Smith, Dale Phillips and Travis Tabor.
Coleen’s visitation will be Monday, August 23, 2021 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
The start of one of the most much-anticipated seasons in recent program history is less than a week away for the Paris Eagles football program. New head football coach Jeff Weaver will take his Eagles on the short trip down Highway 22 to Lavaca this Friday to face the Golden Arrows in the first weekend of the 2021 high school football season.
Paris enters the season ranked in the top ten in Arkansas Class 3A. A season ago, the Eagles finished 8th in Class 3A after a state quarterfinal appearance in last year’s state playoffs. Much of last year’s team is returning this year, and Eagles fans everywhere have been looking forward to this season for a long time.
The Eagles will play their first two games of the season away from Paris. Paris travels to Lavaca this Friday and will play at Johnson County Westside on September 3. The Eagles home opener will be the next week on September 10 when they host the West Fork Tigers.
Jeff Weaver’s offensive philosophy may appear to be similar to last year’s approach under former coach Tyler Clark. But the terminology and the intent of this offense is very different. In last week’s preseason scrimmage game at Magazine, the Eagles, although using their starters sparingly, showed their ability to strike quickly for big, explosive plays that amassed big chunks of yardage. The Eagles can score quickly from any point on the field with good skilled position players and team speed.
Weaver has also developed some much-needed depth at key positions, specifically in the offensive backfield. At quarterback, sophomore Maddox Watts, brother of senior starting quarterback Chase Watts, has had the opportunity to play a lot of snaps to develop his skills as the Eagles’ backup quarterback. Senior Jude Simmons is also available to play quarterback in an emergency situation and can be very effective.
The Eagles have outstanding talent, and that talent is highlighted by seniors Duke Walker, Chase Watts, Blake Martines, Mequell Elingberg, and others who will contribute on both sides of the ball. Walker, a returning All-State player at both running back and corner back, is a very talented athlete who verbally committed to the University of Missouri as a freshman to play college baseball for the Tigers. Walker is a three-sport letterman and was honored as an All-State athlete in both football and baseball in the 2020-21 school year. In the 2020 football season, Walker came up with countless numbers of big plays on both offense and defense. Most notably, against Booneville, Walker produced two turnovers for touchdowns on defense by scooping up fumbles and returning them for touchdowns. Waker’s big plays kept Paris in the game with the Bearcats and gave them a chance to win late in the game. Paris will need his big play ability in 2021, as well.
Chase Watts is a returning three-year starter at quarterback for the Eagles. After an outstanding junior campaign, Watts was invited to throw for the coaching staff at Texas Tech. Watts should thrive under Jeff Weaver’s offensive system, and I look for Watts to have the best year of his high school career in 2021. He is a natural leader and is laser-focused on leading his team farther in the state playoffs this year than the Eagles quarterfinal appearance a year ago. He is a mobile, dual-threat quarterback who can beat you with both his arm and his legs. After two seasons as the Eagles’ starting quarterback, Watts is poised to play his third year at the position with excellent decision-making and big play capability.
When I asked Paris football coach Jeff Weaver where he thought his team was at this point of the summer leading into the start of next week’s game, Coach Weaver said, “I was pleased with how we played (at the Magazine scrimmage). Obviously, not in mid-season form, but I think ahead of where a lot of people would probably have expected us to be with respect to the coaching change. That is attributed to our seniors; we have a good senior class with a lot of good leadership and they have worked hard to be ready. I really liked the pace that we were able to play at and I think we can use that to our advantage. But at the same time, I am very concerned about the heat we are going to have this week and being prepared for that.”
Like a lot of the Eagles’ opponents in 2020, Paris was able to surprise the Golden Arrows in the first game of the season. The previous two years had not been good for the Eagles as they rebuilt a program that was depleted of numbers and talent from a previous run of state playoff appearances. Paris opponents had lost respect for the Eagles football program, and many assumed a victory anytime they played the Eagles. But all of that changed in 2020, and in the first half of last year’s game with Lavaca, the Eagles had built a very large halftime lead going into the locker room.
But in part of the growing pains of transitioning the Paris football program from one of no success to one that would go three rounds deep into the state playoffs, the Eagles emerged from the halftime locker room against Lavaca and played in a lack luster manner against the Golden Arrows. And give Lavaca credit; the Arrows played hard in the second half and closed within 14 points to make a game of the contest in the second half. Immediately after the game, I interviewed then Eagles coach Tyler Clark, and I will just say this…he was not happy. So, the Eagles learned that night that you have to play two halves of each game. Coach Weaver added, “I think going into this game we have to work hard at controlling our emotions, our energy, and hydrate. We have to stay focused on four quarters of football. If we are able to get up we want to stay sharp. If we are not, then we will need to continue to fight through and try to finish on top.”
Going into this year, Lavaca will be looking to pull an upset against the top ten-ranked Eagles and gain a bit of revenge for the big loss they suffered last year at the hands of the Eagles. Last season, Lavaca was a talented, but young team going into the season opener at Paris. This year, those players are back for the Arrows, and they are more experienced and have gained size in the off-season. This year’s game will be played at Lavaca, and make no mistake, the Golden Arrows will come out fired up and ready to play against Paris. In front of the home crowd with an opportunity to pull a big upset to start the year…Paris must be ready to play and play for the entire ballgame. Coach Weaver has stressed this with his team. “I have stressed to the players that the difference this year is that we have more of a target on our backs. We are not going to sneak up on anyone. And we have to prepare for that. I think the kids are excited about that and welcome that challenge. But, it is a new experience for them, and we will see how they respond.”
Lavaca finished the 2020 season with a deceptive 1-7 record playing in the tough 3A-1 conference. The Golden Arrows lone victory was against Mansfield, defeating the Tigers 20-17. The Golden Arrows were young and playing in Class 3A against tough opponents such as Charleston, Cedarville, Greenland, Lincoln, and others.
An experienced and talented Lavaca backfield will be poised and ready for the Eagles (Resident Press File Photo / Jim Best)
The Arrows return eight starters on both sides of the ball, and those eight offensive and defensive starters gained valuable experience last year and will be focused on winning more than just one game. The Arrows return two all-conference starters that include running back Cazen Winters. Winters, a three year starter, according to Hooten’s Arkansas Football publication, “blends 4.7 speed with strength (440 lb squat, 270 lb power clean).”
The Golden Arrows are led at quarterback by junior Maddox Noel who passed effectively in 2020. The Lavaca junior demonstrated this summer in 7-on-7 camps that he is ready to eclipse his 2020 passing yardage of more than 1,000 yards. And a large portion of those yards will undoubtedly be directed at Lavaca senior wide receiver Jackson Floyd.
The question mark for this year’s Golden Arrows team will be their offensive line. According to Hooten’s, they are “unproven” and it will be up to the Paris defensive line to put pressure on Noel and to limit his ability to find his receivers. The Paris defense will also have to take advantage of the Lavaca offensive line to limit the yardage by their all-conference running back.
Coach Weaver commented, “Their (Lavaca’s) line is big. The running back and quarterback are impressive players. If they get out in space, that is where we really worry about them. We will have to tackle well against their running back.”
The Arrows are coached by Mark Headly who is steadily building a good football program at Lavaca. Last year, he played a lot of sophomores who had previous success in junior high football. They took their lumps in 2020, but as returning juniors, this is a talented class with a year of varsity football under their belts, and I look for the Arrows to be in a lot of football games late this season. It will be interesting to see, playing in a tough conference, if the Arrows can take the next step and close out some victories this season.
Several opponents in 2020 that may not have believed Paris to be as good as they were and who were defeated by Paris, will have the Eagles circled on their schedules for the return games this season. Specifically, teams like West Fork, Atkins, and Perryville will join the Golden Arrows in seeking to revenge unexpected losses to Paris in 2020. From my observation of Paris this summer and watching the players react to the coaching change that took place late in the spring, I believe the Eagles are focused on showing their 2021 opponents that the wins in 2020 were no fluke. This year’s team is an impressive group, led by an outstanding and unselfish senior class who cares only about team victories. If Paris stays healthy this season, it could be one of the best in program history.
On Friday, I observed the final portion of the Eagles practice as they prepared for Lavaca and focused on conditioning in the hot August heat. After the practice, I had the opportunity to visit with Coach Weaver. Coach Weaver has great respect for Lavaca and their coaching staff, and he knows the Eagles will have their hands full this Friday night.
So, Eagles fans, the stage is set for what could be a fun year for Paris football. A lot of things have to go right; namely the Eagles have to remain healthy and key positions have to develop and improve each week. But the talent and experience on this team is impressive, and I look for the Eagles to compete for a conference championship that could come down to a big, late-season game at Booneville to determine the 3A-4 champion and a top seed in the upcoming state playoffs.
But, as the cliche goes…”one game at a time.” The most important game of the year is this week at Lavaca. That is the only team Paris should be focused on at this time. And if this year’s game is like last year’s, you can bet the Golden Arrows will play all-out and for the entire game. It is a time for senior leadership to keep this team focused and respectful of each week’s opponent. And this week, that respect is for the Lavaca Golden Arrows.
Paris’s Duke Walker (22) runs for big yardage in last year’s game vs Lavaca (Resident Press File Photo / Jim Best)
Resident Press will be in Lavaca on Friday night to bring you coverage of the Eagles’ game with the Golden Arrows. RP will publish a story on this game and with each week’s game on Saturday in the online edition of Resident Press. Photographs from each week’s game will be available on Facebook at Pairs Eagles Sports by Sunday night of each week. And if you are unable’ to attend the game, quarterly scores of each week’s games will be published in real time on Resident Press. Just click on the “Press Pass” link on the RP app or website to see the Eagles’ scores, as well as other River Valley scores.
Football seasons is finally here! It is my favorite time of year, and I look forward to seeing you at the stadiums across Arkansas as RP covers the Eagles. See you there!
With many Arkansas high school opening this Friday with “zero week” games, the Charleston Tigers will open the season in week one of the high school calendar on September 3 when they host the Dardanelle Sand Lizards at Alumni Field. Charleston, the defending 3A-1 champions from 2020, will open the season playing three of the top five predicted finishers in the tough 4A-4 conference. The Tigers will play Dardanelle, Pottsville and the predicted first place finisher in the conference, the Ozark Hillbillies in the traditionally tough Charleston non-conference schedule. It has been commonplace for the Tigers to enter conference play at 1-2 or 0-3 after playing a tough 4A schedule, but has paid dividends for Charleston in conference play.
Charleston will open at home on September 3 against Dardanelle and will follow in week two at Pottsville on September 10. In their final non-conference game, Charleston will play in the “Battle of Franklin County” at Ozark on September 17. The Tigers will open 3A conference play on September 24 at home versus Greenland.
Tigers Reese Merechka (2) tackles a Booneville ball carrier in the Tigers last scrimmage(Resident Press Photo / Ronni Tate Young)
After playing against the Booneville Bearcats in summer camps, the two schools scrimmaged each other in Charleston as the final tune-up for both schools leading into the upcoming season. Charleston coach Ricky May was concerned with his team’s play coming out of the scrimmage, but due to good scheduling by May, now has approximately ten days to make corrections before their first game with Dardanelle. Coach May commented, “We definitely have a ways to go. We spent the rest of the week working on the physicality that Booneville brought in the scrimmage. So, we are going to continue doing that. That’s the good thing about not having a week zero game. We have another week to get ready. We are hoping that by the time Dardanelle gets here we will be ready.”
Charleston’s Sebastian Gaona (9) brings down a Booneville ball carrier(Resident Press Photo /Ronni Tate Young)
On the positive side of the scrimmage, Coach May added, “We didn’t turn the ball over, we didn’t have but maybe two penalties, so, it wasn’t like we (the coaching staff) were displeased with the whole thing, it’s just, that part of the game (physicality) was the one side we were not good at. Defensively, we played well at times. But, on key third downs, we might give up a big run, or something to that effect. We just couldn’t put four good downs together. And, until you can do that, it’s tough. Hats off to Booneville, they did a good job. They are who they say they are.”
Junior quarterback Brandon Scott (12) is expected to lead the way for the Tigers this year(Resident Press Photo /Ronni Tate Young)
Looking forward for the Tigers going into their first game with Dardanelle, the Sand Lizards are always big, talented, and athletic. Hooten’s Arkansas Football publication has predicted Dardanelle to finish second in their conference. The predicted order of finish in the tough 4A-4 conference is Ozark, Dardanelle, Mena, Lamar, Pottsville, Waldron, and Dover.
Inside Charleston’s 3A-1 conference, the same publication has picked the Tigers to win the conference. The predicted order of finish is Charleston, Cedarville, Greenland, Lincoln, West Fork, Hackett, Lavaca, and Mansfield. Of the other schools in this conference, fans may want to keep an eye on the West Fork Tigers who will return a big, physical and experienced group that made the playoffs last year as a five seed. Cedarville will return a pair of 1,000 yard rushers this season, and as has been the case in the past two seasons, a very important, early conference game will be played in Cedarville between the Tigers and the Pirates with the outcome having significant conference championship and playoff seeding implications.
Resident Press will have a week one preview of the Tigers game with Dardanelle next Sunday night. Game coverage can be found each week in Resident Press every Sunday night, as well.
So, Tigers fans, the season is almost here! I predict the Tigers will add another conference championship to the long list of championships in Charleston. Stay with Resident Press, and we will bring you coverage of every game!
It was a festive night at Paris Gymnasium on Thursday as the high school volleyball season started with preseason games to benefit the Arkansas Activities Association. Paris played host to Class 4A Farmington and Hot Springs Fountain Lake in a round-robin of two-set matches with each school. The night’s games were the final tune-ups before the official start of the season on Monday, August 23. On that date, the Lady Eagles will travel to Russellville to open the season against the Lady Cyclones.
And what a difference a year makes! Unlike the COVID year of 2020 where teams were allowed very limited activity late in the summer, teams throughout the state had the opportunity this summer to play club sports and to attend regular workouts all summer long. The only break players have had this season was during the mandatory two weeks of AAA mandated “dead weeks” where formal, organized practices are not allowed. And even then, players worked out individually on their own, or with small numbers of fellow teammates who organized their own workouts. After enduring the heartbreak a year ago of seeing courts and playing fields empty due to COVID, it was refreshing to see a big crowd and a court full of happy high school athletes being able to play the sport that they love!
All three schools played well. Farmington is an improved team from last year, and Fountain Lake, playing their second year in Class 4A, is reasserting their dominance that they enjoyed as a 3A school. Paris will travel to Fountain Lake in a few weeks to play the Lady Cobras in a regular season, non-conference match. The Lady Cobras have a good program and are well-coached, and there is a good relationship between the coaches at Hot Springs and Paris. Both schools benefit in conference play by playing each other in non-conference play.
Paris is returning a very deep, talented, and experienced team from a year ago. The team finished as state runner-up a year ago with a predominantly sophomore and junior team, and all of those players return this year. Senior Jacee Hart has stepped up to take over the important position of setter that will maximize the impact of the impressive Paris front line. Hart’s contribution as a setter could be the last piece in the puzzle for the Lady Eagles to return to the state championship.
After a little bit of a slow start in the first set against Fountain Lake, the Lady Eagles got on track and proceeded to dominate their competition. Last evening, Paris looked like a state title contender. They are deep and talented, and most importantly, focused on returning the state championship to Paris.
But the Lady Eagles will find out a lot about themselves and their state of readiness to make a playoff run with a very challenging first week of regular season volleyball starting on Monday. The Lady Eagles travel to Russellville on Monday, at Lavaca on Wednesday, and at home on Thursday against a very good Fort Smith Southside team. The tough non-conference schedule will undoubtedly pay dividends in September and October when the Lady Eagles are in the meat of their conference schedule.
Resident Press will be here to bring you all of the action! And as they are now, photos will also be available on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports for fans of all schools to have of their favorite players and teams!
By Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications
As summer progresses and people begin to see deer more frequently in the open, many of the deer they witness will be seen with ticks or bare spots in their fur from scratching at parasites on the skin. It’s human nature to want to help, but according to Dr. Jenn Ballard, state wildlife veterinarian for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, treating free-ranging wildlife is rarely effective and can cause many more troubles than it prevents.
While some over-the-counter products are available to help livestock in a closely managed situation, land managers are strongly encouraged not to use such treatments for wildlife.
“Wildlife like white-tailed deer are well-adapted to handle the normal parasite loads found in their habitat,” Ballard said. “All wildlife will have some parasites, which is why wildlife agencies advise wearing gloves when field-dressing or handling harvested game.”
Topical or ingested treatments also can cause more harm than good as there’s no way to regulate the dosage a wild animal would receive.
“You’re leaving the deer to self-medicate, which will lead to some not getting enough and others getting too much,” Ballard said. “Those that under-medicate are particularly concerning because they will expose parasites to the drugs without killing them all. The remaining parasites can develop drug resistance. Those parasites can then attack livestock and pets and be resistant to conventional treatments.”
Distributing medications meant for livestock to free-ranging deer also can be illegal, as it violates the policy purchasers make when buying over-the-counter medicines.
“Deviating from the specific species and conditions listed on the label of the medicine violates federal law,” Ballard said. “These laws are there to avoid drug residues in food, which is a public health concern. It’s best to stick to the instructions on the label, which do not allow for wildlife.”
Ballard says the presence of too many ticks or parasites on deer can be an indicator of a larger problem.
“Abnormally heavy parasite loads can be caused by an overpopulation of deer,” Ballard said. “This will result in habitat degradation and higher rates of disease transmission. Treating the external parasites is just a Band-Aid on the bigger problem that should be addressed through balancing the herd with the available habitat.”
Ballard suggests landowners and leaseholders consult with one of the AGFC’s Private Lands Biologists about ways to increase habitat quality on their property. The Deer Management Assistance Program also can help land managers by developing plans focused at improving the quality and health of deer on their property.
Visit www.agfc.com/habitat for more information on DMAP and the AGFC’s Private Lands Program.
