The springs sports seasons are now in the books for the Charleston school district, and the Tigers have now turned their attention to the upcoming 2021 high school football season. Charleston, coming off of last year’s 3A-1 championship, is looking to improve this year with not only another conference championship, but a possible deep run through the state football playoffs.
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Tigers head football coach Ricky May is entering his third season at the helm of the Charleston football program, and he looks to keep his streak in tact by once again returning the Tigers to the state playoffs. May guided an injury-riddled team into the playoffs in his first season, and in 2020, amid the COVID pandemic, he led the Tigers to an undefeated season in the 3A-1 conference. Charleston won their first round playoff game at Alumni Field against the Mayflower Eagles, but fell in the second round to state quarterfinalist Glen Rose.
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The Tigers were a young and talented team in 2020, and many of those players are returning this fall after having significant playing time last season. And if that is not enough for Charleston, the Tigers have a rising sophomore class of players that is very good and will have several who will contribute this fall. So if Charleston can keep their players on the field this fall, they should be very tough to beat in 2021.
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The Tigers held their third spring practice on Wednesday, and Resident Press was their to bring you pictures of the players as they went to work to prepare for the upcoming season. The team spent over two hours on the Alumni Field turf going through a variety of individual and team drills on offense and defense. After the day’s practice, I asked Coach May for his thoughts about where his team is at this point in the spring. Coach May commented, “Day three of spring football is in the books. We made sure to get everyone looks today at some live team action on both sides of the ball, and hoping to see great things on film. We had a few players that had a good day, but we still have quite a few that have got to step up. I felt like we went faster on both sides of the ball, as well. We have moved a few players around to different spots and they seemed to pick it up better today, as well. No one is really standing out right now, but we are hoping that they all continue to learn and play hard.”
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Additional photos from today’s practice are available on Facebook at Charleston Tigers Sports. Resident Press will continue to update you on the Tigers this spring and when the team resumes pre-season practice in August. But until then, you can get your “football fix” with these photos today. And for whatever it means to our readers, I came away from the practice very impressed with the team. The Tigers are deep and talented, and I know that under Coach May’s leadership, they will be more than ready when the season begins this fall.
The long wait from last Saturday’s regional final win to Thursday’s first round game in the state softball tournament has finally arrived for the Paris Lady Eagles. And as thrilling and exciting as the regionals were for Paris, that is history, and the Lady Eagles must focus their attentions and energy on the Dover Lady Pirates in Thursday’s first round game. Paris and Dover will play their first round game in Ashdown on Thursday at 3 p.m. The winner will advance to Friday’s quarterfinal game.
For Paris fans, don’t pay any attention to tournament seedings. At this point, every team in the tournament is good and is very dangerous to the Lady Eagles’ hopes of winning a state championship. Every team has to be respected, and no team in the tournament can afford to look ahead to potential match-ups. And from this point forward, each game can be your last of the season. It is truly a matter of survival and advancing to the next round.
The first three rounds of the state tournament will be held in Ashdown with the finals being held next week at at different site. Paris must focus on Dover, and nothing else.
The Lady Eagles will again send senior Jadyn Hart to the circle for the big first round start. Hart has been an iron man all season, pitching virtually every game this season for Paris. She has had four days rest since her last start on Saturday, and she should be ready to go. Hart will also be counted on for her offense, and Paris fans are hoping to see the power she displayed in the regional final to continue in Ashdown. But the Lady Eagles have many players who contribute, and that is one reason why they have been so successful this year. No one player has to carry the load, as there are several in the lineup that can show up in any given game to have a big offensive night and carry the team to victory. Hart may be one of the three best pitchers in 3A this year, and she will be huge for the Lady Eagles this weekend.
Resident Press will be in Ashdown on Thursday to bring you all of the action from the state softball tournament. Updates will be published late each evening, and a final recap will be published Sunday night. Photos from the Lady Eagles’ games in Ashdown will be published on Tuesday, May 18. Look for these on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports.
Last weekend’s regional tournament was full of memories that Paris fans and players will remember forever. But as sweet as that was, Paris will be out to create more memories that could be even sweeter. Last weekend is over, and now, it is time to focus on Thursday, and, as the old saying goes, take it one game at a time.
Travel safely, and I will see you at the ballpark!
Like many high schoolers and college grads, young Arkansas black bears will be striking out on their own early this summer to find their place in the world. Unfortunately, just like young humans, the bears may find themselves in some sticky situations as they learn the ropes of life without a net for the first time. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission usually sees an uptick in nuisance bear complaints each spring and almost all of the culprits are young males that are looking for new territory.
“It’s part of how Mother Nature works,” Myron Means, AGFC large carnivore program coordinator, said. “When it’s time for a female bear to start working on a new litter of cubs, she will allow her daughters to stay in part of her territory, but she chases the young males away. It helps prevent inbreeding and promotes the expansion of the species. But it also means those young males will be on the move, looking for a new place to call home.”
That search can sometimes land bears in people’s backyards, where they find an easy meal and become a nuisance. According to Means, 90 percent of the calls received by the AGFC about nuisance bears stem from the bears finding food in the form of unsecured trash cans, loose pet food and bird feeders. The problem can be solved quickly with the removal or securing of those attractants.
“That bear is looking for a new place to live, so if you take away anything that attracts it, it usually will move on fairly quickly,” Means said. “Ninety percent of the nuisance calls we get can be handled simply by removing the easy meal.”
The problem often arises when people encourage them to stay or think they’re helping by putting out more food for the wayward bruin. Once that bear begins to lose its fear of people, it can become more aggressive or damage property seeking more food. With no negative response to the bad behavior, the bear doesn’t know any better than to continue seeking food and pushing its way around.
“That’s not good for people, and removing it isn’t good for the bear,” Means said. “It’s best to simply stop the feeding and make sure the bear gets the hint that it’s not welcome from the beginning.”
Means and other biologists from throughout the Southeast have worked together to help people learn more about bears and how to live in areas where bears may be present. Together, they formed a special website to deliver bear safety tips and information. Visit www.bearwise.org to learn more.
On Saturday, May 8, the South Sebastian County Trap Team hosted the first annual Peace Keepers vs. Trap Shooters event.
“I want these kids to know and respect our law enforcement,” shared Head Coach Lisa Buckley.
Officers from Huntington, Hartford, Mansfield, and Barling participated in the friendly competition. The trap team students are from Hackett, Mansfield, and Fort Smith.
The team will head to Jacksonville on May 13, to compete in a regional tournament.
After beating Charleston 10-6 for 3rd in District, the Hackett Lady Hornets strapped on their Regional wings and flew into the first round of the 3A Softball Region 1 Tournament. The Lady Hornets were prepped and ready to take on the West Fork Lady Tigers and after 7 hard-fought innings, the Lady Hornets stamped their ticket to State with a 15-5 victory. Madeline Freeman led the offensive invasion as she scored 5 RBI on 2 hits. Running as if they were being chased by zombies (the fast ones not the slow ones) was Kayla Richardson, Olivia Bouse, and Shayla Foster who each hooked triple runs. Madi Taylor, MacKenzie Mendenhall, and Richardson got their hands on one stolen base each. Pitcher, Kayla Richardson, helped with the win as she worked five innings, striking out six.
Olivia Bouse and Jamye Durham
Moving on to the semifinal round of Regionals, the Lady Hornets knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park as they were tasked with taking on sports giants, the Booneville Lady Bearcats. Unfazed by what lie ahead, Hackett suited up and hoped for the best. With Booneville laying down 9 runs in the first inning, the Lady Hornets were unable to respond and the game ended 14-1 Booneville. Down but not out, Hackett had a chance for 3rd Place glory as they went head-to-head with the #4 team in 3A, the Valley Springs Lady Tigers. Both teams brought their A-games to the dirt during the fierce finale of Regional play.
Kayla Richardson and Emma Infalt
After eight Herculean innings and being tied 5-5 at the close of the seventh, Hackett topped the eighth with one more run but took a fall when Valley Springs homered in the bottom securing two runs and ending the game 7-6. Madi Taylor was the head honcho in the runs category with twins while Richardson, Bouse, Foster, and Lexi Gann each netted a single. The Lady Hornets had 0 errors in the field and 21 putouts with Alona Rothwell and Sarah White tieing with 7 apiece. It’s now on to the State Tournament where the Hackett Lady Hornets will play on Thursday, May 13 at Ashdown against Baptist Prep at 3 pm. Should the girls carry on, they will then face the winner of the Ashdown/Rivercrest game.
After an unconventional start to the 2A West Regional Softball Tournament, the Mansfield Lady Tigers not only carried on to earn a seat at State but they made a clean sweep of Regionals to claim champion status. The first round of Regionals was to be played against the Decatur Lady Bulldogs but the Lady Bulldogs forfeited sending Mansfield on to the semifinals. With feet firmly planted, the Lady Tigers, who were next slated to face the Flippin Lady Bobcats, had no intentions of falling from grace. So in doing what the Lady Tigers do best and had done all season long, they left the Lady Bobcats scoreless with a 2-0 final score (thanks to the pitching prowess of Alyson Edwards) and found their spot in the championship round. Making the plays for Mansfield was Edwards who doubled on a line drive advancing Brooklyn Adams home and Adams who passed it forward in the next inning by singling on a line drive allowing Hailey Walker to score a run.
Alyson Edwards and Harlie Fuller
For the conclusion of Regionals, the Lady Tigers took on conference foes, the Acorn Lady Tigers, in a championship battle of top feline. After a painstaking hour and a half rain delay, it was batter up. Both teams stayed ready steady in the first five innings as they played quid pro quo starting the top of the sixth 3-2 Mansfield. But then the ladies in red woke up faster than Sleeping Beauty and delivered 7 big-ticket runs that sent Mansfield over the top with a final score of 10-2 and the title of 2A West Regional Softball Champions. Leading in hits for the Lady Tigers was Adams who handed over 3 along with 2 RBI. Skylynn Harris kept her legs moving faster than Sonic the Hedgehog providing 3 of the 10 runs.
Seniors, Walker and Creekmore and Cole Smith
Harlie Fuller picked up a pair of runs and rounding out the total with a single each was Alexis Chestine, Chloe Creekmore, Kiara Thomas, Cole Smith, and Serenity Brunson. With 21 putouts, Harris along with Creekmore supplied 11 and 8 respectively. The Mansfield Lady Tigers will enter into the State Tournament with a 15-4 total play record. The Lady Tigers will play their first round of State at Carlisle against Fordyce on Thursday, May 13 at 3 pm.
It may not seem like spring with the cool temperatures and the heavy rainfall, but it is, and it is time when high school football programs across the state transition from the spring sports season to the upcoming fall seasons. And new Paris head football coach Jeff Weaver has not let up since the day he was hired a few weeks ago.
Resident Press had planned to photograph the Eagles spring football practice today, but the weather forced the the team indoors. When I visited the team today, the senior high football players were hard at work in the weight room, and their new head football coach was preparing to meet with the team to continue the install of his system. I want to publicly thank Coach Weaver and the entire football staff for allowing me inside today to photograph the players as they worked through their weight and strength training program.
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Before the players finished their workout, I had the opportunity to sit down with the new Paris coach to talk about spring football practice and the progress he is seeing in his new team. Coach Weaver was very generous in taking time to visit with me before his meeting with the team, and I sincerely thank him for giving me and the Paris football fans a glimpse into how the program is progressing under his leadership.
I started out our conversation by mentioning to Coach Weaver that one of the many things I have been impressed with him so far is how he has “hit the ground” running since his hire by the Paris school board. Coach Weaver was hired on a Thursday night, and on the very next morning, he met with every group of players in the program, as well as watched the senior high team work out. Coach Weaver is a seasoned head football coach and he knows exactly what he wants to do and how he intends to accomplish the goals that he has for himself and the team.
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So, with the rain pouring outside, Coach and I visited in the quiet office that would precede his players meeting. Coach Weaver began by saying, “From what I am used to, I am a little worried about the late start (having been hired in late April). Coming in late April, having spring ball right around the corner…so it was real important to me to get over and observe and get to know the kids and coaches. I really spent two weeks more or less just watching and planing for our spring. I was immediately impressed by the work ethic of the kids. I think the staff has done a great job of holding them together during the time they were going through the head coaching search, and the kids enjoyed last season’s success and are hungry to go out and duplicate or even improve on that. So, I have been really impressed with the team; there is no entitlement attitude here. The kids are fired up and are going to work. Now that we have started spring practice, I continue to see that. I feel like we have the potential to have a really good football team.”
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Now that baseball season has ended and Coach Weaver has those players in his program for the duration of the 2021 football season, I asked Coach where he felt the team was with respect to their progress in learning his system and installing terminology and concepts into the playbook for 2021. Coach Weaver said, “We have really focused on offense so far, because we will keep our base defense with Coach Baxter being the defensive coordinator. We plan our third practice, which now will be on Thursday, to be more defensive, but we have had a few days of offensive practice. The good thing is what they (Paris) did the last three years offensively and what we will do this year moving forward will be similar. To the naked eye, it will probably look somewhat like the same, but it’s a lot of new terminology, and there are little changes that are being made here and there. But since our kids are already use to that, it’s not like coming in from a “ground and pound style” to something totally different. It’s very similar. So I think we are able to get quite a bit in right away. We are behind, but a lot of people are due to baseball, track, etc. But I feel like we are not so far behind that we can’t get to where we need to be by the end of June. I like to have everything pretty much in by the end of June.”
Having a senior-heavy team will help the new coach in the rapid install of his system for the upcoming season. Coach remarked, “It makes it a lot easier to have, especially, a three year starter returning at quarterback…again, there is new terminology that he and I can go in and watch film, go through our drill, all of those sort of things, and communicate really quickly. We’ve go running backs back, we have linemen back…we have moved players to receiver just because of how we like to use certain plays to get the ball to different positions. Those guys have made the move and are doing really well. So, the experience that they bring has certainly made it a lot easier to install.”
Without diving too far into Coach’s strategy on how he may attack certain opponents on his schedule, I asked him about his offense and defense’s ability to play against a variety of offensive attacks, including the physical, flexbone attacks of West Fork and Booneville. Again without divulging too much detail, I will just leave it at this: Coach knows what he wants to do, and his team will be prepared. That is all I am going to say, but in our conversation, I was impressed by a coach who “has done this before”, and he and the Eagles will not be afraid of anyone.
In fact, Paris will still be the bigger team against many of their opponents on the 2021 schedule. So it will not be as if Paris will be playing with a decided size disadvantage this coming season. Coach Weaver added, “I think their (the Eagles) experience last year against these teams (West Fork, Booneville, and others) makes our kids not afraid of anybody and we just have to go out and execute our stuff.”
Depending on the outcome of the Paris Lady Eagles’ title run this week and potentially next weekend, Resident Press will be at one of the late week spring football practices next week to bring you photos of the action and more comments and reactions from Jeff Weaver. Coach Weaver reminded me that anyone is welcome to attend the Paris football practices. The late practices next week will have scrimmages that could include live contact as part of their preparation. There will not be a blue / white game at the end of spring ball, but he encourages the public to come out and see the scrimmage components of the individual practices. Spring practice will end on approximately May 25. The final two Fridays will have significant scrimmages included in the practices.
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Moving into the summer, Coach Weaver has the team scheduled to participate in 7-on-7 scrimmages to get in extra offensive reps before August pre-season practice begins. Coach said, “We have a 7-on-7 tournament in June at Poyen (located west of Sheridan), another in July at Clinton, and a team camp at Clarksville in June. I am looking for a couple of more team camps. And then there are some 7-on-7 passing leagues in Russellville that Dardanelle hosts that I am probably going to put us in, as well. I have always done quite a bit of 7-on-7; I enjoy them and I think the kids enjoy them. Every year, I will always have us in two or three tournaments. I created one when I was the coach at Little Rock Christian.”
Coach Weaver and the Paris football program will hold a meeting next Tuesday, May 18, at 7 p.m., at the high school cafeteria of all football players and parents of students who will be in grades 8-12 in the 2021-22 school year. I will publish this announcement on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports as well. Coach Weaver asked me to spread the word of this important football parents/players meeting next Tuesday at PHS.
So…Eagles fans….are you getting excited? I am…I left Coach Weaver’s office wishing the new football season was starting this Friday night! But, it will be a busy spring and summer for the football Eagles, and before you know it, they will be reporting for fall practice, and a short time after that, it will be time for the pre-season practice. And then…just a little more than a week later, the season will start!
So stay with Resident Press as we bring you all of the latest and the most complete coverage of Paris Eagles football!
The “Waldron War” took place during the Reconstruction period and was marked by violence. Armed conflict between warring factions broke out in Waldron, Scott County, in West Central Arkansas in the Summer of 1875. Murder and arson left the town in a state of lawlessness.
A trip down Highway 71 to the Abbott area of Pleasant Grove #2 Cemetery will pique your interest in this historical event. It is there you will find a headstone engraved: “JOHN L DAVENPORT ASSASSINATED by the Waldron Ring Feb. 6, 1878”
The assassination of the well-known Scott County man, John L. “Shabe” Davenport, occurred at the peak of the Waldron War. Years prior, Governors Garland and Miller had utilized the state militia forces to maintain peace. Lawlessness left the city in ashes and the government struggled to restore order.
Davenport was from the northern part of the county. After receiving news of his death, a mob gathered just north of Hon at Lookout Gap. The mob rode through Hon on its way to Waldron. However, the overflowing Poteau River caused them to turn back.
Civil unrest reigned in the area following Davenport’s death. In fact, it was years later before order was restored in the county.
Are you interested in learning how to know if you have what it takes to be a logger? If so, read on to learn some of the responsibilities and challenges inherent to the profession. Logging is a rewarding but incredibly difficult career. It’s not for the faint of heart. However, people up to the task benefit by working with their hands in beautiful, outdoor settings.
Physical Strength
The logging profession puts a tremendous amount of pressure on its workers’ bodies. Many of the responsibilities and positions of a logger require them to be in top physical condition. Workers distinguish between specialized roles by using a whole collection of logging terminology.
Tree climbers, for instance, strap on harnesses and climb trees while carrying heavy equipment. They scale trees to remove the trees’ limbs. Buckers also have a very physically demanding job. They use chainsaws to cut felled trees down to their desired lengths. If you think you’re in good enough shape to take on these tasks, logging may be a viable career path.
Great Reflexes
Though the industry invests heavily into safety for its employees, logging sites are still dangerous places. Loggers need to contend with the constant threat of several tons of wood crashing onto them from above.
Fallers—the loggers that cut down trees with chainsaws—need to be ready to leap out of the way if the tree they’re cutting falls back onto them. The chokermen are in even more danger. They cross fields covered with huge logs to strap hooks and cables onto downed trees. At any moment, the logs can crush them, so constant surveillance and strong reflexes are a must for this job. Think about whether you can handle that kind of pressure.
Comfortable Outside
Logging is an outdoor industry, which can be its greatest appeal to many loggers. But no one should go into logging believing that it will be all blue skies and rainbows. If you want to figure out how to know if you have what it takes to be a logger, you should ask yourself how much you would enjoy working in the rain. You may also find that bugs surround you on many days. Working with frozen hands in cold climates is also a likely possibility.
Attention to Detail
Logging isn’t just about brute strength or rough-and-tumble grit. A good portion of the work can be mental as well.
Log graders and scalers are responsible for measuring logs to determine their volume. Furthermore, they examine logs for defects. Log sorters mark and organize felled trees based on their species, ownership, and size. If you would like to take on either of these positions, you must have a keen sense of observation and order.
