The jury trial for a Scott County man charged with first degree murder has been continued with a mental evaluation pending.
On Tuesday, August 4, the attorney for defendant Jared Briley filed notice with the Scott County Circuit Court stating she intends to rely on the defense of mental disease or defect and petitioned the court for a criminal responsibility examination. Judge Jerry Don Ramey ordered the competency hearing.
In March of 2020, Charlene Gilley, 19, was found dead in a rented room at the Southern Nights Motel, 1622 Rice Street in Waldron. Following an investigation by the Special Agents of the Arkansas State Police, Criminal Investigation Division, a warrant was issued for Briley’s arrest. Briley eluded officers over the next 24 hours, but was eventually apprehended on Sunday, March 22.
Briley has pleaded not guilty to first degree murder. His pre-trial hearing is set for Tuesday, December 1, and the jury trial, Tuesday, December 15.
Ten year old Willow Herrera could teach us all a thing or two about the true meaning of Christmas. And, her spirit of giving has had a far-reaching affect on many!
A fifth grade student at Charleston Middle School, Herrera has made an impact on the lives of others, including her teachers, peers, and those less fortunate. Her parents, Amy and Diego, and grandparents, Jake and Pauline Stahl, and Nohemi Herrera, are very proud.
“Every year Willow saves her money from her birthday, allowance, and the occasional tooth fairy money, to donate to Toys for Tots,” explained Herrera’s mom. “Seeing how hard this year has been on everyone, she decided she wanted to help spread joy in the hospital by raising money for Christmas gifts to donate.”
The youngster knows all to well the feeling of being hospitalized, away from home, and in a strange place. “…She received gifts one year that were donated by a local baseball team,” her mom added. “She talked about that moment for many years after that and it has really stuck with her.”
According to her mom, Herrera learned how to make jams and jellies a few years ago at a 4-H camp in Ozark. She used that skill to fund this year’s mission. Herrera has made a variety of jams and jellies including blackberry, blueberry, red and purple plum, jalapeño, and most recently, watermelon—which happens to be her personal favorite!
Charleston teacher Tricia Hassell shared how proud she was of her former student for working all summer to sell her sweet spreads. “She finally reached her goal. I am super proud of her!”
Herrera hopes to have enough toys purchased to donate to two hospitals, Arkansas Children’s Northwest hospital and the hospital where she was treated as a child, Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas. Herrera will be able to deliver the toys in person, but she will not be able to help distribute them due to the COVID-19 restrictions. The toys will be delivered to the two hospitals the first week of December.
“She has a very loving nature and giving heart,” her mom shared. “Her generosity astounds me, especially since she is only 10. It is so hard for her father and I to even describe how we feel because nothing seems good enough to describe it! She makes us want to be better people, and to share joy with everyone around us. She radiates love and goodness and as parents, that’s all we could have ever hoped for!”
Herrera’s family extended their gratitude towards Leann Steffey-Ellison, owner of Steffey’s Pizza in Lavaca, for helping to sell the Jelly and for taking donations. Also, to Hassell for her encouragement of the ongoing project.Herrera’s mom concluded:“…Our community, family and friends have really stepped up and helped Willow reach for the stars!”
On November 22, 2020, Mr. Warren Birkhead of Ola, AR will be turning 100! Warren was born in 1920 in New Blaine where he also attended grade school but went to high school in Paris, AR. Shortly after high school graduation, his family moved to Ola where he met the love of his life Tincey, married and they became lifetime residents. Immediately following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Warren entered the Army and received military training in Texas, North Carolina, and New Jersey.
In May of 1944, he boarded a troopship and departed from New Jersey headed to Britain. At the same time, Tincey, his wife (for 66 years until her passing in 2007) departed Ola for Wichita, Kansas. There, she became a “Rosie the Riveter” in the Boeing factory assembling the B-29 Superfortress bombers. This bomber, together with the courageous men who flew her, played a significant role in ending World War II, particularly in the Pacific with Japan. One B-29 Superfortress was the Enola Gay.
Upon arriving in Britain, Warren boarded another troopship headed across the English Channel en route to France. On June 10, 1944, he arrived at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. He said the vision of body parts floating on the beach was permanently etched into his brain (D-Day was June 6). He and his 4th Infantry Division fought the Germans and helped push their army back across France and Belgium.
On December 03, 1944, as his unit crossed into Germany, a German 88 artillery shell exploded above his head, spraying him with shrapnel. The shrapnel shredded both legs, his hip, and back. He was immediately removed from the front line to a field hospital. From there, he was moved to several other hospitals, finally arriving back in London. All the shrapnel was removed except a piece in his back which was located too close to the spinal cord and trying to remove it could paralyze him from the waist down.
That piece of a German 88 is still his constant companion. Warren was also awarded the Purple Heart. In April of 1945, after many surgeries, Warren was placed on a troopship and sent home to the USA. As he steamed into New York harbor, the Statue of Liberty became visible and he remembered how happy he was to see Lady Liberty. Tincey met him in New York City for a joyful reunion and 9 months later their daughter Linda (my wife) was born.
Upon their return to Ola and after sufficient healing time had passed, he became the rural mail carrier for that area of Yell County. He “carried the mail” for several decades and made many friends on his route, both old and young. Warren is the oldest living Mason in Arkansas and recently received a very rare 75-year pen. Also, he has been an American Legion member for 74 years, served as Fire Chief at Ola, and numerous other civic positions as well as being a lifetime member of the Ola Methodist Church.
It is said that God scatters his common wares with a lavish hand, but his special sorts he creates only seldom. Certainly, Warren Birkhead is one of God’s special sorts. If our country could be populated with more people like Warren and Tincey, what a wonderful place this would be. He is not just my father-in-law, he is a special friend.
On Saturday November 21, the Ola community is holding a birthday parade for Warren. Line up will be at 1:30 at the Ola ball fields and the parade will start at 2. Everyone is invited to make signs, banners, decorate vehicles, etc. The parade will go by the community center where Warren will be inside watching and waving while his grandkids will be at the road with baskets for birthday cards.
The old saying goes “get knocked down once, get up twice”. When it comes to Magazine Sr High football, getting knocked down isn’t something they’re used to. After only falling to non-conference opponent Mansfield and conference foe Bigelow, the Rattlers have run rampant over their 2020 competition. So when Magazine walked onto the field for their Round 1 State Playoff game against the Hazen Hornets, they expected to merely blow through the competition. They found out rather quickly though in the first half of the game that this wasn’t going to be the case. But there’s always a flip side to the coin and that other side is what makes good teams great.
Ashton Droemer
The first two quarters of the match was like a bad dream for the Rattlers. A little under seven minutes into the first quarter, Hazen delivered their first TD of the game. Although there were some great tackles laid down by Dosson Littleton, William King, Austin “KABOOM” Krigbaum, Cole Gilbert, Cameron Mattson, Brad Price, and Cameron Raggio, it wasn’t enough to stop the Hornets from putting two more TD’s on the board by the final one minute mark in the second quarter, leading 22-0. After a quick come to life spark by the Rattlers with six seconds left in the first half, a Tatum Scott pass to Ashton Droemer for a 31-yard TD lit the lights up on the Magazine side to send the game into halftime 22-6 Hazen.
Cameron Raggio
Magazine wasn’t expecting this, not at all. The Rattlers walked into halftime being outplayed on both sides of the ball. While the Hornets came out of halftime confident that they had stung their way to the first round of State Playoff win, the Rattlers came back out on the field ready to prove that their venom may be slow-moving, but given time, very lethal. As the wind picked up and a cold drizzle began to fall, a hard chill started to make its way through the Magazine fans. Not wanting to let their community freeze, the Rattlers started the second half of the game by lighting a fire on the field so big that the heat could be felt for miles. At 6:32 in the third, Droemer ran for a 3-yard TD, and coupled with a Scott to Raggio PAT, Magazine was quickly catching up to the Hornets with a score of 22-14 Hazen. The Hornets started to panic when on their next possession, not only was each attempted play met with a Rattler waiting to strike but after Droemer broke up a Hornet pass, Magazine gained control of the ball again placing them back in the driver’s seat.
Austin “KABOOM” Krigbaum
With three minutes left in the 3rd, the Rattlers tied up the game with a 6-yard Droemer TD along with a PAT pass from Scott to “KABOOM” Krigbaum and the game sat at 22-22 to end the quarter. With the 4th quarter, all that remained for Magazine and Hazen was the time to determine who was hungrier for this first round of State victory. The Rattlers proved that not only were they hungrier, but their hunger was a pure appetite for destruction. The 4th quarter was comprised of not one but two Hazen fumbles and not one, not two, but three Rattler TDs dispatched by Price for a 20-yard reception, Faughn for a 43-yard run, and Scott for a 15-yard run. Add in the PATs by Droemer and Scott and the Magazine Rattlers finished the match with a final winning score of 44-22 spearheading them into the second round of State.
Kobe Faughn
And the cherry on top of this victory sundae was Kobe Faughn adding 202 rushing yards from Friday’s game to his personal record giving him a total of 1546 rushing yards and breaking the school record which was 1482 held by Faughn’s football coach, Ryan Chambers. Scott finished the game with 35 passes for 59 yards and 2 TDs, 10 rushes for 52-yards and 1 TD, and 8 tackles. Along with the 202-yards from 21 rushes, Faughn also got 1 TD and 12 tackles. Droemer earned 18 rushes for 144 yards and 2 TDs, 1 reception for 31 yards and 1 TD, and 3 tackles. Price made 3 rushes for 53 yards, 1 reception for 20 yards and 1 TD, and 6 tackles.
Tatum Scott
Raggio got one 8-yard reception and 3 tackles. Haugh made 1 rush for 5 yards and 7 tackles. Mattson secured 6 tackles. Gilbert earned 4. King made 5. And Trace Nicolas, Dosson Littleton, and “KABOOM” Krigbaum combined for 7 tackles. For Round 2 of the 2A State Playoffs, Magazine will welcome the formidable Foreman Gators to the Snake Pit on November 20 at 7 pm.
It takes a village to raise a child. But it takes a village, volunteers, and entire communities to build and maintain a Little League program. With all of the craziness faced in 2020, Little League football could have been an activity on the cutting block. The biggest obstacles faced was COVID restrictions and low numbers for many teams. But with the hard work and sacrifices put forth by countless volunteers, the young men, and women who had aspirations of playing football this season were not let down.
3/4 Grade Tigers vs Dragons
There were hiccups though. The Greenland Pirates were forced to concede before the beginning of the season. West Fork was unable to host the WCFL Jamboree. Magazine couldn’t round up enough players for a 3rd and 4th Grade team. Lavaca had a rough time getting to play on their home field for week one. Yes, there were setbacks, but the WCFL board members, program coaches, and countless volunteers all stepped up to do the best they could to remedy those issues. Magazine was able to play a few 8Man games with their 3rd and 4th Grade against conference and non-conference teams. Lavaca and JC Westside came together to get Lavaca to play week one at JC Westside instead of Lavaca. The West Fork Jamboree was granted an extension to host the Jamboree in 2021. Although Greenland was unable to play, rest assured they will be twice as pumped and ready for the 2021 season. Everything wasn’t perfect by no means, but football was played and boy howdy, was it some dang good football played.
3/4 Grade Mansfield Tiger Champions
There were some really close games each week as programs jockeyed their way towards the top. Games like the 3rd and 4th Grade West Fork vs Cedarville that ended with a 2-0 Tigers win, JC Westside’s 5th and 6th Grade edging out Mountainburg 8-6, and the epic Treasure Chest Rivalry game where Cedarville’s 3rd and 4th Grade pulled off a 26-20 upset over the Dragons were just a few great matches during the regular season. The competition was stiff all season up to the final week of regular season where the league saw a fourth-place tie in the 5th and 6th Grade division between Mountainburg and Cedarville on rivalry week in which the Dragons were victorious in a close 12-8 victory. The 3rd and 4th Grade division had a tie for 2nd place between Hackett and Mountainburg while also having a three-way tie for 5th place between West Fork, Lavaca, and Cedarville. There was only one program this season that didn’t have representation going into the playoffs. To say that the programs of the WCFL were as competitive as ever in the 2020 season would be an understatement.
3/4 Grade Runner-Up Mountainburg Dragons
In the end, it came down to three programs in the WCFL Championship games. It was a “Dragons, Tigers, and Pirates OH MY” WCFL Championship. The #1 seeded Mansfield Tigers and #2 seeded Mountainburg Dragons faced off for the second year in a row to repeat their 2019 season in the 3rd and 4th Grade division. In the 5th and 6th Grade division, the #5 seeded Cedarville Pirates surprised everyone by surging through the playoffs beating #4 Mountainburg and upsetting #2 West Fork to make their way to their first 5th and 6th Grade Championship game to face the #1 seeded Mansfield Tigers. It would be a North vs South Championship day on Saturday, November 14th in the hosting town of Mountainburg.
Mansfield High School head coach, Tim Cothran, presenting 3/4 Tigers with trophy
The Mansfield Tigers ran away with the day taking home both Championships becoming the first program to make a Championship sweep in WCFL history. The Tigers 3rd and 4th Grade game was made of sugar, spice, and SPEED as the game’s MVP Colton Nelson showcased that tiny players can make big plays. Nelson caught a midair bad snap that went over the quarterbacks head and took it for a big yardage gain, picked up his own fumble to score on one play, and scored three of the Tigers four touchdowns in the game. The fourth score was tacked onto the scoreboard by Layton “Powerhouse” Pyles who not only made great offensive plays but stuck it to Dragon runners on defense with some big hits in the game as well. Mansfield won the game 28-0 to end their season undefeated and earn their third consecutive 3rd and 4th Grade WCFL Championship. The Mountainburg Dragons earned the WCFL Runner-Up trophy for the second consecutive year showing that the program is growing to be one of the best in the league. The Dragons only lost three games this season. One to rivals Cedarville on the final week of regular season and twice to the Tigers.
5/6 Grade Mansfield vs Cedarville
The 5th and 6th Grade game was nearly a repeat of the regular-season match between Mansfield and Cedarville. That game ended with a 20-0 win by the Tigers and Mansfield did it just 4 points better as they defeated the Pirates 24-0 to earn Mansfield their first 5th and 6th Grade WCFL Championship. The Tigers used their triple threat titans to own the game as Gunner Williams, Cordell Stone, and Hunter Whittaker sailed through the Pirates defense for most of the game. The Pirates held their own against the potent Tiger offense in the first half though only allowing one score. Unfortunately, the Pirates couldn’t hold back the red wave as the Tigers continued crashing into Cedarville through the second half scoring twice more to end the game 24-0. Mansfield didn’t make the playoffs in 2018, finished Runner-Up in 2019, and now have claimed Championship gold. Cedarville’s 5th and 6th Grade didn’t make the playoffs in 2019 but fought hard all the way to the Championship and now have their very first WCFL trophy to place in their treasure chest.
5/6 Grade Mansfield Tiger Champions
WCFL President, Adam Hecox stated “The games were great to watch. Every player, coach, and fan should be very proud of their program. Those kids laid it all out in their games. The good Lord kept the storms away long enough to play both games without a drop of rain so that was a huge bonus. I was thoroughly impressed with Mountainburg’s hospitality at the Championship games. Although I do not know the announcer’s name, that guy was by far one of the best around at the job. He had fans on both sides of the field standing up and cheering on their programs. He definitely deserves some props for that. Poor Brooks Blanton (Mountainburg WCFL Representative) was running around like a chicken with his head cut off trying to help concession, getting the lights turned on, run the chain gang, and handing out trophies at the end of the games. Kudos to Brooks for all of his work. We even had great referees who were down to earth with the kids. Late in the 5th and 6th Grade game after Mansfield scored, I heard one of the referees tell the Cedarville defense to keep their heads up and keep going because it ain’t over yet. I can’t say enough about the adults that surround all of our players in this league. They’re all top-notch people in my book.”
5/6 Grade Runner-Up Cedarville Pirates
In its three year existence, the WCFL has seen Mansfield run the Championship gauntlet in the 3rd and 4th Grade division while the 5th and 6th Grade division has had a new Champion each year (Hackett in 2018, Magazine in 2019, and Mansfield in 2020). Each program seems to be getting better each season too. The goal of the WCFL founders was to create a competitive league for small-town football teams and to date, that goal has been proven to be a positive for each and every program involved with the league. None of this could have been done though without the countless volunteers and coaches in our communities. The WCFL 2020 season also wouldn’t have been as successful through all of this year’s obstacles without the hard work of the WCFLs Board whose members consist of the following representatives:
Josh Scott – Representative of the Magazine Rattlers
Clay Bryant – Representative of the JC Westside Rebels
David Moore – Representative of the Mansfield Tigers
Taylor Genz – Representative of the West Fork Tigers
Aaron Lanning – Representative of the Cedarville Pirates
Brooks Blanton – Representative of the Mountainburg Dragons
Stormy Swinson – Representative of the Greenland Pirates
Kevin Stiles – Representative of the Hackett Hornets
Allana Brunson – Representative of the Lavaca Golden Arrows
If you have met Clay Dyer, watched his YouTube videos, or heard his testimony, you won’t forget it. That’s guaranteed.
If you haven’t, you should. In fact you’ll have a perfect chance this coming Saturday night at the First Annual Fishers of Men Rally. The rally is slated to begin at 6 p.m. at the Greenwood Boys and Girls Club.
Why? Clay is known as a staple of his own motto, “if I can do it, you can do it,” supported by his profound belief in his faith. He was created on purpose, for purpose to achieve a purpose.
Professional fishing is his platform that illustrates his faith, which in turn allows him to be a heavily sought after motivational speaker. Dyer is a bass fishing tournament angler who has no limits.
By nature, you want to help him. Yet he needs very little assistance. Clay is completely capable of almost everything. To add to that, in balance, you will never hear him complain. Ever. His humor and positive demeanor silences the potential for any negativity.
Bringing his message of faith, Dyer isn’t shy about it. In fact, he brings it in a vehicle you can’t mistake, and puts it right in front of you. There’s no time for popcorn, or a sugary coating. It is what it is, and that is cold hard facts of faith, and unwavering belief.
Personally speaking, Clay is the perfect choice for this event. He will speak to all age groups, have a demanding presence, and carry a voice that will be heard.
Dyer will bring a dynamic to this event that will be talked about for weeks, even months, as well as the basis for which this event was founded.
Pictured: Farm Bureau Insurance agency manager Roger Thompson (right) donates a check to Mansfield Athletic Director John Mackey to help offset the cost of hosting the FBRV All-Star Cross Country Meet.
Seven weeks ago a watch list was created to follow cross country’s top small-school runners through the 2020 season. Weekly updates went out within the greater River Valley area until a final list identifying the Top 20 women and Top 20 men was established. Once completed, the generated list served as an invitation for award-winning long-distance runners to migrate to Mansfield for the running of the Farm Bureau River Valley All-Star Meet on November 14.
“A small but intimate event” was the description meet director John Mackey of Mansfield gave the high caliber conclusion to the 2020 cross country season.
“This race was a very small but powerful affair with some of the most talented small-school runners this area has to offer,” explained Mackey. “Mansfield did it’s best to provide the extra amenities to make this year’s All-Stars feel special.”
Those amenities the Tiger’s head coach referred to came by way of the generosity of 1978 Mansfield alumnus Roger Thompson. Thompson, an agency manager out of Scott County for Farm Bureau Insurance, personally shouldered all of the costs of the awards for this event. In fact, this was the second consecutive season Thompson had been the exclusive sponsor of the All-Star race.
“Roger Thompson has been really good to Mansfield since he graduated,” stated Mackey. “He has always taken an interest in the kids of our community. He has shown that through his service on the school board, refereeing basketball games, and offering financial support to many of our programs.”
Mansfield’s Darby Jones waits in a socially distanced pod for the introduction of the 2020 Farm Bureau River Valley All-Stars
As far as the competition went, the All-Star race lived up to its billing. The competition provided fast and furious fun racing around the perimeter of the Mansfield High School campus.
Pottsville junior Maggie Gregory won the women’s 5K in a time of 20:44.25. Mena product Logan Meyers won the men’s title at a speedy 17:35.32 over the same distance.
Host Mansfield only had one participant compete in the morning proceedings. Junior Darby Jones qualified as the 17th best runner invited from a pool formulated from 27 different schools through classes 1A through 4A. Jones moved up two spots in the actual rankings when race results were tabulated.
The Lady Tigers had at least two other runners from their class 2A State Runner-up team primed for the All-Star festivities. All-State junior Faith Rainwater and All-District sophomore Jadelynn Wood received invites but were unable to attend.
All-Star Darby Jones of Mansfield crosses the finish in 15th place
Rainwater, who qualified among the top tier All-Stars, ran a qualifying time of 22:55.30 at the state finals. That 8th place state time positioned her as the 12th ranked runner on the final All-Star list.
Wood, a 12th place medalist at the Class 2A state championships, was a provisional qualifier to the FBRV All-Star meet. Her personal best time of 23:53.71 produced at the state meet ranked her Top 24 in the All-Star ratings. As other All-Stars declined the invite due to obligations such as the Arkansas vs. Oklahoma All-Stars, Wood moved into the race day Top 20 roster.
Despite not having two of their top three runners in the hometown event, Mansfield volunteers continued with the proceedings anyway. Former MHS graduate and current Southeastern Oklahoma State University cross country star Megan Rose was one of the many volunteers to serve.
Rose, giving back to the school that helped her earn multi-level awards while in high school, drove the lead 4-wheeler and then passed out the championship awards.
Former Lady Tiger Megan Rose presents Maggie Gregory of Pottsville with the Farm Bureau Champion’s trophy
FBRV race results showed the following Top 10 finishers in the women’s division. (1) Maggie Gregory of Pottsville, (2) Maria Grano of Waldron, (3) Alexis Franklin of Booneville, (4) Lyric Nichols of Clarksville, (5) Paxtin Watts of Hector, (6) Carley Nantze of Dover, (7) Ryleigh Anschutz of Waldron, (8) Piper Koster of Dover, (9) Karsyn Moudy of Pottsville, and (10) McKenzi Stidman.
FBRV race results showed the following Top 10 finishers in the men’s division. (1) Logan Myers of Mena, (2) Baltazar Garcia of Dardanelle, (3) Daniel Sanderson of Clarksville, (4) AJ Post of Ozark, (5) Max Linares of Subiaco, (6) Anthony Gehrig of Subiaco, (7) Skylar Wrinkle of Dardanelle, (8) Ian Moore of Dardanelle, (9) Issac Tedder of Acorn, and (10) Joshua Bowman of Subiaco.
All participants in the Farm Bureau River Valley All-Star festival were awarded commemorative medals and a complimentary uniform top. Before their race, all runners were introduced from socially distanced pods for photo opportunities.
After the races, the Top 10 women and Top 10 men were awarded additional race medals. Following the awards presentation, all players, coaches, and volunteer staff were served a catered boxed lunch that included chicken wraps, chips, and a cookie.
Current Southeastern Oklahoma State University cross country runner, Megan Rose, presents Logan Meyers of Mena with the men’s Farm Bureau champion’s trophy
One Greenwood missionary group has a solitary goal, to help others come closer to Christ.
They are meeting that goal one property, one person, at a time. The Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have extended a helping hand to anyone who needs yard work done.
“We can do anything outside,” shared Jessica Applegate. “Including lawn mowing, weed eating, planting flowers, and raking leaves!”
And, they are doing it as a free service. Applegate stated they do not want pay or any donations for their efforts. Many throughout the community are taking advantage of the offer, too. Elderly, disabled, and those who just need an extra hand. They are grateful to the missionaries for their work.
“We started a while ago; service has been an integral part of our church since it was restored in 1830,” added Applegate. That work, according to Applegate, has no end.
Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, -Isaiah 6:11 KJV
If you or anyone you know could use this free service, you can text or call 479-544-2920.
At long last, the state football playoffs begin this week in high school football stadiums across Arkansas. Schools that finished in the top five of their conferences and teams who won play-in games last week will officially begin their quest for playoff runs this Friday. And for the Paris Eagles, the road to Little Rock and the Class 3A championship game begins this week at Eagles Stadium when Paris hosts the Salem Greyhounds from the 3A-2 conference. The playoffs are a one week at a time proposition, and for the Eagles, the only team that matters is the Salem Greyhounds. Any team in the playoffs that looks past an opponent to the next round is endangering themselves to lose and be eliminated from the title chase. Thus the finality of playoff football; one loss, and it is time to clean out your lockers…the season is over. So every team wants to win and survive to play another week, and that will be the mission of the Eagles starting this Friday night.
Photo Credit: Facebook / Salem Greyhounds Football)
The Salem Greyhounds are coached by first year head coach Josh Watson. Watson, a former assistant at Salem, recently returned from a coaching stint on the staff at high school football powerhouse, Hoover, Alabama. Watson has guided the Greyhounds in their first year in Class 3A football. Salem has had previous success at the state playoff level in Class 2A and was picked by Hooten’s Arkansas Football publication to finish fifth in the tough 3A-2 conference. Salem exceeded expectations by finishing fourth and thus earning the four seed from their conference for the playoffs.
The northeast Arkansas community of Salem is approximately 147 miles from Paris in Baxter County, and is approximately three hours and thirty-two minutes by car. The Greyhounds are located near Mountain Home and will have a long trip into Paris on game day. Home field advantage can be significant in the playoffs, and the reward for earning a high seed in conference play is to avoid making long trips during the playoffs.
Salem finished the 2020 season 6-4 overall and 2-3 in their conference. The results of their games in 2020 were:
Salem 34, Walnut Ridge 14 (W)
Salem 46, Dover 0 (W)
Corning 32, Salem 14 (L)
Salem 34, Riverview 8 (W)
Melbourne 41, Salem 22 (L)
Newport 51, Salem 14 (L)
Salem vs. Cross County, Forfeit (W)
Harding Academy 55, Salem 9 (L)
Salem is 10-14 in their state playoffs history, and their last appearance was in 2019 in the Class 2A playoffs. Their playoff history indicates that the Greyhounds will be a tough out in the playoffs in any year.
Salem plays in a very tough conference and played their first year in Class 3A in 2020. But the Greyhounds will come to Paris on Friday with good talent and will be extremely aggressive in their game planning against the Eagles.
Leading the Greyhounds will be their “all everything” wide receiver, Darius Brown. Brown is listed by Hooten’s as 5-8, 161 lbs., and “skies over corners with athleticism and long arms.” Hooten’s also lists Brown as having 4.8 speed and reportedly has been offerred a scholarship from Hendrix College. Brown will line-up both in the offensive backfield and as a wide out on the line of scrimmage.
Greyhounds’ Skilled Position Player Darius Brown is a dynamic player in the backfield and at wide receiver (Photo Credit: Baxter Bulletin)
When I asked Paris coach Tyler Clark what stands out to him after watch video of the Greyhounds, Coach Clark said, “They have a receiver, number 18 (Darius Brown), who can go. He is a really good football player. I think they are good up front. They’ve got a defensive end / tight end that is a stud. He’s every bit of 6’5”; he’s a big kid. Offensively, they are in the “I” formation most of the time. Once in a while they will get into the spread formation. Defensively, they are a four front, play a lot of cover four. So, they are a good football team. They play in a really good conference.”
The Paris defense will be challenged against Salem and their I formation rushing attack and passes to their skill players (Resident Press File Photo)
For the Eagles, a win at home in the first round of the playoffs will result in Paris hosting a second round game on November 27 against the winner of Friday’s contest between Perryville and Greenland. People like me can afford to look ahead, but the players and coaches cannot. Salem, in the famous words of Coach Clark, is this week’s “nameless and faceless opponent”, and the Eagles have to approach this game like they have every game for the past ten weeks. The Salem Greyhounds are the only team that matters, and simply put, it is all over for the Eagles if they do not focus solely on Salem and defeat the Greyhounds.
As an observer of this team for the entire season, the hallmark of the Eagles this year, in my opinion, has been the unselfishness of the team. No player seems to care who plays or how much they play. The only thing that has mattered to this team is winning as a team. And the reward for their unselfishness has been a two seed in the playoffs and a chance to play at home in front of their adoring fans. I believe this team will be 100% focused on Salem and will be ready to fly over the goal posts on Friday when they take the field for a state playoff game. All of the work, all of the sacrifice, and all of their dreams are now coming true, and I believe this special group of Eagles will not take Friday for granted. They will come ready to play, and like they have all season, they will play their hearts out in front of the home fans.
Kickoff Friday is at 7 p.m., and the weather should be perfect for a game that is one of the biggest in program history. The Weather Bug forecast calls for a high of 72 degrees and a low of 55 with no precipitation. Perfect weather for a perfect group of Eagles that have earned the right to play in the state playoffs at home.
Resident Press wishes Coach Clark and the entire Eagles team the best Friday night and throughout the playoffs. And as we have all season, RP will be there to bring you all of the action. A recap of this game will be published on Resident Press on Saturday, and additional photos from the game will be posted on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports on Saturday night.
On Tuesday, December 1, the City of Hartford will hold a runoff race between mayoral candidates Richard Hartsfield and Allen Tabor.
According to the Sebastian County Election Commission, Hartsfield needed one more vote to seal the victory. With 107 votes, Hartsfield received half the number of ballots cast. “We thought there might be a provisional ballot and we were hopeful, but there wasn’t one,” the commissioner stated. “He needed 50% plus one to win. So now there has to be a runoff.”
Tabor received 71 votes, or 33.18% and the third opponent, Jesse Keith, received 36 votes, or 16.82%.
“I have a strong base,” shared Tabor. “They let me know that they need me in there to work on my ideas for the town.” Tabor added that he has several pages of ideas he has been working on. “Plans to to deal with situations that will hurt us badly and be to the detriment of the town.”
The City of Hartford is responsible for holding the election and will foot the bill, estimated at $10,794.63.
Due to the cost to the city, Tabor added that he has felt pressured to concede. “I was asked, why don’t you concede? Well, I can’t, I was never taught how to quit…” He went on to add that he has reached out to the Sebastian County Election Commissioner about the cost of the election. “This isa ballpark estimate…and they are trying to reduce the costs as much as possible.”
The Sebastian County Election Commission will meet on Wednesday, November 18, to determine the protocol for early voting. Voting on election day, Tuesday, December 1, will be held at the fire station in Hartford beginning at 7:30 a.m.
