Winning has its advantages! Because the Mansfield Junior High Lady Tigers swept the 2A West volleyball conference season with a perfect 6-0 record, they will play host to all their games throughout the conference tournament.
In a new format designed to follow AAA guidelines, the 2A West volleyball tournament will be played at the higher seed teams’ home court. Mansfield by virtue of their unblemished record will play at home as the number one seed on Tuesday, October 13 at 6 PM. Their opponent will be the winner of the first-round contest between Lifeway and Eureka Springs.
Should Mansfield prevail as expected, they will advance to the finals on Thursday, October 15 for another 6 PM matchup. If seedings hold up, the junior Lady Tigers most likely will face Lavaca the second-best team by record in the conference finals.
Mansfield’s netters are led by freshmen Alyson Edwards, Harlie Fuller, Rachel Johnson, Cole Smith, and Kynslee Ward. Eighth-grade libero Trinity Triska and seventh-grade middle hitter Kaylee Ward have extensive roles as well.
The team is instructed by head coach Kaylie Pyles and assistant coach Darla Walker.
Mansfield fans should be aware even though their team is playing at home, the games are part of the overall district tournament. Proceeds go to the 2A West Conference. As such, local season passes and student discount passes will not be honored. Only AAA passes and senior citizen cards will be recognized. Admission will be $5 per person.
Reduced seating capacity along with health protocols will still be in effect. Although bleacher space is limited inside Tiger Gymnasium, attendance records throughout this volleyball season indicate there should be plenty of seating available. No vouchers will be required. Doors, however, will not open until 5:30 PM.
The Greenwood Bulldogs made a business trip to Northwest Arkansas to take on the Siloam Springs Panthers.
Siloam Springs would strike first and go up 7-0 on the Bulldogs with around 9 minutes left in the 1st quarter. The boys in blue were not phased at all as they would respond with a quick drive down the field to tie the game. Sr. QB LD Richmond would connect with Sr. receiver Jase Strozier for a 6-yard touchdown with 6:09 left in the first quarter to tie the game 7-7.
On the first play from scrimmage following the kick, Sr. defensive back Jayden Jasna would show his quickness and run under a deep ball for a Greenwood interception. Jasna blanketed the receiver in coverage and then made a heads up play to follow the ball and get the defensive turnover.
Not every highlight is a touchdown. On the possession following the interception, the Bulldog offense faced a 3rd down and 8 with just under 4 minutes to go in the 1st quarter. Sr. LD Richmond would drop back for a pass and be flushed for what looked like a sure sack for a loss but he would split three defenders and connect with Luke Brewer for a 9-yard gain. .
With 1:41 to go in the first quarter, the Bulldog’s would capitalize on Jasna’s big defensive play and score on a 4-yard rush by Sr. Bulldog Hunter Wilkinson. Greenwood takes the lead 14-7.
With Just under 10 minutes to go in the 2nd quarter, the Bulldogs had the ball up 14-10 and facing a 3rd down and 19. Wilkinson takes a draw play up the middle and explodes with quickness to gain 22 yards and a first down. Wilkinson left the Siloam Spring defense hanging their heads in frustration with the long conversion. The offensive line would continue to dominate the line of scrimmage as Wilkinson rushes for his 2nd touchdown of the night with 7:55 left in the 2nd quarter. The 3-yard score would put the Bulldogs up 21-10.
With 3:13 left in the 2nd quarter, the Bulldogs would add to their lead with an 18 yard touchdown pass and catch from Richmond to Luke Brewer. Although they scored with the pass, the touchdown was set up by the Bulldog rushing attack. The offensive line made large holes for Wilkinson and Jr. Cameron Krone as they ran right at the Panther defense. Bulldogs go up 28-10.
Moving to the 3rd quarter, the Bulldogs have the ball up 28-10 when Sr. QB LD Richmond decided that one highlight play wasn’t good enough, he needed more. This time he takes the QB draw to the right and showcases his quick feet with textbook stutter steps to leave two Panther defenders on the ground and then muscles his way in for the touchdown. Greenwood moves their lead to 35-10.
After a 4th down stop by the Bulldog defense, the offense had the ball on 3rd down and 8 to go. Richmond would roll out to the right and again find Luke Brewer in the corner of the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 42-10. Brewer would run a perfect route that let him separate from two panther defenders and score virtually untouched.
With 6:50 left in the game, Sr. running back Ty Moose would follow his blockers and show some agility on a 17-yard touchdown run to bring the score to 49-10. Moose took the hand off up the middle, shed a tackle, and burst through the defense to find the end zone for the Bulldogs.
That would be your final score of the game as the Bulldogs remain undefeated on the year.
Up next for Greenwood (6-0) is a home match-up against Russellville (1-5) next Friday night.
Playing on the road for just the second time this season, the Paris Eagles extended their season record to a perfect 6-0 with a win over conference opponent Little Rock Baptist Prep. Wearing the all white uniforms with royal blue trim for the first of three consecutive road trips in October, the Eagles won an important conference game to keep pace with Booneville and Atkins in the conference loss column for first place. Friday night’s win in the capitol city sets up a showdown for first place next Friday in Atkins with the Red Devils.
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Baptist Prep, low on participation numbers in their football program, and hit hard by the injury bug to key players, played hard and pulled out all of the stops in an effort to compete against Paris. In fact, Baptist Prep kicked off to start the game by attempting an onside kick. Paris recovered the football, but was unable to move the ball.
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The Paris Eagles started the game sluggishly but managed to lead at the end of the quarter by a score of 7-0. By the end of the first half, Paris was able to extend its lead to 21-7. Paris had begun to move the ball on offense while keeping the swift and athletic Baptist Prep running backs surrounded and held to minimal gains.
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As the game progressed, Paris took advantage of its notable size advantage along the line of scrimmage and was able to get its power running game going. Both Duke Walker and Ely Fore were physical and ran hard all night, often getting tough yards between the tackles and ripping the Baptist Prep defense with long runs, as well.
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The Paris defense was challenged with containing the small but fast and athletic skilled players from Baptist Prep. But the defense stopped the Baptist Eagles when it needed to and surrendered just 19 points in the game until Paris coach Tyler Clark began to make mass substitutions in the fourth quarter.
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The kicking game continued to improve with excellent punting, and place kicking that got the job done on points after touchdown attempts. The Eagles kicking game could very well be a determining factor over the next three games as the Eagles are expected to play in tough and tightly-contested conference games that will determine the order of playoff seeds for the top five finishers in the conference. A missed extra point or field goal, or a botched punt or muffed return could be a difference in a critical game over the next three weeks.
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Around the conference, the results of games of interest involving the conference leaders were:
Paris 57, LR Baptist Prep 26
Atkins 56, Danville 34
Booneville 40, Mayflower 7
Perryville 40, Two Rivers 0
Resident Press will have more on the conference race on Sunday in its preview of the Eagles game at Atkins.
For Paris, the regular season now comes down to four weeks. Three of the last four games will be played away from Eagles Stadium. But for Coach Clark’s Paris Eagles, it is very simple. Paris will likely finish no worse than fourth in the conference by virtue of its head-to-head wins over Mayflower and now Baptist Prep. A win next week over Atkins will likely mean the Eagles would finish no worse than third. A win over both Atkins and Perryville in the next two weeks, and the Eagles would more than likely finish no worse than a number two seed going into the state playoffs. And of course, if Paris defeats Atkins, Perryville, and comes home and defeats Booneville on homecoming night, the Eagles would be in first place in the loss column and would have to go on the road the following week to wrap-up the season at Danville.
And that’s it. It’s pretty simple. The worst sports cliche of all time applies to Paris: “you have to take them one game at a time.” An old, worn-out cliche, but it has never been more true than it is in this case. Paris simply needs to keep winning, and everything else will take care of itself. As Coach Clark has been saying all season, it is about us and making sure we do the things we can and need to do. He calls it a “nameless and faceless opponent” each week. It doesn’t matter who they play each week, the Eagles focus on making sure they do the things they can do and that they execute them well. The Eagles will have to be 100% focused next week at Atkins.
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One final note. Due to the expedient work of the Paris Quarterback Club, the Eagles were provided with helmet stickers with the letters “MH” to honor school resource office Mike Haney. The team wore them in Little Rock on Friday night and will wear them into each of the remaining games this season. A fitting tribute by the team to a man who was their friend and one of their biggest supporters.
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Congratulations to Coach Tyler Clark and the Paris Eagles on their 6-0 start to the season! And by the way, Coach Clark stirred a little controversy last week with his comment that his team was the first since 1969 to start a season 5-0. He also said that night that they may not be the best team since 1969, but they are one of the 5-0 teams. He certainly did not mean any disrespect to any other Paris team. So, after the Baptist Prep win to go 6-0, I asked him about the history of a team in the program winning their first six games. The answer: 1956…wow!
It has been a historical year for the Paris football program. Now, it is time to bear down and focus on a huge game against another program with a storied history.
Look for the Atkins preview on Sunday afternoon in Resident Press. Photos from Friday’s game in Little Rock will be posted on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports on Saturday afternoon.
On Thursday night, the Waldron Jr High Bulldogs hit the road to wage war on the Lamar Warriors. After a huge defensive battle, the Jr Bulldogs arose victoriously with a final score of 12-6 upgrading their record to 4-2. Earning marks in the scorebooks for the two Bulldog touchdowns was Chris Lopez who received a kickoff and took it to the house for a score and Kason Davis who took a sweep to the left and swept Lamar off there feet on his way for a 65-yard touchdown.
“It was a great defensive game,” explained coach, Garett Lazenby. “This game showed me how much we have grown over the season. Our boys never backed down! The offense kept grinding away all game until we were able to break one loose. The defense played some great ball. We had all 11 players flying towards the ball.”
The Jr Bulldogs will go from one tribe to another when they host the Pottsville Apaches on October 15. “If we play Pottsville like we did Lamar, we can put ourselves in a good position to win. We will have to have some good play out of Chris Lopez, Joseph Rogers, and Aden Allen if we want to have a good game.”
The Hackett Jr High Hornets aren’t letting new opponents in the 3A intimidate them. Hackett has played hardnosed stubborn football since the beginning of time so why change it now? The Hornets again put their stamp on their new conference as they traveled to Cedarville and sent Pirates into antiepileptic shock with a 36-12 victory Thursday night.
Hackett didn’t waste any time getting their game on against the Pirates. Offensively the Hornets put on a clinic as they opened up the flood gates. Quarterback Cole Ketchum passed 6/9 for 118 yards and 2 TDs and rushed four times for 132-yards and 3 TDs. Dawson Clay made 6 rushes for 67 yards. Danny Robinson earned 5 rushes for 20 yards. Wyatt Hester made 4 receptions for 112 yards and 2 TDs. And Brycen Hamilton got 1 reception for 5 yards. “I thought we came out and played well from start to finish. The offense executed very well and had some big plays,” stated coach, Jordan Shelby.
Defensively, Hackett’s brick wall of Hornets was able to hold Cedarville’s workhorses to just 12 points. Gavin Metcalf made 6 tackles and 1 fumble recovery. And Eli Slavens got 1 sack and 2 fumble recoveries. “The defense ran to the ball and had some good stops.” Up next, the 3-2 Jr Hornets will host the Charleston Tigers on October 15. “We expect to have a great week of practice to get ready for Charleston. These are the type of games we look forward to. We are hoping for an exciting atmosphere and a great game. We will do what we do. We just have to execute and make plays on both sides of the ball.”
On October 8, a Bonanza man was arrested and is facing lottery fraud charges.
Brock Tyler Thrailkill, 29, was taken into custody at his father’s residence in Bonanza by the Bonanza Police Department with the assistance of the Sebastian County Sherriff’s Office.
According to Bonanza Police Chief Mike Barber, Thrailkill had an outstanding felony warrant, which was issued following an investigation into lottery fraud. The alleged fraud took place on September 13, 2020 at the Country Store in Bonanza. The charges, according to Barber, were filed under Arkansas Statute 5-55-501 after joint investigation with the Arkansas Lottery Commission Investigations department.
Thrailkill was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center, where he is being held on a $5,630.00 bond. He is charged with lottery fraud and failure to appear-class B misdemeanor.
The Mansfield Jr High team traveled deep into enemy territory Thursday night as they faced off against the Charleston black and gold Tigers. Coming off a big win against Greenland last week, the Tigers were hyped but knew they had to bring all they had when they hit the field against a Charleston team who has pummeled every opponent in their path this season.
Tigers Defensive Dog Pile
The Tigers woes began right from the get-go as Charleston took the opening kickoff 60 plus yards for a score. Tacking on the two-point conversion, Charleston took the 8-0 lead on the Tigers with just 12 seconds taken off the clock. When it was Charleston’s turn to kickoff, Mansfield muffed the catch but luckily recovered the ball quickly. The Tigers had a rough time connecting on their first drive as Charleston picked off a pass that sent Mansfield’s defense back on the field. Mansfield’s defense stiffened up and began to make solid tackles in the open field, but the overall speed of Charleston was too much as they scampered into the end zone again on the Tiger D. Adding a two-point conversion, Mansfield was down 16-0 with 4:29 left in the first quarter.
Trey Powell Eating Up Yardage Against Charleston
Mansfield was down going into the second quarter and Charleston didn’t take their foot off the gas pedal. Charleston was not only bigger than Mansfield on the field, they were faster. The black and gold Tigers’ overall speed made their tackles harder and their field shorter with each play. Anytime Mansfield had an opening to run or pass the ball, Charleston would close the gap with superhuman speed creating a stall in the Tigers offensive movement. Charleston would score two more times before half sending Mansfield into halftime down a whopping 32-0.
Peyton Martin Raring Back To Fire A Rocket
Mansfield’s coaches must’ve pulled out the WD-40 and Duct Tape after halftime because the team that walked onto the field in the second half wasn’t the same broken first-half team. It was the same players, but you would’ve thought the game had started over at 0-0. Charleston began to drive downfield, but small mistakes began to tame their game. Mansfield created chaos of the black and gold Tigers offense which in turn caused missed snaps, missed blocks, and dropped passes. Charleston was still Charleston though and they were still able to drive downfield against Mansfield and get the ball down inside their own ten-yard line. With the Tiger faithful watching and what had happened in the first half looking like it was going to repeat itself, Mansfield’s Jeremy Strozier, Tyler Turnipseed, and Toby Towe said “nope, not so fast”. The Tigers defense shut down Charleston and forced a 4th down turnover.
Raine Hecox Maneuvering Her Way Around Defenders To Get Open
Now it was time to see if Mansfield’s offense had the same turnaround as their defensive counterparts. Only a blind man couldn’t see that the Tigers offense was hungry to prove themselves at that point. Trey Powell took the handoff and with some “Powell Power” took off. Powell broke four tackles and gained 35 yards before Charleston finally took him to the turf. Aaron Person was the person to watch next when he got the football in his hands. Person bounced off of defenders en route to a Tiger touchdown with 2:46 left in the game. Jeremy Strozier then telegraphed a perfect pass to Raine Hecox for the two-point conversion putting the score at 32-8 with Charleston still leading. The Tigers defense made sure they finished the game on a strong note as they held Charleston to zero points in the second half.
Tyler Turnipseed Looking For A Gap To Cut Through Charleston
Mansfield’s Jr High team now sits at 1-2 in conference play after dropping to Charleston, but the scoreboard didn’t show one key element of the game. The Tigers grew as a team and showed a second half of pure effort. As this team continues through the season, expect to see them go from a mere acorn to a strong oak by seasons end. Taking things one game at a time, Mansfield’s sights are zeroed in on a wolf hunt next Thursday as they host the Lincoln Wolves.
Trey Vaughan Keeping The Play Alive With A Massive Block
If the 7th Grade Mansfield Tigers have shown one thing this season, it’s that they don’t back down from a challenge. Not to anyone at any time anywhere. In 2019, the Mansfield 5th and 6th Grade team finished runner up in the West Central Football League Championship game. That same year, Charleston won the AR-OK River Valley Football Championship. When Charleston showed up on their calendar, the Tigers, coaches, and fans all knew it was going to be a solid and intense football game.
Tigers Triple Treat of Dawson Robinson, Cooper Edwards, and Zander Walters
Mansfield started off the game with the intention of laying down some big hits but Charleston had different plans. The black and gold Tigers jumped out early using something Mansfield hasn’t seen so far this season. Passing. Charleston connected multiple passes in the flats so that they could use speed in the open field to eat up yards. Once Mansfield’s defense began spreading out to cover the pass, Charleston went for the throat with an end-around for a touchdown. Mansfield couldn’t stop Charleston’s extra point attempt and headed to the sidelines down 8-0.
Zander Walters lowering the boom on Charleston’s defense
Charleston may have hit a sniper shot to score, but Mansfield kicked down the door with a double barrel of Zander Walters and Dawson Robinson rushing attack. With their shoulders lowered, the dynamic duo punished Charleston’s defense as they seemingly looked for black jerseys to run over. Remember how Charleston spread the Tigers out to score on a run? Well, Charleston began to load the box on the Tigers to shut down the run game. Mansfield quarterback, Cooper Edwards, gave them a taste of their own medicine. Edwards zipped a pass to Dominic Shores who made an amazing catch with his legs (yes, his legs) as he balled up on the ball for a 14-yard reception. With Charleston still keying on Walters and Robinson, Edwards baited them with a fake handoff to Robinson and then pulled the ball and went up the middle for a 14-yard pickup. The icing on the cake was an Edwards 12-yard pass to a wide-open Walters for a Tiger touchdown. After missing the extra point, the Tigers went into the half down 8-6.
Dominic “Superman” Shores flying for a touchdown saving tackle
The second half could be a selfie of the first half. Charleston jumped up early with a passing touchdown, but this time the Tigers defense stuffed them on their extra point attempt. Mansfield’s offensive line began to move mountains and make holes that a Mac Truck could drive through as the Walters/Robinson one-two punch landed massive blows to the black and gold Tigers defense. James Bausley, Alex Hecox, Cadien Ore, Logan Ore, Wyatt Boyd, and Kanon Fisher all moved Charleston’s defensive line like pawns in a chess match as Mansfield grounded and pounded their way downfield. It was Cooper Edwards who capitalized on the bombardment as he took a “Cooper Keeper” to score for the Tigers. Walters punched his way in for the two-point conversion. If you do the math, that means that the score stood at Mansfield 14 and Charleston 14 with 8:54 left in the game.
Kanon Fisher and Cadien Ore clawing down a Charleston running back
Both teams took shots at each other for the next seven minutes. Mansfield drove their tanks running over Charleston. Charleston dropped bombs from their air attack on Mansfield. The Tigers defense struck hard and often with Ethan Martin, Logan Newman, Hecox, Shores, Walters, and Robinson ripping down every run and quick pass Charleston made. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Charleston reverted back to their first score of the game when they sent receivers into the flats then slipped one downfield past Mansfield’s coverage to score and convert a two-point conversion to take the lead with only 1:08 left in the game. The Tigers knew time was running out and began to pound their way downfield hastily, but time wasn’t on their side as the final horn sounded ending the game with a score of Charleston 22 / Mansfield 14.
Beefcake linemen James Bausley, Alex Hecox, Wyatt Boyd, and Cadien Ore
The loss gives Mansfield their first conference loss of the season putting them at 2-1 in conference play. That game is over though and the Tigers are ready to get back at it as they prepare for an unfamiliar foe in the Lincoln Wolves. After dropping from 4A, the Wolves could be seen as a threat. But the Tigers aren’t scared by no big bad wolf and they are ready to blow the house down on Lincoln.
The West Central Football League was created to allow small school programs to be competitive with like-sized programs. For the third consecutive year in the three-year existence of the WCFL, every program still has a shot at making the Playoffs. If that doesn’t define competition to the T, I don’t know what does. After Week 5, the 3rd and 4th Grade division of Mansfield and Mountainburg sit tied at 3-0 with Hackett nipping at their toes with a 2-1 record. JC Westside sits in the middle of the pack with a 2-2 record followed by a tie with West Fork and Lavaca at 1-2 each. Cedarville closes it out at 0-3 but their games have been very close.
The 5th and 6th Grade division is even tighter. Mansfield stands alone at the top with a 4-0 record, but after them, it’s anyone’s game. West Fork and Lavaca are tied for second, JC Westside and Mountainburg are tied for third, and Cedarville and Hackett are tied for fourth with Magazine ending the list. Each division could still swing for or against any program with three games left in the regular season.
Mansfield: Photo by Brian Mott
Mountainburg hosted Lavaca in Week 4 where the programs each won one and lost one. In the 3rd and 4th Grade game, Mountainburg added the Golden Arrows to their growing treasure in the Dragons lear with a 28-0 shutout. Brody Guenther was the Dragon’s workhorse in the game and didn’t miss a beat against Lavaca. Guenther rumbled downfield with the ball on multiple carries and snapped the Arrows defense as he was able to cross into the end zone twice. Guenther may be the workhorse, but the Dragons aren’t a one-trick pony. If Lavaca planned on zoning in on stopping Guenther, RJ Young and Braxton Pixley made sure that those plans were foiled. Both Guenther and Pixley took aim at scoring and hit the bullseye by each getting a touchdown against Lavaca.
Where the Golden Arrows couldn’t punch the Dragons thick scales in the 3rd and 4th Grade game, Lavaca was able to zone in on the 5th and 6th Grade contest. Like a team of magicians, the Golden Arrows offense played smoke and mirrors with Mountainburg’s defense. Lavaca ran reverses, play-action passes, and quick runs to send the Dragons heads spinning. Lavaca’s offense was so impressive, Mountainburg’s WCFL Representative even complimented them on their great game. “Lavaca’s quarterback (Dawson Hawkins) threw the ball very well and always put the ball to where his receivers could easily catch it. Their running back (Finn Schmalz) wasn’t just a big physical back, he was really quick on his feet and seemed to only get better as the game went on.” Mountainburg was able to get a few big plays in the game though. Landon Linder was able to scoop up a fumble and dart into the end zone for a defensive touchdown and the Dragons put up another score, but it wasn’t enough as Lavaca edged out Mountainburg 14-12.
Mountainburg: Photo by Brian Mott
Hackett took it’s hive to the battlegrounds of JC Westside last Saturday. You know anytime the Rebels and Hornets square off at anything it’s going to be good and these games were no different. Hackett’s 3rd and 4th Grade was able to get a head start on JC Westside and put the pedal to the metal from there. The Hornets, Noah Rogers, lit up the field and was able to send the Rebels tripping over themselves as he scored both of the only touchdowns in the game. The Rebels had a few good drives on Hackett’s defense, but couldn’t find a way to cross over for any scores. Hackett’s defense stood strong all game as Hornets gave JC Westside the goose egg with a 12-0 victory. Hackett coach, Ray Rogers said, “I love my team and I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids. They play hard and love the game of football.”
The 5th and 6th Grade JC Westside Rebels wouldn’t play the game of déjà vu though. In a back and forth slugfest, the Rebels and Hornets went toe to toe and blow for blow in an epic battle on the gridiron. Hackett’s offense was able to put points on the scoreboard with Garrett Perkins and Rodney Stiles making their way into the end zone while Zayden Holbert punched in a conversion, but it wasn’t enough to outgun the Rebels. JC Westside had just enough black powder to fire off their cannons for an 18-14 win over Hackett. The Rebels victory leaves them with a 2-2 record and moves them just behind Lavaca and West Fork in the rankings. JC Westside is ahead of Mountainburg due to their tiebreaker victory over the Dragons.
West Fork: Photo by Becky Jones Muggy
West Fork was the only program to come out of Saturday with a sweep as they traveled south to board the ships in Cedarville. The Pirates are always stiff competition, but West Fork put a magnet on the Pirates compasses and sent Cedarville spinning in every direction. The 3rd and 4th Grade game was one that college defensive scouts would have loved to see. Both teams’ defenses were so good that the only score was by one of the defenses and that was West Forks defense that created a safety. The Tigers, Kyler Doss, Weston Kildow, and Wyatt Hughes were all over the place sinking ships anywhere the Pirates sailed with the football. Cedarville’s size was a huge factor in the game as it forced West Fork to revert from their rushing attack to have to play with their passing game. The Pirates too were forced to pass on a few occasions, but one of those passes fell right into the hands of West Forks Zack Preston for an interception. Coach Deonte McGaugh of West Fork said “Offensively, Kyler and Weston ran the ball good in the game. Even though we didn’t score against Cedarville with our offense, we moved the ball fairly well. Cedarville was big and strong and played a great game on their end as well.”
The 5th and 6th Grade game had a little bit of everything for everyone. There was a nice amount of scoring although both teams made sure that was limited with only 24 total points in the game. But it was West Forks passing game that led the way to a victory that night. Due to Cedarville’s size, the Tigers had no choice but to go to the air. Tigers quarterback, Carson Jones, accepted that challenge and performed almost flawlessly against the Pirates dense completing 5 of his 6 passes for 80 plus yards and 2 passing touchdowns. The play of the game was when Jones zipped a 25 yard TD pass to Chase Redlarzyck for a big touchdown. “Cedarville was bigger and stronger than us on both offensive and defensive lines. Our kids came focused on their jobs which allowed us to come out on top. Our defense did a great job of not allowing the big plays that have haunted us in the past. Sheldon McCawley led the defense’s way with 5.5 tackles” said Tigers coach, Rob Preston.
Cedarville: Photo by Brian Mott
The Mansfield Tigers continued their 2020 streak Saturday as they went into the snake pit at Magazine to avenge their regular season and championship losses to the Rattlers in 2019. The Tigers walked onto the football field and never looked back as they straightened the Rattler’s coils en route to a 36-0 victory. Magazine gave it their all and left nothing in the tank trying to stop the Tiger’s powerful offense, but Mansfield was just too strong to stop. The win for Mansfield puts them alone atop the 5th and 6th Grade division with a 4-0 record. Magazine still has a shot for a Playoff position and eye to turn their season around as they still have Lavaca, West Fork, and JC Westside on the schedule.
The Paris Lady Eagles emerged from quarantine on Thursday night to defeat the Waldron Lady Bulldogs in three straight sets. The nearly two week layoff did not seem to affect the Lady Eagles as they made quick work of Waldron Thursday night at Paris Gymnasium.
Thursday night’s game was the first time the Lady Eagles had taken the court since their September 21 loss to Class 4A Lady Bearcats at Mena. Mena defeated Paris that night in three sets. The Lady Eagles had looked sluggish and almost non-competitive against Mena, leading some to wonder if players on the team were showing signs of possible illness going into the match. Mena is an outstanding team that will be a strong competitor the the 4A state championship, so nothing can be taken away from the Lady Bearcats. But the Paris performance that night was very unusual for the Lady Eagles volleyball program.
Thursday night’s decisive win against Waldron was just what the Lady Eagles needed to erase the bad memories of the trip to Mena. The Lady Eagles looked good in all phases of the game and appear to be back in mid-season form as they will now finish the regular season and prepare for what appears to be a district tournament to determine seeds in the upcoming state tournament.
After the game, I asked Paris coach Jordan Devine about the possibility of a district tournament. “We have worked really hard, but really, we didn’t get everybody back until yesterday (Wednesday). So, we just kind of worked with what we had until then. We have had just one practice with everybody. Under those conditions, you really didn’t know what to expect coming out here like that, but they were ready to play. I was proud of them. We have one game re-scheduled. We will play Booneville on Monday. Other than that, we will go to West Fork on Thursday. We do play Fountain Lake (a non-conference match) next Saturday, and then we will start the district tournament after that (the week of October 19).”
In this atypical year of high school volleyball, Resident Press will have more on the district tournament and conference seedings next week. For now, the Lady Eagles will concentrate on regaining their peak form before the begin play in the district tournament.
Again, with Little Rock Episcopal hosting the first three rounds of the state tournament, it will be very possible that teams around the state, including the 3A West conference teams, will try to avoid anything but a number one seed in their districts to possibly avoid playing Episcopal on their home floor before the state semifinals. It is possible that if Episcopal goes to the state tournament as a one seed and the state tournament host, and, for example, Paris or Hackett were to go to the state tournament, also as a one seed, it would be possible that the two teams, Episcopal and either Paris or Hackett would not meet until the finals in Hot Springs, thus avoiding Episcopal’s home floor.
But a two seed out of district could pit the two schools against each other in an earlier round on Episcopal’s home floor. So, a lot is going to be at stake in this year’s 3A West district tournament that will be held at Booneville High School.
Stay with Resident Press for complete 3A volleyball coverage all the way to the crowning of a state champion in Hot Springs. And look for Resident Press and a district tournament next week.
