Pictured: Mansfield’s Laney Wood, Jadelynn Wood, and Faith Rainwater medal at Mena’s Buck Fever Invitational. Not pictured is Trinity Triska, another Mansfield medalist.
Mansfield eighth-grader Laney Wood had one goal in mind and that was to be the overall champion. At the Buck Fever cross country meet in Mena on September 29, the young long-distance runner did just that.
“She (Alexis Franklin) got ahead of me for about three minutes,” recalled Wood, an eighth-grade runner for the Mansfield Lady Tigers. “I got mad and retook the lead. She wasn’t going to beat me.”
Wood went out with teammate Trinity Triska and Booneville’s Alexis Franklin in what turned out to be a three-person race. Although 69 total runners populated the field, the trio of rival runners left the field behind.
Cross country camp life is shown at Mena’s Buck Fever Meet
“Those three have been battling most of the year,” spoke Mansfield Coach John Mackey. “Now with Laney’s win, each has had a turn at beating the others. It was Laney’s time today.”
Wood cruised the extra-long course (2.40 miles) for the junior high addition in 17:02 for first place overall. Some 16 seconds behind that were the other two.
The remaining pair, Triska and Franklin, would eventually finish an eyelash apart for second and third place overall. Chip timing nudged Franklin as two and Triska three.
“I think Trinity actually reached the mat before the Booneville girl,” said Mackey. “But, Trinity had the scoring chip in the opposite shoe and the computer sensor picked Franklin by 0.1 seconds.”
Mansfield’s senior girls cross country are currently ranked second in the class 2A state
Mansfield’s junior girls’ team score fell to third despite Wood and Triska’s best effort. Acorn forged ahead in the team standings as did Dardanelle leaving the junior Tigers short of the team crown.
“We’ve been consistently finishing third the last few weeks,” announced the coach. “Our three through five runners are not placing high enough for us to hold the lead. They are working on it though, and that’s a good sign with districts a month away.”
The senior girls have also been stuck in a third-place mode. Mansfield’s senior team was behind DeQueen and Waldron at the Buck Fever Meet.
The two Tiger women squads have been battling bigger schools for the top spot at local invitationals. Against strictly smaller schools, the narrative changes slightly.
Mansfield, in its own classification, has been rated as high as number two in the state. Pitted against schools their own size, the Mansfield women are among Quitman, Tuckerman, Acorn, and Bigelow as one of the top five teams to watch in Class 2A state.
Faith Rainwater leads the older Lady Tigers. She was 8th overall against all runners at Mena. Her time for the hilly 5K race was 24:19.
Mansfield’s junior girls XC team
“We are trying to cut about two minutes off her time for a real shot,” explained Mackey. “Faith is pretty motivated to do just that.”
Jadelynn Wood, just a sophomore, has been the number two Lady Tiger in consecutive races. Her time was 24:41 for 10th place overall.
“Jadelynn is catching fire right now,” said the coach. “Each week is another goal accomplished.”
Mansfield’s usual scoring five did it again at Mena. Darby Jones, Katlynn Moore, Hope Rainwater, Faith Rainwater, and Jadelynn Wood tallied the team score.
Moore was 13th at Mena. Jones crossed at 18th, and Hope Rainwater closed in at 24th.
John Branche was the Tiger men’s best runner at 22:38.70. The junior currently sits one position off the Farm Bureau River Valley All-Star watch list.
Rylan Nichols gave the junior boys its best effort. The seventh-grader completed the 2.4-mile course at Mena in 18:02.
Ethan Streets and John Branche await the start of the Buck Fever race
While cows and chickens are popular animals to raise on farms, goats can be just as profitable. They can produce milk or serve as a source of meat and they don’t need an elaborate shelter to be comfortable. Before you go out and acquire some of your own, though, read these tips for raising goats on a farm so you can care for them properly.
Decide What Purpose They’ll Serve
As we’ve touched upon, goats can fulfill various roles for you, which is what makes them an attractive choice for farms. Still, you shouldn’t start raising them without having a primary goal in mind. Think about whether you mainly want goats for milk, meat, or another purpose. This will give you direction on the specifics of how you’ll look after them. For example, you don’t want to keep breeding male goats near females for too long if you’re trying to get milk from the latter. This is because the male goats’ unpleasant musk will appear in the milk if they are consistently present.
Know What To Feed Them
Goats have a reputation for eating just about anything. It is true that they will eat a wide variety of foods, but you do need to be attentive about what you feed them to keep them healthy. Goats are browsers, and will move around an area to find suitable shrub vegetation growing on the ground. Unlike cattle, they cannot mainly subsist on fresh grass. When your goats aren’t able to browse as much during the colder months, you can give them hay made of legumes and/or grass. Kitchen grains and garden compost can act as supplements to their main shrub diet as well.
Put Up Strong Fencing
To keep your goats secure on your property, you must put up strong fencing, as they have a propensity for trying to escape. As a result, a tip for raising goats on a farm is to learn how to choose the right fence for them. Remember to consider goats’ climbing and ramming behavior and go for materials that they cannot chew through. The fencing should be about four to five feet in height, depending on how lively your goats are so that they cannot climb or jump over it. You should also make sure that there are no holes or loose entry points that they might attempt to squeeze through. When it comes to materials, sturdy wood, wood-and-wire combinations, or plastic lumber can work effectively.
Joshua Wayne Griffin of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on October 1 at 2:43 a.m. and released on signature bond on October 1 at 9:15 a.m. Griffin was charged with public intoxication – danger to self or others.
Evan Joseph McClure of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on October 1 at 10:20 p.m. and released on legally sufficient bond on October 2 at 5:15 p.m. McClure was charged with aggravated assault on a family or household member.
Tabatha Lynn Risner of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 27 at 5:35 p.m. and remains at the SCADC. Risner was charged with two counts of failure to appear-class B misdemeanors.
Abagail Rose Lovella Kiles of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 28 at 2:33 p.m. and released on signature bond on September 28 at 9:04 p.m. Kiles was charged with contempt of court–(child support), FTAS, FTRespond Subpoena, FTComply WCO.
Mark Allen Wolfenbarger of Greenwood was booked into the Sebastian County Detention Center on September 27 at 4 a.m. and released on bond September 28 at at 1:29 p.m. Wolfenbarger was charged with contempt-willful disobedience (failure to pay fine,) two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the third degree, and criminal mischief in the first degree $1,000 or less.
Greenwood Police Department:
On 09/29/2020 at approximately 1:20 a.m., a Greenwood officer ran a vehicle tag through Sebastian County Dispatch. The tag was displayed on a silver Chevy Impala but returned to a Nissan Murano. The officer initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of Hwy 10/Old Chismville. The driver was identified as Devin Clay Mullen, 24 of Paris. The officer notified Mullen of the reason for the stop, and he advised the officer that the car belonged to him and the tag was from a Nissan that belonged to his parents who live in Magazine. Mullen also advised officers that he did not have a valid license and that his was suspended. The officer ran both Mullen and his passenger through dispatch and discovered that Mullen had a warrant out of Sebastian County for failure to appear on the original charge of driving while license suspended. Mullen was asked to exit the vehicle and placed under arrest. He was then transported to the Sebastian County Detention Center without incident. Mullen was also issued a citation for driving while license suspended and a warning for failing to register his vehicle.
On 10/3/20 at approximately 10:00 a.m., a Greenwood officer was observing traffic at the intersection of S. Coker and Old Hackett when he ran Arkansas an Arkansas tag. It returned with the name Armando Bahena, associated with the vehicle. The officer ran his name and date of birth through dispatch and was advised that he had a suspended license and multiple warrants, including one out of Greenwood for contempt. The officer conducted a traffic stop at W. Center and N. Clinic. The officer notified the driver of the reason for the stop, and asked Bahena to step out of the vehicle. He was placed under arrest for the confirmed local warrant. Warrants from the outside agencies were confirmed but would not extradite. Bahena, 29 of Waldron, was transported to the Sebastian County Detention Center.
On 10/04/2020 at approximately 12:45 a.m., a Greenwood officer was conducting a neighborhood patrol at the West Denver Apartments (830 West Denver Street) when he witnessed a male searching in the back of a parked vehicle. The vehicle was not running and did not have any lights on. After the officer passed the suspicious male, the man got out, shut the door and began quickly walking away. The officer exited his patrol vehicle and asked the male subject if he would speak to him. The man complied and was identified as Mark David Deer, 39 of Greenwood. Deer stated that the vehicle that he was inside was his fathers and he was outside using his cell phone while looking inside of the vehicle. The officer ran Deer through Sebastian County Dispatch and was advised that Deer had a warrant out of Logan County. Logan County wanted the officer to transport Deer to the Sebastian County Detention Center for them. Deer was transported to the Sebastian County Detention Center on a warrant out of Logan County for contempt of court.
On 10/3/2020 at approximately 2:05 a.m., a Greenwood officer was traveling north on North Main St., near the intersection of Denver St., and observed a gray Chevrolet pickup traveling south through the intersection of Main and Denver. That vehicle failed to stop at the stop sign, and the officer initiated a traffic stop. The vehicle pulled into the parking lot of the Edge building at the intersection of Main St and Center St. The officer made contact with the driver Jacob Hendrickson, 25 of Broken Arrow, OK. The officer could smell an odor of intoxicants coming from the vehicle. Hendrickson handed the officer what he thought was his license, but was actually approximately $40.00 cash. The officer advised him that was not what he needed and handed it back to him. Hendrickson then presented his license along with the instructions on how to set the vehicle’s radio. The officer handed it back to him and advised him to look at the documentation before handing it over to ensure it is correct. The officer noticed his slurred speech and his bloodshot eyes. The officer asked Hendrickson how much he had to drink and he stated “none.” Another officer noticed an empty Crown Royal whiskey bottle in the passenger floorboard. After running Hendrickson’s information through dispatch, the officer returned and asked him to step from his vehicle in order to preform a field sobriety test. After completing the first nine steps, Hendrickson stopped, and stated “I’m done. I failed the test.” The officer attempted to get him to finish the test but he refused and stated he did not want to waste the officer’s time. When the officer asked again how much he had to drink, he stated two beers. Hendrickson also stated he drank too much and messed up. The officer advised him that he would be going to the Greenwood Police Department to take a breath test. Hendrickson was placed handcuffs, and placed in the back of the patrol car. Upon arrival, Hendrickson was given a copy of the Arkansas statement of rights form and was asked to read along. He signed all parts of the rights form stating he understood what was being read to him. The BrAC test was administered with a final sample of .17 at the time of 2:38 a.m. Hendrickson was advised that, due to the result, he would be charged with DWI first offense. Hendrickson was transported to the Sebastian County ADC without incident.
**The charges against those arrested are allegations and the cases are still pending in the courts.**
Small cat and dog breeds and other little pets like guinea pigs and rabbits are adorable, lovable companions for single homeowners, couples, and families alike. That being said, there are many normal household items and areas that pose a major threat to your tiny companions. Don’t worry, this guide will inform you of how to keep your small pets safe around the house at all times.
Cover Up Any Holes or Openings Around the Property
This topic covers a wide range of areas in which small pets can crawl into. For example, small pets can hop into or crawl behind washers/dryers without the owner noticing. Pets can also trap themselves behind other appliances like A/C units and refrigerators. Take the time to ensure these areas are inaccessible so your pets will remain out of harm’s way. As a precaution, double-check washer/dryer units before starting them.
You should also keep toilet lids closed around the home. It’s harmful for pets to both drink the contents inside the bowl and fall into it entirely, so keep those lids closed at all times.
However, the danger isn’t just inside the house; it’s outside too. If you have window wells on your property, pets can fall inside and hurt themselves. That’s why residential homes with window wells need durable, polycarbonate covers for protection. Once you find a window well cover that meets your requirements, you can easily install and use it to keep your pets from trapping themselves inside.
Keep Hazardous Materials in Places Pets Can’t Access
Certain companion animals like to chew more than others, and sometimes on unsafe materials around the house. Common choking hazards for small pets include buttons, small toys, food/candy wrappers, thread, zippers, batteries, and jewelry. Keep small objects like these and more in an inaccessible area high off the ground or behind a secure door your pet can’t get through.
Use the same principle for potentially dangerous household items like plants, chemicals, and food. Chemicals seem obvious, but everyday household plants and food items can also cause illnesses or even death. Not all plants are dangerous to pets, so you can certainly keep them around the house. Just be sure to do the proper research ahead of time to avoid buying a plant that may harm curious (and hungry) pets.
Keep Them Away From Electrical Wires/Cords Too
Speaking of chewing, the last thing you want to do is allow your cat or dog to chew through an electrical cord and hurt themselves. This step is particularly tough because it isn’t always so easy to keep electrical cords out of your pet’s reach. Cats, for instance, usually reach high places with ease. If this is the case in your household, safely cover the wires/cords so pets can’t get access to them.
Knowing how to keep your small pets safe around the house is important because, as you can see, many common items pose a major threat to little critters. Making these changes might seem stressful at first, but once you begin implementing them in your household, you’ll see how easy and beneficial they can be.
Western Arkansas Planning and Development District in conjunction with David Hudson, Sebastian County Judge have produced a map of the County road systems. This map is interactive, allowing you to lookup a county address and determine the maintenance status.
For more information, or if you have questions feel free to contact the Road Department at 479-996-4485 or by email.
Paulette Boyce of Ft. Smith, formerly of Waldron, Arkansas passed from this life, October 3, 2020, in Ft. Smith. Paulette was born August 12, 1949 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Walter John “Bud” Boyce and Hazel Lamour (Woods) Boyce. She was 71 years old.
Paulette was proud to be a CNA. She enjoyed helping the people she worked with. She was an avid animal lover, and she enjoyed raising dogs. She loved her family and spending time with them. Her grandchildren made her light up. The memories she made with them will be everlasting.
Paulette leaves behind to cherish her memory, one son, Mark Standridge and wife Stacy of Mena, Arkansas, two daughters, Lisa Williams and husband Robert of Alma, Arkansas and Julie Mills and husband Robert of Parks, Arkansas. She is also survived by one brother Rick Boyce and wife Mechelle of Van Buren, Arkansas. Nanny, also known as Granny P will forever remain in the hearts of her 8 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.
Paulette is preceded in death by her parents Walter “Bud” Boyce and Hazel Boyce and 2 brothers, Joe Boyce and Larry Boyce.
Paulette’s graveside life celebration will be 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 6, 2020, at Earl Ladd Cemetery in Danville, Arkansas. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
Paulette’s visitation will be Tuesday, October 6, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. until 1: 00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas.
During these trying and difficult times we must do our part to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Family and friends are welcome to attend the service but everyone must wear a mask and maintain social distancing.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Paulette Boyce, please visit our floral store.
The young Charleston Tigers won their second consecutive conference game in as many outings, this time defeating the Cedarville Pirates who many had forecasted to win the 3A-1 conference. Earlier this summer, Hooten’s Arkansas Football publication had picked Cedarville to win the conference with Charleston picked second. Half of the football season remains to be played, but the head-to-head win over the Pirates and the Tigers’ remaining schedule favor Charleston going into week six to be in position to win the conference and earn a top seed in the state playoffs. Last Friday’s win at Alumni Field over Cedarville was huge for Charleston for their playoff prospects this year, and for the next two to three years with their young and talented players.
Charleston (3-2, 2-0) will now have to guard against a let down next Friday when they travel to Mansfield. Although Mansfield is winless on the conference season, the Tigers vs. Tigers game is part of a long-standing rivalry between the two schools, and the Red Tigers will be amped and ready to play Friday in Mansfield. It was just one year ago when Mansfield stunned Charleston with a 100 yard interception return for a touchdown to win the game with less than one minute remaining in the game. The Mansfield win prevented Charleston from finishing with the three seed in the state playoffs and relegated the Tigers to a five seed and traveling to Prescott for a first round state playoff game. The interception and return saved the Mansfield Tigers’ season. It enabled the Tigers to finish with the four seed to qualify for the state playoffs after a loss the previous week at Greenland.
The Mansfield Tigers graduated a talented class in May of 2020 and are now rebuilding under coach Tim Cothren. Mansfield needs a win over Charleston to get back into the conference race, and the Red Tigers will be ready when Charleston comes calling on Friday.
Resident Press Photo / Ronni Tate Young
The 3A-1 standings after Friday’s games is:
Charleston 2-0
Cedarville 1-1
Greenland 1-1
West Fork 1-1
Hackett 1-0
Lincoln 1-0
Lavaca 0-1
Mansfield 0-2
Games scheduled this Friday in the conference include:
Charleston at Mansfield
Cedarville at Hackett
Greenland vs Lincoln
West Fork vs Lavaca
Charleston now has the head-to-head advantage over both Cedarville and Greenland, effectively giving the Tigers a two-game lead over both schools. Charleston has conference games remaining with Mansfield, Hackett, Lincoln, West Fork, and Lavaca. Cedarville has games remaining with Hackett, West Fork, Greenland, Mansfield, and Lincoln. The Greenland Pirates have games remaining with Lincoln, Lavaca, Cedarville, Hackett, and West Fork. Greenland appears to be the key in the log jam for second place, and by virtue of games played, Charleston has the advantage of schedule and having wins at Greenland and against a tough Cedarville team. It will be up to the young Tigers to maintain their focus each week and take care of business in games that they should be very competitive in for the final five weeks.
Coach May commented after the game, “It was a huge one (win over Cedarville). We made it a little harder than it had to be, but it was a crazy game.”
Resident Press Photo / Ronni Tate Young
Last Friday’s game at Charleston was a great game for fans of high school football. Charleston head football coach Ricky May commented that the high school football fans that were in attendance were treated to a great game that was played well by both teams.
Charleston coach Ricky May said after the game, “It was huge (referring to the win over Cedarville). It was a crazy game. We played well at times, but we gave up the big play at times when we didn’t need to. And that’s what killed us (on defense). We would have them in second and long, and next thing you know we would give up a pass in the flat for about twenty (yards). We just didn’t play very smart.”
Coach May has spoken throughout the season about times when the defense was out of position. I asked Coach May if this was a characteristic of a young team and an indicator of this season being a learning process for the defense. Coach May said, “We’ve stopped playing so many kids, too. I really and truly; we have rotated kids at noseman trying to find a noseman, and have struggled to do that. Hopefully after last Friday night we may have found somebody to do that. That’s been the biggest part. Our sophomore the other night, they ran a fullback trap, and he ran right by him. They’re (the young defense) are getting better, but we’re still making just one or two mistakes at the wrong time and it is costing us.” But the good news for Tigers fans is that they are winning despite the learning curve for the young players, and this season has proved to be very successful with respect to immediate success of the program and the foundation Coach May and the players are building for the future.
Resident Press Photo / Ronnie Tate Young
Friday’s game saw the young Tigers compete hard and in the end, hang in on a two-point conversion attempt by Cedarville to win the game, 36-34. In describing the game, Coach May said, “Cedarville drove down and scored on their first possession. We then went down and scored and made the score 7-6. They then drove down again and scored and made a two point conversion to make the score 14-7. We got the ball just before the half in pretty good field position. And, I guess, we both punted. We only punted one time apiece. Right before half, we drove down inside their red zone and didn’t score. After the half, we came out and we drove down and tied the game. After an interception, we were able to drive down again and score to go up 21-14. They got the ball back and fumbled it away around the 35 yard line. Breckon Ketter scooped it and ran it back for a touchdown. So, by that point, we’re up 28-14 and I am feeling pretty good. There was about ten minutes left in the game. Then they drove down again and scored on us, I want to say with about three minutes left in the game. So, it didn’t take them very long to score. At this point it was 28-20, and they kicked off to us. They stripped us on a kickoff return and ran it back to our twenty (yard line). I think there was less than three minutes remaining. They drove down, scored, and got the two point conversion to tie the game 28-28. We got the ball, drove a little ways, and had a fourth and twenty-three from their 35 yard line. Brandon Scott rolled out and threw it up and Dalton Curtis caught it in the end zone. That made it 34-28. We were going to kick the extra point, and they jumped off sides twice. So, we got the ball at the one yard line and we went for two. We got the two and that made the score 36-28. Cedarville drove down and scored with 20 seconds left in the game. Made the score 36-34, and on the two-point conversion, we got some penetration and the receiver kind of took his eyes off the ball for a second and dropped it. There was a mad scramble for the ball, and they recovered it, but we were able to stop them at the one yard line. We recovered their onside kick, and that’s the way it ended. One heck of a ballgame.”
Resident Press Photos / Ronnie Tate Young
It was a great call for Coach May to go for the two-point conversion on the Tigers’ final score. “We were going to kick it; that’s what the card tells you to do.” But the two offside penalties gave Charleston a chance to go for two, and the conversion ended up being the difference in the game. If the Pirates had scored on their final two point attempt, Cedarville would have potentially won the game if Charleston had only gone for one point on the previous conversion attempt.
Resident Press Photos / Ronni Tate Young
Cedarville attempted onside kicks that gave the Tigers great average field positions to start drives during the game. “Our average starting field position for drives was probably between their 40 yard line and the 50 yard line.” Coach May, in talking about his young team, talks about the excitement he has in coaching them. “From the standpoint that they never quit; it would have been really easy to not finish that two-point play at the end of the game. But man, they did. We got penetration really quick and kind of felt like that was what they were going to try to run. So, we were in good position.”
Resident Press Photo / Ronni Tate Young
So now the Charleston coaching staff will have to quickly get the team to refocus on the Mansfield Tigers and prevent an emotional letdown after the emotionally-charged victory over Cedarville. The Pirates are a good football team and will have much to say over the remainder of the season’s schedule. Charleston is in the driver’s seat, but that is only a week-to-week proposition. The Tigers must focus and take care of business when they travel to Mansfield on Friday.
But anyway you look at it, the 2020 edition of the Charleston Tigers is a fun group to watch, and this young team is now in the position to win what could be the first of three consecutive conference championships over this year and the next two seasons. All of that starts this week in Mansfield.
No doubt, it is fun to win. Who doesn’t enjoy winning? We all do, but perhaps most impressive to the Eagles’ 5-0 start to the 2020 football season is the process that got the program to where it is today. And two people, head coach Tyler Clark, and school resource officer Mike Haney, deserve a lot of credit for getting the football program to where it is today.
College football fans may have heard Alabama football coach Nick Saban talk about winning as a “process” and not an “outcome”. Successful programs focus on every aspect of the program to build a winning culture that is successful every year, and not just sporadically and one random year every so often. When Coach Clark arrived at Paris three years ago, there were problems within the Eagles football program. For privacy reasons, I will not go into those problems, but it is fair to say that Coach Clark faced a significant rebuilding challenge when he arrived from Marion High School.
Coach Clark had to establish a winning culture at Paris, and in doing so, he had to set the parameters of what behavior was acceptable and what was not. It was very much a “tough love” approach, and an investment in the long-term success of the program. And in his first year, the program went 0-10. Perhaps he could have sacrificed some of his standards with player behavior and maybe won a few games. But he didn’t. And in year two, the team went 3-7, and Coach Clark held firm; maintaining his program standards and developing not only good players, but good men. And now in 2020, the Paris fan base is seeing the fruits of his “process” and development of players, and the program is off to its best season start in years. Best of all, the Paris community can be proud of the quality of the behavior of the players on this team, not just their undefeated record.
In those earlier months and years of rebuilding the program, one of Coach Clark’s biggest assets was school resource officer Mike Haney. Officer Haney was a valuable resource to the program, not only in tough situations, but in positive ones as well. A member of the Paris Quarterback Club shared with me last Friday that when that organization was attempting to revitalize its support role for the football program, Officer Haney was the very first contributor to donate his money to help the organization get re-started.
When I asked Paris coach Tyler Clark about what Officer Haney meant to him and the Paris football program, he commented, “He meant a lot to us. There were a lot of things that he did for our team that were well behind the scenes that no one will probably ever know. And a lot of times it was tough love. But, he always tried to do what was right by us. He would always come by and talk with us and he was just there for the kids. I don’t think there is a person out there that wasn’t a fan of his. He was always a huge supporter of the football program, and he will be greatly missed.”
Officer Haney appeared this summer on The Sports Brew Show, and Resident Press published a story the day after his appearance, telling Paris community members about his appearance and his love for the children of Paris.
In an article published by the Resident Press in June of 2020, RP recapped his appearance on the The Sports Brew Show that month. In his interview, Officer Haney spoke of his love for the students and staff of the Paris schools, as well as the parents and citizens of the community in light of current-day fears of school safety. In his interview, Resident Press reported: “Officer Haney offered words of comfort and security to the parents of students in the Paris schools. With the safeguards and procedures in place in the district, Haney stated that students are often safer at school now than when they are at home. I appreciated his comment. Schools, in my opinion, have been victimized by acts of violence over the past twenty-five years, but have received a negative image in the eyes of media and the general public with the respect to protecting the safety of everyone in school. Haney said, “You (parents) have to remember, these are my kids too.”“
Paris School District Resource Office Mike Haney During a June 2020 Appearance on The Sports Brew Show (Resident Press File Photo)
Last Friday night, the Paris stadium announcer read an emotional tribute to Officer Haney before kickoff. As did everyone in the stadium that night, the announcer became very emotional and had difficulty getting the words out that described the person and the supporter that Officer Haney was for many students, staff, and community members in Paris. Officer Haney will be missed, and the Paris community will gather one more time to honor his life and legacy at a service that will be held Tuesday at Eagles Stadium. A fitting place for a man who was so important to the football program at Paris, and to all students and members of the Paris community. Eagles Stadium is often a gathering point of celebration for the Paris citizens, and on Tuesday, it will also be a place to honor a man who supported others for his entire career. Officer Haney’s memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
It seems trivial to move on to Friday’s football game of Paris at Little Rock Baptist, but it is what Officer Haney would want.
The Eagles will play just their second road game of the season this Friday at Baptist Prep. It will be the first of three consecutive weeks the Eagles will play away from home. Paris will travel to Little Rock this Friday, and will play in two weeks at Atkins, and again on October 23 at Perryville. But first things first. Paris cannot afford to look past the Baptist Prep Eagles in anticipation of their trip to Atkins. The games at Atkins and Perryville will diminish in importance if the Eagles were to lose this week.
After Friday’s conference games, the standings in the 3A-4 conference are:
Atkins 2-0
Paris 1-0
Booneville 1-0
Perryville 1-1
Mayflower 1-1
Danville 0-1
Two Rivers 0-1
Baptist Prep 0-2
The schedule for this week’s conference games is:
Paris at Little Rock Baptist Prep
Atkins vs Danville
Booneville vs Mayflower
Two Rivers vs Perryville
No significant movement in the standings is expected this week. Key games will be played on October 16 that will begin to shape the conference race and the potential order of finish and state tournament seeds. So the theme for the conference leaders this week is to take care of business and win games that they are supposed to win and not have a let down before next week.
Paris, having an unexpected change in schedule last week with the cancellation by Two Rivers, played a good Class 2A Hector team. Paris coach Tyler Clark expressed his excitement immediately after the game with how his defense continues to play. Coach Clark said on the field, “It has been a very wild day (referring to the Two Rivers cancellation and the quick scheduling of the game with Hector). Just happy to get a win. We were lucky enough that Hector was open (was looking for a game due to a cancellation) and thank goodness they were open. They were real hospitable and it worked out well. They are a good football team and I expect them to do well in their conference. We’re banged up a little bit, but that’s what happens in football season sometimes. We’ll be alright. Man, our defense is playing so well. Jimmy Dikeman has had two wonderful games in a row. Our offense, when we get going, we can score in bunches. It’s encouraging. So really, just a good team effort. I am proud of all of them.”
On Sunday, after Coach Clark and his staff had time to evaluate Friday’s game tape, I asked him how the team looked on Friday. Coach Clark said, “Things looked good. Defensively, we’re flying to the football. Offensively, we’re not executing perfectly, but we’re executing at a high-enough level to win ball games, so, that’s good.”
Due to the margin of victory that Paris has enjoyed for most of the season, the Eagles have had the opportunity to develop their team depth. Many of the Eagles reserve players have already had significant playing time, and players such as Tyler Gierke and Mason Bradley have come on to be major contributors. Coach Clark said, “These programs that win year-in and year-out usually win because they “mercy rule” so many of their opponents that their backups get in often when everyone else’s backups are on the sidelines. Those programs’ backups get three or four games a year on the field. It’s definitely a benefit.”
Case in point was Coach Clark’s decision to start Duke Walker at running back with Tyler Gierke alternating during the game. The two were able to provide rest for Ely Fore so that he is 100% heading into the critical stretch of the conference race.
And speaking of the conference race, Coach Clark continues to emphasize with his team that each week’s preparation is against a “nameless and faceless opponent”, meaning that to the Eagles it does not matter who they are playing each week, the team will continue to focus on what they need to do to win the game. This is a great approach heading into the October stretch run of the conference race. The Eagles will prepare the same way for Baptist Prep as they will for Atkins and Perryville in the next two weeks. Paris must respect Baptist Prep before they begin to think about Atkins on October 16.
Baptist Prep Was Upset Earlier in the Season by Marvell (Photo Credit: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
Speaking of Baptist Prep, Coach Clark commented, “they know how to win games. They went to the playoffs last year. I think very highly of their coach (Zach Wetchman). Once again, we have to worry about us.”
Paris should have a size advantage on the line of scrimmage against Baptist Prep. But a cautious Coach Clark explained, “We should, and obviously size is a good thing, but there are teams out there that have really skilled players that are real quick. So, we’re going to have to do a real good job with our techniques.”
It will be an emotional week for both the Paris community and the school district. The Lady Eagles volleyball team, who has been quarantined for over a week, is beginning to emerge from quarantine and will hopefully resume play on Thursday. The community will say good-bye to one of their greatest friends in Mike Haney on Tuesday. And on Friday, a grateful Paris football program will take Officer Haney with them in mind and spirit as they will honor him Friday and for the rest of the season by wearing helmet decals with the letters “MH”.
Mike Haney will be missed, but will never be forgotten. His Paris community, whom he served faithfully for so many years, will never forget his legacy.
Paris Tribute to the Loss of Its Long Time Friend, Supporter, and Police Officer, Mike Haney (Resident Press Photo)
The Mansfield Sr Tigers have faced quite a bit of adversity this season. After starting off with a bang-up 41-0 victory over Magazine, the Tigers have dropped four straight games in reverse fashion of their only win. Friday nights game was no exception to this trend as Mansfield sank under the weight of the Greenland Pirates 47-16.
Zayne Dugan
Mansfield came into the game with an 0-1 conference record after losing to West Fork as did Greenland who lost big to Charleston the week before. Both programs were pretty equal on paper, but paper is where the similarities ended. Greenland came out canons blazing and punched the Tigers right in the mouth by hanging a quick 21 points on Mansfield in the first quarter. The Tigers offense on the other hand wasn’t as on target. Randy Claude was able to use pure effort to make a few good runs on the Pirates, but Mansfield couldn’t hold off the Green Wave of Pirates defenders as Greenland flooded the backfield.
Randy Claude
The Tigers defense stepped up a little bit more in the second quarter holding Greenland to 13 points, but the offense still was not in sync. Plays that should’ve worked weren’t executed properly or were swallowed up before they could they even had a chance. Tiger running backs found open holes but were caught from behind. Miscommunication between players and an ever-present pressure of the Pirates kept Mansfield from getting any rhythm going into the half down 34-0.
Shawn Brown
Going into the second half the Tigers pushed back against Greenland. The Tigers defense took it upon themselves to get Mansfield back in the game as they began to swarm the Pirates with vicious hits and team tackling to the point Greenland coaches called a time out to get on to their offense. The Tiger defense only allowed one touchdown in the third quarter but the damage on the scoreboard had already been done as the Tigers went into the fourth quarter down 40-0.
Tyler Woolbright
Mansfield’s offense and special teams turned on the lights and came to life in the fourth quarter. Austin Carlton caught a kickoff and made like a chainsaw as he buzz-sawed his way downfield for an 85-yard kick return for a touchdown. Zayne Dugan punched the ball through for a two-point conversion giving the Tigers 8 points on the scoreboard. The Tigers then drove downfield on Greenland in a swift manner. Looking like a team on a mission, Mansfield set up field position for Zayne Dugan to plow his way in the end zone for an offensive touchdown. Dugan was able to zip a pass to Bri Sanderson for the two-point conversion which shortened the score gap to 47-16. Unfortunately, the Tigers surge came a little too late in the game as the clock ran out with a 47-16 final giving the Tigers back-to-back conference losses.
The Mansfield Tigers vs the Greenland Pirates
Mansfield’s gauntlet of tough opponents will not get any easier as they will host the Charleston Tigers this Friday, October, 9. Mansfield has beaten Charleston for the past two years. Can Mansfield practice hard enough and pull things together to dethrone the 3A-1 powerhouse Black and Gold Tigers yet again? There’s only one way to find out.
When most people go on a two-week hiatus, it usually takes a little time to get their feet back under them and get warmed up. But not the Hackett Sr High Hornets. It seems their time off made them stronger and faster than ever. On Friday, October 2, the Sr Hornets stepped into their first conference game of the season when they took on the Golden Arrows at Lavaca. With two clear adversaries already identified in being off for two weeks AND having to play on someone else’s field, it would seem like any other team would crumble under the pressure. Hackett and Lavaca are no strangers to each other as they competed together in the 2A and are now the newbies in 3A football.
The Hornets and the Arrows flew head-on with each other as they both tried to take control of the first half of the battle. With a halftime score of 14-13 Hackett, it looked to be anybody’s game. But coming back into the second half of the contest, the Hornets took flight as the Arrows remained grounded. The game ended with a final score of 40-13 putting Hackett at 1-0 in conference play. “We are really proud of our athletes for how well they have played early in the season. Especially coming off two weeks and having a short week. To get a win in conference play was good for our momentum for the rest of the season,” stated coach, Michael Meador.
QB, Ethan Slavens finished with 16/27 passes for 328, 5 TDS, and 2 INT. Westin winters made 20 carries for 165 and 1 TD. Peyton Hester snagged 6 catches for 136 yards and 1 TD. Cogan Hester grabbed 3 catches for 123 and 3 TDs. Zayden Dennis earned 1 catch for 17 yards and 1 TD. Peyton Hester got 9 solo tackles, 3 assists, and 1 sack. Weston Winters earned 9 solo tackles and 2 assists. Fischer Shipman picked up 4 solos and 4 assists. Jesse Esparza made 6 solos, 1 assist, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. Mason Oelke got 8 solos and 1 pancake. And Isaiah Carter and Luke Gann had one pancake each.
In their next conference game, the Hornets will host the 0-1 Cedarville Pirates on October 9. “Cedarville is going to be a very tough team to beat. They are well-coached. They play extremely hard and their offense can hurt you in many different ways. They run the football very well and we have to do a good job of slowing down their run game. They threw the ball around a couple of times and hit some big plays against Charleston. They will be tough to stop with how balanced they are. We have to continue to improve on tackling and executing our assignment. We have not played a complete game with both sides of the ball clicking. Should be a fun football game and we are looking forward to it!”
