A ribbon cutting ceremony for Revel restaurant and patio located in The HUB at Providence, a mixed-use development in Chaffee Crossing, is sending out the clear signal that delicious food will soon be available in an incredibly unique local gathering space unlike anything in Fort Smith or the surrounding areas. The ribbon cutting will take place Tuesday, October 6, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. CST, in front of the beautifully constructed new restaurant, 9201 R.A. Young Jr. Drive, Fort Smith, AR. The public is invited to attend to view the newly completed space.
Revel is the brainchild of owners Chef Jason Haid and fiancée Christen Roberts. From the start, the two knew they wanted a restaurant centered around inclusivity, humble beginnings, and providing food and drink of the highest standard. Chef Jason defines the restaurant style as uniquely our own – taking northeastern and low country influences to elevate classic dishes and create new and delectable menu options. The menu will start with eight to 10 regular dinner options that rotate seasonally based on availability of different products and ingredients at their peak seasons. Specials will rotate bi-weekly and seasonally also. The couple believes that food and drink should be thoughtful and intentional while fusing their northern and southern backgrounds and styles.
Opening plans are for dinner only starting in October. Two flights of seating will be available for up to 30 guest per seating, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. In late October or early November, Revel will begin offering Saturday brunch. Initially, the owners want to be slow and steady, ever mindful of safety precautions for both guests and staff, but always following state health directives. Chef Jason says this is “just the beginning. We have exciting concepts that we are anxious to implement. This is going to be a destination restaurant in short order. There will always be surprises, new flavors to sample, and an inviting atmosphere that will keep people constantly craving more.”
The HUB at Providence was developed by ERC Holdings, LLC. Kathy Coleman, ERC Holdings Director of Single-Family Design and Marketing, says Revel is “exactly the type of glue we imagined to tie this mixed-use development together from inception. Chef Jason and Christen caught the dream the first time we met with them and they have brought it to life. They understand the live/work/play lifestyle we are working to create and we have no doubt that Revel will be an integral part of making the dream a reality.”
The HUB at Providence is located on Wells Lake Road in Chaffee Crossing, just a short walk on trails or a short bicycle ride from numerous residential neighborhoods in the area, development spurred by Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority (FCRA) real estate sales and collaboration on public amenity projects. FCRA executive director Daniel Mann recognizes the importance of mixed-use developments like The HUB at Providence and the significance of Revel as a neighborhood eating establishment. He says, “As the number of rooftops in this area of Chaffee Crossing continues to expand, consumer demand for eating options and local hangouts close to home where people feel welcome and have a sense of belonging is dramatically increasing. Revel’s building and menu are designed with this type of personality and we are excited to watch it become another star in the list of Chaffee Crossing successes.”
The structural design of the restaurant has a unique warmth, a homey style with urban flair that incorporates brick walls and hardwoods that wrap an indoor/outdoor bar and garage doors into an amazing patio space. The interior and exterior design and materials echo each other, allowing the patio to expand the square footage by 2.5 times and provide adequate space to spread out. Remote control walls, screens, heaters, and fans will allow diners to take advantage of the space 9-10 months of the year. The fountain, music and warm welcome will provide the perfect flow for the restaurant to keep guests coming back time and time again.
Revel Restaurant at The HUB Will Soon Open
Paris Drops Second Non-conference Match of the Season to Class 4A Mena
The good news for Eagles fans is that it was a non-conference loss Monday night at Mena. The loss to Mena does not affect the Lady Eagles’ conference record or standing. The bad news? Well, that is another thing.
Paris lost just its second match of the season on Monday, this time to the Class 4A Mena Lady Bearcats. The loss to Mena was the Lady Eagles’ first loss since August 27 when they lost at Fort Smith Southside. The Southside and Mena losses, although both being lopsided losses, were very different. The Lady Mavericks simply overpowered Paris through three sets, while the Lady Bearcats played a nearly flawless match with great front line play, and setters and back line players rarely letting a ball hit the floor. Mena surgically placed balls in holes in the Paris defense, as well as using power kills when the opportunities were present.
Paris (9-2, 8-0) must now develop short-term memory and quickly forget about the trip to Mena and re-focus on a critical road conference match against the Charleston Lady Tigers. Mix in all of this with threat of flu and COVID-19 surrounding teams in the league, and all of the sudden, Paris and other schools in the 3A West face a very uncertain future.
At Southside, the Lady Eagles simply seemed overwhelmed by a talented and powerful Lady Mavericks team that is ranked second overall in Arkansas by Max Preps. On Monday night, Paris faced an undefeated 4A team in the Lady Bearcats. Mena has not lost a set all season and looks to be in position to possibly sweep the 4A West conference. The Lady Bearcats started a senior lineup that is experienced, talented, and well coached. But tonight’s loss was not as much about how well Mena played, but how the Lady Eagles struggled.
Paris seemed lethargic, out of sync with each other, and struggled with communication on the floor. The Paris front line had no answer for the strategically placed tips and kills of the Mena front line. In short, it just was not Paris’s night, and it came on the road against a very good team. The Lady Eagles did not look like themselves, especially like the team over the past six or seven weeks.
So now, Paris must forget this loss quickly and re-focus on a Charleston Lady Tigers team that would love nothing more than to jump on Paris and pick-up a big win for their season and their program Tuesday night at Tiger Center. Charleston coach Ryan Rachuy always has his team ready to play, and the Lady Eagles can count on a team that is hungry to beat them in their first season of playing home games in Tiger Center. Yes, the Lady Eagles have to learn from Monday night’s experience; shake it off, and come out flying high for Tuesday’s match with Charleston.
The Charleston Lady Tigers are 6-3 overall and 5-3 in conference play. They are tied with West Fork for third place in the conference. Waldron is 4-3 and has played one less game in conference play. A Charleston victory would help solidify their standing in third place and would put them two games behind both Hackett and Paris.
Tuesday’s match-up in Charleston is the second match in the conference round-robin schedule. In the first conference match of the year for both schools back on August 25, Paris defeated Charleston 3-0. Charleston has three consecutive home games with Paris on Tuesday night, Lincoln on Thursday, September 24, and West Fork on Tuesday, September 29. This is the point of the season in which the leaders want to separate themselves from the rest of the conference in the wins and losses columns, and those in the middle of the conference look to make runs to compete for the conference title or to improve their seeds for the state tournament. Either way, both schools have a lot to play for Tuesday night in Charleston.
For Paris, they have to find themselves as a team, and they have to do it quickly. If I know this team like I think I do, they and their coach, Jordan Devine, are not interested in any excuses for their play or the quality of non-conference opponents they have played. The only thing they care about at this point is how they are playing and about the issues that need to be fixed and fixed quickly.
The bright spot for the Paris volleyball program was a win by the Lady Eagles’ junior A team over previously unbeaten Mena. The match went three sets and the junior Lady Eagles, who have been steadily improving over the past few weeks, went back to Paris with a huge non-conference win.
Who knows? Monday night in Mena could have been a wake up call for the Lady Eagles after a blistering stretch where they had reeled off seven straight wins since the loss to Southside. It is my guess that this team will not be in a good mood on Tuesday night and they will be anxious to get back on the floor and play at the level they know they are capable of playing. The Lady Eagles have to be ready to play mentally when they step off the bus at Tiger Center, and I believe they will.
So volleyball fans, you will not want to miss Tuesday’s match-up in Charleston. It should be a great match between two great programs and two great coaches. A lot is riding on this match, as Charleston looks to make a second half run for the rest of the season, and Paris looks to get back on track for the final push to the playoffs. So get your tickets, and get there early. The seventh grade match will start at 4 p.m., and will be followed by Junior A, Senior B, and Senior A matches.
See you in Charleston on Tuesday night, and don’t forget that Resident Press will have a full recap of this game on Wednesday afternoon.
Stay with Resident Press for all of the news and updates on Paris Lady Eagles and Class 3A West volleyball action!
USDA to Provide Additional Direct Assistance to Farmers and Ranchers Impacted by the Coronavirus
President Donald J. Trump and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced up to an additional $14 billion for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19.
Signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) will begin September 21 and run through December 11, 2020.
“America’s agriculture communities are resilient, but still face many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. President Trump is once again demonstrating his commitment to ensure America’s farmers and ranchers remain in business to produce the food, fuel, and fiber America needs to thrive,” said Secretary Perdue.
“We listened to feedback received from farmers, ranchers and agricultural organizations about the impact of the pandemic on our nations’ farms and ranches, and we developed a program to better meet the needs of those
impacted.”
Background:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will use funds being made available from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and CARES Act to support row crops, livestock, specialty crops, dairy, aquaculture and many additional commodities. USDA has incorporated improvements in CFAP 2 based from stakeholder engagement and public feedback to better meet the needs of impacted farmers and ranchers.
Producers can apply for CFAP 2 at USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices. This program provides financial assistance that gives producers the ability to absorb increased marketing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Producers will be compensated for ongoing market disruptions and assisted with the associated marketing costs. CFAP 2 payments will be made for three categories of commodities – Price Trigger Commodities, Flat-rate Crops and Sales Commodities.
Price Trigger Commodities
Price trigger commodities are major commodities that meet a minimum 5-percent price decline over a specified period of time. Eligible price trigger crops include barley, corn, sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers, upland cotton, and all classes of wheat. Payments will be based on 2020 planted acres of the crop, excluding prevented planting and experimental acres. Payments for price trigger crops will be the greater of: 1) the eligible acres multiplied by a payment rate of $15 per acre; or 2) the eligible acres multiplied by a nationwide crop marketing percentage, multiplied by a crop-specific payment rate, and then by the producer’s weighted 2020 Actual
Production History (APH) approved yield. If the APH is not available, 85 percent of the 2019 Agriculture Risk Coverage-County Option (ARC-CO) benchmark yield for that crop will be used. For broilers and eggs, payments will be based on 75 percent of the producers’ 2019 production. Dairy (cow’s milk) payments will be based on actual milk production from April 1 to Aug. 31, 2020. The milk production for Sept. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020, will be estimated by FSA. Eligible beef cattle, hogs and pigs, and lambs and sheep payments will be based on the maximum owned inventory of eligible livestock, excluding breeding stock, on a date selected by the producer, between Apr. 16, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2020.
Flat-rate Crops
Crops that either do not meet the 5-percent price decline trigger or do not have data available to calculate a price change will have payments calculated based on eligible 2020 acres multiplied by $15 per acre. These crops include alfalfa, extra long staple (ELS) cotton, oats, peanuts, rice, hemp, millet, mustard, safflower, sesame, triticale, rapeseed, and several others.
Sales Commodities
Sales commodities include specialty crops; aquaculture; nursery crops and floriculture; other commodities not included in the price trigger and flat-rate categories, including tobacco; goat milk; mink (including pelts); mohair; wool; and other livestock (excluding breeding stock) not included under the price trigger category that were grown for food, fiber, fur, or feathers. Payment calculations will use a sales-based approach, where producers are paid based on five payment gradations associated with their 2019 sales. Additional commodities are eligible in CFAP 2 that weren’t eligible in the first iteration of the program. If your agricultural operation has been impacted by the pandemic since April 2020, we encourage you to apply for CFAP 2. A complete list of eligible commodities, payment rates and calculations can be found on farmers.gov/cfap.
Eligibility
There is a payment limitation of $250,000 per person or entity for all commodities combined. Applicants who are corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships may qualify for additional payment limits when members actively provide personal labor or personal management for the farming operation. In addition, this special payment limitation provision has been expanded to include trusts and estates for both CFAP 1 and 2.
Producers will also have to certify they meet the Adjusted Gross Income limitation of $900,000 unless at least 75 percent or more of their income is derived from farming, ranching or forestry-related activities. Producers must also be in compliance with Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation provisions.
Applying for Assistance
Producers can apply for assistance beginning Sept. 21, 2020. Applications will be accepted through Dec. 11, 2020.
Additional information and application forms can be found at farmers.gov/cfap. Documentation to support the producer’s application and certification may be requested. All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap/apply. For existing FSA customers, including those who participated in CFAP 1, many documents are likely already on file. Producers should check with FSA county office to see if any of the forms need to be updated
Customers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP 2 application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages with the team at the FSA county office.
All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appointment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will be in the office, and they will be working with our producers in the office, by phone and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
Municipal League Seeks City Support on 1/2 Cent Sales Tax
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department are backing ballot Issue 1, the Transportation Sales Tax Continuation Amendment. Other proponents include agencies for municipalities, counties and the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce.
In 2012 voters passed Issue 1, authorizing a temporary 0.5% sales tax to be levied until the general obligation bonds in the amount of $1.3 billion for the construction of a four-lane highway were repaid (estimated to be in 2023).
The current ballot Issue 1 (2020) would amend the state constitution to make permanent the 0.5% sales tax. According to the Arkansas Department of Transportation, the revenue from this tax would be dedicated to maintaining and improving Arkansas’ state highways, county roads and city streets.
On Thursday evening, September 17, the City of Mansfield unanimously approved a resolution supporting the amendment to the constitution. “If we don’t pass that, we will be in trouble,” stated Mansfield Recorder/Treasurer Becky Walker. “It will effect our revenue, and it is what helps maintain our streets…” Resolution 2020-4 states “it is beneficial for all municipalities to support HJR 1018 as a necessary funding mechanism for our travel-infrastructure and will serve as an economic boon for the State.”
By law, the revenues derived from sources dedicated to transportation (motor fuel taxes, vehicle registration fees, the natural gas severance tax, the temporary ½-cent sales tax, etc.) are divided between the state (ARDOT), all cities, and all counties. The state (ARDOT) receives 70 percent of
those funds for work on state highways; 15 percent is divided among all incorporated cities in the state for work on city transportation projects; and 15 percent is divided between all the counties for work on county roads and bridges. The 15 percent that goes to cities and counties is referred to as ‘turnback funds.’
The notion of a temporary tax being made permanent is facing criticism. “I’m not advocating for taxes,” stated Arkansas Liberty Coalition leader Gary Epperson. “But if we’re going to be taxed, I’d rather it be on a city or county level so it can be tracked.”
“There is no question it will be a tough sell, even with the prospects for job creation and economic development,” stated Randy Zook, President and CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce-Associated Industries of Arkansas.
“The idea that we are in a crisis with roads is a false dilemma,” said State Director of Americans for Prosperity-Arkansas, Ryan Norris. Norris likened Issue 1 to the boiling frog fable, the premise that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out. But if the frog is put in tepid water, which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. “It is a scare tactic,” stated Norris. “The real problem is a failure to budget…They want us to believe that we have these problems because we aren’t paying in enough money. That is not true, this is a self-created crisis.”
Guidehouse, a Virginia-based consultant firm, found that the “agency’s maintenance budgeting process is based on historical precedent. ArDOT budgets about $190 million annually for maintenance activities. Those budgets have remained relatively flat and are largely driven by historical budgets rather than considering the features of the roadway system and addressing the greatest needs.” That, according to Norris, is only 10% of ArDot’s overall budget for maintenance. “It is a problem of prioritizing maintenance in their budget,” added Norris. “That $190 million is definitely not enough for the entire state’s maintenance.”
As the state continues to build more highways, will the budget demands to maintain these roads also continue to grow? In the end, the fate of Issue 1 will rest in the hands of Arkansas voters on election day, November 3, 2020.
UAFS Kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month
The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith has organized a month-long slate of virtual and on-campus events celebrating Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, Sept. 15 – Oct. 15. The events, which range from traditional food tastings and salsa dancing lessons to open forum discussions and author talks, are hosted by the university’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programming subcommittee, the Hispanic Heritage Month Planning Committee, and the Student Activities Office (SAO).
“This is a way to ensure our Hispanic and Latinx students, faculty, and staff know they are seen and valued and that their heritage is celebrated at UAFS,” explained Katie Cochran, Coordinator for Student Activities.
Throughout the month, UAFS campus displays will celebrate Hispanic Heritage, including flags lining the Smith Pendergraft Campus Center, and book and artifact displays in the Boreham Library. Each Tuesday, the Student Activities Office will highlight local restaurants with authentic Spanish or Latin American cuisine on their social media pages to encourage support of River Valley restaurateurs. The university will also highlight students, faculty, staff, and alumni on its social media pages.
The full slate of events includes:
Wednesday, Sept. 23, the Office of International Relations will partner with the SAO to host a Milo drink meet at greet at the UAFS Bell Tower, from 10 a.m. to noon. The chocolate malt energy drink is a popular beverage in South America.
Monday, Sept. 28, at 3:30 p.m. Dr. Manuel Flores, professor of journalism and communications at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and member of the advisory board of the Tejano Civil Rights Museum, will present a virtual discussion on the Tejano Civil Rights Movement.
· Students should register for this event on NumaLink
Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 6:45 p.m., the UAFS Campus Recreation and Wellness Center will host Salsa dancing lessons at the RAWC to celebrate the Latin American music and dance, which dates back to the merging of diverse rhythms and styles in 1900s Cuba.
Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m., the English Department and the Applause Student Literary Journal will host author and television writer Eugene Garcia-Cross. Beginning his career as a novelist and short-story writer, Garcia-Cross authored Fires of Our Choosing and taught creative writing at Penn State, Northwestern, and The University of Chicago. He got his start in the television industry through the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s 2015 television writers program, and currently serves as a writers’ production assistant on the CBS comedy Me, Myself & I, and previously worked on the ABC comedy Downward Dog.
· Guests should register in advance for this virtual event.
Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 4 p.m., the Office of International Relations and Student Activities Office will co-host a virtual Open Forum on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within The Hispanic Community.
· Guests should register in advance for this virtual event.
MHS Run Team Paced South To Acorn
Pictured is Mansfield senior girls XC team
Mansfield sent its crew of long-distance runners to Acorn on September 15. Of the 17 Tigers that competed, five carried away a top 20 medal.
Faith Rainwater behind a 23:59 mark for the 5K race was tenth overall with big and small schools combined. The junior class member bettered her time from the previous Saturday but fell in the ranks with the combined scoring.
“Faith pushed hard Tuesday,” Mansfield mentor John Mackey said. “She is really ahead of schedule as compared to her All-State season two years ago. I know she is looking forward to cooler temperatures as her conditioning continues to get better.”
Close behind at 15th place was Darby Jones. Also a junior, Jones clocked in at 24:30 for her best time of the season as well.
“Darby and Faith are really battling with the best runners in the area,” Mackey stated. “Those two have a real chance to post some good times.”
Jadelynn Wood grabbed the last medal in the top 20 fight. Battling step for step with another runner, Wood sprinted the remaining 30 meters to take the prize. Her time was clocked at 25:15. It too was a season-best.
Teammates Hope Rainwater and McKenzie Griffin completed the Mansfield senior girls’ team score as the fourth and fifth runners off the Lady Tiger unit.
In the junior girls’ division, Trinity Triska and Laney Wood medaled for the Tigers. Triska was fourth overall in the 1.5-mile race. She was timed at 11:01. Wood was seventh. She was measured at 11:36.
“Those two (Triska and Wood) have scored among the leaders for our first three meets.” Mansfield’s head coach commented. “It’s been a challenge as they are frequently traveling to volleyball games as dual-sport athletes. They have to train when they can to stay on the leaderboard. So far their work has shown in the standings.”
The junior Tigers’ top five included Aidan Fildes, Addie Bowan, and Azlynn Stover along with Triska and Wood.
The Mansfield men were represented by John Branche and Ethan Streets. Branche posted the best mark at 22:52 for the 5K race.
Jonah Martin off the junior boys’ squad had the best day of his rookie season. Martin trekked the 1.5-mile course in 12:08. He was 54th in the rankings.
Mansfield XC Invitational Set To Run September 26
Pictured is one of the awards being presented at the Today’s Bank Invitational
Saturday, September 26 will mark the 17th time area runners across the state will circle the campus of Mansfield High School for its annual cross country invitational race. It will also be the third consecutive year that Today’s Bank will be the exclusive sponsor for the highly anticipated event.
“Mansfield has become a regular stop for many area high schools for cross country racing over the years,” Mansfield head coach John Mackey said. “With the hospitality of Today’s Bank and the welcoming attention of our volunteers, it’s a place most schools look forward to attending.”
Once again Mansfield will see familiar schools bringing teams for the 9:00 AM start of the four-race schedule. Locals such as Alma, Fort Smith, Greenwood, Lavaca, Magazine, and Waldron return squads to the Tiger course designed along the perimeter of the MHS campus. In addition, far-reaching foes such as Bentonville West, Lake Hamilton, Lakeside, Vilonia, and Western Yell County among others are also scheduled to make the trip.
“Our reputation as a good host has caught the attention of a lot of teams,” Mackey continued. “Today’s Bank has a lot to do with that. Their sponsorship provides 120 individual medals and eight team trophies to be distributed out among the two different divisions for the four total races. A lot of athletes go away from our meet quite happy for their accomplishments.”
With typical large numbers attending this year’s event, Mansfield has gone to great lengths to provide a safe environment for players and fans in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Team campsites and visitor viewing pods will be set up in spaced out, separate locations to provide for social distancing. Hand sanitizer stations will be available in strategic locations such as the main gate entrance and entryways to restroom locations. Custodial services will provide regular cleaning and sanitizing throughout the meet.
All teams and their associated members will provide an ADH approved health screening checklist upon entering the facility. All volunteer workers and staff members will also be screened before being allowed to participate. Masks or personal protective equipment will be mandatory for all people in attendance.
“Our cross country facility is very large and very spread out,” the Mansfield coach explained. “There is plenty of room for people to adhere to social distance protocols. The AAA mandates that anyone attending whether it be workers, players, or fans to wear masks. It’s everyone’s responsibility to follow these guidelines for us to continue our season. If you can not abide by the rules, please stay away for the sake of our athletes. They want to play.”
The senior girls’ 5K race will be the first event of the morning. A rolling start will follow with the senior men, junior girls, and junior boys to race in consecutive order thereafter.
Magazine Elementary Holds “Thank A Police Officer” Parade
On Friday, September, 18, the second-grade classes of Mrs. Brooke Bolinger and Mrs. Haleigh Sampley from Magazine Elementary decided that for their recent service project they would hold a law enforcement appreciation parade at their school. Being such a wonderful and heartwarming gesture, the entire elementary staff and students participated by making signs thanking their local law enforcement. Officers from Magazine, Logan Co., Arkansas State Police, and Booneville, were on hand to attend the “Thank A Police Officer Parade”.
Second-grade teacher, Mrs. Bolinger expressed her thoughts about the day. “On Friday, second grade held a “Thank You” parade for our local law enforcement. It was a huge success. My husband and brother are both officers so this is something very close to my heart! Now more than ever these officers need to know we appreciate all they do for us and our kids need to know these are the good guys. They are a safe place when help is needed. Thank you to each and every one of our officers who were able to attend the parade! Also, I need to brag on our school and community. The staff at Magazine and the parents showed up BIG time! Snacks and money to purchase snacks were donated. We filled goody bags and sent more snacks with the officers to share. Thank you to all who helped make this a success!”
Photos courtesy of Brian Mott
Charleston Travels to Greenland Friday to Open Conference Season
After a tough loss to another Class 4A team, this time the Ozark Hillbillies, the Charleston Tigers (1-2, 0-0) will now focus on the start of the new conference season. The Tigers will travel to Northwest Arkansas on Friday to take on the Greenland Pirates. The game will be the conference opener for both schools. Last year, the Tigers won a thriller at home against the Pirates that turned their season around after a horrific non-conference schedule that saw them lose multiple key players to injury.
Last Friday’s game against Ozark was an example of a young team that has been up and down with respect to turnovers and gaining their confidence early in the season against very good competition from the 4A-4 conference. After the game, Charleston head football coach Ricky May commented, “Ozark is pretty good. But we didn’t help ourselves. We turned it over twice early, didn’t get lined up right on defense several times, didn’t play what we were supposed to play. Just silly stuff; hopefully we can get that fixed for next week.”
Charleston has now faced Dardanelle on the road, and has hosted Pottsville and Ozark, all out of the 4A-4 conference. The Tigers got a win out of those three games, and have escaped injury. No doubt the young Tigers have had a tough dose of hard-nosed football over the past month, and now, a healthy Charleston team will go into conference play. With the exception of a few cases, such as Greenland this Friday and Cedarville the following week, the Tigers should not face competition as tough as they have played so far until the state playoffs.
Greenland is a program that has been very successful under coach Lee Larkan. The Pirates are a playoff team almost every year, and have a combined state playoff record of 11-23. They finished in a tie for third place in the conference last year and have five starters returning on each side of the ball. Last year’s team was very talented, especially in the skilled positions, and of those players, the Pirates are returning their quarterback, Gabe Wilson, and running back Jett Dennis. Wilson is a very good passing quarterback, and Dennis possess good speed and has breakaway potential on every play. Coach May said, “That tailback they have (Dennis) is pretty fast; he’s pretty good. Both of those guys (Dennis and Wilson) are pretty good. They want to run the ball first. With that Dennis kid, I would want to run it too. They also have two or three really big offensive linemen that are pretty good. So, I really think they are going to be run first, but they can throw it too. They have some good guys outside and Dennis out of the backfield too that can catch the football. They (Greenland) are going to be pretty tough, especially playing there.”
Greenland has lost to Elkins and has defeated Berryville and Danville. Hooten’s Arkansas Football publication has predicted Greenland to finish third in the conference this season, just below Charleston. This Friday, the Priates will be out to avenge a close loss last year at Alumni Field.
Around the conference, the games that will be played include:
Charleston at Greenland
Lincoln at Hackett
Mansfield at West Fork
Cedarville vs. Lavaca
And in the topsy-turvy world of COVID-19 and high school football, one conference team, the Lavaca Golden Arrows, has been impacted by the virus and has suspended athletic activities. Cedarville, who is projected by many to win the conference, is scheduled to play a home game this week against Lavaca. As of the publication time of this story, it remains to be seen if that game will be played Friday. If it is not played, it is hard to conceive when the game could be made up. The state playoffs begin immediately after the last game of the season. Neither Cedarville or Lavaca have a bye week that could be used to make up the game. So, if the game is not played, it is conceivable that Cedarville and Lavaca could lose a conference game, and that could have a bearing on the conference race and who ultimately wins the top seed from the conference going into the playoffs. It would be awful and almost unheard of for playoff births and seedings to be determined for schools that cannot help having students who have been affected by the virus.
But this problem is not isolated to Lavaca, and the effect is not limited to Cedarville. Just recently, both the Mansfield and Hackett school districts have announced COVID cases within their districts, and the possible effects on those schools and their athletic programs remains to be seen. Hopefully, the Cedarville game will be played, and all other schools will be able to play theirs, as well. But just as it has been all season, it is a week-by-week, day-by-day situation for high school football.
And getting back to football and the conference race, no team wants to start the season 0-1 in conference play. To do so means that a team would be relegated to the position of playing “leap frog” over teams ahead of them in the standings for the remainder of the conference schedule. The winner of Friday’s game in Greenland will be one of four teams that are 1-0 in the conference and will have a one game lead over half of the teams in the conference at the end of week one. For Charleston, the Tigers will return home on October 2 to host the Cedarville Pirates in a game that could have huge playoff and seedings ramifications. If Cedarville does not play this week, their backs will be solidly against the wall, almost facing a must win situation at Charleston. We will all know a lot more after Friday night.
It should be a beautiful night in Northwest Arkansas for high school football. The Weather Bug forecast for Friday night calls for highs in the upper 70s and lows in the mid to lower 60’s. Temperature at kickoff should be around 70 degrees, so you may want to bring a light jacket!
I look for the Tigers to bounce back big against Greenland in what should be a great football game. Both teams are very good, and both, I believe, will make the state playoffs. The winner of this game will be in good position as they enter the mid-point of the season. The Tigers need their fans to make the trip to Greenland and support this young team as they play their first important road conference game. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Watch for a recap of this game in Sunday’s edition of the Resident Press. Stay with RP for the most complete coverage of the Charleston Tigers and River Valley high school football!
Paris Hosts Mayflower Friday in Conference Opener
After a fast 3-0 start in the non-conference portion of the Paris Eagles’ football schedule, it is now time to focus on conference play and making the playoffs for the first time since 2017. After defeating West Fork two weeks ago, the Eagles have had their bye week and should be healthy, rested, and prepared to begin conference play. Mayflower (0-3, 0-0) will be looking for their first win of the 2020 season. Paris (3-0, 0-0) had their first test of the season at West Fork on September 11, winning a hard-fought game on the road against a much improved West Fork team.
I asked Paris head football coach Tyler Clark how the past week has been during the bye week in the schedule. Coach Clark commented, “We had a very good week in practice last week even though it was an off week, and our kids are ready. I always like having that bye week right there (just before the conference games begin). After three weeks, you can tell your groups that need work and your groups that are excelling, kind of fix your issues. But at the same time, I feel like everyone is playing good enough right now that I wouldn’t have minded to have played Friday.”
Mayflower, winless in the past three games, now faces a horrendous portion of their schedule in which they begin conference play with three consecutive road games at Paris, Little Rock Baptist Prep, and Booneville. Mayflower could find themselves on the brink of not making the playoffs before they ever return to Mayflower to play a home conference game. Friday’s game in Paris is extremely important to both schools and their chances to make the playoffs. In any given year, the first conference game often makes the difference on whether a team makes the playoffs, or, how high their seeding will be. Teams do not want to start the conference schedule with a loss on the opening weekend of conference play. If they do, they face an uphill battle for the rest of the season, having to “leap frog” other teams in front of them.
With Booneville and Atkins favored to play for the conference championship and the top seeds going into the state playoffs, that leaves the rest of the conference battling for the remaining three playoff spots. In all likelihood, Paris, Perryville, Danville, and Mayflower will be battling for the three, four, and five spots. So a head-to-head win on Friday against Mayflower would give Paris the early advantage in the playoff race for one of the remaining seeds. The same is true for Mayflower, so both teams should be sky high for Friday’s game.
According to Hooten’s Arkansas Football publication, Mayflower has a good nucleus of players with experience and who have returned to play this year. Hooten’s goes on to say that their weakness may be “lack of size”. Mayflower will undoubtedly be concerned about the size of the Paris offensive and defensive lines, as well as their fast and physical running backs.
The Mayflower Eagles are coached by Austin Emerson and were 2-8 a year ago. Their last state playoff appearance was in 2018. On the 2020 season to this point, Mayflower has scored 40 points and have given up 98 points. The Mayflower defense will be challenged by the balanced Paris offensive attack.
Coach Clark is impressed with the athletes on the Mayflower team and their coach. “I have heard really good things about their coach; I have never met him, but I have heard very good things. They’ve got some athletes. They’ve got some pretty good looking football players. The fact that they are 0-3 is not too big of a deal. They’ve played some pretty good teams.”
Across Class 3A in Arkansas, Paris ranks second after the first three games behind McGehee. That is certainly an accomplishment for Paris head coach Tyler Clark and his Eagles football program, but Paris will face much stiffer competition as the season progresses. The most important thing for Paris is that they are 3-0, are healthy, and have key conference games ahead of them that will be played at home. The real test for Paris will be road games October 16 at Atkins, October 23 at Perryville and their final home game of the year October 30 against Booneville. If Paris stays healthy, the Eagles could make a serious run in conference play. Paris has all of the tools in each phase of the game: offense, defense, and special teams. In their last outing against West Fork, the team played tough, physical football. That will be the brand of football they will have to play against the top contenders in the conference. The Eagles showed in West Fork that they can play physical football; not just relying on making big plays in each phase of the game as they have done so far this season.
Going into Friday’s conference opening weekend, the non-conference standings for the 3A-4 conference are:
Paris 3-0, 0-0
Booneville 3-0, 0-0
Baptist Prep 3-1, 0-0
Atkins 2-1, 0-0
Perryville 2-1, 0-0
Danville 0-2, 0-0
Mayflower 0-3, 0-0
Two Rivers 0-3, 0-0
Fans should not take too much from the standings at this early point in the season. There are many variances in strengths of non-conference schedules for all of the teams. However, you can see some trends starting to appear, particularly in the bottom half of the conference. We will all know a lot more after Friday night with respect to who the contenders in the conference may be.
Around the conference, these are the games that will be played Friday:
Paris vs Mayflower
Booneville at Two Rivers
Atkins vs. LR Baptist Prep
Danville at Perryville
After this Friday’s opening night in conference play, it is very well possible that the four top contenders could emerge as Paris, Booneville, Perryville and Atkins. Coach Clark commented, “When you look at the scores around our conference, even this past weekend, Baptist Prep losing to Marvell surprised me. Atkins losing to Waldron surprised me, as well. There is no telling what will happen this week. I do think our conference is going to be more competitive than people may think. So the mindset for me and our staff is that we need to keep getting better at what we need to do.” This underscores how important it is to win in week one of the conference season. Paris must be focused on Mayflower, and nothing else. Coach Clark added, “We remind them (players) that while it is nice to be 3-0, as far as playoffs and all of those goals that we want to attain, whether you are 3-0 or 0-3, all of those goals are still in sight for every single team in the state going into this week. Non-conference games don’t count; they count on our record, but they don’t count in playoffs or seedings. No doubt everything we want is still out there for us, but it is for everybody else, as well. It’s important for us to start out 1-0 (in conference play), but it is important for Mayflower, as well.” Both teams should come out excited and ready to play at 7 p.m. Friday night.
It should be a beautiful night for high school football. The Weather Bug forecast calls for highs in the upper 70s to low 80s and the low temperature approximately 65 degrees. There is a slight chance (20 percent) chance of showers during the day, but the temperature should be around 74 degrees at kickoff. Great weather for what should be a great football game!
So, get your tickets this week and Resident Press will see you at Eagles Stadium for the conference opener! Watch for Resident Press on Saturday for a recap of Friday’s game with Mayflower!
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