David vs Goliath. Muggsy Bogues vs Shaquille O’Neal. 2A vs 4A. Everyone seems to love the underdog and that was the case when Magazine took on Lamar Monday night. The Magazine Rattlers JV team left the Snake Pit rattling echoes throughout Logan County as they pulled away from the Lamar Warriors in a 26-14 victory.
The JV Rattlers weren’t scared of no stinkin’ Warriors when they lined up for the first snap of the game and traded blows with the big boys. Magazine struck the first fatal bite of venom when James Haugh laser targeted Conner Ryan on a three-yard pass to put the Rattlers up on Lamar 6-0 in the first quarter. Haugh attempted to tack on an extra two points on the conversion but was shut down by the Warriors. The Rattlers only got one fang in on the first shot which wasn’t enough to take down the mighty Warriors in the quarter. Lamar marched right down the field on the Magazine defense and scored but they weren’t able to hit the extra-point kick to take the lead 7-6. With both teams putting points on the board, their defenses made sure that’s where the score would stay until halftime.
After the half, some might have thought they had a case of déjà vu. Magazine slithered their way into the end zone again, but this time it was a pass from Ashton Droemer who zipped it to Cameron Raggio for the 15-yard touchdown. The Rattlers tried again for a two-point conversion but again were stopped short by the stiff Lamar defense. Remember talking about déjà vu? Well, Lamar came right back at Magazine early in the fourth quarter with a score of their own and kicked through an extra point to retake the lead 14-12 over the Rattlers.
But David didn’t merely beat Goliath though and neither would the Rattlers. Just 22 seconds later, Magazine’s Kobe Faughn took to the ground game when he plowed over the Warriors for an 11-yard run and touchdown allowing the Rattlers to retake the lead 18-14. To make sure Lamar went down for good, the Rattlers struck the Warriors with their final and fatal bite when Faughn sank both fangs deep into the Warrior defense with an exploding 37-yard run for a touchdown. A quick pass from Haugh to Brad Price gave the Rattlers a two-point conversion and set Magazine’s 26-14 win in concreate. Next up for Magazine football, the Sr Rattlers will hit the road on September 18 to take on Cutter Morning Star.
After an adrealine-filled battle at Hackett last Thursday evening, the Paris Lady Eagles faced another step in their maturity of becoming a good, young team that is ready to make a run in the state playoffs. The Lady Eagles went on the road Monday night for what can be characterized as a business trip as they visited Waldron. It was up to the young Paris team to go back on the road and focus on a Waldron team that is capable of beating anyone, and taking care of the business of not dropping a conference match. From this point forward, Paris and Hackett are clearly the top two teams in the conference that will be battling for a conference championship and the top seed in either the district tournament, or as a number one seed in the state tournament. Both tournaments are still up in the air with respect to the COVID virus and if the tournaments will be played. But just as it has been for all high school athletes this year, the Lady Eagles have to focus on each step and not worry about things they cannot control.
If one makes the assumption that both Hackett and Paris will win-out for the next three weeks, that means that the October 6 rematch with Hackett in Paris will be for all of the marbles. Obviously, if Paris wins the second match, then it is in all likliehood over with respect to the conference championship. Paris would have to lose twice to someone else in the conference just for the two schools to be tied again in the standings. Then, tie breakers would come into play to determine the champion and the number one seed.
But Hackett will show-up big in Paris on October 6, and all of that will remain to be seen after what promises to be “Super Fight 2” when the two teams meet for a second time. If Hackett wins the second match, then games like Monday night at Waldron become very important. Not losing sets in victories is extremely important for both Paris and Hackett, and margin of victory may also play a role. The last time I spoke to a conference coach about the tie breaker scenarios, the coach indicated that no one seems to know at this point what the process will be to determine the top seeds. It does, however, appear to be fairly certain that order of finish in the regular conference season could very well determine who makes the state tournament and what their seedings will be.
On Monday night, Paris came out and took control early against Waldron and were never seriously threatened on their way to a 3-0 sweep of the Lady Bulldogs. Paris (8-1, 7-0) maintains its lead in the 3A-West and will return home on Thursday night to host the West Fork Lady Tigers. It will be a continued test for the Lady Eagles to take each opponent seriously and not look past anyone before the October 6 rematch with Hackett. Currently, Paris owns the tie breaker advantage in conference wins and in sets won and lost. Paris gave Hackett three set losses, and Hackett gave Paris two set losses, so Paris has a +1 advantage in sets. A set loss to someone other than Hackett would be critical. If Paris sweeps everyone up to the rematch, it would force Hackett to sweep Paris 3-0 on October 6.
From this point on, every serve, every return, every set, and certainly, every match is important. Paris will step out of the conference on September 21 to play a non-conference match with 4A volleyball power Mena, and, the night before “Super Fight 2”, will play on the road in another non-conference match against 4A Fountain Lake. Neither the Fountain Lake or Mena matches will affect the conference standings, but there will be other intangibles that will come into play. So for the Lady Eagles, it is simple: play one match at a time, and take each opponent seriously. October 6 will come soon enough, but until then, it is all about taking care of business, just like they did Monday night in Waldron.
Thursday’s matches against West Fork at Paris Gymnasium are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Seventh grade, Junior A, Senior B, and Senior A games are scheduled to be played. Come out and enjoy the action on Thursday! This Lady Eagles team has passed every test and is developing into a state contender each time they take the floor.
And as always, Resident Press will be there to bring you all of the action. Watch for a recap in RP of Thursday’s battle with the West Fork Lady Tigers on Friday in Resident Press.
Ronald Harley Beyard of Fort. Smith, Arkansas, formerly of Waldron, Arkansas, passed away in Fort Smith, Arkansas after a long illness at the age of 70. Ronald was born on July 25, 1950, in Waldron, Arkansas to Vernell and E.C. Beyard.
He lived most of his early life in Waldron, Arkansas. He was a United States Army veteran and served in German. After serving in the Army, he moved to Fort Worth, Texas and owned several small business. He then moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas where he enjoyed the open road as a big rig driver.
Ronald is survived by one sister, Ina Jo and husband John Bradhurst, one brother, Keith and wife Rhonda Beyard, his three sons: Ronald, Doug and Joe, seven grandchildren, one great grandchild, and his good friend of many years, Clora (C.J.) Bates. His passing has left a hole in our hearts forever.
Ronald was preceded in death by his parents: Vernell and E.C. Beyard.
Ronald’s life celebration will be 2:00 p.m., Friday, September 18, 2020, at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas. Interment will be at Pilot Prairie Cemetery in Waldron, Arkansas where he will rest with his loving parents.
Ronald’s visitation will be Friday, September 18, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas.
During these trying and difficult times, we must follow the guidelines we have been given to do our part to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Family and friends that attend the service must wear a mask and maintain a social distance of 6 feet apart.
The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, will host its first blood drive of the Fall semester 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, September 15-16, in the Reynolds Room of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center, located at 800 N. 49th Street. All donors will receive a free COVID-19 antibody test.
COVID-19 antibody tests screen donors for antibodies in the blood, which are formed when fighting an infection such as the novel coronavirus, by assessing whether the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to fight infection. Initial research has shown that donors who have these antibodies may offer a unique opportunity to help patients fighting the disease.
The blood drive is sponsored by the UAFS Student Activities Office and the Campus Activities Board’s community events committee and is free and open to the public. In addition to the COVID-19 antibody test, each donor will receive a free health screening, a free t-shirt, snacks, and tickets to the Little Rock Zoo, and be entered into a blood drive raffle.
UAFS coordinates five blood drives each year in an effort to help reach out to potential blood donors on campus. The blood is provided to the Arkansas Blood Institute, a non-profit blood center whose volunteer donors provide 100 percent of the blood needed by patients in 40 Arkansas hospitals.
Members of the public are welcome to join students in signing up at the email above, or stop by the blood drive wihtout an appointment during its open hours. All donors will be screened for COVID-19 prior to donating, and must to follow all campus guidelines including wearing a face covering when indoors or around others.
Please be aware, COVID-19 antibody tests do not test diagnose illness. Only a diagnostic test may detect current infection. Individuals who believe they may be ill with COVID-19 or have any symptoms of COVID-19 should not donate until they have been symptom free for 14 days.
Fair week in Scott County was jammed packed with fun events for all ages, including a showing of livestock, and home economics.
Things kicked off on Tuesday, September 8 with home economics check-in, followed by livestock on Wednesday, September 9. The livestock judging took place on Thursday, September 10. The buyers dinner and premium sale was held on Friday, September 11. There was no pageant held this year due to COVID-19.
The most coveted award for showmanship is the grand champion award. The following individuals pictured walked away with the buckles: Grand Champion Market Steer-Randa Rhoades, Reserve Market Steer-Chayse Nelson, Grand Champion Replacement Heifer- Dusti Craig, Reserve Replacement Heifer- Karli Anschutz, Grand Champion Market Hog- Randi Rhoades, Reserve Market Hog- Joseph Rhoades, Grand Market Goat- Jackson Moore, Reserve Market Goat- Jaycob Hutchens, Grand Market Lamb- Levi Brown, Reserve Market Lamb- Laklynn Dedmon.
A newly created buckle was presented in memory of Chase Hale, who had won the Grand County Bred Goat every year since 2014. Jackson Moore was the 2020 Grand County Bred winner.
Exhibitors:
Randa Rhoads – Market Steer (Grand)
Dusti Craig – Replacement Heifer (Grand)
Katherine Herr – Feeder Steer (Grand)
Levi Brown – Market Lamb (Grand)
Jackson Moore – Market Goat (Grand)
Chayse Nelson – Market Steer (Reserve)
Karli Anshutz – Replacement Heifer (Reserve)
Joseph Rhoades – Market Hog (Reserve)
Laklynn Dedmon – Market Lamb (Reserve)
Jaycob Hutchens – Market Goat (Reserve)
Ashlynn Free – Market Steer
Jacob Free – Replacement Heifer
Katy Stark – Market Hog
Gage Evans – Market Goat
Colton Martin – Market Hog
Rebecca Millard – Market Goat
Abbi Stark – Market Hog
Alexis Gebhardt – Market Goat
Ashtyn Moore – Market Hog
Landon Defoor – Market Goat
Rowdy Tucker – Market Hog
Ambrose Poor – Market Goat
Kimberly Defoor – Market Hog
Abigail Herr – Market Goat
Mckenna Williams – Market Hog
Prestan Hutchens – Market Goat
Taylor VanDeWiele – Market Goat
Karlie Evans – Market Goat
Ashadan Poor – Market Goat
Wesley Herr – Market Goat
Taylen Bates – Market Goat
Tristan VanDeWiele – Market Goat
Hunter Evans – Market Goat
Tate Miller – Market Goat
Stephanie Parish – Market Goat
Danielle Herr – Market Goat
Amanda Herr – Market Goat
Wesson Poor – Market Goat
Joseph Rhoades – Market Hog
Buyers:
Farm Bureau
Pottridge Construction
Rice Furniture
Farm Bureau
Farmers Coop
Chambers Bank
R&H Body Shop
Farm Credit
Tyson Foods
Leonard Russell
LKF Farms
Community National Bank
WeighTech
Jim Wilcox
Randy Shores
Southside Vet
Brian Jones
West Fraser
Michael & Missy Williams
True Value Hardware
Abbott Logging
Gene and Shawnda Dedmon
The 2020 Showmanship Awards: Sr Beef- Brooke Hattabaugh, Jr Beef-Caden Hunt, Peewee Beef- Chett Moore, Sr Swine- Ashtyn Moore, Jr Swine-Katy Stark, Sr Goat- Jackson Moore, Jr Goat- Prestan Hutchens, Peewee Goat Wesley Herr, Sr Lamb- Laklynn Dedmon, Jr Lamb- Karli Anschutz, Peewee Lamb- Chett Moore, 2020 Grand Champion 4H Pullet Chain- Audryna Reynolds, Best of Show Bird- Jackson Moore, Mr. Bob Ford Award – Levi Brown, Mrs. Fayrene Stringer Award – Kimmie Defoor.
The 2020 Chase Hale Memorial Scholarship was awarded to two recipients, classmate Irelynn Carpenter and senior Hayden Chronister. Each will receive a $1500 scholarship. The recipients are pictured here with Hale’s parents, Russell and Heather Hale.
The “Kory Dedmon Herdsman” Award is given in memory of Kory Dedmon, who was an excellent showman and very involved in the County Fair. This award is given to one Sr. Showman, and one Jr. Showman. Every showman has the opportunity to compete for this award. This year, 21 kids participated. The winners included Sr Herdsman, Chayse Nelson, and Jr Herdsman, Alexis Gebhardt.
The Scott County Fair Association also recognized Jim Wilcox for his 32 years of service to the fair and exhibitors. He is retiring, and the association expressed their gratitude towards Wilcox for his efforts and hard work over the years.
Congratulations to all the exhibitors of the Scott County Fair! A special thanks to the buyers, supporters and volunteers, who worked hard to make sure this event is a success!
It just doesn’t get much better than this. It’s been a known fact the last couple of years, that the Hackett volleyball program is one of the top contenders to beat in the 2A. This season, the girls have been hard at work delivering that exact same message to the 3A. Now, already with a handful of games under their belt, the 7th Grade and Jr High Lady Hornets are transmitting that message again loud and clear. How so do you ask? Hackett’s 7th Grade team is undefeated 3-0 as well as the Jr High squad who also sits undefeated 6-0 in total season play and 5-0 in conference. Last Thursday, the 7th Grade and Jr High Lady Hornets each hosted the Paris Lady Eagles.
From the very beginning of the match, the 7th Grade Lady Hornets busted out of the gate leaving zero opportunity for the 7th Grade Lady Eagles to catch up. With each team flying circles around the court, it was Hackett who had more endurance to sustain the flight. The match ended with the 7th Grade Lady Hornets being victorious in both sets 25-8 and 25-12. With more cases of “aces” than a grocery store was Jessie Mendenhall and Kamryn Infalt with 5 each, Michaelyn Freeman and Jadyn Clay with 3 apiece, and Kinley James with 1. With plenty of drills, thrills, and “kills” was Mendenhall with 2 and Freeman with 1. And providing better reinforcement than the Terminator was Freeman and Mendenhall with 2 and 1 assists.
Michaelyn Freeman
Next up in the takeover department, were the Jr High Lady Hornets who followed suit in the clean sweep category against the Jr Lady Eagles. With all of the innate talent that Hackett holds, it comes as no surprise that the Lady Hornets are ahead of the Jr High volleyball game. After commanding both sets 25-12 and 25-16, Hackett flew off with another Lady Eagles feather in their cap. Showing the Jr Lady Eagles how an “ace” is done was Makenzie Freeman and Aubree Ruggles with 3 each and with 1 apiece was Alona Rothwell, Jessie Mendenhall, and Michaelyn Freeman.
Serving up more “kills” than a lion in the wild was Makenzie with 3, Alona and Michaelyn each with 2, and Aubree with 1. Throwing up “blocks” like they were building a wall was Alona with 3, Aubree with 2, and Michaelyn with 1. Providing better assistance than the Red Cross was Prairie Vaughn with 5 assists and Mendenhall with 3. And with more “digs” than a cat in a sandbox was Michaelyn with 3, Aubree with 2, and holding one each was Prairie, Alona, and Makenzie.
#23 Makenzie Freeman and #20 Alona Rothwell
“My Jr High team is truly playing aggressive and working very hard to dominate all aspects of the game,” said Coach Bridget Freeman. “We have a young team that is learning to play together and continue to make incredible strides every day!” The 7th Grade and Jr High Lady Hornets continue their work this week as they take on the Lady Bearcats at Booneville today at 4 pm. On Tuesday, September 15, Hackett will host West Fork for senior night. And on Thursday, September 17, the Lady Hornets will play host to Charleston at 4:30 pm. 7th Grade will not be playing in the Charleston match.
The Cedarville Sr High Pirates and the Green Forest Tigers football game last Friday night might best be described by some people as a good ole’ fashioned butt whoopin’. The Sr Pirates sailed into this match with a 2-0 winning streak and they were determined to make it 3. Well, that determination paid off immensely because, at the sound of the Pirate’s ship bell, Cedarville left port with a final score of 52-20. With just three games into the season, the Sr Pirates will start conference playoff on a high note due to their 3-week winning streak. After facing Berryville, Mountainburg, and Green Forest, Cedarville has been able to hold their opponents to only 32 points while the Pirates wield 130.
The game started off like any other. Warm and slightly muggy. Fans dressed in their school spirit best. Cheerleaders in the end zone preparing for the run-out. And each team on the field stretching it out. Ah! Friday night football in a small town. As the game got underway, the Tigers quickly saw what they were now up against. The Pirates wasted no time at all laying down the law. Darryl Kattich was the show opener with two plays that were so big, that he ended up running out of a shoe. With the help of Hayden Partain who picked up a few yards down the middle, the Pirates were set up for pay dirt.
Kattich bolted downfield for a 32 yard TD and along with the two-point conversion delivered by Tommy Metcalf, Cedarville got the scoreboard lights shining 8-0. Thanks to Partain, Metcalf, Bruce Turney, Max Mcgill, Jace Baker, and Taylor Humble, who put the freeze on the Tigers offense, Green Forest was left with nowhere to go. After getting the ball back, the Pirates sent in Turney who collected a 24-yard run which then allowed Partain to take it to the house upgrading the score to 14-0 with 7 minutes left in the first quarter.
Cody Dickens
After Green Forest found their way on the board, Cedarville was hot on their heels with their own 42 yard running TD completed by Kattich. Add on Partains two-point conversion and the game sat at 22-8. Each team picked up one more TD before the end of the first quarter rolling up the score to 28-14. Right out of the gate in the second quarter, Hayden Morton was gone faster than a toupee in a hurricane as he yielded a 61 yard TD run. Add the 2-point conversion by Metcalf and the Pirates kept their place at the top 36-14.
After halftime, the scores just kept on coming with Cedarville successfully recovering the Tiger’s onside kick. Able to deflect any coverage the Green Forest D-line attempted to give, Dickens landed a 28 yard reception. The excitement from the Tigers recovering a Cedarville “oopsie” fumble didn’t last long though as the Green Forest QB was stripped of the ball by Humble. With the Pirates back on offense, Jase Baker delivered a solid block helping his team get a first. With the mercy rule in effect, Cedarville netted another TD placing the ball back in the Tiger’s hands but it wouldn’t last long. Metcalf zoomed out of thin air to intercept Green Forests’ ball ending the game 52-20 Cedarville.
Darryl Kattich
Kattich finished the game with 13 carries for 247 yards, 4 TDs, 1 reception for a 27 yard TD, and all in the first half of the game. Kattich also earned 6 tackles. Partain obtained 11 receptions for 57 yards and a TD. Hayden Morton snagged 6 receptions for 82 yards and a TD. Dickens made 4/7 for 68 yards and a TD. And Tommy Metcalf acquired 3 two-point conversions and an INT, 37 carries for 418 yards, 6 TDs, and a 68 yard passing TD. Defensively, Darien Skinner got 7 tackles, Metcalf obtained 2 tackles, 2 KDP, and 1 INT. Taylor Humble got his hands on 3 tackles, 1 sack, 2 QB hurry, and 1 fumble recovery. And Elijah Cox snagged 2 tackles, 2 QB hurry, 1 sack, and 1 FF. The Cedarville Sr Pirates will have a bye week and be back ready for action when they host the Lavaca Golden Arrows on September 25 at 7 pm.
After a hard-fought 2019 campaign and a rough start again at Dardanelle last week, the Charleston Tigers returned home to the friendly confines of Alumni Field to host the Class 4A Pottsville Apaches. Charleston, playing three of the top four teams in Class 4A-4, were facing a physical and talented Pottsville team who many think will make some noise this year in the Class 4A state playoffs. But on this night, it was the young Charleston Tigers overcoming adversity of the loss at Dardanelle and rising up to defeat Pottsville. On the last play of the game, the Charleston defense kept Pottsville out of the end zone deep inside the five yard line of the Tigers. Charleston took over on downs and ran the clock out for the win.
Charleston (1-1, 0-0) improves their record on the season and will now turn its attention to preparing for another tough 4A opponent when they host Ozark this coming Friday night.
Resident Press Photo / Ronni Tate Young
After an emotional win, Charleston head football coach Ricky May told Resident Press that he was proud of how his young team kept battling to get the win. “Offensively, we moved the ball better. Defensively we didn’t play the best game but we got stops when we needed them. That was the big thing. But the kids found a way to overcome it. When we had to, we made a stop. I told them after the game that I was proud how they fought. Their backs were against the wall. They were inside our ten and the officials called a hold on us in the end zone. So they (Pottsvlle) got a little bit of help there. They got another couple of tries at it. And we just kept battling. So, finally, it was fourth down, and they threw a little swing pass that they had a lot of success with all night, and this time, our kids played it well.” When the dust settled on the artificial turf of Alumni Field, the Tigers defense had hung on in an impressive goal line stand to win the game 21-14.
Coach May continued, “Our kids were really excited, the crowd was really excited. It’s pretty exciting to win like that, and hopefully we can build a little bit of momentum off of that. The fact that they struggled like that and still won, was the thing I got out of it. We still found a way to win. I told them after our scrimmage (vs. Booneville) that I really thought our ceiling was high. Obviously we are young and we are going to have to work through some mistakes early, and we are. But once we get that stuff figured out, I think we have some pretty good potential to be alright.”
Resident Press Photos / Ronnie Tate Young
Pottsville kicked off to start the game, and Charleston subsequently drove the ball all the way down the field to the three yard line. The Tigers turned the ball over at the three on a fumble. Pottsville took over and drove the ball before going for a first down and not making it, turning the ball over to Charleston around midfield. The Tigers then drove the ball down and eventually scored. Pottsville eventually scored to tie the football game. Just before the end of the first half, Charleston once again had the football inside the Pottsville five yard line, and turned the ball over a second time resulting in the second trip inside the five and coming out with no points. The difference in the turnovers kept the Tigers from potentially having a 21-7 lead in the first half.
Resident Press Photos / Ronni Tate Young
Pottsville took the ball and drove down to about the Charleston ten yard line. Coach May said, “we pressured their quarterback and he threw it up and we intercepted the ball and ran it back almost 100 yards just before the half, and that was a big turning point in the game, I thought.”
I asked Coach May about the Apaches’ talent, whether they were as big and talented as they seemed on paper and on video. Coach May responded, “Even better…going into the game we thought their number 2 guy was really, really good, and he is. He is really, really good. But we didn’t pay as much attention to the running back and he shreaded us pretty good. I think he ended up with 180 yards rushing. We didn’t have an answer for him.”
Resident Press Photo / Ronni Tate Young
In week one, the Charleston coaching staff was concerned about their special teams play against Dardanelle. After the win against Pottsville, Coach May said, “A lot better Friday night. We only punted one time and it was a 33 yard punt, with, I think, a four yard return. On our kickoff return, they gave us great field position all night. I think the deepest we started might have been around our 40, and they were just a block or two from breaking it all the way. So, we felt good about that. Kickoff was great, I think most of the time we kept them inside their 40. They may have ran one back a little past the 40. Made all of our extra points. So, I felt like that all of that area was improved this week.”
Resident Press Photos / Ronni Tate Young
I asked Coach May what he thought the difference was in the young Tigers performance from week one to week two. Coach May thought his team having played a game going into the Pottsville game made the difference in how the players have settled into their roles of playing varsity football. “We were a little more settled. It was our second game, and I felt like they were not as amped up, not as nervous. They seemed to be a lot more fired up when we came out, a lot more ready to get after it when we came out.” Now, there is no time to celebrate; the top-rated team in Pottsville’s conference, the tough 4A-4 conference, is coming to town Friday night. The Ozark Hillbillies will be the toughest challenge for Charleston so far, and perhaps all season.
Ozark Will Be Another Big Test for Charleston Friday Night (Charleston at Ozark, 2019. Resident Press File Photo)
Last week, Coach May compared the Tigers non-conference schedule to playing in the western division of the Southeastern Conference. Charleston plays three of the top four rated teams in the Class 4A-4 conference, and Friday night, the top rated team in that conference, the Ozark Hillbillies comes to Charleston for the annual showdown of Franklin County.
Last year’s game in Ozark was much more competitive than the final score indicated. “We ended up getting beat 27-7. We turned the ball over on our three yard line on a punt return and set up one of their scores. And then we fumbled going into the end zone, kind of the same deal we did last Friday night. So there’s two touchdowns that would have been in our favor; it would have been a much closer game. But we know what is in front of us this year. They are very talented and have a lot of size advantage on us. We have got to get better this week at stopping the run, and we are going to work on that.”
The Hillbillies are led by star senior quarterback Harper Faulkenberry. “He is a good one, and he is a senior. He was their starter last year until he broke his leg.” According to Hooten’s Arkansas Football publication, Faulkenberry, “broke his leg and tore tendons in his knee in week 11 against Malvern; had surgery, in late November and wasn’t cleared until March.” I asked Coach May if he could tell if Faulkenberry had lost any of his quickness or agility after seeing him on video this year. Coach May responded, “He is a stud and is hard to tackle. He is not your typical quarterback. He is more of a running back / quarterback. He has not lost anything. Unfortunately for us, but good for him.”
Resident Press Photo / Ronni Tate Young
Ozark is a very talented team that Hooten’s describes as it strengths being “QB / linemen” and their weakness being “unproved receivers and kicker.” Nevertheless, Ozark is 1-1 on t he season, having lost their opener to Booneville 20-19, and having defeated Clarksville 32-12. According to Maxpreps, quarterback Faulkenberry has completed 14 of 21 passes for 193 yards, averaging 13.8 yards per completion. He has rushed 29 times for 202 yards, averaging 10.1 yards per rush. Charleston will have its hands full with the Ozark rushing attack, and as Coach May has indicated, rushing defense will be a focal point of their preparation this week.
Game time is set for 7 p.m. this Friday in Charleston. Please remember that AAA and Arkansas Department of Health regulations remain in effect for all who will attend Friday’s game. So, don’t forget your face masks, and get ready for what should be one whale of a game Friday night. The young Charleston Tigers will once again have to take a big step forward in their development against a very good Ozark team. But as Coach May has said, this team has a high ceiling, and Charleston fans are in for a treat this season as they watch a young and talented group of Tigers get better and better each week.
So Tigers fans, enjoy the game that will be for the battle of Franklin County, and look to Resident Press next Sunday for a recap of this annual rivalry plus a look ahead at the Tigers first conference match up the following week at Greenland!
On September 11, the 3A Mansfield Sr High Tigers hosted the 4A Elkins Elks in a non-conference battle. Being Mansfields Sr Night and the last non-conference game of the season, the Sr Tigers pushed themselves beyond the limit pouring everything they had into the game. The Elks however were just too big and too fast for the Tigers to take down as Mansfield dropped to Elkins in a 62-6 final score.
Elkins jumped on the Tigers from the start and shut down every attempt Mansfield had at getting any momentum going in the game. The Tigers had brief sparks of excellence in the game though. Offensively, it was the rushing attack that kept the Tigers rolling. Mansfield had three backs who averaged over 5 yards a carry in the game. Randy Claude led the rushing attack finishing the game averaging 5.3 yards per carrying with ten carries for 53 yards and earning the Tigers sole touchdown in the game. Shawn Brown took nine handoffs and ate up 45 yards against the stout Elks defense. Austin Carlton covered an awesome average of 5.25 yards per carry on only four rushes. Also contributing to the run game was Codi Chick, Caleb Collier, and Tyler Woolbright who combined for eight rushes gaining 16 yards.
Although the Tigers passing game struggled, they still put up some good numbers. Quarterback Zayne Dugan finished the match slinging pigskins six times for 33 yards. When it came to the receiver’s neck of the woods, Claude tallied 3 receptions for 10 yards, Chick ran-up 2 receptions for 15 yards, and Carlton snagged 1 reception for 8 yards. Unfortunately, the Tigers just couldn’t muster enough to overcome the hole the Elks left them in throughout the game. “We are still making too many mistakes and too many turnovers,” explained Coach Tim Cothran. “When facing Elkins, you have to play perfectly and we did not. We have to strive for perfection regardless of the obstacles before us. We will spend the next 2 weeks working on basics, lots of fundamentals, and lots of skill work.”
With the non-conference slate over, the Sr Tigers will have extra time to sure up areas on both sides of the ball. Tough losses are one thing, but giving up is not in the Mansfield Sr High football team’s blood. The Tigers will look to move forward when they travel to West Fork on September 25th. Only one Tiger can come out of the catfight with the W and Mansfield plans to put that W on their mantle.
