The Hackett Sr High Hornets are proving more and more each week that conference numbers are for Sesame Street. 2A, 3A, who cares. The Hornets are here to play football, not spend their time counting with a vampire puppet. Hackett again showcased their purpose on Friday, September 11th when they took the Panama Razorbacks to the butcher shed in a 12-7 victory.
Ethan Slavens finished the hog hunt with 10 passes for 151 yards and 2 TDs. Weston Winters made 19 carries for 95 yards as well as 14 solos and 3 assists for 17 total tackles. Fischer Shipman got his hands on 4 catches for 115 yards, 1 TD, and 1 carry for 11 yards. Peyton Hester was quick with 3 catches for 25 yards and 1 touchdown along with 21 solo tackles, and 4 assists for a total of 25 total tackles. Fischer Shipman bulldozed his way through for 6 solo tackles and 1 INT. Ty Smith nailed down 5 solos and 4 assists for 9 total tackles. Tyler Pittman brought the boom with 3 solos and 5 assists for 8 total tackles. And Logan Slavens was on fire with 5 solos and 1 assist for 6 total tackles plus 1 INT.
“Our defense played really well,” stated Coach Michael Meador. “They made several stops inside the red zone that was huge for our momentum. Their team ran the ball really well but our defense stopped them when we needed them. We need to work to make sure we take care of the ball on offense. I was very proud of our kids for how hard they fought.”
On Friday, September 18, Hackett will take on the Mountainburg Dragons at home.“Next week’s game will be a lot of fun. Last year’s match was about as crazy as a game could be. We won with a final score of 46-32. Moutainburg is always well-coached and the kids play hard. We are expecting another tough game this time around and we will be up for the challenge.”
With the non-conference schedule coming to a close, the Mansfield Jr Tigers had one more 4A school to face off against in Elkins on Thursday, September 10th. Never backing down from a fight against any team, no matter their size, the Jr Tigers strapped up their helmets and prepared for war. Giving it all they had, the Mansfield Jr High Tigers came up short with a 40-16 loss against the Elkins Elks.
The first half of the game was a rough side of the coin for the Tigers as Elkins used onside kicks and multiple speed plays to outmaneuver Mansfield’s defense. Couple that with the Tigers having multiple players with injuries and some even not playing due to that, one would think Mansfield would throw in the towel. Not these Tigers. They smiled and said, “we want more please”.
After a half of Elkins playing the dominant scene, Mansfield stepped back on the field with a point to prove. Quarterback, Jeremy Strozier, waited until the last second on multiple plays for his receivers to create separation and telegraphed sweet passes to them for some big gains. Strozier took some shots by doing so, but receivers Tyler Turnipseed and Austin Oldham made sure it wasn’t for nothing as they played a game of “ankles” with the Elks defense. Strozier completed ten passes for 124 yards in the game averaging 12.4 yards per pass. Turnipseed caught six passes for 95 yards while Oldham pulled in three for 25 yards. Both receivers each caught Mansfields two-point conversion passes. Trey Powell also grabbed a pass for 4 yards. The Tigers offense wasn’t just the passing though. Mansfield scores came off of Strozier and Powell’s run game. Strozier had eight rushed for 28 yards and a TD and Powell followed that up with six rushed for 20 yards and a touchdown.
Jeremy Strozier
Although the Tigers defense was caught off guard by big plays by the Elks, they did their fair share of going toe to toe with the bigger faster Elks. The Tigers D Line played stout forcing Elkins to run the ball to the parameter. Dakota Deer, Dakota Langford, Turner Wright, Sammy Sellers, Trey Vaughn, and Eli Garner took turns at blowing up any plans Elkins had of rushing the ball up the middle. Once Mansfield figured out their angles to the antlers off the Elks speed, it was game on. Zach Hayslip and Toby Towe got into the defensive mix making Elkins receivers eat big hits if they dared to catch the ball. Strozier, Turnipseed, Powell, and Oldham hunted down every Elks ball carrier and took then down with solid “Buck Shots”. Raine Hecox shut down a go-ahead touchdown for the Elks when she scrapped her way to the ball just in time to swat it away. Mansfield held Elkins scoreless in the second half showing that the Jr Tigers defense may be down in a game, but never out.
With the non-conference schedule now over, the Jr Tigers will take a week off to heal and prepare for conference play. Mansfield’s bye week for players to get healthy couldn’t come at a better time either as the Tigers have been banged up playing a non-conference schedule against 4A schools. If one thing can be taken into aspect during their rough run though, it’s that Mansfield’s Jr High team has the skill, tenacity, and attitude to keep up with anyone. The Jr Tigers will host the West Fork Tigers on September 24th to start off their 2020 conference play.
Pictured is Mansfield award winners at the Magazine cross country race
The 2020 cross country season had its much-anticipated debut this past week for the Mansfield long-distance runners. The Tigers found medal success at two different stops during their opening week of competitive action.
Darby Jones, Faith Rainwater, Hope Rainwater, and Jadelynn Wood off the MHS senior girls team double-dipped into the medal pool for the two-game stand. Trinity Triska and Laney Wood made similar splashes for the Mansfield junior girls squad.
At Magazine on September 8, the top Tiger performers were Jones, J. Wood, H. Rainwater, and F. Rainwater. Each of the four senior high players grabbed top 10 medal positions with Jones leading the pack.
The performance model for the senior girls continued a few days later on September 12 at Fort Smith. This time the Lady Tiger order commutated a bit with F. Rainwater, Jones, J. Wood, and H. Rainwater claiming the top four positions from the small school classification.
Faith Rainwater, the small school champion, was number 22 overall when pooled with the large school field. Jones was the next best Tiger at 23rd overall. Mansfield dominated the small class field when Katlynn Moore, McKenzie Griffin, and Cassidy Carlton all crossed inside the top 10.
For their collective effort, Mansfield’s senior girls took the first place team plaque at the Fort Smith Invitational. They were sixth overall only falling behind large school powers Bentonville, Greenwood, Southside, Russellville, and Van Buren. At Magazine, the group was runner-up.
For the junior girls, Triska led the charge in Magazine with teammate Laney Wood close behind. Triska was third in the 1A-2A division with the small school divisional leaders narrowly ahead.
At Fort Smith’s Ben Geren Park, Laney Wood caught her teammate, Triska, in the last 10 meters before the tape. The younger Wood snatched the small school individual title as a bunched up trio of runners ambushed the finish line. Triska fell to third as the top three small school performers crossed within one second of each other.
The Mansfield junior team finished runner-up in the team standings at both events. Addison Bowman was the third-best Mansfield junior high runner at both places. Azlynn Stover, Shelbie Fuller, and Aidan Fildes revolved inside the team rankings to help secure the team accolades.
John Branche finished top 25 at Magazine for the Tiger men. Preliminary results looked to place the Mansfield junior inside the top 10 small school rankings at Fort Smith.
Rylan Nichols, Jonah Martin, and Joseph Carter ran for the MJH boys. Ethan Streets competed on the senior boys’ team. Lita Hecox completed the MHS senior girls roster.
Masked Mansfield runners Darby Jones, Jadelynn Wood, Trinity Triska, and Laney Wood gather for medals at Magazine
Mansfield senior girls take the small school championship at Fort Smith Invitational cross country meet
To say that the Waldron Sr High Lady Bulldogs volleyball squad has been busy busy busy would be an understatement. The last two weeks the girls have celebrated senior night, spent almost 7 hours on the road for two away games, and took on some heavyweight contenders including Hackett, Charleston, and Mansfield. Now, with one more week in front of them, the Sr Lady Bulldogs are preparing for two conference games before having a bye week.
#2 Kentucky Spence
Recently, the Lady Bulldogs stepped up to the net to take on Hackett at home for senior night and Mansfield, Charleston, and Green Forest on the road. In their match against the Mansfield Lady Tigers, Waldron was able to keep pace in each set before falling short a few points ending with 21-25, 18-25, and 20-25. Leading the pack for the Mansfield game was Rheagan Sanford with kills, Jessica Ozuna with aces, and Ashton Young with digs. The same was the case when the Lady Bulldogs faced Charleston in a hard-fought battle ’til the end. Waldron walked away with sets of 23-25, 23-25, and 25-20. Taking control in the kills department against the Lady Tigers was Rheagan Sanford who also led with aces. Kentucky Spence gave rise to the blocks arena and Ashton Young spearheaded with digs.
#6 Ashton Young
After their game against the Elkins Lady Elks got rescheduled to October 5, Waldron put their attention on their senior night game against Hackett. Although the Lady Bulldogs took a loss against the Lady Hornets, it wasn’t from a lack of trying. One thing about the Lady Bulldogs is that they never ever go down without a fight. Waldron played with ruthless perseverance and a feistiness that would make any coach, team, or community proud. Leading in kills was Rheagan Sanford, in aces was Bianca Hinojosa, and in digs was Ashton Young.
“It was a tough couple of weeks,” explained Coach Hannah Scantling. “I thought the girls competed well, but we just couldn’t find our groove. I’m proud of how the girls have responded and came back to have one of their best practices of the year after their Charleston game.”
#5 Molly Richmond
To end their week on September 10, the Lady Bulldogs conquered a huge win against the Green Forest Lady Tigers 3-0. Walking away as ace mavens was Sanford with 7, Ozuna with 4, Richmond with 3, Karissa Johnston with 2, and Young with 1. Prevailing with digs was Richmond with 4, Hinojosa, and Anastasia Lynch with 2 each, and with one apiece was Sanford and Ozuna. The Lady Bulldogs will walk into their match against the Paris Lady Eagles on September 14 at home with a 3-2 conference record.
Jim E. Stauffer of Y-City, Arkansas, formerly of Texas, passed from this life, Thursday, September 10, 2020, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Jim was born September 25, 1932, in Bader, Illinois to Byron and Dorothy Stauffer. He was 87 years old. Jim attended the Chant Pentecostal Church of God in Y-City, Arkansas.
Jim was a retired United States Air Force veteran. He proudly served his country for more than 20 years. After retirement from the military, Jim was a supervisor and worked at the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. During his many years serving his country and working he had the love of his life, Birdie, right by his side. Together they worked hard, overcame all life obstacles, enjoyed precious moments and showed their family what it was to love and live by example. They celebrated 67 years of sweet memories. Jim retired and relocated to the country. He loved doing anything outdoors, especially camping. In true Jim fashion, he was ready to help as a volunteer fire fighter when needed for Y-City VFD or doing anything to promote and help the local VFW. His service to his family and others never stopped. Jim leaves a wonderful legacy with his family and friends.
Jim leaves behind to cherish his memory, his loving wife Birdie, two sons, Jim Stauffer Jr. and wife Aria and Steve Stauffer and wife Audra all of Texas and one brother, Robert Stauffer of Rushville, Illinois. Papa will forever remain in the hearts of his 8 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. Jim will be missed by all that knew him and the many whose lives he impacted including a host of extended family, friends and fellow members of the VFW.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Byron and Dorothy and one daughter, Cindy.
Jim’s life celebration will be 1:00 p.m., Monday, September 21, 2020, at the Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery in Dallas, Texas with full military honors. Interment will follow. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
Jim’s visitation will be Wednesday, September 16, 2020, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home where Jim’s family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jim Evan Stauffer, please visit our floral store.
Scott County Deputy Kyle Shelby faithfully spends one day out of the weekend parked outside the Dollar General Store in Mansfield. He brings with him loads of fresh produce, including corn, tomatoes, lettuce, celery and cilantro.
This voluntary act of kindness is driven by Shelby’s desire to assist those who suffer from food insecurity. “The first time I did this, there was a homeless man that came by. That’s why I am here…I cannot imagine wondering where my next meal will come from,” Shelby stated.
Shelby takes the leftover commodities from Waldron First Baptist Church and distributes them. “It’s not much,” added Shelby. “But, if I can help one person and keep them from starving, I feel like I’ve done my job.”
The food distribution isn’t a lone act of kindness for Shelby. It’s part of who he is. As Cristy Pickens from Waldron shared, “Kyle Shelby never refuses to help anyone.” Recently, he assisted her with changing a tire.
As he continues to serve his beloved community, he is committed to making a positive difference.
Hey Paris fans! When was the last time your football team started a season undefeated at 3-0? Well, you may get different answers to that question depending on who you ask. But one thing is certain, the Paris Eagles of 2020 have started the season undefeated by winning all of their non-conference games. Paris defeated the Tigers at West Fork by a score of 20-7 on Friday night. Paris (3-0, 0-0) will now have next week off and will turn their sights to the opening of the conference season on September 25 against Mayflower.
West Fork, a much improved program that has rebuilt its program featuring a punishing and very physical running attack, provided the best contest so far in the first month of the season for the Eagles. The Paris defense played hard and matched the physicality of the West Fork offense. In addition to playing tough football along both sides of the line of scrimmage, the Paris linebackers were prepared for the defensive reads to stop the West Fork flexbone offense. The Paris defensive line spent much of the night in the West Fork backfield, holding the Tigers’ runners to small gains. Paris was also opportunistic on defense, creating turnovers and advancing a fumble for big yardage that set up a Paris touchdown.
The tandem running backs of senior Ely Fore and junior Duke Walker ran with a tough downhill style that was efficient and ripped the Tigers defense for both long runs and critical short-yardage rushing that kept the Paris offense moving all night. Perhaps most impressive was the Eagles ability to overcome a rash of penalties, especially in the first half where the Eagles were flagged 15 times for over 100 yards, while West Fork was flagged just once for five yards. As frustrating as this was for the players and their fans, the team kept their focus and bounced back from seemingly every set back to pick up lost yardage and to keep drives alive.
The success of the Paris ground game took the pressure off of its passing game. Paris junior quarterback Chase Watts effectively scrambled and ran the ball for key big plays throughout the game. On the goal line, Watts was able to tuck himself behind the big Paris offensive line and push himself into the end zone on quarterback sneaks. It appears that any concerns the Paris coaching staff may have had with the offensive and defensive lines may have been eliminated Friday night in West Fork. Paris played physical football against a much-improved and physical West Fork team.
It also appears that Paris played another game without any players leaving the game with injuries. This is great news for the Eagles. The bye week is upon them, and Paris has the opportunity to rest, work on correcting issues that have surfaced during the first three weeks of the season, and begin game planning for the Mayflower Eagles.
The non-conference portion of the schedule has been fun and has been a chance for the Eagles to make-up preparation time that was missed in the spring and summer months. On paper, the Eagles non-conference schedule has not been as challenging as some may have wanted to see, but the schedule has given the Paris players valuable playing time, including reserve players who received a lot of playing time last week against Westside. All of this could prove to be valuable down the line as conference teams fine tune their games during the non-conference games and hope to be healthy when conference season rolls around.
But just as it did last night, the Paris schedule will get progressively tougher from week to week. The good news is that Paris is also getting progressively better each week, and this week, the Eagles can feel good about themselves for going on the road and defeating a hard-nosed football team. Paris did it by beating West Fork at its own game. The toughness that the Eagles showed is what Paris coach Tyler Clark wanted to see as the Eagles move into conference play.
I spoke with Coach Clark on the field immediately after the game ended. When we met on the field, I congratulated him on being 3-0. The Eagles coach said, “It’s nice man! We still have a lot of work to do, but that’s never going to change. We have a lot of work to do, but it is certainly nice to be 3-0 going into conference play. They played really well. We challenged them all week and they responded to the challenge. I am really proud of them.”
Looking ahead to the Eagles next game, the Mayflower Eagles traveled to Hot Springs on Friday night and lost to Fountain Lake by a score of 35-7. Mayflower is now 0-3 on the season having lost to Central Arkansas Christian, Southside Batesville, and now Fountain Lake.
Due to Paris being off next week, Resident Press will not have a preview article out this Sunday. But RP will have a preview of the Eagles game with Mayflower on Sunday, September 20. So watch for this story as RP previews Paris’s first conference game of 2020.
More exciting photos from the West Fork game will be posted on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports on Sunday. Watch for these and other information on the Eagles throughout the season.
It was a great night in Northwest Arkansas to see a high school football game. And Paris fans, give yourselves a round of applause for showing up in big numbers and rooting the Eagles on to victory in West Fork! Your team is now 3-0 and will begin its quest to return to the state playoffs for the first time since 2017 when it returns home on September 25 to play its first conference game. Until then, enjoy the win and the 3-0 start, and look for Resident Press on Sunday, September 20 for a preview of Paris and the Mayflower Eagles!
Deputy Public Defender Rita Howard Watkins is a candidate in the runoff race for the nonpartisan position of Sebastian County Circuit Court Judge, Division VI.
Since 2005, Watkins has served as Deputy Public Defender for the 12th Judicial District in Sebastian County. During her tenure, she has provided counsel to indigent clients in an effort to determine the best legal defense in criminal cases.
She is responsible for all phases of representation from independent investigation to defense at trial. Watkins sits on the Sebastian County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, the Sebastian County Juvenile Justice Prevention Coalition and is a member of the Arkansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Watkins is also a past member of the Arkansas and Sebastian County Bar Associations. In addition, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Sebastian County Law Library and has been an Adjunct Professor in the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith paralegal studies program.
Watkins holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Oregon State University. She was raised in Fort Smith and attended Northside High School. She volunteers throughout the community serving as Vice President of the Phillis Wheatley Women’s Club of Fort Smith, past Vice President-Community Impact for the Junior League of Fort Smith and past Secretary for the Girls, Inc. Board of Directors. Watkins has also served as a Sebastian County Election Commissioner, volunteer basketball coach and Eta Omicron Adviser for the Delta Gamma Fraternity.
“When I chose to study law, my intent was in ensure that all people involved in the legal system be treated fair, just and with the utmost respect regardless of their race, ethnicity, and socio-economic background,” said Watkins. “As Circuit Judge, I’ll make sure that I work every day to make that a reality. My experience in all areas of the law makes me the well-rounded, experienced attorney I am today. And I look forward to continuing to serve the community, bringing respect, integrity, transparency and accountability to the bench.”
Watkins resides in Fort Smith with her husband Jason and daughter Jasmon, and is a member of St. James Missionary Baptist Church.
CLICK HERE to view your registration Information or to search for your polling place.
CLICK HERE for information about voting via absentee ballot.
CLICK HERE for information about registering to vote.
If you look at the 7th Grade Tigers schedule, you’ll see it’s been a tough trek for this fresh batch of players getting accustomed to their next level in Tiger football. They dropped a scrimmage against 4A Mena, joined the 8th Graders in a win over Magazine, and were victorious against their 4A rivals Waldron. Playing against larger conference teams isn’t a cup of tea, but they had one more hard to swallow 4A team against Elkins last night.
#2 Cooper Edwards
Mansfield fell behind early as Elkins used their high-end speed to hit the corner and dart for a touchdown. The Elks went for a two-point conversion but were stuffed when Wyatt Boyd shutdown Elkins running back in the backfield to keep the score 6-0 Elks. The Tigers made an offensive change in their backfield this week placing Zander Walters, who has been in the wide receiver position, as runningback with star athlete Dawson Robinson. Walters’s power running game combined with Robinson’s speed gave the Tigers an advantage as the Elks had to face a double dose of talent. After a couple of big gains by Walters, the Elks zeroed in on him which was a big mistake. With a play-action to Walters, Cooper Edwards handed the ball to Robinson who burnt up the sidelines for a 70-yard touchdown. The Tigers couldn’t convert the two-point conversion leaving the game all tied up at 6-6.
#21 Zander Walters with the carry along with James Bausley and #61 Cadien Ore
Mansfield’s defense was caught off guard on a few plays and the speed of Elkins was unmatched. But the Tigers defense made sure that Elkins earned every yard the hard way. Dominic Shores showed he can ace geometry class by taking perfect angles to secure two huge touchdown-saving tackles. James Bausley and Kanon Fisher created chaos for the Elks as they tossed would be blockers like rag dolls while also yanking down any Elkins backs who dared to run up the middle. Linebacker counterpart Alex Hecox secured five tackles for loss in the game while his linebacker counterparts Walters and Robinson made multiple body smashing hits. Although Elkins did hit the outside for a few more scores, they had to pay the Tiger toll for doing so. The players standing in Mansfield’s toll booth were Cooper Edwards, Charlie Collier, Logan Newman, and Traevin Copeland.
#35 Alex Hecox, #9 Kanon Fisher, and #59 Wyatt Boyd
The Tigers offense scored another touchdown with a 72-yard run by Robinson, but the score was called back due to a block in the back penalty. The smooth running “WD-40” duo of Robinson and Walters continued to rack up yards and Edwards was solid on passing and rushing in the game, but costly miscues riddled the young Tiger team. Mansfield’s defense also looked quite promising with nearly every player contributing to the tackle count. But the Elks were just too fast for the Tigers to catch as Mansfield wound up falling short in their final non-conference game of the season with a 28-6 final score.
#13 Dawson Robinson
“Pound for pound, I think we were pretty even with Elkins. We just ran out of gas. When fatigue hits, the memory goes out the window and players begin to make little mistakes that add up. This is a young and talented group, so I have no doubt they’ll continually grow and get better. We have two weeks until our next game which gives us time to work on a lot of stuff and get things ironed out.” said Coach Tim Cothran.
7th Grade Tigers
The 7th Grade Tigers have faced early adversity in the non-conference slate against much larger 4A foes. But with the heart of Tigers and an unwavering work ethic, Mansfield’s 7th Grade squad is ready to run rampant over their 3A conference schedule. With the extra time off to rest up and polish off their skills, the Tigers will be set and ready when they host the West Fork Tigers on September 24th.
Eagles mature when their head and tail feathers turn white. The white plumage is a sign of full maturity, and it usually takes up to five years before their feathers turn white. On Thursday evening in Hackett, a young Lady Eagles team got off the bus and went inside the Hackett gymnasium knowing that they were facing a test against defending state champions, and the time for maturity had arrived. The young Lady Eagles did not have five years to mature. Last night was the night, and Paris was going to find out a lot about their character as a team and how they would hold up away from home in a hostile environment against one of the best volleyball teams in the state. When the night was over, the Lady Eagles were no longer the young Lady Eagles; they earned their feathers Thursday night in a hard-fought, epic clash with the Hackett Lady Hornets.
Paris and Hackett entered Thursday night’s contest atop the standings in the 3A West. Neither team had lost a set in conference play prior to Thursday night. It was a battle of two forces in which something had to give. And for the lucky fans who were able to attend, the two teams played their hearts out and the fans were treated to a memorable clash between two of the better programs in the state. The match exceeded the highest expectations for a contest that had already received a significant amount of pregame publicity and chatter among fans of both schools.
One of the question marks for Paris going into the match-up was how would its young front line hold up to the veteran, hard-hitting front line of Hackett. The Lady Eagles answered the call as the Paris front line came alive and kept Hackett off guard for most of the night. Both teams were swinging and hitting the ball hard, and both teams had to be on their toes defensively because no matter how hard each front line would attempt to kill a shot, the receiving team would seemingly always return the ball. There was never time to celebrate the anticipation of a kill shot. Both teams contested every shot, and both teams made spectacular digs, sets, and spikes. I don’t know off hand what other matches were being played around the state, but surely none could have been better than the one that was played in Hackett on Thursday evening.
Hackett started the first set quickly, jumping out to an early five point lead. Paris clawed their way back into the match and eventually took control with their front line. Paris went on to win the first set, 25-20. The second set saw Paris take control early and eventually getting to 20 points and looking to win the second set and put Hackett in the position of having to win three straight sets to win the match. But the never-say-die Hackett Lady Hornets, coached and developed in the image of their highly-competitive coach, Bridget Freeman, fought their way back and won the second set 25-20. Hackett evened the match and had momentum on their side. As with the first and second sets, the two teams split the third and fourth sets by the same score of 25-23. The stage was then set for the dramatic fifth set tie-breaker for the match.
The fifth set saw Paris jump out to an early lead. And one final time, the Lady Hornets fought their way back, closing a deficit to eventually tie the fifth set at 15-15. Paris went on to win the deciding set, 17-15. When it was over, there was high emotion on both sides, but the celebration on one side, and the dejection on the other side was not like a state playoff game. Both sides know their is a lot of volleyball left to be played, including a return match between the two teams in Paris on October 6. To the fans, it was sad to see the great match come to an end, and for the players, it was hard to see someone lose the game. Both teams played hard, but the Lady Eagles were able to prevail and vault themselves into the lead in the 3A West with the win.
The Paris victory Thursday night was a total team victory for the Lady Eagles. Every player on the floor played a great game. Every player gave great effort, and those who did not play cheered their teammates on and encouraged them on every point. There was no one single player who stood out. It was a treat to watch two great teams compete. After the game, I spoke with an excited Paris coach, Jordan Devine. “They showed some grit that we haven’t necessarily seen, so that was really nice. Just showed what we can do! We’re getting blocks, or we’re flying around on defense…you just can’t be any happier. It was no one person. Looking at our stats, I mean, it was everybody. Which is what we want, right?” I asked Coach Devine where the intensity of the Lady Eagles came from Thursday night, and she said, “When you press their buttons and talk about somebody else all the time, its going to push their buttons a little bit and they are going to come after you. There are things we are going to take away that we can work on. We were ahead in every set, and we have just got to learn how to finish.”
Ironically, for Paris, the team has displayed a low-key demeanor all season prior to the Hackett match. Although they were undefeated in conference play, Paris was seemingly winning on talent as they were having to develop chemistry as a team. And that’s what they have done. Since the start of the season on August 24, the team has become closer and stronger as they have continued to play together after the shortened summer practice time. We knew this team was talented, but they lacked experience on the varsity level and playing together as teammates. Now, approximately three weeks into the season, you can see the team coming together. And you can also see that this team has a high ceiling. They are only going to get better over the rest of this season and into next. Yes, for the Lady Eagles, the sky is truly the limit.
There were many implications for this game; some obvious and some not so obvious. First, the game was for the lead in the conference. For now, Paris moves into first place ahead of Hackett. The two teams will resume conference play and will face each other in Paris again on October 6. Secondly, both teams are expected to make the state tournament. However, in this strange year of high school athletics that is being held hostage by the COVID virus, it is still not known if the district tournament will be held at the end of the regular season. Normally, teams play during the regular season for district tournament seedings. A high seeding in the district tournament gives a team a more advantageous draw in the tournament, and subsequently gives the team a better chance at a higher seed in the state tournament. This year, if the district tournament is not held, then the state tournament births and seedings would be determined by the regular season order of finish. Now, in the background of all of this is Little Rock Episcopal, last year’s Class 3A champion. Episcopal will host this year’s state volleyball tournament, and will likely enter the state tournament as a one seed. So, for schools in the 3A West conference, a low seed from conference play increases the chances of facing Episcopal on their home floor in an earlier round of the state tournament. Undoubtedly, Hackett will be focused on winning the rematch in Paris and forcing a tie between the two schools with the tie-breaker used to determine the number one and the number two seeds in the conference for post-season play.
But before any of that is considered, both teams face the critical task of coming off the adrenaline and the fatigue of this game and quickly refocusing on the next conference opponent. Neither school wants to drop a conference game that they should be very competitive in after the last night’s war for first place. For Paris, that means that the Lady Eagles return to the road again on Monday to face a good Waldron team that is capable of beating you if you are not ready to play. Thursday night’s win is no good for Paris if they walk into the Waldron Special Events Center and drop a game to the Lady Bulldogs because they were not focused or still celebrating Thursday’s win. This will be the next step of maturity for this team.
For Hackett, they will turn their attention to Booneville on Monday night. Hackett should be in good shape against Booneville, but the Lady Hornets have to remember that not long ago the Lady Bearcats pushed Paris in their third set in Booneville. Paris still won the match 3-0, but it was the first time prior to last night that Paris had been threatened in a conference match. Thursday’s loss was a tough loss for a Hackett program that is not used to losing, but Coach Freeman will have her girls ready to play. They have to shake the disappointment and the let down from the loss and get ready to play Booneville on Monday night. Hackett has no room for an upset loss; such a loss would be devastating to their season and to their seeding in the Class 3A state tournament. The Lady Hornets are last year’s Class 2A champions, and they are more than capable of contending in the Class 3A tournament. But they will have to shake off this loss and develop a short memory. They must put this loss behind them quickly and move on to Monday’s match with Booneville.
It seems that more often than not, when a big game receives a lot of attention and has fans looking forward to it, the game turns out to be a disappointment. That was not the case Thursday night in Hackett as two great programs met in a head-to-head match for first place in the 3A West. And when it was all over, it was the Lady Eagles flying high back to Paris.
Hang on volleyball fans…the second half of this season should be even better than the first! And Resident Press will be there to bring you all of the action!
