75.2 F
Fort Smith
Friday, July 3, 2026
Home Blog Page 636

Jr Tigers Close But No Cigar Vs Mena

Pictured is Jeremy Strozier

The Mansfield Jr High Tigers are a team poised for success. On Monday, the Tigers traveled to Mena to take on a Bearcat squad that in all honestly could possibly beat anyone in the state. Did that phase the Tigers? Not one bit. Mansfield hung tight and went toe to toe with the Bearcats in a close game that was much closer than the scoreboard reflected. When the clock ran out, the Tigers were on the losing side of a 16-6 game.

#4 Peyton Martin

Mansfield started the game out with some big-time defensive hits and team tackles that put Mena on notice real quick. The Tigers spread out the speedy Mena team forcing them to play Jeopardy with their playbook. Jeremy Strozier, Austin Oldham, Tyler Turnipseed, were pure head hunters for the Tigers defense as they squared up and charged the larger running backs and receivers that Mena had on the field with no fear. Mansfield’s defensive line may have been outsized. But Sammy Sellers, Eli Garner, Trey Vaughan, Dakota Langford, Turner Wright, and James Olinghouse, took it to the Bearcats, shutting down their run game for most of the night forcing the bearcats to air it out. A confused Mena offense gave Mansfield the opportunity for Turnipseed to pick off a pass and Austin Ruiz to recover a bad snap late in the game. Unfortunately, Mena was able to get a few big plays in with their larger receivers to hang 16 points on the Tigers.

#10 Tyler Turnipseed

Offensively, the Tigers used a plethora of weapons to confuse Mena on multiple occasions. With players like Peyton Martin, Oldham, Turnipseed, and many more on the field at the same kind, the Bearcats defense couldn’t decide which pill was harder to swallow. Ninth-Grader and first-year starter, Peyton Martin, was 11 of 21 passing in the game for 151-yards and a touchdown in the game. To put up those kinds of yards in a game you have to have some solid receivers as targets and boy did Martin ever have those. Leading the receiving core was Turnipseed who averaged 20-yards per reception with four catches for an astounding 80-yards. Close behind him was Oldham who also got four passes and took them for a combined 50-yards and the Tigers sole touchdown of the game. Two targets are good, but Mansfield had weapons everywhere. Zach Hayslip and Trey Powell rounded up the receiving group with Hayslip catching two passes for 10 yards and Powell taking in one pass for 11-yards. Although the ground attack wasn’t on the heavy side, Mansfield was able to rake in a few runs to keep the Bearcat defense honest.  Martin led that attack with 10 rushing attempts for 45-yards. Strozier, Powell, and Oldham rounded out the running game with a combined six carries for 19-yards.

Jr Tigers for the take down

Although the Tigers lost their game against a prominent 4A Mena school, they showed that they will be serious contenders in 3A-1 conference play this season. Film will be watched, mistakes will be corrected, and practice will continue for the sole purpose of improving each and every day. The Jr Tigers will be able to showcase what they have learned since their Mena game earlier this week tonight as they host the Waldron Bulldogs in a Scott County Showdown. Kickoff for the 7th grade Tigers will be at 5:30 pm and Jr High will be at 7:00 pm.

Ways To Energize Your Home Interior

If you feel your home’s décor and overall atmosphere are blander than you would like them to be, a few easy changes can transform your house into a much more interesting space. You don’t need to make large-scale purchases or spend hours doing major renovations to revamp it. Here, we give you examples of simple ways to energize your home interior that you can try today.

Incorporate Plants

You probably already have some plants out in your front yard and backyard that make your home look more beautiful from the outside. Incorporating plants inside your house can also work to great effect because they literally bring life to your rooms. They produce clean oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis and decorate the space in which they sit. There’s also something comforting about having plants nearby, especially when most of your surroundings are filled with manmade objects. You can take your pick of a variety of plants that you think looks pretty or that will be easy to take care of.

Utilize Fragrances

When you’re mulling over ways to energize your home interior, you shouldn’t limit yourself to the visual realm. Pleasant fragrances can also make the ambiance brighter. You can go for air fresheners, candles, or essential oil diffusers to spread wonderful aromas around your home. Whatever method you select, you can switch between countless invigorating scents. Sharp mint and eucalyptus work to ward off lethargy, while citrus fragrances are both spritely and sweet.

Put Up Wallpaper

Painting your walls a new color can certainly rejuvenate your rooms, but have you ever considered putting up wallpaper? Unlike paint, wallpaper comes with complex designs that you wouldn’t be able to create easily on your own. Some designer wallpapers also have unique textures that set them apart from the plain, smooth walls you see in most houses. You can cover all the walls of a particular room with a certain wallpaper to instantly give it vigor with playful or quirky designs. If you enjoy a certain wallpaper but think it might be too much for an entire room, you could also cover just one wall with it to serve as an accent.

ATU Announces Preliminary Fall 2020 Enrollment Figures

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (September 2, 2020)–Arkansas Tech University released preliminary enrollment figures for the fall 2020 semester following the 11th class day of its 111th session on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Preliminary headcount enrollment at ATU for fall 2020 is 10,866. The university is serving 10,137 undergraduate students and 729 graduate students.

“As the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic began to develop last spring, it became clear that this would be the most challenging recruiting season for higher education since World War II,” said Dr. Robin E. Bowen, ATU president. “The health concerns and financial hardships created by the pandemic prevented many students from beginning or continuing their post-secondary studies this fall. Our university pulled together and worked diligently over these past six months to develop a strategy that would allow us to continue delivering high-quality programs and services in a manner that protected the health and well-being of our students, faculty and staff. We also pledged no increase in tuition and mandatory fees for the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters.

“We are pleased that these factors, coupled with the reputation this university has cultivated over multiple generations, allowed us to recruit a freshman class larger than the one we welcomed to our campuses just two years ago, increase our student semester credit hours (SSCH) on the Ozark campus and generate the overall SSCH necessary to support our operations for the fall 2020 semester,” continued Bowen. “By maintaining focus on student access and student success, Arkansas Tech University will continue carrying out its mission as a responsive campus community providing opportunities for progressive intellectual development and civic engagement.”

Student semester credit hours for ATU-Ozark Campus college-level students are up 5 percent as compared to one year ago.  

“Challenging times require higher education to be nimble and adaptable,” said Bowen. “Those traits are part of the DNA at ATU-Ozark Campus. Through a stackable model that extends to our Russellville campus, ATU-Ozark students attain credentials that lead to progressively increasing career and educational opportunities. It is important that we offer multiple entry points to higher education and serve lifelong learners as their training needs evolve in response to changing economic conditions.”

In addition to the pandemic, ATU’s demonstrated improvement in graduating students on a shortened timeline is also a downward pressure on its enrollment figures.

Arkansas Tech’s current four-year graduation rate for first-time freshmen is 43.7 percent, which is an increase of 15.8 percentage points as compared to two years prior.

ATU conferred 4,072 credentials during the 2019-20 academic year, which was most in university history.

Preliminary headcount enrollment by campus at ATU for fall 2020 is 8,892 through Russellville and 1,974 through Ozark. Those figures include concurrent students. ATU’s preliminary headcount enrollment minus concurrent students for both campuses is 8,146.

There are 1,773 freshmen enrolled at ATU for fall 2020. That is a 15.5 percent decrease as compared to the university’s record class of 2,098 freshmen in fall 2019. The fall 2020 Arkansas Tech freshman headcount is 46 students greater than the ATU freshman class of 2018.

Visit www.atu.edu to learn more about Arkansas Tech University.

A Walk To Remember

Every American remembers where they were and what they were doing on September 11, 2001. I had just started my senior year of High School and was sitting in Psychology class. As my teacher was getting ready for her lesson, another teacher stuck her head in the door and told her she needed to get her t.v. cart out and turn on the news. And there it was. On every station, you saw a tower with smoke coming out of it. It took all of us a minute to realize what was happening. The silence that filled the school was chilling, to say the least. After 30 minutes of watching the horrors taking place, it was time for the next class period.

Nobody really talked the rest of that day. We all just kind of went through the motions with the same fearful look in our eyes. With so much confusion as to what was happening, the majority of us were waiting for another attack, worried that it would be us next. September 11, 2001, resulted in the largest loss of life on American soil by a foreign attack. That day, nearly 3,000 people died from the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93. But that day, something else happened as well. Every single American stood united arm in arm to show our enemies that we would not be broken that easily. It took nearly nine months for the Twin Towers site to be cleared of debris. For 24 hours day after day after day, Americans watched from their homes as brave men and women from all over the country, worked tirelessly to pick up the pieces.

In 2002, the Tribute of Light was constructed near ground zero which is where the towers used to sit. The Tribute consists of two light beams projected into the New York sky every year from September 11 until dawn on September 12 to represent the attacks that took place on that horrific day. But this year on September 11, something even more unpleasant is happening. Due to the fear of large group gatherings and spreading the coronavirus, the New York sky will remain dark. But there is one event that is still happening.

On September 12, 22 Shenanigans along with 9/11 Honor and Team Red, White, and Blue, will be hosting an Awareness Walk in memory of lives lost in the 9/11 attacks. Also being honored in this walk are the servicemen and servicewomen killed in action during the wars that make our freedom possible. Military personnel often have to deal with high-intensity, stressful, and dangerous environments for months or years at a time resulting in life-altering mental health issues. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, depending on the time of year, between 529,000 and 840,000 find themselves living on the streets suffering from drug and alcohol abuse along with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Another reason for having this walk is to bring awareness to a problem that is spreading through our military like a contagious disease. Suicide. 22 Shenanigans was organized after a local veteran’s brother committed suicide. According to the Office of Suicide Prevention, 22 veterans lose the fight to battle their inner demons and succumb to taking their own lives. The Awareness Walk is being done to spread awareness that a veteran never walks alone. Local Magazine resident, Jarrod Moore, was on board the USS Tarawa the day the towers fell.

“It was a day that changed my life as well as every American’s life. Yes, over time, the spirit has dwindled into the soup sandwich that we have today. I recently joined an organization of Veterans that try and keep united through exercise and fitness. Three years ago due to a flare-up of Multiple Sclerosis, I was wheelchair-bound for 5 months. I didn’t know if I was going to walk again. But because of a wonderful physical therapist, I did.”

“If a person wants to walk, all they need to do is just show up. Now they can walk at any point in the race they want to. They will need to find a way to make it to their starting point, but we will have someone to bring them back to their vehicle. We are asking if everyone can show up for the beginning ceremony and walk the final half-mile to the Paris courthouse. There will be a ceremony for paying awareness to 22 Shenanigans at the Paris courthouse afterward.”

Judge Forbes Declares Emergency in Flood Ravaged County

Scott County Judge James Forbes issued a disaster emergency proclamation on Wednesday, September 2. This, following days of torrential rainfall and damaging floods.

Forbes has been working out in the county surveying damage and on the scene of multiple swift water rescues.

“I want to say how much I appreciate our law enforcement, county and state, Boles Fire Department, and the state wildlife officers. They accomplished a very difficult and long swift water rescue in Boles,” Forbes stated on Tuesday.

“Thankfully, there was no loss of life. We were lucky to have our first responders there within minutes. Everyone worked together and came up with plan to secure stranded woman. It could have had a much different outcome,” added Forbes.

He also credited the people of the county for heeding the warning to avoid water covered roadways.

Seven to twelve inches of rain fell in the Scott County area since last Saturday, and Forbes dubbed the county as the “epicenter” when it came to destruction from flooding.

Both county and city residents are asked to call their respective office so that damages can be further assessed. The initial assessment and damage reports prompted Forbes to issue an emergency declaration on Wednesday, September 2.

“One of the bridges will cost around $100k to repair.” Forbes went on to estimate the total damage to the county at a half million dollars.

As he continues making an assessment, Judge Forbes is prioritizing the work that needs to be done. County work crews are working to make roads passable. He concluded, “a lot of roads are unpassable, some are just rough but passable. So, we are prioritizing what work needs to be done.”

Charleston to Contend for Class 3A-1 Football Title

After surviving an injury-plagued 2019 season, the Charleston Tigers play in a new Class 3A-1 conference and should be contenders along with Cedarville for this year’s conference championship.

Second year Charleston head football coach Ricky May and his staff did a masterful job in keeping the 2019 team together during a rash of injuries that this reporter has never seen the likes of before. It was remarkable that the Tigers survived the wave of injuries and were able to make the state playoffs. This year, the Tigers have a wealth of sophomore talent that will join the team along with several key returning players who saw significant playing time last year. Charleston is young, talented, and has increased numbers in their senior high program, and the future for Tiger football is bright in Charleston.

Breckon Ketter (14) Returns for the Tigers in 2020 as a Possible All-Conference Running Back (Resident Press File Photo)

Last season saw the Tigers begin the year with preseason injuries and a key player transfer to another school. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Tigers endured a rash of injuries like no other school in recent memory. In last year’s trip to Dardanelle, the Tigers had 11 players on the sideline, including their entire starting defensive secondary who were out of the game due to injuries. Charleston, playing a tough non-conference schedule that included prior year Class 3A state playoff team Melbourne, and traditional Class 4A powers Dardanelle and Ozark, all on the road, limped through the non-conference portion of their schedule and focused on getting their players back for the conference season. The team was able to amass enough wins in conference play to secure a #5 seed in the state playoffs. An electrifying last minute loss to Mansfield prevented the team from finishing as high as #2 or #3 in the playoff seedings. As a #5 seed, the Tigers played at Prescott in the first round of the state playoffs. There, the Tigers season ended on a very cold night in Prescott.

But 2020 is a new season, and with it, brings new hope for a return to dominance that is what fans at Alumni Field are used to enjoying. The 2020 Tigers are young and talented with a sprinkling of talented and experienced veteran players. This year’s Charleston team will not be dominant, but the Tigers will contend for a conference title with the Cedarville Pirates. Hooten’s Arkansas Football publication has predicted Cedarville to win the conference and for Charleston to finish as the runner-up. The new Class 3A-1 conference includes Charleston, Cedarville, Greenland, Lincoln, Hackett, Mansfield, Lavaca, and West Fork. Gone are the Booneville Bearcats and the Lamar Warriors. Booneville will now play in a new conference that is focused on schools east of Charleston, and Lamar will play in Class 4A this year. The Lincoln Wolves drop down from Class 4A to 3A and will also be new to the conference. The Hackett Hornets and the Lavaca Golden Arrows are moving up from Class 2A and will join Mansfield, who is dropping down to Class 2A in all sports except football.

Hooten’s Arkansas Football has predicted the following order of finish in the Class 3A-1 football conference:

  1. Cedarville
  2. Charleston
  3. Greenland
  4. Lincoln
  5. Hackett
  6. Mansfield
  7. Lavaca
  8. West Fork

Charleston will have a key home game this year with Cedarville that could determine the conference championship and the #1 seed going into the state playoffs. The Tigers 2020 football schedule is:

Sept 4 at Dardanelle

Sept 11 Pottsville

Sept 18 Ozark

Sept 25 at Greenland

Oct 2 Cedarville

Oct 9 at Mansfield

Oct 16 Hackett

Oct 23 at Lincoln

Oct 30 West Fork

Nov 6 at Lavaca

In a scheduling quirk, the Tigers, who played at Dardanelle in 2019, will travel to Dardanelle again this year to play the Sand Lizards. Melbourne has been replaced by Class 4A Pottsville, and the traditional game for bragging rights in Franklin County against Ozark will be played in Charleston this year. So Tigers fans will be treated to outstanding football in 2020, and the Tigers hope to be a conference title contender for their fans.

The Tigers Brighton Ketter (34) carries the ball for Charleston in a scrimmage against Booneville (Resident Press Photo / Ronni Tate Young)

Coach May is excited about his young team this year. “I like where we are at right now. I feel better about this year than I did last year. We have spent a lot more time on special teams this year and I think that part of our game is better. We are deeper in the skill areas and that has helped. We are inexperienced on the offensive line. We have one senior there and the rest are sophomores and juniors. But, I like where we are at right now.”

The Dardanelle Sand Lizards are a team that is reloading from the loss of key personnel that lead the team to multiple victories over the past few years. But Dardanelle is not a team without talent; in fact, they are deeply talented at wide receiver and on the defensive line. They will be relying on new players in key positions such as quarterback. Coach May commented, “They’ve got some really good skill guys. They have, in my opinion, two guys who can play quarterback. They have two of probably the better receivers that we will see all year. They don’t have that massive defensive line that they usually have; but they’ve got some big ones. On the offensive line they are all big guys, but not as massive as in years past. They are well-coached and you can never count that out. They are sound at everything they do. They do stuff right.”

Last week in a loss to Booneville, Dardanelle played Trace Gentry at quarterback for most of game. Coach May said, “Sophomore Drew Vega (son of the Dardanelle coach Phil Vega) played most of the game at receiver.” Hooten’s Arkansas Football reports that Drew Vega has 4.7 speed and was the second leading rusher on last year’s junior high team. “They put Vega into the game at quarterback and he did a really good job.”

Dardanelle turned the ball over four times against Booneville in a 35-14 loss to the Bearcats. No doubt, Dardanelle will be out to right the ship against Charleston. The Sand Lizards defeated Charleston 44-0 last year, and both teams should be ready for the return match on Friday.

I asked Coach May if the lopsided loss last year to Dardanelle was something he was reminding his team of going into Friday’s contest. Coach May said, “I haven’t mentioned it. The kids themselves really haven’t mentioned it. But, they do remember the score. But at the same time, we are just going to play whoever shows up and this is a new year. We are going to make it better this year.”

Charleston at Dardanelle 2019 (Resident Press File Photo)

So, Tigers fans, football is back and it is game week for the Charleston Tigers! The Tigers need their fans to make the trip down Highway 22 to Dardanelle to cheer for their team! Remember, AAA and Arkansas Department of Health regulations will be in effect during the game. Face masks will be required for entry and will be required to be worn by everyone in attendance throughout the game.

After a painful start to the 2019 season, this Friday could be the beginning of a great start for this year’s Tigers team. As always, Charleston does not shy away from competition. The tough non-conference schedule will payoff for the Tigers as they compete later in the season in conference play and in the playoffs.

Good luck to coach Ricky May and the Charleston Tigers, and Resident Press will be there to bring you all of the action on Sundays of each week in Resident Press. Watch for game recaps and previews of the next week’s game each Sunday in Resident Press.

Enjoy the game!

Paris Defeats Green Forest for Third Conference Win

After a road conference victory at Booneville on Monday night, the Paris Lady Eagles returned home on Tuesday to host the Green Forest Lady Tigers in another conference match-up. The Lady Tigers made the almost three hour bus ride from Green Forest to play the Lady Eagles. Green Forest, a newcomer to the Class 3A West volleyball conference, was playing at Paris in the first game of the two game round robin conference schedule. Paris will return the long trip to Green Forest next month.

The game was a mismatch from the beginning. Green Forest, a program that has been in the state tournament frequently over the past few years, seemed to be overwhelmed by the Paris front line. The game quickly got out of control with Paris scoring seven unanswered points to start the first set. Green Forest, a good volleyball program, was left to scramble on seemingly every volley to keep up with the velocity of the Paris serves and kill shots.

After two lopsided Paris wins in the first set, coach Jordan Devine substituted freely in the third set. Many Lady Eagles players who have seen limited playing time to senior “B” games were put into the lineup to start the third set. The Paris starters stood during their time on the court, cheering their teammates.

It was great to see these players get some varsity playing time. Coach Devine took advantage of the opportunity to rest her starters and to give the other players some court time in a conference match. The players remained in the game until the score reached 15-10 in favor of Green Forest. Coach Devine reinserted the starting lineup at that point, and Paris went on to win the third set and the match 3-0.

With the win, Paris improves its overall record to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play. The Lady Eagles next match will be at Elkins on Thursday. The game with the Lady Elks will be another conference match-up for Paris. The Lady Eagles are headed for a showdown next week at Hackett. But before Paris goes to Hackett on September 10, the Lady Eagles must first take care of business at Elkins tomorrow night and at home against Lincoln on next Tuesday night. The young Lady Eagles continue to improve and to mature as they gain more time playing together, and the next stretch of the conference schedule will include a test of two road games against very good teams. So for Paris, the old cliche of “take them one at a time” certainly applies as the Lady Eagles cannot afford to overlook anyone as they approach the game with Hackett.

Paris has the day off today before they make the trip to Elkins tomorrow. The first game at Elkins will begin on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Junior A, Senior B, and Senior A games are scheduled. Paris fans who plan to make the trip should remember to bring their masks. As has been all season, AAA and Arkansas Department of Health regulations will be in effect at the game.

Stay with Resident Press for complete coverage of the Paris Lady Eagles and their quest to return to the state volleyball tournament!

Greenwood Junior High School Student Tests Positive for COVID-19

On Tuesday evening Greenwood Junior High School Principal Josh Nation notified parents that a student at the school had tested positive for COVID-19.

In that message Nation stated:

“Good Afternoon, this is Josh Nation, Principal of Greenwood Junior High School. Late Monday evening, I was notified of a student with COVID symptoms who attended classes on campus at GJHS. The student tested positive and all probable close contacts have been notified by the administration and are under quarantine. Greenwood School District contacted the Arkansas Department of Education and followed the appropriate protocol. Thank you and have a great evening.”

We will continue to provide further updates on this developing story.

Charleston Wins Hard-Fought Volleyball Match at Lavaca

Any time Charleston and Lavaca get together, there is always going to be a good contest. The short distance between the locations of both campuses have added to the rivalry history between Charleston and Lavaca. Last year, a very talented senior Charleston team struggled twice with a Lavaca team that played hard in both matches. Last evening’s match was no different, and the Lady Tigers were once again able to prevail over a determined group of Lady Golden Arrows.

(Resident Press Photo / Ronni Tate Young)

After losing at Paris last week in their first game of the season, the Lady Tigers faced the challenge of regrouping and getting ready to play on the road again against Lavaca. Charleston won the match 3-2 by winning the fifth and deciding set 15-8. The Lady Tigers fell behind early by losing the first set 25-15. Charleston evened the match by winning the second set 25-22, only to see Lavaca bounce back and win the third set 25-16. The Lady Tigers forced a fifth and deciding set by winning the fourth 25-15. When it was all over, Charleston left town with a hard fought win that improved their overall record to 2-1.

The Lady Tigers have very little time to enjoy the win as they will again go on the road today at West Fork to play the Lady Tigers. The first match in West Fork is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Please remember that AAA and Arkansas Department of Health regulations will be in effect for everyone in attendance. Seventh grade, junior “A” and junior “B” games, as well as a varsity match will be played.

Stay with Resident Press all season as we follow the Lady Tigers and their quest to return to the Arkansas state high school volleyball tournament. Don’t forget your masks and drive carefully today on your way to West Fork!

(Resident Press Photo / Ronni Tate Young)

7th-Grade Tigers Run Out Of Time Vs Mena

After last week’s game in Mena was postponed, the Mansfield 7th Grade Tigers finally got their chance to step onto the football field as a single unit on Monday night. As will all 7th Grade programs, the Tigers had a short amount of time to ready themselves with the newness of playing at this level, but they weren’t about to back down from the opportunity. With only two 20 minute halves to play, both Mansfield and Mena were set to show their stuff.

#2 QB Cooper Edwards, #59 Wyatt Boyd, and #50 James Bausley

Mansfield’s defense took to the field first and kicked things off with a big hit and takedown by Zander Walters and Dominic Shores. The Tigers stood their ground holding the bearcats to minimal gains at first, but Mena’s top-end speed won the race as they rounded the corner and turned on the heat for the first score of the game. The Tiger’s defense might have been down, but they weren’t going to stop grinding. With Tigers flying to the ball on every occasion, Mansfield held Mena’s offense hostage for most of the rest of the first half. Big perimeter tackles by Walters, Dawson Robinson, Alex Hecox, and Cooper Edwards, forced the Bearcats to rethink their game plan.

#21 Zander Walters

Mansfield’s defense was caught off guard when Mena went from the run game and made a quick pass which led to a touchdown putting the Tigers down 14-0 with 42 seconds left in the half. With time running out, some teams would take it to the half to rest, but not this 7th Grade squad. When the Tigers offense lined up and snapped the ball with only 36 seconds on the clock, it was evident that they were not going to lay down that easy. Quarterback, Cooper Edwards, hit a double-covered Walters with a direct pass and Walters spun out of not one but two tackles to burn a path for Mansfield’s first touchdown of their 2020 season. This put Mansfield in striking distance only down 14-6 going into the half.

Running with the ball is Ethan Martin

The Tigers started out in the second half with the ball, but Mena’s defense lasered in on the Tigers receivers and running backs each play. Mansfield’s defense was able to hold the Bearcats offensive speedsters at bay for most of the half with Logan Newman, Ethan Martin, and James Bausley, making excellent team and solo tackles, but they slipped on a play allowing Mena to put points on the board again bringing the score to 22-6 Bearcats. With the heat, penalties, and first game jitters in full force, the Tigers continued to push forward but to no avail. The Tigers offense got caught up in an all-out blitz by Mena and lost the ball to a pick-6 interception pushing the Tigers down to the game’s final score of 28-6 Mena.

#13 Dawson Robinson with the tackle

Although a win would have been great, it just wasn’t in the cards. Now the 7th Grade crew will review their mistakes, make adjustments, and prepare for what is up next. The Tigers will host their Scott County foes, the Waldron Bulldogs, on Thursday, September 3rd at 5:30 pm in what is sure to be a barn burner.