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Mansfield Athletic Awards Series: Volleyball and Football

Sports

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8:50 am

Mansfield Athletic Awards Series: Volleyball and Football

Editor’s note…

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the traditional Mansfield Tiger Booster Club Banquet to honor athletic award winners of the 2019-2020 sports season was canceled. To publicize the athletes that won either conference, state, or local awards, this publication will offer a series of articles related to those participants who earned athletic accolades this school year. Mansfield coaches submitted narratives pertaining to their specific teams which will be released in chronological segments. This article will highlight the fall sports award recipients.

2019-2020 Volleyball Awards:

(contributions by Coach Kaylie Pyles)

The Junior High Lady Tigers shined throughout their season placing second in Conference and finishing Runner-Up at District. The Senior High Lady Tigers volleyball team this year may have been small in numbers, but were big in their commitment and love for the game. This volleyball team worked extremely hard in the spring, throughout the entire summer, and during the competitive season. They came into the season with a positive outlook and drive for success.

Losing four starters from last season, there were quite a bit of changes to the varsity lineup. This year’s team was very young with several sophomores and juniors that stepped up and took ownership of the roles they were given. The team also consisted of six seniors who were great at presenting leadership and encouragement to the younger players. This year’s seniors consisted of Kara Sweeten, Madison Nelson, Janna Coplin, Abigail Morgan, Vanessa Noblitt, and Maggie Strunk. I am very blessed to have had the opportunity in the last two years to coach each of these six seniors. They will be greatly missed.

The high school team placed third in the Harrison Tournament. They overcame the obstacle of barely having enough players to compete due to the ACT test being given that same day. They also placed third in the Mena Tournament where they played back to back most of the day and went undefeated in the opening rounds. Unfortunately due to fatigue, they lost to a very talented Mena team in the semis. While placing fourth in conference, the team would have to win two games in the district tournament to get that ticket to state that the seniors most unrelentingly wanted.

With freshmen moved up and senior guidance, the team won their first round of District against Booneville. The second round was a hard-fought battle that ended with a loss against one of the top-ranked teams in the state, the Paris Eagles. Not letting the loss ruin their chances of getting to state, the seniors rallied the team together to take a huge victory against our biggest rivalry, Waldron.

In the first round of state, we got matched up against Harding Academy. After losing in three straight sets last year in the opening round of state, the seniors did not want to end their season without a fight. They ended their last game with a knockdown, point for point, five-set match, where they lost by only a few short points. The Lady Tigers ended their season with a record of 17-14 along with momentum for next year when they move into a different classification.

The individual Senior High volleyball awards go to:

Kiara Thomas: 3A West All-Conference

Haylee Helms: 3A West All-District and Mansfield Defensive Player of the Year with 399 digs.

Brooke Wright: 3A West All-District, 3A All-State Tournament Team, 3A West All-State, and Mansfield Offensive Player of the Year with 371 kills.

Vanessa Noblitt: 3A West All-District, Leader in Assists with 632.

Maggie Strunk: 3A West All-District

Abigail Morgan: Most Valuable Teammate

Kara Sweeten: Most Improved Player

The 2019 Volleyball Player of the Year is Brooke Wright.

Brooke ended the season as the team leader in three different categories. She was the leader in aces with 54, leader in blocks with 77, and the leader in kills with 371. Brooke came to practices and games with a positive attitude and had a solid work ethic. As a teammate and leader on the court, she constantly encouraged and supported those around her. She gave 100% effort every chance that she stepped on the floor, whether it be in practice or games, which showed throughout her successful season. She received All-District, All-State Tournament Team, and All-State honors.

2019-2020 Football Awards:

(contributions by Coach Tim Cothran)

Expectations were high heading into the 2019 football season with 14 seniors, most of which were returning starters from the previous 8-4 season. However, the season, like all seasons, would have its own set of obstacles. With a new head coach in place, two new assistants, and the team having a target on their backs, the metal of this team would be tested.

The Tigers started off with a bang rolling out to a 4-0 start but dropped a heartbreaker on the road in Greenland. With no time to mourn, the Tigers got back to work to prepare for a trip to a perennial powerhouse in Charleston. The stadium was packed and people got their money’s worth, especially the Mansfield faithful.

Battling back and forth trailing the whole game, Mansfield finally caught a break. With less than a minute to play, Layton Howard stepped in front of a Charleston pass and raced over 100 yards for a game-winning “Pick 6”.

The Tigers battled through the remainder of the season, trailing the #1 and #2 teams in the conference by one score at the half in each game only to lose late in each. The Tigers finished the season with exciting wins over Cedarville and Paris, securing a 3rd place finish in the conference.

The season did not go as hoped but they represented their school and town well. The Tigers would travel to Camden to play Camden Harmony Grove in the first round of the state playoffs. The Tigers battled fiercely losing the game 56-33 in a crazy fast-paced battle that saw neither team give up. Camden would go on to lose in the state semifinals to the state runner-up Osceola.

FOOTBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS:

Layton Howard- All-State, All-Conference, Special Teams Player of the Year, All-Area SWTR prep team, KFSM CHANNEL 5 #1 SWEETEST PLAY OF THE YEAR, MaxPreps stats leader – #1 in state for kickoff returns and total returns

Isaac Cothran- All-State, All-Conference, Defensive Player of the Year, Ironman Award

Ethan Stovall- All-State Honorable Mention, All-Conference, Offensive Player of the Year, All-Area SWTR prep team, KFSM CHANNEL 5 #7 SWEETEST PLAY OF THE YEAR, tied a state record with a 99-yard pass completion to Tyler Holmes for a TD vs West Fork

Jacob Brown- All-Conference, Lineman of the Year

Randy Claude– All-Conference, Defensive Player of the Year

Jaicy Griffin- All-Conference, Headhunter Award

Tyler Holmes- All-Conference, Good Hands Award, All-Area SWTR prep team, KFSM CHANNEL 5 All-Area Defensive Team, KFSM CHANNEL 5 #7 SWEETEST PLAY OF THE YEAR, tied a state record with a 99-yard pass completion for a TD vs West Fork

Clay James- All-Conference, Newcomer of the Year

Will Meadows- All-Conference

Bri Sanderson- All-Conference, Lineman of the Year

Blayne Bryant- All-Conference Honorable Mention

Cameron Macon- All-Conference Honorable Mention

Football Player of the Year goes to: Ethan Stovall and Layton Howard

With an offensive team total of 3774 yards, Ethan completed 66% of his passes for 2488 yards and 32 TDs. He also rushed for another 337 yards and eight TDs. Catching 1168 of those yards, Layton led the team in receiving and led in TD catches with 16. Layton also completed a pass for 26 yards and ran for 75 yards. Layton was not just an offensive weapon, he was a weapon on special teams as well, returning five kicks for five TDs against five different opponents (he had one called back due to a penalty) and had a game-winning 100+yard return of an interception against Charleston that won the game.

Engage in Conservation Through Poetry

Outdoors

Tammy Teague

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7:41 am

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Randy Zellers, Assistant Chief of Communications

FORT SMITH — The Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center is hosting a special contest for aspiring writers and conservationists in May: a special poetry contest focused on conservation and the environment. Winners will be featured in the September/October issue of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s award-winning magazine, Arkansas Wildlife.

The contest is the brainchild of Danielle Simmons, education program specialist for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission at the nature center.

“We normally are so busy working with school groups here at the center, but the issues with COVID-19 have forced us to close to the public,” Simmons said. “That doesn’t mean we can’t continue to help teachers with interesting material for their students that helps spread the conservation message.”

Three grade brackets are available for entries: Kindergarten-6th grade, 7th-9th grade, and 10th-12th grade. Any youth in the proper age range for these grades may participate in the contest.

“We want to make sure the contest helps teachers and homeschoolers with some of their required concepts, so each poem will need to meet a few requirements,” Simmons said. “It must be six lines or sentences long, must include one component of alliteration (repetitive sounds in closely arranged words) and one component of onomatopoeia (words that spell out the sound they make). Of course, it also needs to include something about hunting, fishing, litter pickup, planting native gardens or another conservation-minded subject.”

Entries will be judged by Jeff Adams with the Fort Smith Commissary Kiwanis Club, Jenn Jennings with the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith’s STEM department and Sandy Berger, former president of the Arkansas Audubon Society.

The deadline for submission is June 1, 2020. Entries may be submitted through the following Google form: https://forms.gle/b4mYor1wXCKDG6HA6

Contact Simmons at Danielle.Simmons@agfc.ar.gov for more information.

Leave Orphaned Wildlife Alone

Outdoors

Tammy Teague

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3:39 pm

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By Randy Zellers

Many species of wildlife have their young in spring, and many well-meaning Arkansans regularly call the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to report young wildlife that looks abandoned. But moving these animals can actually cause more harm than good.

Most wildlife parents cannot be with their young nonstop. They must search out food for their offspring or gain much-needed nutrition to continue nursing them. It’s not uncommon for a doe deer or rabbit to leave her young alone nearly all day while they rest up and recuperate from the stress of nursing. Mother and father birds also take many trips scouring the nearby area for food they will bring back to the hatchlings.

It may come as a shock to a person to see these young animals in such a helpless position, but this is how these species have learned to survive. In fact, the more trips back and forth a mother makes to her young in the wild, the more scent trails she leaves behind for predators to possibly follow. Often, a doe deer is within hearing distance of her young, even though you may not see her. The best defenses fawns and rabbit kits have are to stay motionless so they blend into their surroundings and stay quiet so they don’t attract unwanted attention. Baby birds almost ready to fly hop around in the tree branches exercising their wings, and often end up on the ground a few times before finally getting the hang of things. Parent birds will continue to feed them on the ground until they fly off on their own.

Moving “orphaned” wildlife works against this plan. Instead of rescuing them, well-meaning people often mistakenly take them from their mothers and have little to no experience or idea on how to help that young animal. Wildlife rehabilitation experts often are overwhelmed by kidnapped young owls and other birds that were mistakenly “rescued” by well-meaning people.

If you do find a young animal and have taken it from the area, the best practice is to place it back where you found it as soon as possible. In cases where the spot may have been unsafe because of a nearby road or predator, you can move the animal slightly and its mother will find it. Forget the wive’s tales about the mother rejecting the young because of your scent; when she comes back to the area, she will take care of her young regardless.

If you know the animal is injured or truly orphaned and it is not a deer or elk, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission keeps a list of licensed rehabilitators available on its website at https://www.agfc.com/en/wildlife-management/wildlife-rehabilitation. These rehabilitators do not receive pay for their efforts, have limited space, and often are available only during certain hours, so calling ahead to find one that will take in the animal is highly recommended.

Young deer and elk present an additional challenge. By law, rehabilitators cannot receive or work with members of the deer family, since the transport of live deer may help spread chronic wasting disease, an illness in deer very similar to mad cow disease in cattle. A person picking up a deer from one area may possibly infect the new release site once the animal is rehabilitated. The presence of the deer at the rehabilitator’s location also may contaminate their facility, making it possible to spread the disease to any future rehabilitated cervids. Because of the potential to spread this disease, the AGFC was forced to ban the possession and rehabilitation of all cervids (deer, elk, moose and reindeer) in 2017.

If you happen upon a fawn, you legally must leave it where you find it. Just because an adult deer was found dead nearby does not mean the fawn is alone. That deer that was hit by a car may not be the fawn’s mother. Even in cases where the mother has been killed, there is still a chance other does are nearby that will take in the fawn as their own if they find them. In either case, that animal’s best chance of living a healthy life in the wild is for people to step aside and let Mother Nature take care of things.

United Way Announces Second Round of COVID-19 Community Response Funding

News

Tammy Teague

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3:29 pm

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United Way Announces Second Round of COVID-19 Community Response Funding

(Fort Smith, AR- April 29, 2020)- United Way of Fort Smith Area has now opened Phase 2 of the COVID-19 Community Response Fund Grants.

Deadline to apply for this round is Monday, May 4th. They are offering ten $2,500 micro-grants to area non-profits and faith based organizations that are working with individuals and families combating food insecurity such as feeding sites, meals on wheels programs, non-perishable backpacks, etc., in order to meet the food needs locally.

United Way recently received the Blue and You Foundation Grant to help fund the fight against hunger during this unique and unprecedented time. United Way appreciates all the work area agencies and organizations are doing during this time to provide food to the hungry in our area. Volunteer members of an advisory committee will work with United Way to quickly assess the needs and make rapid funding decisions to ensure a thorough and efficient process. Even though an organization received a grant in the first round of funding, the organization is still eligible to apply for this round. “On behalf of the United Way Board and Staff we would like to give a heartfelt thank you to Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Blue and You Foundation. From the generosity of this grant, our COVID-19 response fund committee will be able to provide a direct impact for individuals and families through the agencies that receive these funds,” states Eddie Lee Herndon, President and CEO of United Way of Fort Smith Area.

During Phase 1 of the COVID-19 Community Response Fund Grants, United Way of Fort Smith Area awarded seven grants, totaling $7,000, to local non-profit organizations. These micro-grants (up to $1000) were for organizations responding to the immediate needs of vulnerable populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The following agencies received funding in the first round of grant process:

Antioch Consolidated Association for Youth and Family
Community Rescue Mission
Crawford County Senior Citizens Center
Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House
Girls Inc.
River Valley Regional Food Bank
Sebastian Retired Citizens Association

In an effort to address the health and economic impact on our neighbors, United Way convened a group of philanthropic and business partners to form a COVID-19 Community Response Fund, which will rapidly deploy resources to local agencies and organizations, getting dollars to where they are needed most. The COVID-19 Community Response Fund will assist agencies and organizations in providing individuals and families who have been impacted by this pandemic, the assistance needed to stay in their homes and keep food on the table. There are several ways you can donate to this fund, you can text “response” to 91999, go online to unitedwayfortsmith.org or by mailing a check to United Way of Fort Smith Area at 120 North 13th St., Fort Smith, AR 72901.

Bulldogs Add Two Basketball Letters of Intent

Resident News Network

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12:23 pm

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Bulldogs Add Two Basketball Letters of Intent

Jaelin Glass (left) and Maggie Rozell (right) signed their individual letters of intent today to play collegiate basketball.

Jaelin will be attending Crowder College on a full basketball scholarship in the fall. She has Lettered 4 years as a GHS Varsity Basketball Player. She has also participated in track, FCA, Beta Club and National Honor Society.

She attends Cavanaugh Church, where she leads worship for the youth praise team.

Jaelin Glass, Senior 2020 – #22, Mother – Carla Glass, Siblings – Cassidy and Zander Glass.

Maggie will be attending University of the Ozarks at Clarksville on scholarship.

Maggie Rozell, Senior 2020 – #14, Parents – BJ & Brittany Rozell, Siblings – Kate, Claire and Madeline Rozell, Grandparents – Nelson & Margaret Rozell, Rebecca Long, and Scott Huerta.

Photos courtesy of Peggy Barger

Area Coaches Discuss High School Football’s Upcoming Season

Sports

Resident News Network

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10:13 am

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Area Coaches Discuss High School Football’s Upcoming Season

Like seemingly everything else in all of our lives today, the 2020 Arkansas high school football season hangs in limbo as a series of unknown and unanswered questions regarding the effects of the caronavirus and the subsequent effects on the next school year and high school athletics hangs in the balance. We all know that the spring high school sports seasons were a complete loss to the players and communities of Arkansas, and many are wondering if this will continue into the next school year. I feel so badly for the spring athletes who lost valuable seasons that can never be recouped in their lifetimes, and the trepidation of fall athletes who wonder if their upcoming fall seasons will be a loss, as well.

None of us know what is going to happen next school year. The fear of the unknown is a large part of the pain and anxiety that everyone is facing. When I think of athletes who cannot attend practices, workouts, and games, I visualize a race horse trapped in his stall and begins to jump up and down, kicking at the walls and the gate to breakout. Not being able to take it any more, the horse has to simply break out and run. I can’t imagine high school athletes, in the prime athletic condition of their lives, suddenly having it taken away. One can only pray that this nightmare will soon be over; the loss of life will stop, and our children’s lives will return to some semblance of normal. This I pray.

In the absences of a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 next school year, it can be easily surmised that through social distancing, fall sports will return in some modified fashion. In my thought, that means that football, volleyball, golf, cross country, and tennis may be able to complete their seasons. All of these sports complete their seasons around November, with the exception of football playoffs that conclude with state finals in early December. With flu season starting around November, coinciding with the start of basketball season, I fear that basketball could be lost with a second round of COVID-19 in combination with Type A & B flu that traditionally occurs in the winter months. I am not a physician, and my opinion is worth as much as anyone else’s, but, this is my fear.

So with this cheerful thought in my mind, I interviewed some area football coaches by text and email to gather their thoughts on the possibility of high school football next fall. I want to thank the following head football coaches that were so generous to share their thoughts: Craig Bentley, Mena, Tyler Clark, Paris, Tim Cothren, Mansfield, and Ricky May, Charleston. These are gentlemen that I have, among others, had the pleasure to know and work with, and they all love football, and most importantly, care and love their players.

To the casual fan, football starts in August with the first games usually the last Friday in the month, or, in the case of teams who have elected to play during “zero week”, have started the week before. But, football is virtually a year-around proposition, with winter off-season beginning immediately after the end of the preceding season. Winter moves into spring with the start of spring football practice. School ends for the academic year, and football programs continue conditioning and playing 7-on-7 summer games until the start of fall practice in early August.

But like a lot of things, the devil is in the details. For example, April and early May are usually times when schools, working with area health providers, set-up mass screenings, or, clinical appointments for any student in grades 6-11 who wants to play high school sports the next year to have their physical examinations made. Schools across the state do this in different ways. But today, regardless of how schools have accomplished this task in previous years, our health system is overrun by COVID-19 testing and treatment, and health care professionals are not as readily available to perform athletic physicals. Combine this with school being closed and it being a greater challenge for coaches to remain in contact with players and students who are not currently playing but desire to do so next school year, and you have a situation that will be a challenge once the sports season is allowed to resume. Remember that the Arkansas Activities Association has proclaimed a “dead period” through May 30, and this means that nothing can take place until at least June 1. The way things are going today, it is very much a day-to-day phenomena for our country, and high school sports is caught up right in the middle of state and nation’s struggles against the virus.

One question I wanted to know from our coaches was how long this (the dead period) can continue before high school football is affected next fall. Coach Ricky May of Charleston responded, “I understand that safety is the ultimate goal for all involved so it is important that we follow the state guidelines. My understanding is that Phase 2 of the reopening plan is that all youth activities get started back, so I am praying that the people that are affected will recover and our nation and state will be closer than ever. I hope that the latest we get started with our summer workouts will be the original dead weeks that would end on July 6, but hoping we get to started a little earlier.Worse case scenario, is that we lose our non-conference games but get to have our conference and playoffs as usual. With the loss of spring workouts and spring football, our kids will not be as conditioned as we like or need to be.”

Craig Bentley of Mena commented that he is just trying to keep his players focused each day during the dead period. “Our philosophy has been to try and not guess what will happen or when it will happen. As far as returning, we are just focusing on each day. We have to realize things are changing, even when we do come back, and we have to be ready for that. That is why we have placed a major emphasis on our guys getting their workouts / speed work done at home on their own. We host virtual meeting with our players and coaches, as well as text and / or phone calls as we reach out to our players each week. Thankfully, I have a great group of assistant coaches and we all share that same vision. When we return to full team activities it is going to be a challenge to make sure we get the guys in playing shape while also focusing on football fundamentals and schematic work that we have missed Everyone (all programs) will be in the same boat, so, it really comes down to how well you are with keeping up with your players during this time off.”

Soon to be second year Mansfield head football coach Tim Cothren was asked how long the AAA’s dead period could go without affecting the 2020 season. Like most coaches I have talked to, Cothren thinks there is still time to have football next fall. “I’m thinking that if we get into August and we’re still into this (dead period), then you’re getting down to splitting hairs as to when, where, and how. The pressure will be on the kids to prepare themselves for the most part. Of course, we have been communicating with them digitally, reminding them of workouts they can do at home. But my best guess is that if we don’t get this thing started (football practice) sometime around the first or middle part of August, the season would be in serious jeopardy. I think to get the ten game schedule in as scheduled, the first or second week of August is going to be pretty critical. If nothing else, the acclamation to the heat, the conditioning, are a couple of huge factors, little alone the games themselves. I’ve heard rumors of different ideas involving perhaps the forgoing of the non-conference games. For schools our size, that means that perhaps we would have to play a conference game in week two. So, that would be pretty difficult for the players. The key factors are going to be the heat and the conditioning of the players. You can tell kids to get out there and do it, you can text them, do whatever, but if they’re not out there doing it, then you (coaches) still have a responsibility to make sure they are conditioned and acclimated before they are ready to get to game time. Due to the dead period, there is going to be a back log of things that have to be done, such as school physicals, once the dead period is lifted.”

The issue of physicals for fall athletes is a subject that also concerns Paris head football coach Tyler Clark. Clark mentioned that his program is fortunate to have a school-based clinic at Paris High School that will be a vital asset to helping the players get their required physical exams. School-based clinics such as the ones at Paris High School and Mansfield school district are operated by the Mercy Health System and provide vital medical care for local students and athletes. Coach Clark commented, “That (access to school physicals due to the effect of the virus on our health systems) is definitely a concern. I have not thought about that too much because at Paris are done a little differently. We have a wellness clinic at the high school and instead of doing all physicals on one day in April or May like a lot of school districts do, we always just keep track of our kids’ physicals whether they do them in August, December, February, or July, we just send them to the wellness center and the medical staff there always do their physicals. So I don’t think this affects us as much.” With respect to when Coach Clark believes football can resume this summer to not endanger the season as schedule he said, “I think we still have a while. Summer work is crucial to everybody; the workouts, the team camps, 7-on-7’s, but, you’re not missing too much if everyone else is missing it too. So, I think, in worse case scenario, that we are back by the beginning of August, and still let us acclimate kids to the heat and be safe with heat-related illness and things like that…the product on the field might not look as good as if we had been practicing all summer, but I think we could still have games and it would be safe from the heat standpoint. As far as the virus goes, who knows? I can’t speak to what that would mean. Of course, if it is not safe to go back (from the virus perspective), then of course it would be a bad idea. It would take some adapting by coaches (to protect kids from the virus).

Coach Clark, like all of the coaches I have talked to, has spoken informally with many of the area coaches in the state regarding ideas on how the schedule would be modified next year if needed. “I haven’t spoken to any of the conference coaches regarding what might happen with the conference schedule next year (Paris plays in a new football conference next season), but I have heard certain rumors of some things being talked about. I’d rather not say because at this point they are just rumors.” Coach Clark echoed Coach Cothren’s comments about the possibility of playing just a conference schedule, but neither coach wants that to happen and remain hopeful that the entire ten game schedules will remain in place for high school football next season. Coach Clark perhaps said it best when he said, “At the end of the day, everyone just wants to play; to return to some sense of normalcy.”

Normalcy; something we are all craving right now. So, it may seem trival to be talking about football when their are still grave concerns about the health of so many Americans due to the caronavirus spread in our country, the possible resumption of football and all sports is a signal of a return to normalcy for our stressed and fatigued country who has been through so much over the past two to three months. May we all pray for a quick return to normalcy where once again, we can drive the streets of our communities, eat at our favorite restaurants, not be afraid of others, and once again, drive past the ball fields and hear the chatter of kids, the cheers of our parents, and know that once again, all is good with the world.

With God’s grace, and by working together, I believe that day is much closer than we fear. A day when we will all get a break from the constant barrage of bad news on television about people dying in our country, and instead, get to watch and listen to kids do what they love to do, and to cheer on all the great things that sports bring to our children.

Yes, I believe that day is coming. Hang on everyone; we are going to see that day, and when it comes, we will all have much to celebrate. What a day that will be.

Stay safe everyone, and God bless us all.

Mansfield Athletic Awards Series: XC, Golf, and Cheer

Sports

Megan Hecox

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9:02 am

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Mansfield Athletic Awards Series: XC, Golf, and Cheer

Editor’s note…

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the traditional Mansfield Tiger Booster Club Banquet to honor athletic award winners of the 2019-2020 sports seasons were canceled. In an effort to publicize the athletes that won either conference, state, or local awards; this publication will offer a series of articles related to those participants that earned athletic accolades this school year.

Mansfield coaches submitted narratives pertaining to their specific teams. These will be released in chronological segments. Early Fall will include cross country, golf, and cheerleading. Fall will recognize football and volleyball. Winter sports include men’s and women’s basketball. Spring will offer insight into the abbreviated seasons of track, baseball, and softball (whose sports ended prematurely due to social distancing mandates.) Rising Star awards recognizing an outstanding male and female freshman. And the T. Franklin Boyd recipients recognizing the top male and female senior high Athlete of the Year will go last.

The opening article related to this series on the Mansfield Athletic Awards will kick off with the Early Fall activities of cross country, golf, and cheerleading.

2019-2020 Cross Country Awards:

(contributions by Coach John Mackey)

It was no secret Mansfield’s cross country teams were in one of the strongest conferences in the state. The 3A-1 West district produced both the men’s and women’s state champions while it placed eight teams in the state’s Top 10. Despite landing six athletes onto the local Farm Bureau River Valley All-Star team, Mansfield could only climb to tenth in the state and fifth in league play. Collectively, Mansfield’s junior high and senior high rosters produced four All-District runners and 10 Southwest Regional Top 25 athletes. The 7^th through 12^th grade Tigers topped out at 29 players for the season.

The junior girls had the strongest resume with conference and regional runner-up trophies. Seventh-grader, Trinity Triska, was the overall regional champion and fourth in district. She was joined by medalists Laney Wood, Jadelynn Wood, Alyssa James, and Meghan Emery as the junior team’s scoring five. The senior high women’s scoring five for both district and state included McKenzie Griffin, Faith Rainwater, Darby Jones, Jadelynn Wood, and Katlynn Moore. Joining the scoring mix at regionals was Lennon Woods. The senior covered for an injured Rainwater helping the team earn a runner-up trophy at regionals.

Faith Rainwater, McKenzie Griffin, and Darby Jones

The senior high men had Ethan Chapman, Renden Emery, John Branche, Ashton Hinkle, and Victor Steffen as their scoring unit. Mansfield’s long-distance runners started cross country season with nightly preseason runs last July. The season moved into August, September, and October for regular-season meets. The championship rounds for district, regionals, and state wrapped up in early November. Mansfield closed out the year by hosting the Farm Bureau River Valley All-Star meet on November 16.

Individual Cross Country Awards for senior high:

Ethan Chapman – Southwest All-Region, and River Valley All-Star

McKenzie Griffin – 3A-1 West All-District, Southwest All-Region, and River Valley All-Star

Ashton Hinkle – Most Improved / Farthest Non-Stop Distance

Darby Jones – Southwest All-Region, and River Valley All-Star

Katlynn Moore – Southwest All-Region, and River Valley All-Star

Faith Rainwater – River Valley All-Star

Jadelynn Wood – River Valley All-Star

Lennon Woods – Southwest All-Region

The 2019-2020 Female Cross Country Player of the Year…

This sophomore athlete started out the season as the number two runner on the senior high squad. Her successful season progressed with numerous accolades at nearly every event. By the championship season, this lanky runner moved to the team’s number one position. Her progress was indeed timely. Three of the team’s top five runners faced significant medical issues for all or part of the season. Her emergence as a top-flight runner in the area fueled the team’s overall chances.

Midway through the year, this highly decorated runner started utilizing a “fast start” racing strategy. Her first-mile pace was calculated at a much quicker clip. She relied on her built up stamina to carry her over the final stretch. The new approach worked as she cut nearly four and a half minutes off her time from the beginning of the year to the state finals. It’s at the 3A State Championship in Hot Springs that she clocked a personal record 23:25.5 for the 5K course.

Finishing 31st at the state finals out of 121 class 3A runners, Mansfield’s Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year is McKenzie Griffin.

The 2019-2020 Male Cross Country Player of the Year…

Picking up where he left off last season, this sophomore distance runner took his game to a new level. On three different occasions, this tenth grader completed the 5k race under 20 minutes. At the Tom Stuttard Top 25 Southwest Regionals, he blazed to a personal record time of 19:02.00. Had it not been for the last 300 meters being an elevated mud slick, he most likely would have posted a time in the 18-minute range. This two time River Valley All-Star and Southwest All-Regional runner was knocking out a mile every six minutes and seven seconds for the 3.1-mile course.

More astonishing was that he reduced his actual one-mile time to 5:24.39 by indoor track season, and 5:08.27 before the outdoor season was canceled. In eight cross country races before the state finals, this long-distance specialist finished 19th or better. That was against both large and small school competition. He has been Mansfield’s top finisher in every race since moving up to the high school ranks at the regional finals his freshman season. He also cut 20 seconds off his state finals time from the previous year. He was 52nd out of 140 runners at the class 3A state finals.

For all this, Ethan Chapman is Mansfield’s Male Cross Country athlete of the year.

2019-2020 Golf Awards:

(contributions by Coach Layton Robinson)

Senior Maggie Strunk was the only returning member on this season’s golf team. Adding freshmen Skylynn Harris, Natalie Allison, and Brooklyn Adams, made this year one of many new experiences for everyone involved. At times, it was frustrating to the girls and the coach as each split time with dual-sport responsibilities. No one hung their head, however, as improvement showed with each match played. At the 3A-4 District Championship, it was Strunk and Harris that found their groove. Both qualified for state finishing their district round in second and tenth places respectively.

Golf Coach, Layton Robinson with from L-R Adams, Harris, Allison, and Strunk

Individual Golf Awards for senior high:

Skylynn Harris – All-Conference

Maggie Strunk – All-Conference

The 2019-2020 Female Golf Player of the Year…

Two seasons ago this athlete revived a golf program that sat dormant with no participants the previous year. Taking on the challenge of the sport while participating in another was her first obstacle. Finding three other players to join the next season was her second hurdle. The effort at both ends worked as the new Tiger foursome battled the likes of top five state programs like Booneville and Charleston. Armed with all-conference and state qualifying experience, this senior helped her team to a memorable postseason run.

Mansfield’s female golfer of the year goes to Maggie Strunk.

2019-2020 Cheer Awards:

(contributions by Coach Allie Dake)

Most people don’t understand the length, time, and work that have to go into a full cheer season. As soon as tryouts are over, practices begin for introductory spring sports and summer prep for the upcoming football and basketball season, which last from August through the end of February, and back to tryouts by the end of March. When anyone spends that much time together, along with classes and other shared sports and activities, it gets pretty tense after Christmas break. It is an issue almost every year for all squads and the MHS squad isn’t immune to that.

Mansfield Jr Cheer with Coach Allie Dake

The past couple of years we have struggled in numbers to begin the season with and sadly lost some by the end. I am proud to share that while we were still small in numbers this season, everyone stuck it out which in return helps build up our program. My goal for Mansfield cheer was to bring back the positive, fun, heart of the school experience of cheer and get students wanting to be a part of what we represent. I believe this year’s squad helped point us in the right direction and we are ready to take on the upcoming season.

Mansfield Sr Cheer with Coach Allie Dake

Individual Cheer Awards:

Hailey Walker – Most spirited

Bree Benavides – Best jumps

Ryan Hayslip – Best tumbler

The 2019-2020 Cheerleader of the Year…

After taking a season break following her freshman year, this cheerleader came into tryouts excited and ready to get the year started. She makes sure to always know all material, never brings drama or negativity to practices or events, goes out of her way to help myself and all other team members on both senior and junior high squads, and has a love for cheer and her Mansfield Tigers that is obvious to everyone.

Mansfield’s cheerleader of the year is Hailey Walker.

Four UAFS Faculty Honored with Service Awards

News

Tammy Teague

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5:40 pm

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Four University of Arkansas – Fort Smith faculty members were recently honored for their services to the institution. The awards are usually presented during the Annual Faculty Appreciation Day, but this year were presented virtually.

Recipients, all residents of Fort Smith, were Lynda McClellan, recipient of the Luella M. Krehbiel Adjunct Teaching Excellence Award; Dr. Elizabeth Momand, recipient of the Lucille Speakman Master Teacher Award; Dr. Larry Faulk, recipient of the Excellence to the University, to the Profession and to the Community Service Award; and Dr. Jim Wollscheid, recipient of the Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Award.

Lynda McClellan

The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith recognizes the success of our faculty members as well as our students. Lynda McClellan, an adjunct instructor in the Department of World Languages, has been awarded the 2020 Luella M. Krehbiel Adjunct Teaching Excellence Award.

The award recognizes the contributions of adjunct faculty members for exceeding in the process of active learning, writing and critical thinking with instructional techniques that engage students at UAFS.

“I often tell people that one of the best parts of this institution is that the faculty truly cares about the students,” said McClellan. “This sense of community and support has made my time here educational and rewarding.”

McClellan has taught at several institutions, from a small, four-room elementary school to large research universities such as Louisiana State and Brigham Young. She is an experienced educator who has worked with UAFS for almost seven years and dedicates her time developing new ways to help her students succeed.

McClellan is currently putting the final touches on her dissertation that will implement Vygotskian methods in intermediate Spanish.

“When Lev Vygotsky’s daughter was a young girl, he said to her, ‘It is only for those who help others that life is rewarding and brings true joy,’” said McClellan. “I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. I truly feel joy when my students are learning and enjoying it.”

McClellan also said she believes in teaching in an environment where collaboration is a priority and students contribute their own ideas and that UAFS is just the place to do so.

“Although the recognition is appreciated, it certainly isn’t what drives me,” she said. “I truly love teaching, and I love my students.”.

Dr. Elizabeth Momand

Dr. Elizabeth Momand, professor of music at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, has been awarded the 2020 Lucille Speakman Master Teacher Award for outstanding teaching performance, professional growth and service to the community.

“I have many reasons to be grateful,” Momand said. “First, I have wonderful students to teach. They are eager to learn, open to new concepts and just great people. Second, I work with fabulous colleagues who are supportive of one another.”

Dr. Momand is a full-time faculty member with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in vocal performance from Mississippi College. She completed her Doctor of Musical Arts in vocal performance at the University of Texas.

“In the music department, we are really a team working towards the same goal, and that makes teaching much more fulfilling,” said Dr. Momand.

Dr. Momand formerly served as the head of the UAFS Department of Music and Humanities from 2007-2013, is a trained accreditor for the National Association of Schools of Music and has served as secretary for the Arkansas Association of Schools of Music.

“I follow a four-pronged, student-centered approach to teaching: know your students, start where they are, give them opportunities for exploration and connect the learning to other parts of their lives,” said Dr. Momand.

Every morning Dr. Momand goes over her teaching plans and asks herself the same question: “What can I do today to have a positive impact on my students?” The goal for each student, she said, is the same.

“I want them to feel healthy, happy and successful about their life, whether they follow their music dreams or choose a different path,” said Dr. Momand. “I tell my students that, even after they graduate, the goal will still be there, and I will do whatever I can to help them reach it.”

Dr. Larry Faulk

Dr. Larry Faulk, associate professor of management in the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith College of Business, has been awarded the 2020 Excellence to the University, to the Profession, and to the Community Service Award in recognition of his dedication to service through various committees, recruitment, clubs, and data gathering.

“I am humbled and especially honored that I have been recognized for my service to the College of Business, the university and the community because the award was determined by my peers,” said Dr. Faulk.

Dr. Faulk stated that UAFS has created an environment in which services are supported strongly by the administration, staff and faculty. The Excellence to the University, to the Profession, and to the Community Service Award supports faculty who pursue service projects that are important to the students.

“On a daily basis we see our peers contributing to the success of their colleges, the university as a whole and the broader community,” he said. “It creates an expectation that you serve in some way beyond simply being an effective educator.”

Dr. Faulk said he is dedicated to the mission of the College of Business, which is to help transform students into business-ready professionals by the time they graduate.

“At the beginning of every semester, I tell my students that, in addition to learning the material relevant to the particular class, I also will help them make progress towards being that professional, whichever path they choose.”

Dr. Jim Wollscheid

Dr. Jim Wollscheid, professor of accounting in the College of Business at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith, has been named the 2020 recipient of the Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Award.

“It is an honor to be recognized by my colleagues for any award,” said Dr. Wollscheid. “There are many talented people at UAFS, and I am excited to win the award.”

Dr. Wollscheid was nominated for the award because of his active participation in research, presenting at conferences and mentoring students participating in the UAFS Student Research Symposium, and his participation in the UAFS Adopt-a-Professor program, all of which he said is fully supported by Dr. Ashok Subramanian, dean of the College of Business.

“It has been a privilege to work with both my fellow colleagues and students in conducting research that has been beneficial to the field of economics,” he said. “Working with students has been a wonderful experience, as I get to see first-hand students use the skills and ideas from the classroom into expanding new ideas, which I hope will help them with future educational opportunities or careers.”

Dr. Wollscheid’s research focuses on ways to improve the material and techniques that are used to create a better learning environment for his students.

“Research isn’t easy, but it is rewarding,” he said. “It helps me stay current in my field as well as makes me a better educator in the classroom and allows me to provide valuable experiences for students as well.”

Brewington Brings Quality Experience and High Energy to Paris Basketball Program

Sports

Resident News Network

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3:04 pm

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Brewington Brings Quality Experience and High Energy to Paris Basketball Program

The 2020-21 edition of the Paris Eagles boys senior high basketball team will be loaded with newcomers. Featuring a young sophomore class of players that finished runner-up in the junior district tournament this year, the Eagles will also be led by first year Paris coach Blain Brewington.

For all of you basketball fans out there, Coach Brewington may remind you of a University of Arkansas basketball student manager, and graduate assistant coach, Doc Sadler, that went on to coach at several schools collegiately, including his last stint as head coach at Southern Mississippi and currently at the University of Nebraska as an assistant coach. Similar to the career path of Sadler, Blain Brewington was a student manager for the Razorbacks mens basketball program and later became a graduate assistant coach under then head coach Mike Anderson. Brewington can be thought of as a product of the Mike Anderson coaching tree that was began by Hall of Fame coach Nolan Richardson, and before that the legendary Don Haskins at the University of Texas at El Paso. Nolan Richardson played for Haskins and began his coaching career from the influence of his days at UTEP. Mike Anderson played for Richardson at the University of Tulsa, and later was an assistant coach under Richardson at Arkansas. It may be a stretch to connect Blain at this point in his coaching career to three legendary college coaches, but Eagles fans have to admit that the hire of Blain Brewington to come to Class 3A Paris is exciting and will be filled with anticipation for the upcoming 2020-21 basketball season.

But Coach Brewington’s basketball coaching career has been much more than his two years as a graduate assistant for the Razorbacks. Brewington has coached two years as a junior high coach and senior high assistant at Class 4A Lonoke. After leaving Lonoke for Class 5A Nettleton in Jonesboro, Brewington served as an assistant coach there for three years. Add them up, and Brewington has five years of high school assistant experience and two years of collegiate grad assistant experience. He has a definite idea on how to build a program and how to run camps and summer programs to develop athletes into basketball players. His hire comes at a great time when the Paris senior boys program will be infused with young talent that has been successful in junior high and shows great promise for varsity basketball. It will be a fresh start for the Paris program, and the timing of talent and new coaching leadership has converged at the right time to create virtually unlimited potential for the Eagles over the next few years. Who knows how far this program can go at the state level over the next three years? Time will tell.

In a telephone interview with the new Paris coach, I asked Blain why he is leaving Jonesboro to move across the state to Paris. I wanted to know what attracted him to the Paris community and to the Eagles basketball program. I liked his answer, and I think Paris Eagles fans will like what they hear from their new coach. Coach Brewington, barely being able to contain his enthusiasm, said, “I’m excited and ready to get rolling, whenever that might be; hopefully sooner than later. I did a lot of research on Paris and a lot of people just talked about the community and how tight-knit the community is. They talked about how much the community supported the school and the teams. I talked to a lot of coaches in that area and they told me that Paris has great talent, great athletes, that they are able to compete, and I think that is just icing on top of the cake when you talk about how great of a community that it is and then you can be successful on the athletics end, too. Paris reminds me a lot of Pocahontas where I am from; small community, loves their school, sports, tough kids, kids that want to win, and a community that is going to support you in getting kids to work as hard as they possibly can that will hopefully translate into wins.”

Coach Brewington is excited about the talent level and the youth on the team. “I think young talent is good, but also will develop some leadership from a senior or a junior. I don’t care how good a sophomore group is, you count on a senior to help the young guys move along. There are some young guys that are going to be thrown into the fire quickly. It will be our jobs as coaches to make sure they are as prepared as possible but know that they are going to make mistakes. I’m going to make mistakes, our seniors are going to make mistakes, and those young guys are going to make mistakes. I want to see them making mistakes going at 100% and doing it the way we want it done. Those mistakes will fix themselves. But I am very excited about the talent in Paris, including the junior and senior class, as well. Talent by itself is not enough. But when you get kids that play hard, act right, and do the things we’re telling them what we are going to be about, that’s when the wins started falling in place. These guys, and myself, we have to learn to win first; we have to start from square one and learn to win first. When we do, the wins will build from there.”

Coach Brewington is grateful for the opportunity to be the Paris head boys basketball coach, but he is all about his players. “I like recognition, but it is definitely not about me. It’s about those kids, putting that Paris uniform on, and putting them in positions to win games. That is what I am about, putting kids in position to win. All credit will go to the players. I am very thankful for the opportunity and I am glad there is some buzz (anticipation to the new basketball season along with Coach Brewington’s hire) around Paris. I am excited and I think that once that we can get in and get to work and implement what we want to do, I think there is a chance for wins to be there. The great thing that I heard from my interview was how good the kids are. That makes things so much better when your kids play hard and when they act right, that cures so many problems and makes it so much more enjoyable.”

Coach Brewington is a team player with other programs within the school. Although he has coached in Class 5A and 4A, he knows and respects that in Class 3A sports, a limited number of talented athletes exist and schools need their athletes to play two and three sports. Schools of the size of Paris, along with other 3A schools, are not large enough to have dedicated groups of players in each sport as do the 7A and 6A schools. Coach Brewington said, “All hands are on deck with respect to athletics. We need all of our athletes to play everything to be as competitive as we can. I’m not that guy that is going to come in and make it hard on a kid that is playing football only or a kid that plays basketball and wants to play football. First of all, that is not my job as a coach. My job as a coach is to be there for our kids and support them in whatever they may want to do. I am all for our kids’ success whether it is football, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, whatever it may be, I want kids to be successful. At the end of the day, that reflects positively on Paris High School.”

On the court, Coach Brewington’s philosophy was molded by former Razorbacks coach Mike Anderson. But in high school, Brewington has taken it a step farther to emphasize control and half-court offense and multiple sets if the transition basket is not there on the the fast break. “Offensively, l like to get the ball out in transition. I think transition creates a lot of easy buckets, but I also know that if you can’t score on the transition you have to be able to score it in some type of half-court continuity offense in which you run a lot of sets. To be successful, you have to be able to play multiple ways. Defensively, I am a firm believer in man-to-man defense. I played man-to-man from the time I was in fourth grade until I graduated from high school. I can probably count on one hand the possessions of zone defense I have played. I’ve changed some since I have coached; I do think there is a time and place for zone, but, defensively, I love a hard-nosed, tough, man-to-man defense, keeping the ball in front, taking charges, being a very good defensive rebounding team. I do like to press. I was with Mike Anderson at Arkansas, and I love to press. But I do know at the high school level you can’t press the whole game. You have to be able to play multiple defenses; playing man defense multiple ways. Keeping the ball in front, having good help side defense, and take those charges and get those rebounds, but, I say my defensive philosophy is: 1) keep the basketball in front, 2)contest every shot, and 3) rebound the basketball defensively at a very high rate. We do not want to allow offensive rebounds.”

Coach Brewington (at top of photo) on the Nettleton High School Bench

Under normal circumstances, Coach Brewington, as with all new coaching hires, would be in town today to meet his players and begin introducing his goals and expectations for the program. But as we all know, today’s world is anything but normal, and Coach Brewington, as all other new coaches, will have to adjust to school being closed and athletes not being available for contact in person due to the Arkansas Activities Association’s dead period that is in effect until May 30. “Unfortunately, due to the AAA’s dead period, seeing the kids face-to-face is not going to happen until the dead period is lifted. I am an old-fashioned guy and I like to make voice contact on the telephone, and I think that it is important to get the kids telephone numbers and make contact with them, maybe try to do some type of a zoom (online meeting) session with them, but just being up front with them and talking to them on the phone is something I am going to do. I just hope this ends (COVID-19 dead period) sooner rather than later, and just continue to hope and pray that things will progress so we can do the things we need to do to get back on track. Under normal circumstances, I would be in Paris today. Once we get rolling, we will get rolling!”

A key part to building the Paris program will be Coach Brewington’s involvement of the parents and the community of Paris. “I want all of those fourth grade kids through sixth grade, definitely the Pee Wee kids, to know who their coach is going to be when they get to the seventh grade. I want to be able to talk to our Pee Wee coaches and hopefully kind of implement some things of how we play and implement those things from a young age. That way we are building the kids year-by-year. I want to be seen by going to Pee Wee games and let those kids know that I do care and that they know who I am and that I am going to coach them when they are older. I think parental involvement is great and I want parents to be there and be supportive. I want them to fill the stands. I want them to cheer loud, and I think that creates a competitive advantage. Even on the road, a good crowd of mostly parents can make a difference when they are there to support our kids. I want the parents to know that the child’s success is first and foremost and we are going to put them in the position we think is best for them to be successful. I think it is a testament to our parents for the good things I have heard about the players. It is a testament to the faculty, the administrators, and the coaches for the good they have in the program, as well.”

As the lost spring semester moves on, summer camps and club sports could prove to be vital to the next year, if those activities are permitted to be held. Coach Brewington is a strong proponent of summer camps and travel teams for his players, and is well-connected in the state to place players on club teams for the summer. “I’m well-connected in that just from my time at the University of Arkansas and at Lonoke where I was connected to Central Arkansas. I know a lot of people in the River Valley who play summer ball. At Nettleton we had quite a few kids who played summer ball, so I am connected in that and if our kids want to play I can get them hooked up to a good team. That helps them and I definitely love when our kids play for another coach. I think it is important for them to hear another voice other than mine. I also love to go to team camps and have summer practice. I don’t know how that will happen with everything right now, but we will adjust. Summer is the most important time in basketball.”

After my conversation with Coach Brewington, I found myself wanting the new season to start tonight! He will definitely be a motivator and I think each player will enjoy playing for him. Coach Brewington knows what he wants to do to build the program, and he will work hard to gain the trust and confidence of the the players and everyone connected to Paris basketball. He will be a great addition to the Paris athletic department. I extend my congratulations to the administration and the board for what appears to be a home run hire.

I know all of you join me in wishing Coach Brewington the best of success as the newest member of the Paris Eagles family.

Participating in Decoration Day While Maintaining Social Distancing

Tammy Teague

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7:51 pm

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On the eve of many cemetery decoration dates, many are left wondering if and how to participate. The Arkansas Department of Health, and the CDC have not made any specific directives involving the event, however, it does fall under the guidelines of “mass gatherings.”

While under the discretion of cemetery management, some services have been canceled and are simply leaving it up to individual families to decorate gravesites.

On March 26, the ADH initiated the following directive, which remains in effect:
Limitations on Gatherings 10 people / 6 feet
The Secretary of Health, in consultation with the Governor, has sole authority over all instances of quarantine, isolation, and restrictions on commerce and travel throughout Arkansas, as necessary and appropriate to control disease in the state of Arkansas as authorized by Ark. Code Ann. §20-7-109—110. Based on available scientific evidence, it is necessary and appropriate to take further action to ensure that COVID-19 remains controlled and that residents and visitors in Arkansas remain safe. All public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a single household or living unit are subject to the following directives and exceptions: Due to the high risk of community spread of COVID-19, gatherings of more than ten (10) people in any confined indoor or outdoor space are prohibited until further notice. Gatherings subject to this directive include, without limitation, community, civic, public, leisure, commercial, or sporting events, concerts, conferences, conventions, fundraisers, parades, fairs, and festivals. This directive does not apply to gatherings of ten (10) or more people in unenclosed, outdoor spaces such as parks, trails, athletic fields and courts, parking lots, golf courses, and driving ranges where social distancing of at least six (6) feet can be easily achieved. This directive does not apply to businesses, manufacturers, construction companies, places of worship, the Arkansas General Assembly, municipal or county governing bodies, or the judiciary; however, these entities are advised to limit person-to-person contact and maintain appropriate social distancing of at least six (6) feet to prevent the spread of this virus. The Secretary of Health reserves the right to exercise his authority to prevent the spread of disease in this State if, in his judgment, any of the excluded entities are operating in a manner that is a risk to public

Families can contact cemetery boards or caretakers for specific information on decoration day events.

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