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Hackett Earns Sweet Digs In Tournament

Hackett Velocity has four volleyball teams representing their town and they are already showcasing their talent and making their community proud. On January 11th, the Lady Hornets took their skills to “Volley in the Ville” in Russellville and walked away with some nice bling. Their 13U team earned a fifth-place spot while the 14U team remains undefeated on the season after snagging the Champions title. The 15U group picked up a second-place title and the 17U squad was crowned Champions as well. Team Velocity 17U (pictured) is coached by Mandy Foster and represented by Kenadi Wright, Sarah White, Madeline Freeman, Jamye Durham, Kandace Byrd, Madi Taylor, Rain Vaughn, Shayla Foster, and Brooke Holt.

Team Velocity 15U is coached by Bethany Crosswhite and is formed by Olivia Bouse, Teonna Best, Abby McBride, Tori Blanton, Laci Cox, Kyleigh Hill, Lilly Slavens, and Mackenzie Mendenhall.

Team Velocity 14U is coached by Bridget Freeman and consists of Makenzie Freeman, Lexi Gann, Taylor Nichols, Prairie Vaughn, Aubree Ruggles, Alona Rothwell, Lilly Oxford, and Mallory Craig.

And Team Velocity 13U is coached by Audrie Chaney and her players are Jessie Mendenhall, Maya Carter, Payten Oliver, Addison Nemeth, Laitlyn Holbert, Camryn Stiles, Jenna Honkala, and Pate Jones.

All four teams will remain busy playing and dominating in tournaments all the way until March.

Jr Lady Tigers Claw Past Pirates Plank

Anytime the Mansfield Jr High Lady Tigers are on the court, a victory is expected. But on Monday, January 13th, the Lady Tigers were faced with an actual challenge as the Cedarville Lady Pirates pushed Mansfield to their limit. It took the Lady Tigers a full four quarters to finally sink Cedarville, but sink they did.

Kynslee Ward

The first quarter was full of mental mistakes by both squads as bad passes were made and simple shots seemed daunting. Ending the quarter with a mere 8-6 score in the Lady Tigers’ favor, you could feel the tension in the air. Once both teams got a feel for each other, what was a sloppy offensive game soon became a solid defensive game. Steals, blocks, rebounds, and pure aggression was the name of the game. With all of that on the court at once, the Lady Tigers still held on to a small 18-11 lead at the half.

The third quarter was a mixer filled with a combination of the first half. But, as everyone knows, the fourth quarter is where games are won. The Lady Tigers came to life as they sent a title wave of Mansfield Lady Tiger basketball roaring towards Cedarville. Mansfield brushed off their offensive rust and laid down the law of Tiger court.

Seven Sanderson

The break-out star of the night award most definitely goes to freshman Seven Sanderson who led the way with a season-high 11 points including going 5/6 from the free-throw line. Harlie Fuller and Natalie Allison made short work of the Lady Pirates with cat-like moves to score seven points each. Skylynn Harris used her keen precision to knock down four points.

Alyson Edwards

Kynslee Ward made four points and seven of the 21 total steals. Ward is now just a slight handful of steals away from setting the junior high steals record in a season. Alyson Edwards played another incredible game where she yet again earned a double-double on the night with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

After Monday nights out of this world victory against the Cedarville Lady Pirates, the Mansfield Jr High Lady Tigers move full speed ahead in their season with an 11-2 basketball record. The junior high will play their makeup away game against Greenland on Wednesday, January 15th at 4:00 then turn around and play Charleston at home on Thursday, January 16th at 6:00.

Harlie Fuller

Spikes For Days For Mansfield Team Velocity 15U

On Saturday, January 11, the girls from Mansfield Team Velocity 15U hustled their way through nine other teams in the “Volley in the Ville” held in Russellville. The girls went 7-1 in pool play and came out with a third-place win in the gold bracket. “There is always room to improve but the girls looked good all day long,” explained Coach Shannon Elmore. Coach Elmore along with Coach Tari Ward are beyond proud and excited about how far their girls have come.

Skylynn Harris finished the tournament with two aces, 39 digs, 50 kills, and 17 blocks. Natalie Allison ended with 53 assists, four blocks, 10 kills, 32 digs, and 14 aces. Brooklyn Adams earned three aces, 42 digs, and 16 kills. Alyson Edwards netted two assists, four blocks, 13 kills, 34 digs, and three aces. Cole Smith grabbed six aces, six digs, three kills, and 25 assists. Alayna Turner obtained three assists, one block, three kills, three digs, and five aces. And Kinsley Ward scored 26 digs.

“The girls play very well together. This is year five of club play for most of them. They put in the hard work needed to achieve the bigger goal which is a state title for the school. All these girls deserve that and continue to work hard to get there. The future looks very bright for these girls!” Team Velocity 15U will travel this weekend to Fayetteville to play in the Ozark Challenge.


Mansfield 14U Velocity Team Attacks V-Ball Tournament

Coached by Brandi Heydenreich, the Mansfield 14U Velocity volleyball team saw successful tournament play this past weekend on Saturday, January 11th. The girls spiked their way through four other teams at “Volley in the Ville” held in Russellville at the Tucker Coliseum. The team consists of Kaile Sysakyavong, Rachel Johnson, Katelyn Corson, Kynley Simpson, Trinity Triska, Presley Curry, Kaylee Ward, Harlie Fuller, and Shelbie Fuller.

Team Velocity fought their way through three teams, Paris, Fort Smith Juniors, and Alma, during pool play placing 2nd and placed third in the gold bracket. The girls lost in tournament play to Hackett. “We are pretty much a first-year team together. I have four returning players from last year. So to me, it’s pretty impressive that they are doing this well just out of the gate,” exclaims Coach Heydenreich. Team Velocity 14U will compete next on February 8th in the MidSouth Power League in Conway.

Paris Sweeps Booneville in Monday Night Junior High Hoops Action

Paris made the short trip to Booneville on Monday night to play the Bearcats. When the night was over, the Eagles left town with a pair of wins in both boys and girls junior high games. Both games were played with the intensity you would expect from this long-time rivalry. Booneville is a very tough place for visiting teams to play, and even tougher to leave with a win. The Paris wins are big for their teams and their futures next year as senior high teams.

The Paris Junior Eagles improved their record to 9-4 on the season with a 50-43 win. Jesse Wells led Paris with 16 points and Konnor Edwards had 15. Sam Muldrow rounded out the scoring leaders for Paris with 11 points. The game could be characterized as heated and intense. Paris, behind hard defensive pressure and pressing the ball on offense to create scoring opportunities, bounced back from their Thursday night loss at Fountain Lake by winning in a tough environment at Booneville. This team continues to improve and should make an immediate impact once they are eligible for senior high play.

The Paris Junior Lady Eagles won an intense game over Booneville by a score of 32-25. Rachel O’Neal was the leading scorer for the Lady Eagles with 10 points and 4 rebounds. Annabelle Perry, a seventh grader, came off the bench to score 9 points. Brailey Forst had 7 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 steals. Jayden Wells had 6 points and 2 steals. Annalise Stanford had 4 points and 3 steals. The Lady Eagles, playing on the road in a hostile environment, survived significant foul trouble to hang on to the lead to defeat the Lady Bearcats.

Paris coach Dustin Williams was pleased with his team’s ability to overcome adversity on the road in the victory over Booneville. “It was a tough, physical game versus a rival school. I thought we did a good job of handling some adversity early. We had a seventh grader (Perry) contribute tonight with some important points and minutes off of the bench. She provided a much-needed spark off the bench and scored the last 6 or 7 points of the first half when we found ourselves in heavy foul trouble. We turned up the defensive pressure in the second half and started playing our style more. We were solid from the free throw line in the second half. In fact, I’m not sure we missed a free throw. Booneville is a very well-coached team. They have an identity and system in place over there and you can tell the kids feed off of it. They always play well at home. It’s always good to come out of there with a win.”

The next game for the Paris junior Eagles and Lady Eagles is next Monday night, January 20, at Lamar. The games should be another intense conference match-up between two schools who have talented junior high squads and will continue the traditions of good high school teams for both schools over the next three years.

Booneville travels to Paris tonight for the senior high match up between the two schools. Both the Eagles and Lady Eagles are on an upward trend having won big road games last Friday night at Two Rivers. Both teams look to continue the improvement and to move up in the standings in conference play as the season goes into its final month before the district tournament.

Jr Tigers Edged Out By Cedarville’s Sword

If you missed the match-up between the Mansfield Jr High Tigers and the Cedarville Pirates on Monday night, you sure missed a good one. If the game were to be summed up into one idea, it reminded me of the old Batman television show with its Booms!, Zaps!, and Pows! The first quarter ended with Cedarville up 10-8 on the Tigers. By halftime, the scoreboard read 24-15 Pirates. The Tigers might have been down they sure weren’t out yet.

Drew Elmore

Mansfield came back out after the half with a bigger fire in their stomachs than they started with. The Tigers did everything in their power to claw their way out of the Pirates clutches but by the final buzzer, it was Cedarville that took the win 44-37. Mansfield finished the night with nine steals and 16 rebounds. Tyler Turnipseed ended the game in double-digits with 12 points while Clint Stovall trailed with nine.

Braxton Byers

Drew Elmore put up six points, Austin Quinalty netted five, Braxton Byers laid claim to three, and Darton Hoopengarner put two points under his belt. With a few areas left to work on like defense on the perimeter and running shooters off the line, the Tigers are a sure bet at becoming an unstoppable force. The Jr High Tigers will play in a make-up game against Greenland on Wednesday, January 15th starting at 4 p.m.

Darton Hoopengarner

7th Grade Lady Tigers Lose Loot To Pirates

The Mansfield 7th Grade Lady Tigers recently fell short to the undefeated Cedarville Lady Pirates in a tough game on Monday, January 13th. “Our improvement over the course of the last few weeks has been in great strides,” explains Coach Joshua Bryan. “This group continues to work hard and their willingness to learn is showing more and more each day.” The Lady Pirates took the 16-9 treasure but the Lady Tigers aren’t letting this discourage them. Their improvement up to this point of the season is proof enough that Mansfield is only getting started.

Ambria Whittaker

The Lady Tigers kept it close at halftime 10-5 with Cedarville leading but just couldn’t keep a tight grip on the scoreboard. Shelbie Fuller led her team offensively with four points in the books along with five rebounds and one steal. Trinity Triska played with speed and agility giving her three points, one rebound, and three steals. “The girls are becoming more patient with the ball and not forcing as much as they have been at the start of the season. We reverted back to that bad habit a few times during the game and Cedarville capitalized on it. Take away our forced turnovers and it’s a 1 point ball game.”

Trinity Triska

Maylei Rogers is always a powerhouse when she hits the court knocking opponents out of the ring as she dominates the game. Rogers brought in two points, six rebounds, and two steals. Ambria Whittaker, Presley Curry, and Kaylie Lowery accomplished rim control duty as they successfully earned a combined eight rebounds. “Our hustle is more than it has been because our girls are getting used to the speed of the game and knowledge of their positions on the floor. We’re covering the help side and rebounding much better on defense; again knowledge of the game.”

Shelbie Fuller


“The 7th Grade girls have an abundance of intellectual and athletic young ladies that will only continue to get better the more they play the game. If they keep growing at their current pace, they’ll be ready for junior high next year.” The 7th Grade Lady Tigers will next play the Charleston Lady Tigers on Thursday, January 16th at home at 4:30 p.m.

#42 Kaylie Lowery

South Sebastian County Historical Society Launches Membership Drive

Submitted by Donna Goldstein
VP, South Sebastian County Historical Society

The South Sebastian County Historical Society is launching its 2020 Membership Drive and they’re inviting history lovers of all ages to join.

The Society maintains and operates the historical properties on the southeast side of Greenwood’s Town Square, including the Old Jail Museum, Redwine Pioneer Schoolhouse, Ole Barn and the 1848 Vineyard Cabin. They present a number of popular annual community events including the Museum Opening which features historical reenactors, Buried Treasure Graveside Tales, Music on the Porch and, with the sponsorship of Alpha Delta Chapter, ESA, the annual Airing of the Quilts show.

Monthly meetings are held the third Monday of each month (January-November) at 7 p.m. at Farmers Bank in Greenwood. They are well-attended and feature well-known authorities speaking on topics of interest to local history lovers.

The Society was organized in 1963 to preserve and promote the history of the southern part of Sebastian County. Memberships are $25 (individual/family), $50 (supporting), $100 (contributing), $250 (lifetime). Checks may be made payable to SSCHS and mailed to P.O. Box 523, Greenwood, AR 72936. South Sebastian County Historical Society is a 501c3 non-profit corporation. Donations are tax deductible. For more information, contact Treasurer Jeannie Pope at jpope98@gmail.com or leave a message at 479-996-2925.

You can also find them on Facebook or visit their website.

7th Grade Tigers “Pawfect” Against Cedarville

On Monday, January 13th, the Mansfield 7th Grade Tigers hosted the Cedarville Pirates. Most know that when these two towns face each other in any sport, it’s going to be an intense close battle. And true to form, it was. By halftime, the Tigers led by a mere two points 10-8. After the dust had settled, it was Mansfield that took the “Dub” 18-10.

Aaron Person

Offensively, it was Winston Allison who led his team by shooting up and down the court like a Tiger missile scoring 10 points along with three rebounds. Austin Ruiz was like a thief in the night making five steals as well as three rebounds and two points. Cameron Pettus was a smooth criminal earning three points, three rebounds, and one steal. Brandon Raynor was a force under the rim as he sealed three rebounds for his team.

Austin Ruiz

Jeremy Strozier was a defensive earthquake as he beat out the Pirates for four rebounds. Aaron Person stood firm like an oak to get five rebounds along with one steal and one point. And Trey Powell was swift with his plays gaining him two points and two steals. The 7th Grade Tigers will play again on Thursday, January 16th at home against the Charleston Pirates.

Eli Garner

Scott County Judge Surveys Flood Damage

Heavy rains that fell Friday night through Saturday morning left behind heavily damaged roads and bridges throughout Scott County.

Scott County Judge James Forbes said “we are continuing to make emergency repairs and predict that those should be done by Friday. Those repairs will allow the public, school busses and mail services to have a travelable road.”

Forbes went on to note that once the emergency repairs are complete, the county will make more permenent and improved repairs. “It could take up to two to three weeks, depending on the weather,” added Forbes. “We had a large amount of road and bridge washouts, nothing that will require state aid.”

In total, there were 12 weather related accidents across the county. Three of those were swiftwater rescues that occured at Tate, Highway 80 West, and Highway 80 East. There were no fatalities, however.

Judge Forbes encourges the public to continue to call 479-637-2155 to report any damages.

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Damage assessed to Packsaddle Road in Scott County.
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Damage assessed to Frost Road in Scott County.
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Damage assessed to Eastwood Road in Scott County.