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Hornets Turn Emotions Into Physicality vs Dragons

Sports

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5:10 pm

Hornets Turn Emotions Into Physicality vs Dragons

In what could be described as a highly energetic and fierce battle to the finish line, the Hackett Sr High Hornets took to the field against the Mountainburg Dragons in Friday nights game to not only take home the win but to prove a point while doing it. That not only could they pull out all the stops when backed into a corner but that they would do it as a team leaving no man left behind. That no matter how much adversity the Hornets were faced with, at any given moment, any and every player could step up and be what their team needed, to get the job done. And that’s just what they did.

After highjacking the win from Mountainburg 46-32, Hackett secured their third straight victory upgrading their total season record to 6-2. The Hornets now have a 2-1 conference record and hold the head to head tiebreaker with the Dragons in conference play. With all but six points being made in the first half of the game, it was obvious that both teams were out for blood.

The Hornets defense stayed on fire all night keeping the Dragons offense from running up the points on the scoreboard. Peyton Hester and Weston Winters earned six solo tackles and one sack each with Hester also grabbing four assisted tackles and one recovered onside kick while Winters netted two assisted tackles and one interception.

Fischer Shipman stopped the Dragons running game by doling out five solo tackles and four assisted. Ty Smith was unstoppable for the Hornets with five solo tackles, four assisted, one sack, and one tackle for a loss. Jesse Esparaza was like a thief in the night stealing two solo tackles, one assisted, and one sack. Briar Goines delivered the pain to the Dragons with four solo tackles and two assisted. And Ethan “Superman” Slavens was all over the field distributing three solo tackles and three assisted tackles to the Mountainburg offense.

Proving that the Dragons defense was no match for Hacketts out of this world offense, Avery Hester had 17 rushes for 145 yards and three TDs. Hester also completed seven passes for an incredible 207 yards. Winters channeled some MC Hammer with his “You Can’t Touch This” sweet moves foot game with 37 rushes for 133 yards and three touchdowns. Peyton Hester had two huge receptions for 97 yards which is a 48.5 yard per catch average. Cogan Hester set the field ablaze with his three receptions for 53 yards. And Shipman stayed airborne with two receptions for 58 yards.

The Hornets are preparing for their next conference game on November 1st against the 1-3 Lavaca Golden Arrows at home starting at 7 p.m. Last season when these two teams faced off, the Hornets stuffed the Arrows with a final score of 22-0.

2019 Arkansas Class 3A State Volleyball Tournament, Oct. 29-31 & Nov. 2

Sports

Resident News Network

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12:56 pm

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2019 Arkansas Class 3A State Volleyball Tournament, Oct. 29-31 & Nov. 2

The Arkansas Class 3A state volleyball tournament will be held October 29-31 and November 2. First round, quarterfinal, and semi-final games will be played at Paris High School October 29-31. The Class 3A state championship match will be played Saturday, November 2, in Hot Springs at Bank OZK Arena. The Class 3A championship game will be played at 5 p.m.

Check with Resident Press throughout the week for updates and results of each day’s state playoff games. And of course, Resident Press will be your one source for all state tournament results all the way through the crowning of a new 3A state champion!

For a copy of the 2019 Class 3A state tournament bracket, click here to be redirected to Max Preps for your copy!

I look forward to seeing our River Valley volleyball fans in Paris next week! Good luck to all of the teams!

Sr Lady Tigers Net Third Place Win At District

Sports

Megan Hecox

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11:47 am

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Sr Lady Tigers Net Third Place Win At District

Photos courtesy of Jim Best

The battle for the Third Place seed in District between the Mansfield Sr High Lady Tigers and the Waldron Lady Bulldogs was definitely a fight to the finish. You would be hard-pressed to find a closer ending game from the entire season than this. Both of these teams played with a hardcore hunger and determination to win that there might have actually been smoke coming off of the court with all of the fast-paced action going on.

The Lady Tigers kept a firm grip of the match while smashing their sets with last-minute wins of 25-23, 25-19, and 25-19. Mansfield came out on top with the 3-0 victory over Waldron earning the #3 seed at District. Now, the 17-13 Lady Tigers will keep their eye on the 2019 State Volleyball Tournament held this year in Paris. Mansfield will take on the 18-11-1 Harding Academy Lady Wildcats on October 29 at 1 p.m.

Skylynn Harris led her team in the kills department with 13 followed by Brooke Wright with 11, Natalie Allison with six, and Kiara Thomas, Maggie Strunk, and Brooklyn Adams combining for four. Adams, Thomas, and Haylee Helms brought in the Lady Tigers six total aces. Wright put the stop on the Lady Bulldogs with four blocks while Harris brought in three and Vanessa Noblitt earned one. And with a grand total of 45 digs, Helms and Adams earned 10 apiece, with Allison netting eight, and Thomas picking up six.

When It Rains It Pours: Waldron Sinks To Mena

Sports

Megan Hecox

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10:58 am

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When It Rains It Pours: Waldron Sinks To Mena

The evening started off looking like the rain was going to wait its turn so that the Waldron Sr High Bulldogs and the Mena Bearcats could face off in a dry football battle. The game got underway with both teams getting a feel for each other while finding the others weak spots. By the end of the first half, not only had the rain picked up but Menas running game did as well.

The Waldron defense knew they had their work cut out for them against a powerful Bearcat run game. The Bulldogs weren’t intimidated by anything though. Braden Williams and Matthew Tegtmeyer were Bulldog bulldozers as they were knocking Bearcats from right to left earning themselves a combined 13 solo tackles and seven assists. Unfortunately, Menas ground and pound running game was just too much for the Bulldogs to handle for four quarters. Offensively, Gabino Grano fearlessly led his team with a dominating force by rushing 15 carries for 76 yards, two solo tackles, three assisted tackles and secured Waldrons lone touchdown of the night.

Unfortunately, once everything was said and done, it was Mena who took the win 35-6. Offensively, Williams completed 11 passes for 86 yards and rushed 16 times for 48 yards. Jace Black was able to snag one big reception for 39 yards. Caden Fuller rushed four times for 17 yards and made four solo tackles. Isaac Villarreal made two receptions for five yards, three solo tackles and two assisted, and secured 32 KO return yards. Bryson Bailey picked up three receptions for 13 yards and two total tackles. Fernando Uribe earned one 2-yard reception along with two solo tackles and two assisted. Cody Starr and Seth Hunt each netted one solo tackle. And Bradley Smith and Patrick Poor combined for five assisted tackles.

The Bulldogs will not be deterred by Friday night’s outcome. Instead, they will take what they have learned from the game and apply it to their last two conference games of the season. Waldron will travel to Ozark to face off against the 5-0 Hillbillies on November 1st starting at 7 p.m. Then the Bulldogs will host their last conference game on November 7th against the Dover Pirates.

Big Plays Help Booneville Defeat Charleston 21-7

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Resident News Network

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8:47 am

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Big Plays Help Booneville Defeat Charleston 21-7

The rain had held off until the fourth quarter, and so had the Booneville offense. The Tigers had played the Bearcats even all night with the exception of one Booneville score on its opening possession. Charleston had just entered the fourth quarter down one score, very much in the game and with a chance to pull off the upset. Then, on the first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter, backed up against its own goal line, Booneville’s Cam Brasher took the hand off at his three yard line and broke through the line of scrimmage and raced 97 yards for a touchdown. And then came the rain.

Two big plays, one in the first quarter, a 39 yard quarterback scramble for a touchdown on third and long by quarterback Evan Schlinker, and Cam Brasher’s 97 yard touchdown run to put the game out of reach on the first Booneville possession of the fourth quarter, helped Booneville overcome a Charleston upset bid Friday night at Alumni Field in Charleston. After a 7-7 halftime tie, the Booneville defense took control of the game and gave its offense time to get on track in the second half.

Booneville improved its record to 6-2 overall and 5-0 in conference play. Charleston (3-5, 3-2) suffered its second conference loss of the season.

After the game, Charleston head coach Ricky May said it succinctly, “They (Tigers) played their butts off. Just gave up too many big plays.” A couple of big plays were the difference in the game. The Charleston defense has been prone to giving up the big play all year, and on Friday night, it had cost the Tigers a chance to pull the upset and move into a tie for first place in the conference. The Tigers played Booneville tough on both sides of the ball all night, but the big plays given up were the difference in the game.

Two other important conference games were taking place Friday night. Mansfield, with two conference losses, was playing at Lamar. Greenland, with three conference losses, played at Cedarville. Lamar took sole possession of second place with the Charleston loss and a victory over Mansfield. Mansfield fell for its third conference loss. Greenland, who has played the most difficult part of its conference schedule, defeated Cedarville, moving Greenland back into the playoff picture and dropping Cedarville into fourth place behind Charleston.

The results of games played around the conference on Friday were:

Booneville 21, Charleston 7

Lamar 48, Mansfield 26

Greenland 41, Cedarville 6

Paris 45, West Fork 6

The standings after week five of the conference season are:

Booneville 5-0

Lamar 4-1

Charleston 3-2

Cedarville 3-2

Greenland 2-3

Mansfield 2-3

Paris 1-4

West Fork 0-5

If the season were to end today, Booneville would be a number one seed in the state playoffs. Lamar would be a two seed, and Charleston would be the three seed, owning the tie breaker over Cedarville who would be the four seed. Greenland is back in the playoff picture as a five seed, owning the tie breaker over Mansfield. Greenland has the most favorable remaining schedule with games against Paris and West Fork. Mansfield is now on the bubble and in danger of not making the playoffs. The Red Tigers have remaining games against Cedarville and Paris.

After just its third home game of the season, Charleston will go on the road again next Friday as the Tigers play at West Fork. The game will be very important to Charleston as it fights to make the playoffs. The Tigers will return home in two weeks for its final home game of the regular season and a very important game with Lamar that will have significant playoff implications.

Check back with Resident Press on Sunday afternoon for a preview of the Tigers upcoming game at West Fork.

Sr Lady Hornets Unbeaten District Champions

Sports

Megan Hecox

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11:56 am

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Sr Lady Hornets Unbeaten District Champions

Photos courtesy of Mandy Foster

It was a sight to see as the Hackett Sr High Lady Hornets hosted the Lavaca Lady Golden Arrows in Thursday nights final round of the 2A West District Tournament. The Lady Hornets were already sitting as the undefeated 12-0 Conference Champions and were ready to go head-to-head with Lavaca to achieve their next title.

The court saw both powerhouse teams slam and bam in a fast-paced hardcore battle to the finish line with Hackett taking control of the situation earning them their second hat, the 2019 District Champions. During the first set, the Lady Hornets flexed their dominating muscle and took the win 25-8. But with the next two sets, the Lady Arrows were warmed up and awake forcing Hackett to focus on every little detail.

The Lady Hornets were able to pull ahead in the end and take the set victories of 25-22 and 25-21. Rain Vaughn guided her team as the top hitman with 14 kills. Madeline Freeman followed with six, Kenadi Wright and Shayla Foster contributed three each, and with two apiece was Kandace Byrd and Jamye Durham. Byrd ushered in four aces while Freeman, Brooke Holt, and Kayla Richardson carried in four total.

Blockin’ and rollin’ was Durham with three blocks and with one each was Wright, Freeman, Vaughn, and Byrd. And piloting her team with digs for days was Richardson with 28. Foster netted 10, Freeman grabbed eight, and Byrd obtained five. “Words can’t begin to describe the appreciation we feel towards our fans,” expressed Coach Bridget Freeman. “What an amazing sight to look out at the home bleachers and see them FILLED with cheering fans. We heard the communities encouragement, felt the enthusiasm, and loved having everyone come out to support our Lady Hornets!”

The Sr High Lady Hornets job isnt over yet though. Up next for Hackett, the girls will be competing in the State Volleyball Tournament on Tuesday, October 29 at 5 p.m. State will be held this year in Yellville. For the first round, the Lady Hornets will be going to battle against the Midland Lady Mustangs who are the #4 seed in the 2A North. The Lady Mustangs sit 6-11 in total season play and 6-4 in conference.

Jr Tigers Get Soaked By Lamar

Sports

Megan Hecox

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11:08 am

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In true fall football fashion, the Mansfield Jr High Tigers took to the field in rainy, windy, and cold conditions to take on the Lamar Warriors in Thursday nights match-up. The Tigers held their own and stood firmly against the Warriors big-time running game but in the end, it was Lamar that took the 22-6 win.

Lamar was first to put points on the board. The Warriors were able to find small gaps in the Tigers defense and pounded their way downfield for the score. Even with all the rain and being down by a touchdown, Mansfield had a fire that would not be easy to put out. With the Warriors hot on his heels, Fisher Willsey scrambled outside the pocket and dumped off a pass to Drew Elmore who powered his way 65-yards for a Tiger touchdown.

Once Lamar got the field, Mansfield defensive back Logan Cravey got the fans on their feet when he not only caused a Lamar fumble but recovered it as well. The Tiger offense proceeded to eat up yardage but couldn’t sustain the drive giving Lamar the ball back. The Warriors were able to use their running game to gain short yardage on multiple plays to wear both the Tigers and the clock down before scoring. The game then went into halftime with the score reading 14-6 Warriors.

Mansfield was supposed to be an easy win for the Warriors. But that wasn’t the case. The Mansfield defense held Lamar on multiple occasions showing grit in the face of overwhelming odds. The Tigers offense made many impressive drives on the Warrior defense but couldn’t finish them off to put points on the board. Mansfields defense was the key factor in the success of holding Lamar to 22 points on the night. Helping to achieve that defensive success was Ashton Toon, Clint Stovall, Braxton Byers, and Kindel Noblitt.

Branson Carver joined Cravey in the turnover charts when we stripped the ball from a Warrior running back right at the goal line to prevent the possibility of a blowout. Willsey ended the night completing four passes for 65 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Tyler Woolbright, Caleb Collier, and Tyler Turnipseed got their hands on the ball and put in some yard work but was not quite able to close out with touchdowns.

#35 Caleb Collier, #1 Clint Stovall, and #12 Greyson Baggett

No matter what anyone says, Mansfields Jr High team has shown great strides of improvement against some very stiff competition in the season so far. With one game left on the season, the Jr High Tigers sit with a 2-4 conference play record. On Tuesday, October 29, Mansfield will hit the road to take on the Cedarville Pirates starting at 7 p.m.

Waldron XC Is Breaking The Competition

Sports

Megan Hecox

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9:58 am

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Racing in their last meet of the year until District, the Waldron Cross Country rockstars have spent the entire season stealing more loot than a pirate. On Monday, October 28, the Bulldogs took to the course to race in the Tom Stuthard Top 25 Championship in Acorn. Waldron was in the company of many other talented schools such as Acorn, Caddo Hills, Mansfield, Murfreesboro, Ouachita, Cossatot River, Horatio, Mena, and Nashville.

The Jr High girls team placed 4th and medaled Lexee Kesterson in 16th, Ailey Ledesma in 15th, Ashlynn Stidman in 8th, and Emily Sears in 7th. The Jr High boys team took the 3rd place win with Marshall Salmon medaling at 11th, Landon Defoor in 14th, Billy Garrison in 16th, Jordan Kerr in 17th, Whitley Fielding in 18th, and Cole Bailey in 20th.

The Sr High Lady Bulldogs team did what they do best and dominated with another 1st Place win. Maria Grano took 1st, Ryleigh Anschutz made 2nd, Constance Richmond got 8th, Kentucky Spence earned 9th, Stephanie Sexton held 11th, Star Spence netted 14th, Melissa Schroeder earned 17th, McKenzi Stidman placed 20th, and Sarah Byford grabbed 25th. The Sr High Bulldogs team secured a 2nd Place Runner-Up title with Noah Kastl medaling in 24th, Evan Ledesma in 18th, Bladyn Mays in 17th, Ethan Martin in 10th, Zach Canada in 9th, and Baldy Villarreal taking 5th.

The Waldron Bulldogs Cross Country team will take their unstoppable game on the road to Elkins on Monday, October 28 where they look to take over the District Tournament starting at 4 p.m.

7th Grade Tigers End In Draw Against Warriors

Sports

Megan Hecox

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9:52 am

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7th Grade Tigers End In Draw Against Warriors

Pictured is #6 Austin Oldham

“There can only be one”. The quote from the 1980s Highlander movie has been used with undefeated teams for years. Well, after Thursday nights game, apparently there can be two in some circumstances. Both the Mansfield Tigers and Lamar Warriors 7th Grade squads walked into their match with a clean record of zero defeats. And both teams walked off the field with the same unblemished record as the ballgame ended with a 20-20 tie.

The Tigers were outsized and outnumbered as Lamar suited up 26 giants. To add to the games stipulations, Mother Nature made sure to provide plenty of wind, rain, and cold temperatures. Did that create an excuse for Mansfield to lay down for the Warriors? Heck no! Lamar was loaded for bear, not Tigers. Mansfield gave the soon to be 4A team everything they could handle and then some.

Lamar struck first in the game with a smooth counter play busting downfield for a quick 8-0 lead. The Warriors seemed to be all that they were hyped up to be, but so were the Tigers. Mansfield drove the ball downfield mixing up their run and pass game to confuse the Lamar defense. Jeremy Strozier zipped a 13-yard play-action pass to Austin Oldham to put the Tigers on the board. After tacking on their extra points the score read 8-8.

Mansfields defense began to lay down the boom on Lamars running backs making pops that echoed off of Poteau Mountain. Trey Powell and Strozier became all-out head hunters with vicious form tackles. Once the Tigers got the ball back, it was showtime. Strozier again connected with Oldham but this time for an impressive 91-yard touchdown giving the Tigers a 14-8 lead going into halftime.

As the weather got colder heading into the second half of the game, the Tigers decided to warm things up. Mansfields defense again held nothing back. Brandon Raynor, Winston Allison, Toby Towe, Leland Powell, and Eli Garner waged war against the Warriors creating a massive disturbance in Lamars game plan. During one play, the Tiger D pounced on one of the Warriors big running backs but couldn’t bring him down. In what could be called a David and Goliath moment, Boston Elmore flew in at Mac5 speed and….BOOM finished the job in awesome fashion. The Tigers took over on offense and it was the Trey Powell show from there on out. Trey took a handoff and broke every ankle on the Lamar defense on his way downfield for 66 yards.

Powell topped it off with a 1-yard power run for a touchdown giving the Tigers a 20-14 score with just minutes left in the game. Lamar quickly answered with a score of their own tying the game 20-20. After a Tiger turnover, Lamar looked to put the game away. The Warriors had the ball at the 14-yard line but threw a pass short and was struck by some “Powell Power” as Trey intercepted the ball to end the game with a 20-20 final.

The Tigers played a close one for sure but showed tremendous poise by not being intimidated or giving up when things got a little soggy. With only one game left, Mansfield will travel north to face off against the Cedarville Pirates on Tuesday, October 29th at 5:30 p.m. The 7th Grade Tigers are fully aware that anything can happen but will prepare hard to complete their 2019 season with a big ol’ goose egg in the loss column.

SCSO Participates in National Drug Take Back Day

Tammy Teague

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9:26 am

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On Saturday, October 26, 2019, the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office will be participating in the DEA’s National Drug Take Back Day. The event is slated to take place at the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, located at 4900 Rogers Avenue in Fort Smith, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event will give citizens the opportunity to dispose of expired or unused prescription medications in a safe, convenient, and responsible way. This year for the first time vaping devices and cartridges will be accepted. The only issue may be devices which use lithium ion batteries. These will not be accepted.

The last event in April of 2019 resulted in 937,443 pounds (468.72 tons) of unused or expired prescription medication being disposed of properly. Of this national total, 28,073 pounds were collected in Arkansas alone. 11,816,393 pounds of medication have been taken in since the beginning of Drug Take Back in fall of 2010.

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