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Interim Sheriff Cherishes Community Ties

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11:01 am

Interim Sheriff Cherishes Community Ties

By Tammy Moore Teague

On Monday, November 26, Kevin Nickson was sworn in as interim Sebastian County Sheriff. Sebastian County Circuit Judge Stephen Tabor officiated the ceremony.

Nickson will serve as Sheriff until January 1, 2019. Then, Sheriff-Elect Hobe Runion will take office. Previous Sheriff, Bill Hollenbeck did not seek re-election and submitted his letter of resignation stating his last day would be Sunday, November 18.

The Louisiana native move to Fort Smith in 1987. In August of 1988, he got hired on as a dispatcher for the Fort Smith Police Department. “That’s where my law enforcement career began,” stated Nickson. “Eventually I got on as a reserve deputy and got to work the streets. It got in my blood.”

In 1990, he made the move to the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Department. “I started as a detention deputy over at the old courthouse under Sheriff Gary Grimes,” he added. This is where he built a career of a lifetime, serving and protecting the citizens of Sebastian County.

He worked his way up the ranks from detective, corporal, sergeant, lead investigator and ultimately Chief of Detectives. However, he recalled his first patrol assignment beginning in 1993 fondly, reflecting on the relationships he forged in the community. “It was a challenging moment for me because a lot of people didn’t think I could make it out there because I’m African American.”

This reluctancy made him more determined. “I’ve got really good friends in South Sebastian County, folks in Hartford and Midland. That’s where I wanted to be.” Nikson added that he was respected for who he was, and what he did. They witnessed his heart and his passion to serve. “That was a good time in my life to meet those people.”

These relationships mean a great deal to Nickson as he reflects back on his early years in law enforcement. “We had to be community related police. You have to police with compassion…We got so familiar with the people that we solved crimes by CB radios. We had a night-time stop…they always had coffee for us at night. I miss those days.” He jokingly shared his CB handle, which he dubbed a badge of honor, “chocolate bear.”

As Nickson continued to climb the ranks, he felt like it was time to call it quits. However, retirement was not in the cards. After Hollenbeck announced his retirement and subsequent departure, the Sebastian County Quorum Court needed to fill the position until Sheriff-Elect Runion took office. Nickson was the just the man for the job. On January 1, “we’re gonna stand up there and switch badges,” Nickson said. At that time Nickson will become Chief Deputy and continue working under Runion.

Although Nickson is the first in his family to be in law enforcement, he certainly comes by his passion to serve others honestly. His father, J.A. Nickson, was a minister at Mission Point Missionary Baptist Church. He served the church faithfully and even went on several mission trips to Haiti. Additionally, there are those in Nickson’s family who are health care providers, serving others selflessly. His compassion and the need to serve fits. “It’s why I am back, God has just blessed,” concluded Nickson.

Interim Sheriff Cherishes Community Ties

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Tammy Teague

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10:49 am

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By Tammy Moore Teague
On Monday, November 19, Kevin Nickson was sworn in as interim Sebastian County Sheriff. Sebastian County Circuit Judge Stephen Tabor officiated the ceremony.
Nickson will serve as Sheriff until January 1, 2019. Then, Sheriff-Elect Hobe Runion will take office. Previous Sheriff, Bill Hollenbeck did not seek re-election and submitted his letter of resignation stating his last day would be Sunday, November 18.
The Louisiana native move to Fort Smith in 1987. In August of 1988, he got hired on as a dispatcher for the Fort Smith Police Department. “That’s where my law enforcement career began,” stated Nickson. “Eventually I got on as a reserve deputy and got to work the streets. It got in my blood.”
In 1990, he made the move to the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Department. “I started as a detention deputy over at the old courthouse under Sheriff Gary Grimes,” he added. This is where he built a career of a lifetime, serving and protecting the citizens of Sebastian County.
He worked his way up the ranks from detective, corporal, sergeant, lead investigator and ultimately Chief of Detectives. However, he recalled his first patrol assignment beginning in 1993 fondly, reflecting on the relationships he forged in the community. “It was a challenging moment for me because a lot of people didn’t think I could make it out there because I’m African American.”
This reluctancy made him more determined. “I’ve got really good friends in South Sebastian County, folks in Hartford and Midland. That’s where I wanted to be.” Nikson added that he was respected for who he was, and what he did. They witnessed his heart and his passion to serve. “That was a good time in my life to meet those people.”
These relationships mean a great deal to Nickson as he reflects back on his early years in law enforcement. “We had to be community related police. You have to police with compassion…We got so familiar with the people that we solved crimes by CB radios. We had a night-time stop…they always had coffee for us at night. I miss those days.” He jokingly shared his CB handle, which he dubbed a badge of honor, “chocolate bear.”
As Nickson continued to climb the ranks, he felt like it was time to call it quits. However, retirement was not in the cards. After Hollenbeck announced his retirement and subsequent departure, the Sebastian County Quorum Court needed to fill the position until Sheriff-Elect Runion took office. Nickson was the just the man for the job. On January 1, “we’re gonna stand up there and switch badges,” Nickson said. At that time Nickson will become Chief Deputy and continue working under Runion.
Although Nickson is the first in his family to be in law enforcement, he certainly comes by his passion to serve others honestly. His father, J.A. Nickson, was a minister at Mission Point Missionary Baptist Church. He served the church faithfully and even went on several mission trips to Haiti. Additionally, there are those in Nickson’s family who are health care providers, serving others selflessly. His compassion and the need to serve fits. “It’s why I am back, God has just blessed,” concluded Nickson.

Big Schedule Ahead For Bulldog Basketball

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Megan Hecox

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7:53 am

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Big Schedule Ahead For Bulldog Basketball

By Megan Hecox
After their game against Horatio last Monday, the Waldron Bulldogs will get a few days to rest and enjoy Thanksgiving and then its back to the grind. In the past week, both Jr High and Sr High teams were on the road for their last three games. It’s not slowing down either. When November 26th rolls around, the Bulldogs will be playing in multiple matches during that week.
The Sr High Bulldogs are feeling pretty high on the hog at the moment as they have slammed out a 5-0 undefeated season. Winning 73-62 against the Horatio Lions on Monday, the boys are looking to add to their wins column come next week. The Bulldogs were able to force a lot of turnovers and had 47 deflections in the Horatio game. They had good possessions and finished the game with a block out and a rebound. Head Coach Joshua Brown said “Defensively we have to improve. We played really hard but we have some breakdowns that we need to correct. Our guys have a few days off and then we will come back and get ready for a four-game week. There is not a lot of time to prepare so we have to be the best we can be each night.”
The Sr High girls are going into their break with a 1-3 overall season. But it’s not due to lack of hard work and determination. In Monday’s game against Horatio, the girls lost 37-36 in a heartbreaking ending. With 1.4 seconds left in the game, a free throw for the Lions determined the Bulldogs fate. Head Coach Josh Atchley had this to say “I continue to be amazed by how hard these girls are working. We still have to learn how to win these close games but we will continue to improve every day. We need to use these last few games to prepare for conference play.”
The Jr High boys were also able to grab a gritty win against the Horatio Lions improving their 3-3 overall season. “We have a pretty good mix of 8th and 9th graders and are starting to find our groove a little bit. Still needing some guys to step up if we are going to continue making strides to where we want to be,” says Coach Atchley. The next Jr High game will be on Tuesday, November 27th against Mena in Waldron at 430 pm.
The Sr High will face Danville at the Bearcat Classic in Booneville on Monday, November 26th. Following is Mena on Tuesday, November 27th.

Arrows Golden vs Dover

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Resident News Network

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11:41 pm

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Photos by Amanda Hall
It was a golden night of basketball for the Lavaca Golden Arrows last night against the Dover Pirates. Both Junior High teams and both High School teams did battle in the Wendell Hardgrave – Davis Floyd Gymnasium. The Pirates did get in the first blow as their Jr Girls defeated the Jr Lady Arrows. But the Arrows dominated the rest of the evening.

The Lavaca Junior High Arrows put up 28 points int the first quarter against the pirates in a game that featured every member of the team seeing play time. The first team played the first quarter, second team played the second quarter and so on. When the final buzzer sounded the Arrows had defeated the pirates 51-17. These kids played their heart out.

Next up, the Senior High Lady Arrows. This game was a battle for sure and showed a lot of determination by the Lady Arrows. Dover won the first half 21-20 but the second half was a different story. The Lady Arrows came out of the break and turned up the heat. BethAnn May, Skylar Hyatt, and Julianne O’Dell wore out the Lady Pirates in the paint, and Hope Headley, Avery Green, and Sierra Lamb dominated the perimeter. When the smoke had settled in this game the Lady Arrows claimed victory 51-40.

The LHS Golden Arrow team closed the night in a very physical game. The arrows held court 56-32. Defense was stellar and is quickly becoming a trademark for this team. Jordan Fenner, Tyler Armistead, Mark Miller, Cayden Hearn were huge down low and Matt Melton, Andrew Wright, and Jayger Wagner ran the floor very well.

Next up for the High School will be County Line. The Arrows will hit the road tonight to take on the Indians. Both Coach Reed and Coach Wyles expect it to be battle. Coach Wyles said, “County Line has several athletic girls and they get very aggressive with their zone. We’ll have to be able to handle their pressure and hit shots like we finally started doing tonight.” While Coach Reeds assessment was similar, he said County Line will be tough especially at County Line. We have to protect the ball and get quality possessions. They do not make mistakes.” One thing for sure you will not want to miss it.
As Always,
Go Arrows!!
Arrow Pride!!

Tigers Offense: Dont Cross This Line

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Megan Hecox

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2:32 pm

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By Megan Hecox
If you’re new to the game of football, you probably don’t know much about the different positions and what they do. And you’re not going to. At least not today anyway. This article was written for two purposes. To define the offense position and then introduced you to the muscle and backbone who make up the Mansfield Tigers.
The offensive line or “O-line” is made up of 5 players whose job is to block the other teams’ defense from tackling their running backs or quarterback. You have the center, 2 guards, and 2 tackles. The tight end is also a part of this group as he can either play on the line or as a receiver. The job of the O-line is to block a specific player or a specific area if it is going to be a run play. If it’s going to be a pass play, the offense is to do everything in their power to protect the quarterback.

88-Colton Stipins, 71-Keaton Boyd, 78-Bri Sanderson, 64-Isaac Cothran

The Mansfield Tigers have 11 players who make up both the offensive and defensive lines. For right now though, we focus on their offensive accomplishments. Keaton Boyd, Trevan Favela, Colton Stipins, Isaac Cothran, Bri Sanderson, Jacob Brown, Victor Steffen, Zach Lowe, Dustin Holland, TJ Simmons, and Lorenzo Alarid (who unfortunately was out for the season due to an injury) are the silent beast who run the line. The Tigers ended 4-3 in conference play and 7-3 in overall regular season play. In those 10 games alone, the O-line was a key factor in helping to achieve a combined offensive total of 3,168 passing, rushing, and receiving yards. The offensive line was awarded the game ball after their West Fork win for their part in paving the way for a 300-yard rushing game.

Playing center for the Tigers offense is Junior Isaac Cothran whose proudest moment of the season came during his final game at Osceola. Jogging out to the field before the start of the game, he looked at the stands and saw the incredible turn out of the fans. At that moment, he realized they really did have a town backing them up. Isaac fell in love with the game of football at an early age. He saw that by only doing one thing, you could not only change a game but change the stadium as well.

78-Bri Sanderson, 74-Trevan Favela, 64-Isaac Cothran, 71-Keaton Boyd

Playing at the offensive guard positions are Seniors Trevan Favela and Keaton Boyd. Trevan was most proud of the season when the Tigers made the Playoffs, proving everybody wrong. Trevan started playing football because of his love for the game. When he was little, he used to love watching football with his brother and couldn’t wait to start playing once he hit the 3rd grade. Keatons proudest moment came when the Tigers scored the final touchdown in their game against Melbourne. As for playing Sr High football, well it almost didn’t happen for Keaton. The football program was in bad shape before Coach Bentley got hired on. With low numbers, Bentley knew that he had to do something. So the few players that were remaining gave Bentley Keatons number and the call was made. Without that call, Keaton would be watching the game from the stands instead of playing on the field.

Sophomore Bri Sanderson and Junior Jacob Brown play the offensive tackle positions. Making the Playoffs this season was Bri’s proudest moment. His father and his Uncle Chris were the inspiration behind Bri playing football. Both had played football and were able to give him pointers and encourage him to give 100%. For Jacob, his proudest moment came during the Hackett game when the offense held the last possession and the Tigers scored the winning touchdown with a minute left in the game. It was because of his dad that Jacob got into football. His dad used to play in High School and wanted Jacob to have the same positive experiences and enjoyment that he had.

Playing in the tight end position for the Tigers is Senior Colton Stipins. Coltons proudest moment of the season was when he and his teammates conquered what they set out to do at the beginning and that was to make it to the Playoffs. Playing football was a no-brainer for Colton. He had always heard stories of his dad playing football. In those stories, his dad was described as a “Beast” on the field. Because Colton looked up to his dad, he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Junior Zach Lowe experienced his proudest moment in the season during week 4 when the O-line gave runners the space to rush for 300 yards and gave up 0 sacks. Zach was inspired to play football at an early age because of his older brother Cory. Zach’s brother had told him how much fun it was to be a part of a team and that hard work mattered. After Zach had joined football his brother was at every single home and away game supporting him the entire time.

Making it to the Playoffs was Sophmore Victor Steffens greatest moment of the season. He knew that his team would go down in Mansfield history as one of the few greatest teams to make it. He knows the Tigers will continue to climb the ladder and get better every year. At this point, the Playoffs are an expectation. It was a mixture of things that got Victor into playing football. He wanted to be better than his brother who had also played and he wanted to know what it felt like to be part of a team.

For Sophmore Lorenzo Alarid it was his dad who inspired him to play football. Lorenzo loved the game and everything about it. Through his father’s motivation, Lorenzo was able to stay focused on his dreams, not allowing anyone to get in the way of that. It is because of his fathers support that Lorenzo has been able to achieve success in everything he does.

88-Colton Stipins, 78-Bri Sanderson, 71-Keaton Boyd, 61-Zach Lowe, 79-Jacob Brown

The proudest moment for Sophmore Dustin Holland came when the Tigers made the Playoffs. His inspiration to play football was through a book that he had read called “Football Genius” by Tim Green. He had realized that the game of football was all about how much heart it takes to play and Dustin wanted to be a part of that.

64-Isaac Cothran, 62-Dustin Holland, 88-Colton Stipins

Hackett’s Helping Hands Kickoff

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Tammy Teague

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9:52 pm

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By Tammy Moore Teague
Hackett’s Helping Hands program kicked off on Monday afternoon as Chief Darrell Spells and Sebastian County Sheriff Deputy Mike Burcham delivered boxes filled with items for a Thanksgiving meal. The distribution was made possible by an anonymous donor.
Five Hackett families were blessed by the giving. Some were moved to tears by the generous act. “My family really appreciated what they did for us,” commented one of the recipients of the Thanksgiving meal boxes.

“Hackett Helping Hands was a program developed to provide families assistance during Christmas. This is our fourth year. In three years we have raised over $10,000 and helped 200 families,” stated Spells. “The support we have seen from the community has been tremendous. I had a family today donate $1,000 . They would never want me to name them publicly but I can tell you they care deeply about this community and taking care of these families at Christmas”.
One of the things Spells is adamant about is service to the community–“Protect and Serve.” It’s something he does with great heart and passion. Burcham said “the community loves him and he loves his community.” He is, however, quick to give credit to those who assist in this labor of love. Hackett City employees, Jennifer Costa and Kelly Lane help sack groceries and organize toys each year for Hackett Helping Hands. “Jennifer and Kelly are what keep this thing going behind the scenes. The last few days of the drive they never sit down because they’re handling their normal duties and rushing to the back to sack food and coordinate where each delivery is going. Their main function is to keep me away from any type of organization or we end up with twenty seven cans of cream corn and a bag of marshmallows in a grocery delivery.”

Additionally, the program benefits from the hard work of Debbie Hester’s EAST class at Hackett High School. The class provides banners and signs for the campaign. “The local Dollar General also provides a food and toy drive location. They’ve been a tremendous asset to the community.”
In the coming days, donation jars will be at local businesses. Toy and food donation boxes will also be at the Hackett Dollar General. You can make monetary donations at Hackett City Hall or Farmers Bank in Hackett. This year the donations are limited to monetary, food, or a new unwrapped toy only.

“I think it’s important for the public to see where their donation goes,” added Spells. “That’s why you’ll see some of our interactions on social media so the people who donated can say ‘hey I helped that boy get a new bike or that little girl get a new baby doll.'”
The Hackett Helping Hands program is off to a great start, and Spells is optimistic. “Over the years we’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. I’m excited to see what this year holds in store for the program. We’ll begin working with the school and churches soon to identify those families in need.”

Helping-Hands-Hackett-Darrell-Spells-Burcham — Hackett Mayor Leroy Stephens, Jennifer Costa and Kelly Lane help sack groceries and organize toys each year for Hackett Helping Hands.

Holiday Fire Safety: Thanksgiving Edition

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Tammy Teague

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8:47 pm

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Holiday Fire Safety: Thanksgiving Edition

By Tammy Moore Teague
Thanksgiving Day is quickly approaching, and Northwest Scott Fire Chief Donnie Adkins shared some tips to help those who plan to deep fry their turkey. Adkins is a fire safety instructor and offers the following advice:

The National Fire Protection Association states that nearly four times as many home cooking fires reportedly happen on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. Further, the second-leading day for home cooking fires is the day before Thanksgiving.
1. Prepare a safe space.
First and foremost, scout out a safe area at least ten feet away from your home. Keep the fryer out of garages, decks as well as a safe distance away from buildings, trees and shrubs. Ensure that there will be no bystanders, children or pets within 3 feet once you begin. Having a working fire extinguisher nearby is wise, too.
When you’re ready to thaw the turkey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends getting an early start: For every 4-5 lbs., let it sit out for at least 24 hours. Frozen or wet turkeys can cause hot oil to splatter, potentially causing burns.
2. Be careful around the oil.
Put on your safety glasses, oven mitts and an apron to handle the fryer well before the oil starts to bubble. Make sure your fryer is on a flat, level space to carefully gauge the amount of oil needed. Don’t use too much oil, pouring too much oil in could cause the burner to ignite it if it spills out. To prevent overflow, put the bird in the fryer, filling the fryer with water, removing the bird and marking the level with a permanent marker. Then thoroughly dry the fryer and pour the oil to below that level.
3. Get the temperature just right.
When cooking turkey, the oil temperature should be at 325 degrees. It may take 4 to 5 minutes per pound to reach the recommended temperatures, as dark meat should get up to an internal temperature of about 180 degrees F, and white meat to an internal temperature of about 170 degrees.Heat Properly – Heat the oil to between 325 and 375 degrees. A 15-pound turkey should take 45 minutes to an hour to cook.
4. Monitor the turkey.
Using temperature controls to monitor the blaze is must. Also, and take your time while frying the turkey. Slowly raise and lower the turkey into the fryer to minimize spills, and give your full attention to the process. It’s wise to never leave the bird unattended. Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths.
5. Be sure to remove the bird from the fryer slowly, turn off the heat, and clean up your frying area.

In part two of this holiday safety series, Adkins will share more tips on seasonal fire safety.

Heritage Funeral Home Offers Monument Service

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Tammy Teague

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8:00 pm

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Heritage Funeral Home Offers Monument Service

By Tammy Moore Teague
Sammy and Melissa Callahan of Waldron opened Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in August 2008. One year later, they added a crematory. This year, they started offering a new service, monuments.
“We began selling monuments several years back, but only recently started producing them in-house,” Melissa explained. “We do everything from design, sandblasting and setting them in the cemetery.” They will also go to the cemetery and do final dates on existing monuments.
“We are a full service funeral home. We strive to meet the needs of all families that we serve in every capacity possible,” she added. “We want to offer more for people to do business locally at affordable prices.”
The Callahan’s have operated their business with great compassion. Once they began producing the headstones, they knew they would want to design and display the Ten Commandments. “It is something we live by daily,” shared Melissa. “It took a little while to find the perfect stone.” Ultimately they did, and the display is truly awe-inspiring.
Heritage Memorial Funeral Home is the only funeral home in Scott County with three licensed funeral directors and a licensed embalmer. They have set themselves apart in this business by offering personalized, professional services at affordable prices.

Little League Tiger Football Is Here For Long Run

Sports

Megan Hecox

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6:05 pm

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Little League Tiger Football Is Here For Long Run

By Megan Hecox
Many people in Mansfield spent this football season watching the Sr High Tigers in their historical run this year and rightfully so. The Sr Tigers had an AWESOME season. But did you know that the Little League Tigers had an AWESOME season too? Why yes, yes they did. The 3rd and 4th grade Tigers went 7-1-1 and won the West Central Football League Championship while 5th and 6th grade Tigers made the West Central Football League Playoffs.
The 3rd and 4th grade Mansfield Little League Tigers showed poise and discipline all season. They lost to Hackett and tied with JC Westside in the regular season, but were able to get redemption for those blemishes by dominating JC Westside in the Playoffs and beating Hackett in the WCFL Championship.
Manfield’s 3rd and 4th grade Head Coach David Moore said “It was truly an honor to be able to step up and coach this group of kids with my brother Steven and two of my classmates (Tim Wilson and Jeremy Whittaker) and friend Chris Williams. We knew we had some 4th graders that would step up and take the leadership role of the team and we had lots of raw talent in our group of 3rd graders. We just needed them to prove to themselves that they had what it takes to be great football players. Our main goal this season was to teach kids to love football and have as much fun as possible, but also to take care of business and they did exactly that. We had a few hiccups along the way but never doubted that they would be playing in the Championship at the end of the season. They knew what needed to be done in the big game and they took care of business. I am a firm believer that you need a great group of parents to make any Little League team a success and we had that. I’d like to thank all the parents for their support this season. I believe we had the bigger crowd at every home and away game. The kids notice those kinds of things. Mansfield Little League football has a great future.”

The Tigers 5th and 6th graders had a rough start but they pulled through and showed what they were made of towards the end of their season. Their 3 regular season losses came against other Playoff teams (Hackett, Magazine, and JC Westside). They faced off against undefeated and eventual WCFL Champions Hackett in their first round of the Playoffs and gave them all that they could handle before falling to the Hornets.
Tigers 5th and 6th grade Coach Jason Edwards said “No matter what the win/loss record may show, I honestly believe we had a great season. Our players did some real growth this year. They were knocked down multiple times but got back up every time. All a coach can ask for is a players best on the field and our kids went above and beyond their best for us. I am super proud of our players in every way. We’re losing some really great 6th Grade players in our skill positions and our line but there are a bunch of players ready to step up and #EARNIT next year. This is a tough group of young men who will no doubt make a huge difference in Mansfield football in future years to come.”

Mansfield Little League President Josh Strozier had this to say about the program “I think that changing leagues to the newly created WCFL has given all of us small towns a chance to strive. We’re all equal in size and talent which seems to make the kids hunger for the sport of football again. It all starts in Little League but the effects ripple all the way up into High School Football. These kids know they have the support of the community, coaches, and teammates anytime they go to war with any opponent on the field. There were some rough spots this season but we will adjust accordingly for next year. We want to encourage the kids to keep playing hard and bring their friends out to play next season. I’m very proud of every kid on both teams and their coaches. GO RED!”
If you thought the Tigers Sr High season was a mere Cinderella season, think again. Mansfield Little League is sending up some true contenders for the High School coaches to make Mansfield Football, as a whole, a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Little League Hornets Creating A BUZZ In Football

Sports

Megan Hecox

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2:11 pm

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Little League Hornets Creating A BUZZ In Football

By Megan Hecox
The Hackett Little League Hornets Football season can be summed up into one word. Dominate. Both Little League Hornet squads combined for an overall record of 15-1 this season. The 5th and 6th grade team went undefeated and won the West Central Football League Championship while the 3rd and 4th grade went 7-1 falling only to the Mansfield Tigers in their Championship game.
The 3rd and 4th grade Hornets were the definition of speed and skill all season. They cruised through their football schedule with ease going undefeated against some stiff competition. The Hornets played nearly perfect on both sides of the ball. Although they lost their only game in the Championship, the Hornet Coaches know they have something special on their hands.
Hornet 3rd and 4th grade Coach Nick Holbert said “I couldn’t be more proud of this team. We came a long way this year and conquered many of our goals. The Championship was a hard fought game. It could’ve gone either way at any point of the game. In the end, Mansfield was the better team that day and we congratulate them. To me it’s not completely about winning games and trophies, it’s about lifelong lessons. It’s coaching kids about a sport I love, about discipline, working hard, teamwork, family, and that nothing is just handed to you! I thank all of the kids, parents, and other coaches. It was a fun year. We WILL be back next year.”
Hackett 5th and 6th grade team set their eyes on the gold early in the season and never looked back. The Hornets blew through the WCFL leaving opponents and a trail of dust behind them. Hackett’s offense used speed and some sweet moves to juke opponents clean out of their shoes on multiple occasions. Their defense was a true brick wall for any team to face by only allowing 40 points combined for the entire season.
Hackett 5th and 6th grade Coach Chuck Hamilton said “We are very proud of how our boys and our girl played this season. They worked hard every practice and played their hearts out every game. All of their hard work paid off in the end. It’s been a long time since we have won a Little League Football Championship. We are very proud of our team. We are very proud of our community. All of the coaches and parents have been very supportive. Hackett has a great future ahead in the game of football.”
Hackett Little League President Dave Slavens said this about their program “Our Little League football teams far exceeded anything we were expecting this season. These players bought into what their coaches wanted to accomplish. It all paid off with both teams making it into the WCFL Championship. Our 5th and 6th grade team winning the Championship and the 3rd and 4th grade finishing as Runner-Up. Players like Brycen Hamilton, Landen Slavens, Drayden Best, and Hayden Foster will be missed in the league next season. But we believe the younger guys like Matthew Garner, Christopher Elkins, and Dylan Blair are more than capable of picking up where our leaders left off when we get back on the field next season. GO HORNETS!”
The Yellow and Black Hornet Hive is growing and Hackett football has a very bright future ahead of it. With young talent of this kind, full of heart and desire, the Hackett Hornets are eyeing championships from Little League all the way up to a High School State Championship.

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