Article by Konnor McKay
The Waldron bulldogs got back on track moving their record back to an even 4-4, after dropping two big games to the Bearcats of Booneville and the Pottsville Apaches.
Waldron defeated Subiaco 35-6 in last Friday night’s contest. The bulldogs jumped out early with a 21-0 lead in the first quarter with touchdowns scored by Levi Hayden, Cole Huddleston, and Dawson Scott. That would actually sum of the scoring for the 1st half.
Waldron’s defense held the Trojans without a first down until 10:50 left remaining in the 1st half. Waldron forced 3 turnovers in the first half. An interception made by Levi Hayden, and two fumble recoveries one by Dalton Sanders, and another by Logan Tull. The bulldogs go on to win the contest 35-6 with touchdowns added by Trey Williams and Mason Ford.
This Friday’s game against the Dover Pirates has quickly become the biggest game of the season for the bulldogs. The winner of this game goes to the playoffs. The game will be held at Bulldog stadium and we need to come with en electrifying crowd! We will see you then!
Kick off set for 7 p.m. Go Bulldogs!
Waldron Bulldogs Back on Track
Tigers Take Home 3 Trophies and 13 Medals at Conference
It was another milestone in the brilliant cross country career of Mansfield senior Megan Rose. For the third consecutive year the college bound runner won the individual conference title and saw her teammates come through in the clutch for the team trophy.
All totaled in the four divisional races on October 18 at Mansfield’s Tiger Trail, the host team Tigers captured 3 trophies and 13 individual medals for an afternoon’s work. Along with the senior girls’ first place championship plaque, the roster produced two runner-up team trophies as well.
The MHS senior boys despite having two of the top five runners in all the conference were ineligible for a team award. Devon Pyles and Joris Felius finished third and fifth respectively for the Tiger men. Only Lamar of the eight team conference could produce higher placing competitors.
Because of the rules governing cross country, a team must have five athletes finish the race to be regarded as a team. Mansfield only entered two of the required five thereby leaving them to collect only individual medals in the senior high men’s 5K race.
On the flip side, Rose and her 22:44.11 conference winning time was accompanied by seven others Lady Tigers. Three joined the senior atop the top-ten All-District medal stand. Lady Tigers Lennon Woods at third place (24:47.08), Natalie Brewer at ninth (26:36.61), and Corrina Wesley at tenth (26:38.30) included.
It was Mansfield’s fifth best runner on the day that made a huge difference. Coming off a knee injury that has sidelined her for nearly the entire season, junior Alyssa Berry came through in a big way.
With about a half mile to go, Berry trailed Two Rivers’ fifth best runner. At the urging of her coach, John Mackey, Berry kicked into a higher gear to pass the Gator runner before the finish. Berry was 14th.
“That’s not the only blessing we received in the most competitive conference finals we’ve had in years,” explained Coach Mackey of his team’s close victory. “Lennon had to beat the Gator’s second best runner. She did. Natalie and Corrina had to put a wedge between the next two Gators. They did. Everyone did what they needed for us to win. It’s just the way Lady Tigers are brought up!”
The Mansfield women accumulated 34 points from their top five runners for the win. Two Rivers trailed in a close second at 38. Atkins who showed signs of being a contender earlier this season at Magazine finished at third with 63 points among the eight team league membership.
“Megan was gonna win,” continued Mackey. “She is one of the all time Lady Tiger greats. It was up to her teammates if they were gonna win the whole thing. It was a nice graduation present for the senior laden team.”
In the younger girls’ division, Mansfield took second in the team standings despite having four of the best runners in the district. Olivia Bouse was second overall at a season best 12:25.91. Faith Rainwater crossed at fourth in 13:25.69. McKenzie Griffin followed at seventh in 13:38.12 while Harleigh Mars took eighth place in 13:38.96.
“It was disappointing to do so well and fall short,” said Mackey, the coach of all four Tiger cross country teams. “We had some junior high kids that focused on other sports leaving us without a bell cow to rally around. But, I’m proud of the accomplishments of this team especially since they are so young.”
A blockade of Lamar Warriors matched or surpassed several of the Lady Tiger juniors. The results put them into first place with 28 points. Mansfield settled for the runner-up prize with 36 points when Jadellyn Wood, Hope Rainwater, and Lita Hecox completed the scoring and displacer points for the home team.
A similar fate fell on the Tiger junior boys. Lamar simply had to much depth and the district’s top two 3K runners.
Mansfield’s Ethan Chapman did what he could. But, the rookie eighth grade runner could only get within 37 seconds of the winning time. Chapman finished in third place.
“Ethan ran a heck of a race,” puffed his coach proudly. “He has a really good future in this sport. Running 1.8 miles in 11 minutes and 10 seconds is a pretty good accomplishment. Look for him to be a contender for years to come.”
Mansfield’s Steven Perez wasn’t far behind finishing in sixth at 11:40.26. Tyler Escalante also medaled as a top ten All-Conference runner with a ninth place mark of 12:01.98.
Levi Escalante missed the medal stand at eleventh (12:20.77) but climbed into the Tiger scoring five along with Dru Buckner at number thirteen (12:42.52).
Lamar was again the champion with 25 points in the junior boys’ race. Mansfield took home their second runner-up conference plaque on the night with a 42 point accumulation.
Tigers fall to Perryville after late rally
In their previous meeting, Perryville delivered Mansfield a punishing 40 – 13 defeat. This time around, Perryville dominated Mansfield with a 60 – 20 victory.Perryville got off to a good start with a 24-point offensive effort in the first half. That gave them a 24 – 6 advantage at the half. Perryville’s success only continued in the second half, where it racked up an additional 36 points.
The defeat brought Mansfield down to 2-6.
“We are making way too many mistakes on both sides of the ball. Too many turnovers at key points that flip the field position continue to plague our offense. Defensively we are missing too many tackles, we are passing up our run fits. . Until we eliminate the big play on the ground and finish the play, we will continue to struggle. That starts with me and the preparation we put in every week to work towards improvement. We are playing hard and the mistakes we are making are coming at full speed which is a positive especially for a group as young as we are.” – Coach Craig Bentley
Mansfield will square off against Atkins this Friday at 7:00 PM at home.
Hornet Jr High Volleyball takes Conference and District Championship
The junior high volleyball team at Hackett consists of some amazing 8th and 9th grade girls. Most of these athletes have only been playing volleyball since Hackett commenced a junior high volleyball team three years ago. This season’s record would fool you into thinking they’ve been playing this sport much longer. The Lady Hornets finished the 2017 season with a record of 25-2. In a blended conference, they played Lavaca, Booneville, Charleston, Waldron, Mansfield, Mena, Mulberry, and Paris and achieved a record of 15-1 and Conference Champs. They also played and beat Farmington, Dover, and UCA outside of their conference.
One of their many accomplishments this season included a Junior High tournament at Alma High School. The Lady Hornets finished 3rd overall in the tournament. This was a very impressive finish considering that Hackett is a 2A school and beat Van Buren, Bentonville, Siloam Springs, and Mount St. Mary, which are 6 and 7A schools, and lost to 7A Fayetteville in the semi-finals.
The girls’ greatest accomplishment of the season occurred just this past Saturday, October 14, in Paris, Arkansas, at the 3A District Tournament. The Hornets received the bye for being the #1 seed, and played the Charleston Lady Tigers in round two of District. The Lady Hornets defeated Charleston in just two sets, 25-19 and 25-19. In the finals, Hackett faced Paris who had handed the Hornets one of their only two losses. The determination and athletic ability of the Lady Hornets overtook the Paris Eagles, also beating them in two sets, 25-22 and 25-20, to seal the victory and the first ever District Championship.
Congrats, Ladies. GO HORNETS!
Danville Slaps the Hornets
Hackett was featured prominently on the scoreboard in its previous game, but it had difficulty even getting on the board against Danville this year. Hackett received a tough blow as it fell 21 – 6 to Danville.Danville’s defense put the team in a good position heading into the break, holding Hackett to a measly six points. That put Danville at a 7 – 6 advantage. Things continued to go its way in the second half, where the defense allowed a paltry zero points.
Hackett’s record fell to 4-2 after the loss. The win lifted Danville to 7-1.
Hackett will square off against Mountainburg this Friday at 7:00 PM.
Booneville Rolls the Bulldogs
The win got Booneville up to 6-1. Waldron’s record fell to 3-4 after the loss.
Waldron has been struggling to collect any significant yardage in its past three games, and the team will need to fix this ASAP if it wants to prevent more slippage.
Waldron will square off against Subiaco Academy this Friday at 7:00 PM.
Tigers CRUSH Two Rivers
In their previous meeting, Mansfield routed Two Rivers 40 – 2. This time around, Mansfield crushed Two Rivers winning 43 – 7.
Despite several players sidelined by injuries, the Tigers were successful in rising to the occasion by the motivation from the sidelines, and crowd. This victory lifted Mansfield to 2-5. The defeat kept Two Rivers winless and dragged its record down to 0-7.
Mansfield will look to defend its home turf against Perryville this Friday at 7:00 PM.
Congratulations to #21 Luke Hunsucker (overall), #20 Will Meadows (offensive), #71 Keaton Boyd (defensive) and #68 Hunter Haysmer (special teams) for being selected the Mansfield Football Players of the Game.
Constitution Park Grand Re-Opening Saturday
The City of Mansfield is celebrating the grand re-opening of Constitution Park on October 14, 2017 from 11:00am – 2:00pm.
State Representative Jon S. Eubanks, and State Senator Terry Rice assisted in grants to improve the park.
The park was originally dedicated at an opening ceremony with guest speaker, Senator Dale Bumpers, dedicated in honor of Henry Russell Heydenreich who served on the city council from 1970 -1988.
In 2015, members were appointed and the parks and recreation committee was reactivated. The membership has included the following during the three years since forming again.
Janet Musgrove, Jessie Manckey, Jennifer Pitts, Cheryl Davis, and Megan Hecox.
The committee reviewed each park’s status and developed a three year plan to improve the parks.
In Constitution Park, the plan included removing the old, unsafe wood structures, and planned work days. The wood structures were removed and the committee members, and volunteers painted the swing bars, benches, and other park fixtures.
The bathroom has been painted inside and out, and the sinks and facilities have been made ready to use.
New chains and seats have been installed on the swing set.
Grills have also been installed to be used by the park’s visitor’s.
Two grants have been obtained that provided funding for a quarter-mile walking trail ($45,000) and new playground equipment for 5-12 year old youth, (watching grant total of $29,500).
The committee is working towards solar lighting to replace the old gas lights. Price estimates for the lights are $100/each, and 10-12 are needed in total.
Plans for utilizing the tennis court are under review.
A fence along the one side of the baseball court has not been accomplished, but it is planned.
The Parks and Recreation Committee, and the Girl Scouts will be the hosts for this Saturday’s celebration.
Hot dogs, Water, Popcorn, and other snacks will be available.
There will be a drawing for a door prize about every 30 minutes. Games will include disc toss, horse shoes, bag toss, and a water balloon fight for ages 9-12. Winners in each area will receive a prize.
Parking is available near the Mansfield Fire Dept., and across the walk bridge.
5th/6th Grade Tiger Football Spotlight
We recently met with four young men from the Mansfield 5th/6th grade football team to learn more about them. Meet Zach Hayslip (Left), Tyler Turnipseed (Center), and Peyton Martin (Right).
1. Name: Zach Hayslip
2. Parents and Siblings: Wendy & Trent Hayslip, Brother –
3. Age/Grade: 11 years old
4. Hobbies: Playing XBOX, swimming, hanging out with friends, and playing sports
5. Favorite Athlete: Von Miller
6. Whose your Superhero: Ironman
7. Why do you play Football: I like playing as a team, and I can do that with Football
8. What’s your favorite thing about playing Football: N/A
9. What other sports do you like playing: Basketball
1. Name: Tyler Turnipseed
2. Parents and Siblings: Billy & Michelle Turnipseed, Braxton, and Londyn
3. Age/Grade: 12 years old
4. Hobbies: Xbox, playing sports
5. Favorite Athlete: Steph Curry
6. Whose your Superhero: Superman
7. Why do you play Football: Because I like it
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8. What’s your favorite thing about playing Football: Tackling
9. What other sports do you like playing: Basketball
1. Name: Peyton Martin
2. Parents and Siblings: Parents: Daniel and Summer Martin, Brother – Ethan Martin
3. Age/Grade: 11 years old
4. Hobbies: Playing sports, chess, clash of clans, hunting, and fishing
5. Favorite Athlete: Steph Curry
6. Whose your Superhero: Superman
7. Why do you play Football: To have fun
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8. What’s your favorite thing about playing Football: Scoring touch downs!
9. What other sports do you like playing: Baseball and Basketball
3rd/4th Grade Tiger Football Spotlight
We recently met with four young men from the Mansfield 3rd/4th grade football team to learn more about them. Meet Alex Hecox (Far Left), James “Critter” Bausley (2nd from Left), Rafe Jerry (2nd from Right), and Cooper Edwards (Far Right).
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1. Name: Alex Hecox
2. Parents and Siblings: Adam & Megan Hecox / Lita & Raine Hecox
3. Age/Grade: 9yr / 4th grade
4. Hobbies: Football, hunting, fishing, camping, legos
5. Favorite Athlete: LA Rams RB Todd Gurley
6. Whose your Superhero: The Flash
7. Why do you play Football: Because my dad played good & I want to play as good or better than he did
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8. What’s your favorite thing about playing Football: Hitting People
9. What other sports do you like playing: Only Football
1. Name: James Bausley (AKA critter)
2. Parents and Siblings: Kristy Bausley & Albert Haysmer, Lita Hecox & Gabe Haysmer
3. Age/Grade: 9yrs old 4th grade
4. Hobbies: Playing football, baseball, xbox, plating with my siblings, and cooking with my mom
5. Favorite Athlete: O’Dell Beckham JR
6. Whose your Superhero: The hulk
7. Why do you play Football: Cause i like it
8. What’s your favorite thing about playing Football: Getting to tackle people
9. What other sports do you like playing: Baseball
1. Name: Rafe Jerry
2. Parents and Siblings: Hal and Misty, sister-Gianna
3. Age/Grade: 9yrs old 4th grade
4. Hobbies: Playing video games, football and reading
5. Favorite Athlete: Austin Allen
6. Whose your Superhero: Jesus
7. Why do you play Football: It’s fun
8. What’s your favorite thing about playing Football: Hanging out with my friends
9. What other sports do you like playing: Just football
1. Name: Cooper Edwards
2. Parents and Siblings: Jason,Crystal,Elizabeth & Jalee Edwards
3. Age/Grade: 9 yrs old/4th grade
4. Hobbies: Hunting & Fishing
5. Favorite Athlete: Steph Curry
6. Whose your Superhero: Green Lantern
7. Why do you play Football: To be part of a team
8. What’s your favorite thing about playing Football: Quarterback & Hitting
9. What other sports do you like playing: Baseball & Basketball