By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Lady Panther volleyball team enjoyed a relatively successful weekend at the 12-team Russellville tournament. The Lady Panthers finished fifth overall after taking a two seed out of pool play and into the bracketed tournament.
Cabot started out playing nearby rival Lonoke and beat the Lady Jackrabbits 25-19 and 25-23. They then split with Springdale, winning game one 25-21 and losing game two 19-25. Afterwards they faced tournament host Russellville and lost 22-25 and 19-25.
“We played pretty decent I guess,” Cabot coach DeAnna Campbell said. “We won more games than we lost and we didn’t go home early. I’d like for us to get over that hump and really beat one of those 7A teams, but we’re getting closer and closer. We split our two games with Springdale but we got the higher seed in the tournament because we scored more overall points than they did. We played Russellville a lot closer than they did.”
Cabot went to bracket play and beat another 7A team and conference rival Little Rock Central. The Lady Panthers won the match 25-14 twice, but Campbell warns that the Lady Tigers will be a different team when Cabot goes to Central on Thursday.
“They didn’t look like they were giving their best effort,” Campbell said. “They had a kid go out with a concussion that had to go to the hospital. They didn’t look like they wanted to be there anymore. It was just a bad weekend all around for them. They’re going to be much tougher when we go there on Thursday and we’d better be ready for that.”
The Lady Panthers were knocked out of the tournament in a 2-1 loss to Bryant. While Cabot wasn’t happy about losing, it was significant that the Lady Panthers became the first squad to take a game off the Lady Hornets this season.
“She told me they had beaten everyone in three games,” Campbell said of Bryant’s coach. “They’re tall and athletic and have a senior lineup, so it was great for us to really dominate that one game.”
Scores in the match were 19-25, 25-16 and 8-15 for Bryant. The lost game against Cabot was a sign of things to come for the Hornets. Bryant went to sweep Russellville in the semifinals, but lost the tournament championship match in three games to Mount St. Mary’s.
The Lady Panthers played host to Mountain Home last night. Look for details of that match and Thursday’s match at Central in Saturday’s edition of The Leader.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
SPORT STORY >> Carlisle taking on improved Patriots
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Carlisle’s homecoming ceremonies will take place on Friday when the Bison kickoff 6-2A Conference play against Palestine-Wheatley at Fred C. Hardke Field.
The Bison (2-0) pulled off a dramatic 22-18 win last week at class 3A Osceola to finish its non-conference schedule.
This week’s challenge won’t be as daunting for Carlisle, but the Patriots have improved from last year’s 1-9 squad with a solid group of sophomores.
“Palestine’s a little better than they were last year,” said Carlisle coach Scott Waymire. “They have some young guys, and have a pretty good group from junior high last year. They’re playing some young linemen, but have two senior backs that they lead with.
“It’s one of those things where we’re going to come out and worry about us right now, because we have some things we need to work on to get better as a team. So those will be the things we’ll focus on this week.”
When asked what the team needs to work on in particular this week, one of the main things Waymire pointed out was finding players to step up and contribute. Injuries have already had an effect on Carlisle’s starters this season, and with some ofits key players banged up, more will be asked of the Bison’s underclassmen.
“We’re getting some of our younger guys some reps to get ready for (Palestine-Wheatley),” Waymire said. “We’re trying to get our number twos ready to go, because now some of our number twos were number three before we started the season. The injury bug’s got us, and we’re just trying to get solid two-deep.”
Junior all-state running back Bo Weddle was lost for the season after tearing his ACL in week two against Mountain Pine. Fellow junior Deron Ricks has carried the load for the Bison since Weddle’s injury.
Last week against the Seminoles, Ricks rushed 19 times for 137 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown. Versatile junior Justice Bryant splits time at receiver and running back on offense. Last week, Bryant contributed in the backfield with 14 carries for 44 yards.
Waymire mentioned that Jordan Sheets and a couple of sophomores could get plenty of reps this week at running back as well. Palestine-Wheatley (1-2) has already matched its win total from a year ago after beating class 3A’s Drew Central 44-20 in week two. Last week the Patriots lost to Piggott 36-6.
“They’re physical and they execute real well,” said Palestine-Wheatley coach Charles Sartin of Carlisle. “They have a lot of experience. Even without Bo they’re the team to beat and everybody knows it. We’re going to try to survive and get past them so we can move on to somebody we can handle.”
If the Bison hope to win big on Friday, the defense will have to focus on senior running backs Gabe Harris and Desmond Ray, who complement each other in the backfield. Harris rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown last year at East Poinsett County. Ray earned all-conference honors in 2011 after rushing for more than 800 yards as a junior.
“We’re better than we were last year,” Sartin said. “Most of the junior high kids moved up and they’re young and inexperienced, but we’re learning and we’re getting a little better every week.”
The Patriots’ numbers are up this year as well. Although Palestine-Wheatley doesn’t have as much depth as Carlisle – even with the number of injuries the Bison have had thus far – 22 players are on this year’s squad. In recent years, the Patriots average around 17.
Carlisle is too skilled all-around to have much trouble with Palestine-Wheatley. But with this week being homecoming, Waymire wants his team to stay focused on the task-at-hand, and not look ahead or get caught up in the festivities.
“One thing we’ll never do is take any opponent lightly or underestimate them,” Waymire said, “because I think that coach Sartin and his staff have gotten better. And they’re turning the corner. Last year they beat us in junior high. So their 10th-graders have a little confidence since beating us.
“We just have to come out and play. If we don’t come out and do our thing it doesn’t matter if we play Palestine or Osceola, we can get beat on any given night. So we’re going to focus on the things we need to do, and go from there.”
Leader sportswriter
Carlisle’s homecoming ceremonies will take place on Friday when the Bison kickoff 6-2A Conference play against Palestine-Wheatley at Fred C. Hardke Field.
The Bison (2-0) pulled off a dramatic 22-18 win last week at class 3A Osceola to finish its non-conference schedule.
This week’s challenge won’t be as daunting for Carlisle, but the Patriots have improved from last year’s 1-9 squad with a solid group of sophomores.
“Palestine’s a little better than they were last year,” said Carlisle coach Scott Waymire. “They have some young guys, and have a pretty good group from junior high last year. They’re playing some young linemen, but have two senior backs that they lead with.
“It’s one of those things where we’re going to come out and worry about us right now, because we have some things we need to work on to get better as a team. So those will be the things we’ll focus on this week.”
When asked what the team needs to work on in particular this week, one of the main things Waymire pointed out was finding players to step up and contribute. Injuries have already had an effect on Carlisle’s starters this season, and with some ofits key players banged up, more will be asked of the Bison’s underclassmen.
“We’re getting some of our younger guys some reps to get ready for (Palestine-Wheatley),” Waymire said. “We’re trying to get our number twos ready to go, because now some of our number twos were number three before we started the season. The injury bug’s got us, and we’re just trying to get solid two-deep.”
Junior all-state running back Bo Weddle was lost for the season after tearing his ACL in week two against Mountain Pine. Fellow junior Deron Ricks has carried the load for the Bison since Weddle’s injury.
Last week against the Seminoles, Ricks rushed 19 times for 137 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown. Versatile junior Justice Bryant splits time at receiver and running back on offense. Last week, Bryant contributed in the backfield with 14 carries for 44 yards.
Waymire mentioned that Jordan Sheets and a couple of sophomores could get plenty of reps this week at running back as well. Palestine-Wheatley (1-2) has already matched its win total from a year ago after beating class 3A’s Drew Central 44-20 in week two. Last week the Patriots lost to Piggott 36-6.
“They’re physical and they execute real well,” said Palestine-Wheatley coach Charles Sartin of Carlisle. “They have a lot of experience. Even without Bo they’re the team to beat and everybody knows it. We’re going to try to survive and get past them so we can move on to somebody we can handle.”
If the Bison hope to win big on Friday, the defense will have to focus on senior running backs Gabe Harris and Desmond Ray, who complement each other in the backfield. Harris rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown last year at East Poinsett County. Ray earned all-conference honors in 2011 after rushing for more than 800 yards as a junior.
“We’re better than we were last year,” Sartin said. “Most of the junior high kids moved up and they’re young and inexperienced, but we’re learning and we’re getting a little better every week.”
The Patriots’ numbers are up this year as well. Although Palestine-Wheatley doesn’t have as much depth as Carlisle – even with the number of injuries the Bison have had thus far – 22 players are on this year’s squad. In recent years, the Patriots average around 17.
Carlisle is too skilled all-around to have much trouble with Palestine-Wheatley. But with this week being homecoming, Waymire wants his team to stay focused on the task-at-hand, and not look ahead or get caught up in the festivities.
“One thing we’ll never do is take any opponent lightly or underestimate them,” Waymire said, “because I think that coach Sartin and his staff have gotten better. And they’re turning the corner. Last year they beat us in junior high. So their 10th-graders have a little confidence since beating us.
“We just have to come out and play. If we don’t come out and do our thing it doesn’t matter if we play Palestine or Osceola, we can get beat on any given night. So we’re going to focus on the things we need to do, and go from there.”
SPORTS STORY >> Jackrabbits’ and Panthers’ seasons alike
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
There have been a lot of similarities between Lonoke and Heber Springs early in the 2012 season.
Both teams lost their respective season openers to beatable teams, both had their week-two games washed away at halftime, and both the Jackrabbits and Panthers picked up their first wins of the season last week in 38-6 blowouts.
Those similarities will end this Friday when the Panthers visit James B. Abraham Stadium in Lonoke to begin the 4A-2 Conference schedule.
Offensive philosophy is another similarity between the two teams. Lonoke and Heber Springs are both based in a spread offense with the ability to go Wildcat at any time. For the Jackrabbits, that means using senior receiver D.J. Burton behind center, and for the Panthers, it’s senior receiver Clint Ligon.
“I think we’re very similar,” Lonoke coach Doug Bost said. “Both teams can run it or throw it.”
Heber Springs has the ability to go multiple offensively with a number of different passing and running formations. It could be the toughest test yet fora Lonoke defense that has shown drastic improvement after giving up 44 points to Star City in the season opener.
“We made a couple of personnel adjustments,” Bost said of the defense. “And after that first week, we came back and did a lot of hitting. We also changed a couple of things scheme wise to help with the new people who were in there, and so far, it’s worked out. Going up against about 15 different formations this week, it’s going to be important for them to recognize each one and be able to react to it.”
Lonoke enjoyed a balanced night offensively in last Friday’s big victory over Little Rock McClellan. Junior quarterback Grant Dewey completed 11 of 15 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone, while senior tailback Eric Williams carried 20 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns. On the receiving end, junior Blake Mack had five receptions for 112 yards and three touchdowns.
Leading the way defensively on Friday was defensive tackle Bubba Lewis, who recorded a sack along with being a leading tackler, and cornerback Kenny Simpson, who was in position to defend the pass all night, and even had a chance at a couple of interceptions.
“I was really proud of the way the kids came out in the first half,” Bost said. “The defense really came to play and held their offense to zero points in the first half.”
The 4A-2 Conference has been considered deep for a long time, and with the addition of Dollarway High School this season, it has made a tough league even tougher. The Panthers and Jackrabbits have usually been in the mix when it comes to determining playoff spots, making this game an important one for both schools.
“The way this conference is from top to bottom, every game is important,” Bost said. “We hope to have a good week of practice to get ready. Our seniors know how important conference games are, and we told them Saturday that it all starts on Monday to get ready for conference.”
Leader sportswriter
There have been a lot of similarities between Lonoke and Heber Springs early in the 2012 season.
Both teams lost their respective season openers to beatable teams, both had their week-two games washed away at halftime, and both the Jackrabbits and Panthers picked up their first wins of the season last week in 38-6 blowouts.
Those similarities will end this Friday when the Panthers visit James B. Abraham Stadium in Lonoke to begin the 4A-2 Conference schedule.
Offensive philosophy is another similarity between the two teams. Lonoke and Heber Springs are both based in a spread offense with the ability to go Wildcat at any time. For the Jackrabbits, that means using senior receiver D.J. Burton behind center, and for the Panthers, it’s senior receiver Clint Ligon.
“I think we’re very similar,” Lonoke coach Doug Bost said. “Both teams can run it or throw it.”
Heber Springs has the ability to go multiple offensively with a number of different passing and running formations. It could be the toughest test yet fora Lonoke defense that has shown drastic improvement after giving up 44 points to Star City in the season opener.
“We made a couple of personnel adjustments,” Bost said of the defense. “And after that first week, we came back and did a lot of hitting. We also changed a couple of things scheme wise to help with the new people who were in there, and so far, it’s worked out. Going up against about 15 different formations this week, it’s going to be important for them to recognize each one and be able to react to it.”
Lonoke enjoyed a balanced night offensively in last Friday’s big victory over Little Rock McClellan. Junior quarterback Grant Dewey completed 11 of 15 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone, while senior tailback Eric Williams carried 20 times for 162 yards and two touchdowns. On the receiving end, junior Blake Mack had five receptions for 112 yards and three touchdowns.
Leading the way defensively on Friday was defensive tackle Bubba Lewis, who recorded a sack along with being a leading tackler, and cornerback Kenny Simpson, who was in position to defend the pass all night, and even had a chance at a couple of interceptions.
“I was really proud of the way the kids came out in the first half,” Bost said. “The defense really came to play and held their offense to zero points in the first half.”
The 4A-2 Conference has been considered deep for a long time, and with the addition of Dollarway High School this season, it has made a tough league even tougher. The Panthers and Jackrabbits have usually been in the mix when it comes to determining playoff spots, making this game an important one for both schools.
“The way this conference is from top to bottom, every game is important,” Bost said. “We hope to have a good week of practice to get ready. Our seniors know how important conference games are, and we told them Saturday that it all starts on Monday to get ready for conference.”
SPORTS STORY >> Jacksonville excited to be at home
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Red Devils have officially played one home game this season, but they’ll technically be playing their home opener when they host Helena-West Helena Central this Friday to also open conference play. Jacksonville’s season opener at War Memorial Stadium counted as a home game for the Red Devils, but this week’s matchup against the Cougars will be the first game the team plays on its actual home field at Jan Crow Stadium.
The Red Devils saw drastic improvement in their ability to move the ball up and down the field in last week’s win over the Maumelle Hornets. As they open conference play this week at home against Helena-West Helena Central, they’ll need to work on completing those drives and getting the ball into the end zone.
Despite 404 total yards, Jacksonville scored just12 points in last week’s win. Quarterback Aaron Smith had his best game so far this season, running the spread option read to near perfection. He finished with 30 carries for 185 yards. He also passed for 162 yards. His best target was senior Kevin Richardson, who also had his best game, finishing with four catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.
“Those two guys, since the beginning of spring ball, have been our two go-to guys,” Jacksonville coach Rick Russell said. “We’ve seen some other guys step up, but we’ve been waiting for those two to break out. They’re seniors. They’re leaders on this football team and we need them to play like that for us to be at our best. That was great to see. Aaron was phenomenal. He made great reads, great decisions, great cuts. His performance Friday night was one of the best in the state. Our offense is getting better and better and when he makes good decisions, it can be hard to stop.”
There was still the problem with punching into the end zone. Russell believes he’s seen a work in progress so far, and expects that to continue this week.
“We’re going to have to play a complete game against a good team like Helena,” Russell said. “I think we played about 26 minutes of good football against Cabot, about 32 minutes against Benton and maybe 40 at Maumelle. So we’re getting closer to be where we want to be, and we’re going to be looking for a full 48 minutes this week. It’s conference time and that’s when you need to be at your best. That’s what those first three games are for, to get ready for this right here.”
Like Jacksonville, Helena-West Helena Central enters the game 1-2 against nonconference opponents. The Cougars have had very mixed results so far. The last two weeks have seen Central pitch a 41-0 shutout against Marianna, then lose 43-0 to 5A powerhouse Wynne. Russell doesn’t bother with what they’ve done so far.
“Helena is going to be big up front,” Russell said. “They’re going to have speed. Their wide receivers are definitely threats. The quarterback is mobile and executes the screens very well. We’re going to have to play great technique every play on defense. If there’s 80 plays in a game, we can do everything perfect for 75 of them, and Helena is the kind of team that can score four or five touchdowns on those other plays from anywhere on the field.”
Russell is more comfortable with the prospects of his team doing that after last week. The Red Devils held an athletic Maumelle team to just 185 total yards and one touchdown after giving up several big plays in a loss at Benton the week before.
“Anytime your opponent has athletes that can run, you can’t let them get started,” Russell said. “You have to stop them before they get to full speed. So we’re going to have to tackle well and get 11 hats on the football. I think we did a pretty good job of that for the most part at Maumelle. We’re going to have to be even better against Helena.”
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Red Devils have officially played one home game this season, but they’ll technically be playing their home opener when they host Helena-West Helena Central this Friday to also open conference play. Jacksonville’s season opener at War Memorial Stadium counted as a home game for the Red Devils, but this week’s matchup against the Cougars will be the first game the team plays on its actual home field at Jan Crow Stadium.
The Red Devils saw drastic improvement in their ability to move the ball up and down the field in last week’s win over the Maumelle Hornets. As they open conference play this week at home against Helena-West Helena Central, they’ll need to work on completing those drives and getting the ball into the end zone.
Despite 404 total yards, Jacksonville scored just12 points in last week’s win. Quarterback Aaron Smith had his best game so far this season, running the spread option read to near perfection. He finished with 30 carries for 185 yards. He also passed for 162 yards. His best target was senior Kevin Richardson, who also had his best game, finishing with four catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.
“Those two guys, since the beginning of spring ball, have been our two go-to guys,” Jacksonville coach Rick Russell said. “We’ve seen some other guys step up, but we’ve been waiting for those two to break out. They’re seniors. They’re leaders on this football team and we need them to play like that for us to be at our best. That was great to see. Aaron was phenomenal. He made great reads, great decisions, great cuts. His performance Friday night was one of the best in the state. Our offense is getting better and better and when he makes good decisions, it can be hard to stop.”
There was still the problem with punching into the end zone. Russell believes he’s seen a work in progress so far, and expects that to continue this week.
“We’re going to have to play a complete game against a good team like Helena,” Russell said. “I think we played about 26 minutes of good football against Cabot, about 32 minutes against Benton and maybe 40 at Maumelle. So we’re getting closer to be where we want to be, and we’re going to be looking for a full 48 minutes this week. It’s conference time and that’s when you need to be at your best. That’s what those first three games are for, to get ready for this right here.”
Like Jacksonville, Helena-West Helena Central enters the game 1-2 against nonconference opponents. The Cougars have had very mixed results so far. The last two weeks have seen Central pitch a 41-0 shutout against Marianna, then lose 43-0 to 5A powerhouse Wynne. Russell doesn’t bother with what they’ve done so far.
“Helena is going to be big up front,” Russell said. “They’re going to have speed. Their wide receivers are definitely threats. The quarterback is mobile and executes the screens very well. We’re going to have to play great technique every play on defense. If there’s 80 plays in a game, we can do everything perfect for 75 of them, and Helena is the kind of team that can score four or five touchdowns on those other plays from anywhere on the field.”
Russell is more comfortable with the prospects of his team doing that after last week. The Red Devils held an athletic Maumelle team to just 185 total yards and one touchdown after giving up several big plays in a loss at Benton the week before.
“Anytime your opponent has athletes that can run, you can’t let them get started,” Russell said. “You have to stop them before they get to full speed. So we’re going to have to tackle well and get 11 hats on the football. I think we did a pretty good job of that for the most part at Maumelle. We’re going to have to be even better against Helena.”
SPORTS STORY >> Panthers hosting Wildcats
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
One of the key tenants of football is to have a short memory. Things go wrong and you have to learn not to dwell on it and move on. When things go right, you have to learn not to bask in it and move on. When Cabot hosts North Little Rock on Friday to open 7A/6A East conference play, each team will be in one of those modes.
The home team will have to forget about the penalties, mistakes and turnovers that cost it a chance to beat rival Conway last Friday, while North Little Rock must guard against getting too comfortable after putting on its best performance to date in a 47-10 shellacking of a talented Pine Bluff team.
The Panthers are averaging about 360 yards per game, almost all on the ground, but in its first defeat last week, thwarted its own drives with procedure penalties, fumbled snaps and dropped passes.
“We shot ourselves in the foot with penalties,” Malham said of his team’s 31-21 loss. “We got down there close to the end zone a few times, got a couple of procedure penalties in a row, a fumbled snap. We had second and five and ended up with third and fifteen. Then of course we had the dropped pass in the end zone. You just can’t make mistakes like that and expect to beat good teams. We’ve got to move forward now and get some things corrected.”
North Little Rock gave up two long drives to start the game, but held the Zebras out of the end zone and gave up just three points. After making an adjustment, the Charging Wildcats dominated the rest of the game, scoring 47 unanswered points before giving up a mop-up touchdown late in the game.
The Wildcats were coming off a bad performance in its only loss of the season at Longview, Texas, so head coach Brad Bolding knows his team can’t afford to become overconfident.
“We keep it pretty low key,” Bolding said. “We don’t get too rambunctious. We’ve had a couple of letdowns where I don’t think we’ve kept the intensity up and we’ve worked on that I think we have that corrected.”
Cabot will also try to forget about last season’s game against North Little Rock. The Wildcats won that game 48-0 after leading just 7-0 with three minutes left in the first half.
Cabot fumbled the ball in the red zone then gave up a big play on the ensuing snap. The Panthers then fumbled the kickoff and gave up another score right before halftime.
Malham calls the last two quarters of that game the “worst half of Cabot football I’ve seen in a quite a while.”
That game, though, was the beginning of a turnaround for the Panthers. The offense began to perform well from that point and they entered last week’s game on a four-game winning streak.
“We started looking a lot better after that game last year,” Malham said. “This year I thought we’d made some significant improvement each game up until this last one. This one I almost want to say we took a step backwards. Hopefully we can get rid of some mistakes and give North Little Rock a run for their money.”
Conway beat Cabot on the ground. Running back Jeff Anderson carried 35 times for 210 yards as the Wampus Cats moved it up and down the field.
“They had a good running game and did to us what we like to do to people,” Malham said. “They held onto the ball and forced us to make plays when we had the chance. Both teams were up and down the field, they just got it in more times than we did.”
Conway’s success running the ball is a concern for Malham.
“It is a concern and it’s something we’re going to have to get better at because North Little Rock has just as many, probably more weapons than Conway,” Malham said. “(Altee) Tenpenny is not the only weapon they have. He didn’t even play against us last year and they’ve got them all back from last year too. It’s going to be a challenge to stop them but we’re going to do whatever we need to do to score points.”
Stopping Cabot’s offense has become a difficult task for opponents, even more difficult now that almost no one runs the same offense as the Panthers. North Little Rock did a superb job of stopping it last year, and Bolding believes it’s partly due to his team’s ability to simulate it in practice.
“We simulate it fairly well I think,” Bolding said. “From the standpoint that we have some big physical guys that give us a good look. We’ll work it about as well as we can but you’re never going to get it perfect. Other than we don’t really change up a lot of things as far as what we do in practice. The things we’re focusing on are the mental errors and mistakes we’re still making. Watching film of ourselves, there is still a lot of correcting that we need to do. So our main focus is really on ourselves. There are a few adjustments you have to make when you play a team like that, but we feel like if we can eliminate our own mistakes we can be pretty good. Our starting defense has only had 13 points scored on them all year, and really just six if you don’t count that bogus touchdown they gave Longview. These kids have a really nasty mentality. They like to get in there and mix it up. We like our defense.”
Leader sports editor
One of the key tenants of football is to have a short memory. Things go wrong and you have to learn not to dwell on it and move on. When things go right, you have to learn not to bask in it and move on. When Cabot hosts North Little Rock on Friday to open 7A/6A East conference play, each team will be in one of those modes.
The home team will have to forget about the penalties, mistakes and turnovers that cost it a chance to beat rival Conway last Friday, while North Little Rock must guard against getting too comfortable after putting on its best performance to date in a 47-10 shellacking of a talented Pine Bluff team.
The Panthers are averaging about 360 yards per game, almost all on the ground, but in its first defeat last week, thwarted its own drives with procedure penalties, fumbled snaps and dropped passes.
“We shot ourselves in the foot with penalties,” Malham said of his team’s 31-21 loss. “We got down there close to the end zone a few times, got a couple of procedure penalties in a row, a fumbled snap. We had second and five and ended up with third and fifteen. Then of course we had the dropped pass in the end zone. You just can’t make mistakes like that and expect to beat good teams. We’ve got to move forward now and get some things corrected.”
North Little Rock gave up two long drives to start the game, but held the Zebras out of the end zone and gave up just three points. After making an adjustment, the Charging Wildcats dominated the rest of the game, scoring 47 unanswered points before giving up a mop-up touchdown late in the game.
The Wildcats were coming off a bad performance in its only loss of the season at Longview, Texas, so head coach Brad Bolding knows his team can’t afford to become overconfident.
“We keep it pretty low key,” Bolding said. “We don’t get too rambunctious. We’ve had a couple of letdowns where I don’t think we’ve kept the intensity up and we’ve worked on that I think we have that corrected.”
Cabot will also try to forget about last season’s game against North Little Rock. The Wildcats won that game 48-0 after leading just 7-0 with three minutes left in the first half.
Cabot fumbled the ball in the red zone then gave up a big play on the ensuing snap. The Panthers then fumbled the kickoff and gave up another score right before halftime.
Malham calls the last two quarters of that game the “worst half of Cabot football I’ve seen in a quite a while.”
That game, though, was the beginning of a turnaround for the Panthers. The offense began to perform well from that point and they entered last week’s game on a four-game winning streak.
“We started looking a lot better after that game last year,” Malham said. “This year I thought we’d made some significant improvement each game up until this last one. This one I almost want to say we took a step backwards. Hopefully we can get rid of some mistakes and give North Little Rock a run for their money.”
Conway beat Cabot on the ground. Running back Jeff Anderson carried 35 times for 210 yards as the Wampus Cats moved it up and down the field.
“They had a good running game and did to us what we like to do to people,” Malham said. “They held onto the ball and forced us to make plays when we had the chance. Both teams were up and down the field, they just got it in more times than we did.”
Conway’s success running the ball is a concern for Malham.
“It is a concern and it’s something we’re going to have to get better at because North Little Rock has just as many, probably more weapons than Conway,” Malham said. “(Altee) Tenpenny is not the only weapon they have. He didn’t even play against us last year and they’ve got them all back from last year too. It’s going to be a challenge to stop them but we’re going to do whatever we need to do to score points.”
Stopping Cabot’s offense has become a difficult task for opponents, even more difficult now that almost no one runs the same offense as the Panthers. North Little Rock did a superb job of stopping it last year, and Bolding believes it’s partly due to his team’s ability to simulate it in practice.
“We simulate it fairly well I think,” Bolding said. “From the standpoint that we have some big physical guys that give us a good look. We’ll work it about as well as we can but you’re never going to get it perfect. Other than we don’t really change up a lot of things as far as what we do in practice. The things we’re focusing on are the mental errors and mistakes we’re still making. Watching film of ourselves, there is still a lot of correcting that we need to do. So our main focus is really on ourselves. There are a few adjustments you have to make when you play a team like that, but we feel like if we can eliminate our own mistakes we can be pretty good. Our starting defense has only had 13 points scored on them all year, and really just six if you don’t count that bogus touchdown they gave Longview. These kids have a really nasty mentality. They like to get in there and mix it up. We like our defense.”
Saturday, September 15, 2012
SPORTS STORY >> Linton’s first start comes against ’Bama
By NATE ALLEN
Special to The Leader
FAYETTEVILLE - The Arkansas Razorbacks are down to their last true fullback.
So that fullback, third-year sophomore walk-on Morgan Linton of Lonoke, rather than the offensive lineman, linebacker and tight end also practicing at fullback, is the first fullback that Arkansas running backs coach Tim Horton plans to use against Alabama.
Arkansas, 1-1, is minus injured fullbacks Kiero Small and Kody Walker as it prepares to meet the 2-0 reigning national champion Crimson Tide in Saturday’s 2:30 p.m televised opener for both teams at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Lack of proven fullbacks, with Small breaking his foot in practice last week and Walker breaking his leg against Lousiana-Monroe, perhaps contributed to the Razorbacks’ reluctance to run the ball as their 28-7 lead with 9:44 left in the third quarter withered to a 34-31 overtime loss against the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks in Little Rock.
Linton, practicing in a yellow caution jersey most of last week, was just minor role player last Saturday.
Now the sturdy 5-11, 240-pounder apparently is healed and ready to go.
“Morgan Linton is now our starting fullback,” Horton said after Wednesday’s practice, “and we’re taking a look at Grady Ollison (the redshirt freshman offensive lineman from Malvern) and we’re also taking a look at Austin Jones (the linebacker transfer from the Air Force Academy) from the defensive side of the ball.”
Austin Tate,the junior tight end from Harrison, who has played some H-back in the past, also has been discussed as a fullback possibility but as the team’s best blocking tight end he’s usually already in the game for obvious short-yardage running situations requiring a fullback.
Lead blocking for the tailback in short yardage is the obvious fullback priority.
But the fullback can be involved in a myriad of other blocking aspects including picking up blitzes, serving as a safety valve receiver and occasional ballcarrier and primary receiver.
“There’s a learning curve for Grady and Austin,” Horton said. “Obviously, Morgan knows what to do and he’ll step in and perform well. He’ll do good. We’ve got a lot of confidence in Morgan. But we sure don’t need to get anybody else hurt. We’re kind of running out.”
If want-to alone could do it, Linton would get it done for Arkansas.
Growing up in Lonoke he never can remember not wanting to be a Razorback. So much so that he paid his own collegiate way at Arkansas over offers for a full scholarship ride to some smaller schools.
“I had scholarship offers from a few smaller schools around the state,” Linton said during the August preseason. “But I am a lifelong Hog fan. It’s been my dream ever since I was a little kid to be a Razorback. To be able to come up here and run through the A and fulfill that dream has definitely been incredible for me.”
Special to The Leader
FAYETTEVILLE - The Arkansas Razorbacks are down to their last true fullback.
So that fullback, third-year sophomore walk-on Morgan Linton of Lonoke, rather than the offensive lineman, linebacker and tight end also practicing at fullback, is the first fullback that Arkansas running backs coach Tim Horton plans to use against Alabama.
Arkansas, 1-1, is minus injured fullbacks Kiero Small and Kody Walker as it prepares to meet the 2-0 reigning national champion Crimson Tide in Saturday’s 2:30 p.m televised opener for both teams at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Lack of proven fullbacks, with Small breaking his foot in practice last week and Walker breaking his leg against Lousiana-Monroe, perhaps contributed to the Razorbacks’ reluctance to run the ball as their 28-7 lead with 9:44 left in the third quarter withered to a 34-31 overtime loss against the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks in Little Rock.
Linton, practicing in a yellow caution jersey most of last week, was just minor role player last Saturday.
Now the sturdy 5-11, 240-pounder apparently is healed and ready to go.
“Morgan Linton is now our starting fullback,” Horton said after Wednesday’s practice, “and we’re taking a look at Grady Ollison (the redshirt freshman offensive lineman from Malvern) and we’re also taking a look at Austin Jones (the linebacker transfer from the Air Force Academy) from the defensive side of the ball.”
Austin Tate,the junior tight end from Harrison, who has played some H-back in the past, also has been discussed as a fullback possibility but as the team’s best blocking tight end he’s usually already in the game for obvious short-yardage running situations requiring a fullback.
Lead blocking for the tailback in short yardage is the obvious fullback priority.
But the fullback can be involved in a myriad of other blocking aspects including picking up blitzes, serving as a safety valve receiver and occasional ballcarrier and primary receiver.
“There’s a learning curve for Grady and Austin,” Horton said. “Obviously, Morgan knows what to do and he’ll step in and perform well. He’ll do good. We’ve got a lot of confidence in Morgan. But we sure don’t need to get anybody else hurt. We’re kind of running out.”
If want-to alone could do it, Linton would get it done for Arkansas.
Growing up in Lonoke he never can remember not wanting to be a Razorback. So much so that he paid his own collegiate way at Arkansas over offers for a full scholarship ride to some smaller schools.
“I had scholarship offers from a few smaller schools around the state,” Linton said during the August preseason. “But I am a lifelong Hog fan. It’s been my dream ever since I was a little kid to be a Razorback. To be able to come up here and run through the A and fulfill that dream has definitely been incredible for me.”
SPORTS STORY >> Conway pulls away late, defeats Cabot
By DAVID McCOLLUM
Special to The Leader
CONWAY — The Cabot Panthers moved up and down the field all night on Conway, but fell apart a few times in the red zone, dropping a 31-21 decision to the Wampus Cats at John McConnell Stadium on Friday. An interception in the end zone, a fumble and penalties all hampered good Panther drives and left the visiting team scoreless on three occasions.
Wampus Cat running back Jeff Anderson rushed for 219 yards on 25 carries and Conway came up with big plays on fourth downs on the way to the victory.
The Wampus Cats (2-0) played their first four-quarter game of the season after having games called off early because of lightning the first two weeks. Cabot fell to 2-1.
With most of the game played in a steady rain, the Wampus Cats were engaged in a old-style Cabot-Conway grind-it-out contest when Kevasia Tate turned the game around late in the third quarter. After Cabot had drawn within 17-14 on a 7-yard run by Kyle Edgar, the Conway defender tossed about Edgar on a sweep on fourth down and recovered the resulting fumble at the Conway 45.
Four plays later, quarterback Cody Rhodes found Brandon Cox all alone behind the Cabot defense for a 43-yard gain. Anderson scored from 4 yards out on third and one to put Conway up 24-14 with 8:25 left.
After the Panthers failed to convert on fourth down, T.J. Ruth gave the Cats some breathing room with a 16-yard run. Cabot scored in the final minute on a 29-yard run by Zachary Launius, who led the Panthers with 133 yards rushing.
The first half featured long drives by each team.
The Cats took the lead on their second possession, driving 91 yards in 10 plays using a steady dose of Anderson, who set up the touchdown with a 34-yard run. Brannon Kotch, an offensive lineman running from Conway’s “Big Cat” formation, scored from a yard out to put the Wampus Cats up 7-0 with 1:18 left in the first quarter.
Cabot drove to the Conway 23 but had a wide open receiver drop a probable touchdown pass on fourth down. The ’Cats then used Anderson, Kotch and Brandon Cox on a steady drive to the Cabot 15, where Matt Cummins booted a 32-yard field goal. Devin Dooley made a diving interception on fourth and inches at the Wampus Cats 30 to preserve Conway’s 10-0 lead going into halftime.
Cabot came back with its traditional grinding offense to drive 70 yards in 11 plays to draw with 10-7 with 7:31 left. The Panthers scored on a fourth-down pass from Kason Kimbrell to Keith Pledger.
With the rain subsiding, the Cats opened up their offense with Rhodes passing 37 yards to Cox and 19 yards to Austin Morgan to set up Anderson’s 14-yard run to extend Conway’s lead to 17-7 with 6:26 left in the third.
Cabot came back with a 47-yard drive with Edgar scoring on a sweep to pull within 17-14 with 4:26 left in the third.
Next week, the Panthers will open their 7A/6A East Conference schedule with a home game against North Little Rock at Panther Stadium. The Charging Wildcats improved to 2-1 with a 47-10 bludgeoning of Pine Bluff on Friday.
The Wampus Cats will begin 7A/6A Central Conference play on the road at Russellville next week. The Cyclones fell to 2-1 on the season with a heartbreaking 17-14 loss to Alma on Friday.
Special to The Leader
CONWAY — The Cabot Panthers moved up and down the field all night on Conway, but fell apart a few times in the red zone, dropping a 31-21 decision to the Wampus Cats at John McConnell Stadium on Friday. An interception in the end zone, a fumble and penalties all hampered good Panther drives and left the visiting team scoreless on three occasions.
Wampus Cat running back Jeff Anderson rushed for 219 yards on 25 carries and Conway came up with big plays on fourth downs on the way to the victory.
The Wampus Cats (2-0) played their first four-quarter game of the season after having games called off early because of lightning the first two weeks. Cabot fell to 2-1.
With most of the game played in a steady rain, the Wampus Cats were engaged in a old-style Cabot-Conway grind-it-out contest when Kevasia Tate turned the game around late in the third quarter. After Cabot had drawn within 17-14 on a 7-yard run by Kyle Edgar, the Conway defender tossed about Edgar on a sweep on fourth down and recovered the resulting fumble at the Conway 45.
Four plays later, quarterback Cody Rhodes found Brandon Cox all alone behind the Cabot defense for a 43-yard gain. Anderson scored from 4 yards out on third and one to put Conway up 24-14 with 8:25 left.
After the Panthers failed to convert on fourth down, T.J. Ruth gave the Cats some breathing room with a 16-yard run. Cabot scored in the final minute on a 29-yard run by Zachary Launius, who led the Panthers with 133 yards rushing.
The first half featured long drives by each team.
The Cats took the lead on their second possession, driving 91 yards in 10 plays using a steady dose of Anderson, who set up the touchdown with a 34-yard run. Brannon Kotch, an offensive lineman running from Conway’s “Big Cat” formation, scored from a yard out to put the Wampus Cats up 7-0 with 1:18 left in the first quarter.
Cabot drove to the Conway 23 but had a wide open receiver drop a probable touchdown pass on fourth down. The ’Cats then used Anderson, Kotch and Brandon Cox on a steady drive to the Cabot 15, where Matt Cummins booted a 32-yard field goal. Devin Dooley made a diving interception on fourth and inches at the Wampus Cats 30 to preserve Conway’s 10-0 lead going into halftime.
Cabot came back with its traditional grinding offense to drive 70 yards in 11 plays to draw with 10-7 with 7:31 left. The Panthers scored on a fourth-down pass from Kason Kimbrell to Keith Pledger.
With the rain subsiding, the Cats opened up their offense with Rhodes passing 37 yards to Cox and 19 yards to Austin Morgan to set up Anderson’s 14-yard run to extend Conway’s lead to 17-7 with 6:26 left in the third.
Cabot came back with a 47-yard drive with Edgar scoring on a sweep to pull within 17-14 with 4:26 left in the third.
Next week, the Panthers will open their 7A/6A East Conference schedule with a home game against North Little Rock at Panther Stadium. The Charging Wildcats improved to 2-1 with a 47-10 bludgeoning of Pine Bluff on Friday.
The Wampus Cats will begin 7A/6A Central Conference play on the road at Russellville next week. The Cyclones fell to 2-1 on the season with a heartbreaking 17-14 loss to Alma on Friday.
SPORTS STORY >> Zebras no match against Wildcats
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The North Little Rock Charging Wildcats made the most of their home opener and made a statement to the state by hammering previously undefeated Pine Bluff 47-10 Friday at Charging Wildcat Stadium in what had been billed as the Bolding Bowl.
North Little Rock coach Brad Bolding finally got a win over older brother Bobby after two previous meetings. The two downplayed the rivalry all week, but Brad Bolding let it be known there was some spirited competition.
“We’ve been blowing that off,” the younger Bolding said. “Obviously he’s put a thumping on me a couple times and it feels good to do that to him. He’s got a very good football team.”
Bobby Bolding said he wanted his Zebras to control the football and keep North Little Rock’s offensive athletes off the field. His team executed that strategy perfectly in the first quarter and still found itself down 20-3 at the end of it.
Special teams was a point of focus all week for the Wildcats after giving up most of the 30 points it allowed in last week’s loss to Longview, Tex. in the kicking game.
North Little Rock’s work on the kicking game became apparent on its first kickoff return. Sophomore Fabian Lewis took the kick at the 6-yard line on the left side, ran to his right, faked a reverse to Rodney Bryson and raced 94 yards for the game’s first touchdown.
“That was our main focus after last week when we should have won the game,” Bolding said. “We really concentrated on special teams, playing full speed, changed some personnel. That was a sophomore that returned that and I’m real proud of him. We thought we could set it up with Altee and draw attention to him. Of course our wall did a great job of setting up. We just celebrated behind him and didn’t do anything stupid.”
The special teams work wasn’t evident early on, as Pine Bluff ran the opening kickoff to the Wildcat 47.
From there the Zebras got a 29-yard run by tailback Walter Ashley, but had to settle for a35-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 10:13 left in the first quarter.
That was almost all of Pine Bluff’s highlights as North Little Rock began the onslaught with Lewis’ touchdown.
Pine Bluff then had its best drive of the game but it came up fruitless. The Zebras went 59 yards in 15 plays, converting four third downs, all of which were more than 10 yards. The Wildcats finally stopped them at the 11-yard line, where Pine Bluff missed a 28-yard field goal.
On North Little Rock’s first play, Altee Tenpenny took the sweep left and went 80 yards for the score. Sandy Burk’s extra point made it 14-3 with 2:50 left in the first quarter.
Pine Bluff let the ensuing kickoff drop and it bounced over Ashley’s head. He collided with a teammate trying to retrieve the ball and Bryson covered it at the Zebra 15-yard line.
On the next play, Tenpenny took another sweep left and ran untouched for the score. The extra point was no good, leaving it 20-3 with 2:36 left in the opening quarter.
Pine Bluff had the ball for 13:47 of the 15-minute first quarter.
Things got worse for Pine Bluff in the second quarter. Pine Bluff was held to three and out on its first possession of the second and punted the ball back to North Little Rock.
The Wildcats started on their own 34 and went on their only long drive of the game. It took the hosts 13 plays to go the 66 yards for the score. Tenpenny got the last two carries, going eight yards apiece and scoring his third touchdown with 5:21 left in the first half.
On the second play of Pine Bluff’s next drive, Martinez Butler picked off a Clements pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown, but it was called back for an illegal block. The Wildcats started at the Pine Bluff 36 and needed just four plays to score. Tenpenny got the call again at the 17-yard line. He danced up the middle, cut to his left, dodged one tackler and scampered in for his fourth touchdown of the game.
North Little Rock went for two and converted a throwback pass to Cameron Williams to go into halftime up 35-3.
The second half belonged to the other talented running back, Juan Day. The 6-foot, 2-inch junior scored both of North Little Rock’s touchdowns in the second half. The Wildcats took the opening kickoff at their own 35 and drove to the Pine Bluff 20-yard line in just five plays. The key play was a 21-yard pass and catch from sophomore quarterback Heath Land to senior wideout Evan Peters on third and 6.
Junior fullback Deion Tidwell rumbled 9 yards on first down setting up Day’s 20-yard scoring run up the middle.
The extra point was blocked, leaving it 41-3 with 9:43 left in the third quarter and the sportsmanship clock rule in effect.
Pine Bluff fumbled the ball on its first play of the ensuing possession. Nose guard Javian Williams drilled Pine Bluff fullback Kelvin Sergeant to jar the ball loose. Sophomore Roderick Jefferson covered it at the Pine Bluff 38-yard line.
The Wildcats kept it on the ground and got it to the Pine Bluff 8-yard line with first and goal, but went backwards from there. Tenpenny was dropped for an 8-yard loss with a holding penalty tacked onto the lost yardage. It set up first and goal from the 26. After two more plays, Day plowed up the middle from 15 yards out for the Wildcats’ final touchdown of the game.
Pine Bluff finally got into the end zone with a 3-yard run by junior Trever Hunt with two minutes left in the game.
Tenpenny finished with 17 carries for 147 yards and four touchdowns. Day finished with six carries for 51 yards and two scores.
The Charging Wildcats had 315 total yards to 211 for Pine Bluff.
Ashley, Pine Bluff’s college prospect running back, ran for 29 yards on his first carry, but finished with six carries for 32 yards.
North Little Rock, 2-1, begins 7A/6A East conference play on the road at Cabot. The Zebras, 2-1, will host Texarkana in their opening game in the 7A/6A South.
Leader sports editor
The North Little Rock Charging Wildcats made the most of their home opener and made a statement to the state by hammering previously undefeated Pine Bluff 47-10 Friday at Charging Wildcat Stadium in what had been billed as the Bolding Bowl.
North Little Rock coach Brad Bolding finally got a win over older brother Bobby after two previous meetings. The two downplayed the rivalry all week, but Brad Bolding let it be known there was some spirited competition.
“We’ve been blowing that off,” the younger Bolding said. “Obviously he’s put a thumping on me a couple times and it feels good to do that to him. He’s got a very good football team.”
Bobby Bolding said he wanted his Zebras to control the football and keep North Little Rock’s offensive athletes off the field. His team executed that strategy perfectly in the first quarter and still found itself down 20-3 at the end of it.
Special teams was a point of focus all week for the Wildcats after giving up most of the 30 points it allowed in last week’s loss to Longview, Tex. in the kicking game.
North Little Rock’s work on the kicking game became apparent on its first kickoff return. Sophomore Fabian Lewis took the kick at the 6-yard line on the left side, ran to his right, faked a reverse to Rodney Bryson and raced 94 yards for the game’s first touchdown.
“That was our main focus after last week when we should have won the game,” Bolding said. “We really concentrated on special teams, playing full speed, changed some personnel. That was a sophomore that returned that and I’m real proud of him. We thought we could set it up with Altee and draw attention to him. Of course our wall did a great job of setting up. We just celebrated behind him and didn’t do anything stupid.”
The special teams work wasn’t evident early on, as Pine Bluff ran the opening kickoff to the Wildcat 47.
From there the Zebras got a 29-yard run by tailback Walter Ashley, but had to settle for a35-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 10:13 left in the first quarter.
That was almost all of Pine Bluff’s highlights as North Little Rock began the onslaught with Lewis’ touchdown.
Pine Bluff then had its best drive of the game but it came up fruitless. The Zebras went 59 yards in 15 plays, converting four third downs, all of which were more than 10 yards. The Wildcats finally stopped them at the 11-yard line, where Pine Bluff missed a 28-yard field goal.
On North Little Rock’s first play, Altee Tenpenny took the sweep left and went 80 yards for the score. Sandy Burk’s extra point made it 14-3 with 2:50 left in the first quarter.
Pine Bluff let the ensuing kickoff drop and it bounced over Ashley’s head. He collided with a teammate trying to retrieve the ball and Bryson covered it at the Zebra 15-yard line.
On the next play, Tenpenny took another sweep left and ran untouched for the score. The extra point was no good, leaving it 20-3 with 2:36 left in the opening quarter.
Pine Bluff had the ball for 13:47 of the 15-minute first quarter.
Things got worse for Pine Bluff in the second quarter. Pine Bluff was held to three and out on its first possession of the second and punted the ball back to North Little Rock.
The Wildcats started on their own 34 and went on their only long drive of the game. It took the hosts 13 plays to go the 66 yards for the score. Tenpenny got the last two carries, going eight yards apiece and scoring his third touchdown with 5:21 left in the first half.
On the second play of Pine Bluff’s next drive, Martinez Butler picked off a Clements pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown, but it was called back for an illegal block. The Wildcats started at the Pine Bluff 36 and needed just four plays to score. Tenpenny got the call again at the 17-yard line. He danced up the middle, cut to his left, dodged one tackler and scampered in for his fourth touchdown of the game.
North Little Rock went for two and converted a throwback pass to Cameron Williams to go into halftime up 35-3.
The second half belonged to the other talented running back, Juan Day. The 6-foot, 2-inch junior scored both of North Little Rock’s touchdowns in the second half. The Wildcats took the opening kickoff at their own 35 and drove to the Pine Bluff 20-yard line in just five plays. The key play was a 21-yard pass and catch from sophomore quarterback Heath Land to senior wideout Evan Peters on third and 6.
Junior fullback Deion Tidwell rumbled 9 yards on first down setting up Day’s 20-yard scoring run up the middle.
The extra point was blocked, leaving it 41-3 with 9:43 left in the third quarter and the sportsmanship clock rule in effect.
Pine Bluff fumbled the ball on its first play of the ensuing possession. Nose guard Javian Williams drilled Pine Bluff fullback Kelvin Sergeant to jar the ball loose. Sophomore Roderick Jefferson covered it at the Pine Bluff 38-yard line.
The Wildcats kept it on the ground and got it to the Pine Bluff 8-yard line with first and goal, but went backwards from there. Tenpenny was dropped for an 8-yard loss with a holding penalty tacked onto the lost yardage. It set up first and goal from the 26. After two more plays, Day plowed up the middle from 15 yards out for the Wildcats’ final touchdown of the game.
Pine Bluff finally got into the end zone with a 3-yard run by junior Trever Hunt with two minutes left in the game.
Tenpenny finished with 17 carries for 147 yards and four touchdowns. Day finished with six carries for 51 yards and two scores.
The Charging Wildcats had 315 total yards to 211 for Pine Bluff.
Ashley, Pine Bluff’s college prospect running back, ran for 29 yards on his first carry, but finished with six carries for 32 yards.
North Little Rock, 2-1, begins 7A/6A East conference play on the road at Cabot. The Zebras, 2-1, will host Texarkana in their opening game in the 7A/6A South.
SPORTS STORY >> Panthers earn their first win in 7A East
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot volleyball players have been the road warriors since conference play began last week. Three of its first four games have been on the road, but a lengthy trip garnered a victory when the Lady Panthers beat West Memphis in straight sets. It was Cabot’s first league win of the season, but the jubilation didn’t last. The Lady Panthers packed up and went to Jonesboro on Thursday where they were beaten in straight sets by the Golden Hurricanes.
Cabot coach Deanne Campbell still thinks her junior-laden team can build on its first 7A/6A East victory.
“Jonesboro is so good and so experienced, we’re just not where they are yet, but we’re getting there,” Campbell said. “Against West Memphis I feel like fundamentally, it was the best we’ve looked.”
Tuesday’s win over the Lady Blue Devils was Cabot’s from start to finish. The Lady Panthers won by scores of 25-16 and 25-15 twice. Juniors Lakin Best and Bailea Uhiren continued to lead the team in kills with senior Brilee Staten setting the hits. But junior Raven Gilbert is becoming a contributor as well.
“Gilbert is starting to get some time with varsity because her swing is really coming along,” Campbell said. “We have a lot of players that have really improved, including our varsity players. West Memphis was the first time we’ve come out and taken control and been in control the whole match. There have been moments against even some of the top teams when we’ve taken control, but then couldn’t hold it. But in that match our blocks were there, our sets were there, passes, serves. It was a really good outing.”
Cabot played closely with the Lady Hurricane, save for one exception. Jonesboro’s Nikki Tagupa’s serve was more than the Lady Panthers could handle. In each of the three games, the score was even when Tagupa took serve and scored eight-straight points.
“She has a really sharp curve on her serve and we’ve never seen anything like that,” Campbell said. “That’s what I mean by the experience other teams have. One of my best seniors came up to me during the match and said, ‘coach I’ve never seen that before.’ That was a learning experience and something that’s just going to make us better. The great thing about this group is they never get down and never quit. After a loss, they talk and try to figure how they can learn and get better from it.”
The traveling Panthers aren’t finished with the windshield time just yet. They take part in the Russellville tournament today. Cabot’s is pooled with Russellville, Lonoke and Springdale and its first match is at 9 a.m.
The second pool consists of Bryant, Alma, Waldron and CAC, while the final pool features Morrilton, Little Rock Central, Beebe and Mount St. Mary’s. The Lady Panthers finally play home match on Tuesday when they take on Mountain Home.
Leader sports editor
The Cabot volleyball players have been the road warriors since conference play began last week. Three of its first four games have been on the road, but a lengthy trip garnered a victory when the Lady Panthers beat West Memphis in straight sets. It was Cabot’s first league win of the season, but the jubilation didn’t last. The Lady Panthers packed up and went to Jonesboro on Thursday where they were beaten in straight sets by the Golden Hurricanes.
Cabot coach Deanne Campbell still thinks her junior-laden team can build on its first 7A/6A East victory.
“Jonesboro is so good and so experienced, we’re just not where they are yet, but we’re getting there,” Campbell said. “Against West Memphis I feel like fundamentally, it was the best we’ve looked.”
Tuesday’s win over the Lady Blue Devils was Cabot’s from start to finish. The Lady Panthers won by scores of 25-16 and 25-15 twice. Juniors Lakin Best and Bailea Uhiren continued to lead the team in kills with senior Brilee Staten setting the hits. But junior Raven Gilbert is becoming a contributor as well.
“Gilbert is starting to get some time with varsity because her swing is really coming along,” Campbell said. “We have a lot of players that have really improved, including our varsity players. West Memphis was the first time we’ve come out and taken control and been in control the whole match. There have been moments against even some of the top teams when we’ve taken control, but then couldn’t hold it. But in that match our blocks were there, our sets were there, passes, serves. It was a really good outing.”
Cabot played closely with the Lady Hurricane, save for one exception. Jonesboro’s Nikki Tagupa’s serve was more than the Lady Panthers could handle. In each of the three games, the score was even when Tagupa took serve and scored eight-straight points.
“She has a really sharp curve on her serve and we’ve never seen anything like that,” Campbell said. “That’s what I mean by the experience other teams have. One of my best seniors came up to me during the match and said, ‘coach I’ve never seen that before.’ That was a learning experience and something that’s just going to make us better. The great thing about this group is they never get down and never quit. After a loss, they talk and try to figure how they can learn and get better from it.”
The traveling Panthers aren’t finished with the windshield time just yet. They take part in the Russellville tournament today. Cabot’s is pooled with Russellville, Lonoke and Springdale and its first match is at 9 a.m.
The second pool consists of Bryant, Alma, Waldron and CAC, while the final pool features Morrilton, Little Rock Central, Beebe and Mount St. Mary’s. The Lady Panthers finally play home match on Tuesday when they take on Mountain Home.
SPORTS STORY >> Red Devils escape Maumelle
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The wet conditions meant sloppy football at times in Jacksonville’s week three non-conference matchup against Class 4A Maumelle, but the Red Devils found a way to get it done as they beat the Hornets 12-7 Friday night in Maumelle.
Jacksonville (1-2) earned the win by putting together a solid team effort, but the two biggest playmakers on the field were to no surprise the biggest contributors. Senior quarterback Aaron Smith and receiver/defensive back Kevin Richardson made play-after-play throughout the game that helped the Red Devils clinch the win.
“They were outstanding tonight,” said Jacksonville coach Rick Russell about Smith and Richardson’s play. “That’s the way we expect them to play. That’s the ability level they have and the integrity they have as kids. They should shine every Friday night.
“We challenged them this week. We said we want to see your names in the 5A (category) of the best performances in the state, because that’s the caliber of kids that you are. And we need you to start performing at that level,’ and tonight they did.”
Smith completed 50 percent of his passes for 162 yards and one touchdown with one interception. He also finished the game with 30 carries for 180 yards rushing and one touchdown. Smith’s first touchdown on the ground was also the first score of the game.
With 7:04 to play in the half, Smith capped off a nine-play drive with a one-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper. The extra point attempt was no good, to leave the score 6-0 Jacksonville.
The Hornets (0-2) were able to move the ball on the ensuing drive after picking up three first downs, but on fourth and long at the Jacksonville 40, Maumelle attempted a fake punt that backfired for a one-yard loss.
Jacksonville turned the ball over on downs its next possession, and after a Maumelle three-and-out, Jacksonville coasted to halftime with a 6-0 lead.
Maumelle showed promise in the second half after sophomore corner Braylon Waits intercepted Smith’s pass at the Hornets’ 40-yard line. Waits returned the pick all the way to the Jacksonville 36. It took the Maumelle offense just four plays to find the end zone as senior quarterback Terry Rhoades hooked up with receiver Carson Pate for a 12-yard score.
Hunter Cockrell’s extra point was good and the Hornets led 7-6 with 4:20 to play in the third quarter. However, it took Jacksonville just three plays and precisely one minute of game play to score again.
On third-and-10, Smith found Richardson wide open down the visiting sideline and Richardson dashed 66 yards for the touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt was no good as Jacksonville held a 12-7 lead.
Maumelle’s offense came close to scoring on two separate drives late in the fourth quarter, but both possessions ended with an interception from Richardson at the Jacksonville six-yard line.
Richardson’s two late picks and Smith’s ability to move the chains with his feet on the Red Devils’ final drive allowed Jacksonville to run out the clock and get the win.
“They played hard,” Russell said of his team. “We still have some things to clean up, but they played hard. They played for 48 minutes tonight.
“I’m not talking about a complete game as far as minutes. I’m talking about a complete game as far as execution, and tonight I think there were some mistakes. But consistently we competed for 48 minutes tonight, and that’s what we were shooting for. That was our goal.”
The majority of Smith’s yards through the air went to Richardson, who had 135 yards receiving to go with his touchdown. Jacksonville totaled 393 yards of offense compared to Maumelle’s 185.
The Red Devils will begin their 5A Central Conference schedule next week against Helena-West Helena Central at home.
Leader sportswriter
The wet conditions meant sloppy football at times in Jacksonville’s week three non-conference matchup against Class 4A Maumelle, but the Red Devils found a way to get it done as they beat the Hornets 12-7 Friday night in Maumelle.
Jacksonville (1-2) earned the win by putting together a solid team effort, but the two biggest playmakers on the field were to no surprise the biggest contributors. Senior quarterback Aaron Smith and receiver/defensive back Kevin Richardson made play-after-play throughout the game that helped the Red Devils clinch the win.
“They were outstanding tonight,” said Jacksonville coach Rick Russell about Smith and Richardson’s play. “That’s the way we expect them to play. That’s the ability level they have and the integrity they have as kids. They should shine every Friday night.
“We challenged them this week. We said we want to see your names in the 5A (category) of the best performances in the state, because that’s the caliber of kids that you are. And we need you to start performing at that level,’ and tonight they did.”
Smith completed 50 percent of his passes for 162 yards and one touchdown with one interception. He also finished the game with 30 carries for 180 yards rushing and one touchdown. Smith’s first touchdown on the ground was also the first score of the game.
With 7:04 to play in the half, Smith capped off a nine-play drive with a one-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper. The extra point attempt was no good, to leave the score 6-0 Jacksonville.
The Hornets (0-2) were able to move the ball on the ensuing drive after picking up three first downs, but on fourth and long at the Jacksonville 40, Maumelle attempted a fake punt that backfired for a one-yard loss.
Jacksonville turned the ball over on downs its next possession, and after a Maumelle three-and-out, Jacksonville coasted to halftime with a 6-0 lead.
Maumelle showed promise in the second half after sophomore corner Braylon Waits intercepted Smith’s pass at the Hornets’ 40-yard line. Waits returned the pick all the way to the Jacksonville 36. It took the Maumelle offense just four plays to find the end zone as senior quarterback Terry Rhoades hooked up with receiver Carson Pate for a 12-yard score.
Hunter Cockrell’s extra point was good and the Hornets led 7-6 with 4:20 to play in the third quarter. However, it took Jacksonville just three plays and precisely one minute of game play to score again.
On third-and-10, Smith found Richardson wide open down the visiting sideline and Richardson dashed 66 yards for the touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt was no good as Jacksonville held a 12-7 lead.
Maumelle’s offense came close to scoring on two separate drives late in the fourth quarter, but both possessions ended with an interception from Richardson at the Jacksonville six-yard line.
Richardson’s two late picks and Smith’s ability to move the chains with his feet on the Red Devils’ final drive allowed Jacksonville to run out the clock and get the win.
“They played hard,” Russell said of his team. “We still have some things to clean up, but they played hard. They played for 48 minutes tonight.
“I’m not talking about a complete game as far as minutes. I’m talking about a complete game as far as execution, and tonight I think there were some mistakes. But consistently we competed for 48 minutes tonight, and that’s what we were shooting for. That was our goal.”
The majority of Smith’s yards through the air went to Richardson, who had 135 yards receiving to go with his touchdown. Jacksonville totaled 393 yards of offense compared to Maumelle’s 185.
The Red Devils will begin their 5A Central Conference schedule next week against Helena-West Helena Central at home.
Friday, September 14, 2012
EDITORAL >> Wider highway will benefit area
Plans to resurface and widen Hwy. 67/167 between Jacksonville and Cabot are welcome news coming from the state Highway Department, which has dragged its feet on major road projects in this area, especially the half-century delay in building the North Belt freeway.
Six lanes of new pavement will make a good first impression for motorists going to Jacksonville and Cabot. For starters, the Hwy. 67/167 improvement plan at a cost of $18 million to $20 million is a steal compared with the $600 million that is needed to complete the North Belt.
For years, drivers have suffered on the corroded stretch from Jacksonville to Ward, which hasn’t been resurfaced in decades. Since the southern portion from Redmond Road to I-40 has been widened, the highway’s poor condition has been especially noticeable when driving north.
Cabot is also set to receive several new interchanges and bridges.
Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher hopes voters will approve a half-cent gasoline tax for 10 years, which may be tough considering the lagging economy. In all, Jacksonville would contribute $5 million to the Hwy. 67/167 revamp. A new sales tax could also help finance a bond to build a $25 million interchange.
Cabot Mayor Bill Cypert is also exploring asking voters to extend the city’s one-cent sales tax to pay for several infrastructure projects as reported today in The Leader. These projects will pay off by supporting the area’s growth, ultimately attracting new businesses and residents.
Six lanes of new pavement will make a good first impression for motorists going to Jacksonville and Cabot. For starters, the Hwy. 67/167 improvement plan at a cost of $18 million to $20 million is a steal compared with the $600 million that is needed to complete the North Belt.
For years, drivers have suffered on the corroded stretch from Jacksonville to Ward, which hasn’t been resurfaced in decades. Since the southern portion from Redmond Road to I-40 has been widened, the highway’s poor condition has been especially noticeable when driving north.
Cabot is also set to receive several new interchanges and bridges.
Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher hopes voters will approve a half-cent gasoline tax for 10 years, which may be tough considering the lagging economy. In all, Jacksonville would contribute $5 million to the Hwy. 67/167 revamp. A new sales tax could also help finance a bond to build a $25 million interchange.
Cabot Mayor Bill Cypert is also exploring asking voters to extend the city’s one-cent sales tax to pay for several infrastructure projects as reported today in The Leader. These projects will pay off by supporting the area’s growth, ultimately attracting new businesses and residents.
EDITORAL >> Officials must step down
Two legislative audit reports released Friday paint unflattering pictures of two longtime state officials. Arkansas Treasurer Martha Shoffner was criticized for investing state funds with a favorite broker, costing taxpayers at least $58,000 in excessive fees and millions lost in potential interest income.
Shoffner’s shortchanging the state’s taxpayers was first uncovered by diligent reporters who noticed the treasurer’s favoring one broker over those more qualified. New legislation will almost certainly call for more financial oversight and limit the treasurer from funneling state funds to campaign contributors and close friends.
Shoffner wasn’t at Friday’s audit meeting, but she will be hauled before the committee as soon as next week. She will be subpoenaed if she doesn’t show up voluntarily, or she could do the right thing and resign.
The Joint Legislative Audit Committee cannot fire Shoffner, who is an elected official, but voters can make sure she never again holds an elected office in Arkansas.
A legislative audit also slammed former state Sen. Bill Walker of Little Rock, who runs the state Department of Career Education as if it were his personal fiefdom.
The problem is that the department has a $55 million budget, much of which is wasted on Walker’s pals. The audit committee noted that the department failed to follow purchasing procedures, such as taking bids for $77,000 in furniture purchases.
Walker has approved undocumented expenditures, extended loans to employees that remain unpaid, spent lavishly on banquets and outings, hired employees without proper college degrees and, as we’ve pointed out before, also hired an unqualified lady friend as an interpreter for the deaf.
Walker appointed Clara Taylor, who, according to one report, “was not certified as an interpreter, scored second lowest among nine applicants and failed to translate a simple video in either of two types of sign language.”
When the deaf community complained to Gov. Beebe, Walker put Taylor in another position in his department.
Taxpayers see their money wasted at the Department of Career Education, the treasurer’s office and no doubt elsewhere. But there’s hope: A Walker protege, Robert Trevino, who headed the department’s rehabilitation services, resigned late Friday.
The right thing would be for Shoffner and Walker, both Democrats, also to step down. If they don’t, the Arkansas Democratic Party can expect more losses in November.
Shoffner’s shortchanging the state’s taxpayers was first uncovered by diligent reporters who noticed the treasurer’s favoring one broker over those more qualified. New legislation will almost certainly call for more financial oversight and limit the treasurer from funneling state funds to campaign contributors and close friends.
Shoffner wasn’t at Friday’s audit meeting, but she will be hauled before the committee as soon as next week. She will be subpoenaed if she doesn’t show up voluntarily, or she could do the right thing and resign.
The Joint Legislative Audit Committee cannot fire Shoffner, who is an elected official, but voters can make sure she never again holds an elected office in Arkansas.
A legislative audit also slammed former state Sen. Bill Walker of Little Rock, who runs the state Department of Career Education as if it were his personal fiefdom.
The problem is that the department has a $55 million budget, much of which is wasted on Walker’s pals. The audit committee noted that the department failed to follow purchasing procedures, such as taking bids for $77,000 in furniture purchases.
Walker has approved undocumented expenditures, extended loans to employees that remain unpaid, spent lavishly on banquets and outings, hired employees without proper college degrees and, as we’ve pointed out before, also hired an unqualified lady friend as an interpreter for the deaf.
Walker appointed Clara Taylor, who, according to one report, “was not certified as an interpreter, scored second lowest among nine applicants and failed to translate a simple video in either of two types of sign language.”
When the deaf community complained to Gov. Beebe, Walker put Taylor in another position in his department.
Taxpayers see their money wasted at the Department of Career Education, the treasurer’s office and no doubt elsewhere. But there’s hope: A Walker protege, Robert Trevino, who headed the department’s rehabilitation services, resigned late Friday.
The right thing would be for Shoffner and Walker, both Democrats, also to step down. If they don’t, the Arkansas Democratic Party can expect more losses in November.
TOP STORY >> DAR kicks off Constitution Week
Monday marks the start of the national celebration of Constitution Week, a tradition started by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1956.
Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher signed a proclamation Tuesday to promote Sept.17-23 as Constitution Week.
On hand for the event were members of the Major Jacob Gray DAR chapter including the club’s Constitution Week chairwoman Mary Ford, vice regent Eleanor Swineford, member Mary Lee Schultz, who also serves as Arkansas DAR honorary state regent; and member Junelle Mongno, who is also the DAR state historian.
The week long commemoration of America’s most important document may be one of the country’s least known official observances.
The U.S. Constitution stands as a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties and freedom, and to ensure those inalienable rights to every American, according to a DAR news release.
In 1955, the DAR petitioned Congress to set aside Sept. 17-23 annually to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was signed into law on Aug. 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The celebration emphasizes citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution and preserving it for posterity; informing the people that the Constitution is the basis for America’s great heritage and the foundation for our way of life, and encourage the study of the historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.
The Constitution is the oldest document still in active use that outlines the self-government of a people.
The landmark idea that men had the inalienable right as individuals to be free and live their lives under their own governance was the impetus of the American Revolution.
“We must remember and teach that those who wrote the Constitution believed that no government can create freedom, but that government must guard freedom rather than encroach upon the freedoms of its people,” said Merry Ann T. Wright, president general of the DAR.
“The Constitution by itself cannot guarantee liberty. A nation’s people can remain free only by being responsible citizens who are willing to learn about the rights of each arm of government and require that each is accountable for its own function. Therefore, Constitution Week is the perfect opportunity to read and study this great document, which is the safeguard of our American liberties,” Wright said.
“We encourage all citizens across the country to take time this week to guard that which is committed to us by our forefathers...our freedom," Wright said.
The DAR has served America for 122 years as its foremost cheerleader. In 1928, the DAR began work on a building as a memorial to the Constitution. John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial, was commissioned to design the performing arts center, known as DAR Constitution Hall.
Today, DAR Constitution Hall is the only structure erected in tribute to the Constitution.
The group is the largest women’s patriotic organization in the world.
It promotes patriotism through commemorative celebrations, memorials, scholarships and activities for children, and programs for new immigrants. For more information about DAR and its programs, visit www.dar.org or call 202-628-1776.
Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher signed a proclamation Tuesday to promote Sept.17-23 as Constitution Week.
On hand for the event were members of the Major Jacob Gray DAR chapter including the club’s Constitution Week chairwoman Mary Ford, vice regent Eleanor Swineford, member Mary Lee Schultz, who also serves as Arkansas DAR honorary state regent; and member Junelle Mongno, who is also the DAR state historian.
The week long commemoration of America’s most important document may be one of the country’s least known official observances.
The U.S. Constitution stands as a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties and freedom, and to ensure those inalienable rights to every American, according to a DAR news release.
In 1955, the DAR petitioned Congress to set aside Sept. 17-23 annually to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was signed into law on Aug. 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The celebration emphasizes citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution and preserving it for posterity; informing the people that the Constitution is the basis for America’s great heritage and the foundation for our way of life, and encourage the study of the historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.
The Constitution is the oldest document still in active use that outlines the self-government of a people.
The landmark idea that men had the inalienable right as individuals to be free and live their lives under their own governance was the impetus of the American Revolution.
“We must remember and teach that those who wrote the Constitution believed that no government can create freedom, but that government must guard freedom rather than encroach upon the freedoms of its people,” said Merry Ann T. Wright, president general of the DAR.
“The Constitution by itself cannot guarantee liberty. A nation’s people can remain free only by being responsible citizens who are willing to learn about the rights of each arm of government and require that each is accountable for its own function. Therefore, Constitution Week is the perfect opportunity to read and study this great document, which is the safeguard of our American liberties,” Wright said.
“We encourage all citizens across the country to take time this week to guard that which is committed to us by our forefathers...our freedom," Wright said.
The DAR has served America for 122 years as its foremost cheerleader. In 1928, the DAR began work on a building as a memorial to the Constitution. John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial, was commissioned to design the performing arts center, known as DAR Constitution Hall.
Today, DAR Constitution Hall is the only structure erected in tribute to the Constitution.
The group is the largest women’s patriotic organization in the world.
It promotes patriotism through commemorative celebrations, memorials, scholarships and activities for children, and programs for new immigrants. For more information about DAR and its programs, visit www.dar.org or call 202-628-1776.
TOP STORY >> Cabot sets budget of $73 million
By JOAN McCOY
Leader staff writer
The Cabot School Board on Tuesday night approved a $73 million budget for this school year, which shows an increase in revenue of about $3 million over last year.
As usual, about 80 percent of that amount will be spent on salaries and benefits.
About $1.26 million of the increase comes from the state, which has increased the per pupil amount paid to school districts, called the state foundation money, from $6,144 to $6,267.
Since Cabot has an enrollment of 10,236 students in K-12, the state foundation money is $48,172,376.
Dr. Tony Thurman, school superintendent, told the board that he intends to have a proposal for raises for district employees for them to approve before Christmas.
Districts typically time raises to coincide with the after-Thanksgiving shopping sales.
Thurman told the board that employees have been hit hard by recent increases in their health insurance premiums and that the pay raises will help offset those additional expenses.
The budget includes $3.7 million for debt payments on the construction in recent years.
The projected balance when the school year ends is $6.8 million, almost 10 percent of the total budget.
In a breakdown of the revenue for the district, 66 percent comes from the state and 33 percent from county residents who support the school district with their property taxes.
Leader staff writer
The Cabot School Board on Tuesday night approved a $73 million budget for this school year, which shows an increase in revenue of about $3 million over last year.
As usual, about 80 percent of that amount will be spent on salaries and benefits.
About $1.26 million of the increase comes from the state, which has increased the per pupil amount paid to school districts, called the state foundation money, from $6,144 to $6,267.
Since Cabot has an enrollment of 10,236 students in K-12, the state foundation money is $48,172,376.
Dr. Tony Thurman, school superintendent, told the board that he intends to have a proposal for raises for district employees for them to approve before Christmas.
Districts typically time raises to coincide with the after-Thanksgiving shopping sales.
Thurman told the board that employees have been hit hard by recent increases in their health insurance premiums and that the pay raises will help offset those additional expenses.
The budget includes $3.7 million for debt payments on the construction in recent years.
The projected balance when the school year ends is $6.8 million, almost 10 percent of the total budget.
In a breakdown of the revenue for the district, 66 percent comes from the state and 33 percent from county residents who support the school district with their property taxes.
TOP STORY >> Fish farmers call it quits
By JOHN HOFHEIMER
Leader senior staff writer
A year ago, Lonoke fishmonger Robert Murtha told The Leader the writing was on the wall for Arkansas farm-raised catfish.
After 20 years of farming, then another 20 years dressing and selling fish from his roadside shed on Hwy. 31 just east of Lonoke, Murtha sold the shed cover and headed to the house.
“I took the sign down yesterday,” he said Tuesday.
When his shed burned to the ground several years ago, he rebuilt and soldiered on, but now high feed prices and foreign competition have done what that fire couldn’t.
“I’ve retired,” Murtha said. “I’m tired of fighting.” Catfish feed has risen from about $200 a ton to as much as $600 a ton over about five years, according to some reports.
The rise in feed prices, fueled in part by increased demand for corn from which to make ethanol, already was a problem for catfish producers, but with a drought- driven reduction in the corn harvest, prices have risen dramatically.
FEED UP 50 percent
Feed prices are up 50 percent compared to this time last year, Roger Barlow said Tuesday. Barlow, vice president of the Catfish Farmers of America and president of the Catfish Institute, said it’s no accounting trick. It absolutely costs more to produce a pound of catfish than the farmers can sell it for.
Domestic pond catfish prices are $3 a pound, but fish imported from China and Vietnam cost about $2 a pound, which is important to restaurants running on a thin profit margin.
“You’ve got an industry at levels that are not sustainable,” he said.
The producers are squeezed between rising feed prices and the downward price pressure caused by that foreign competition.
ACREAGE DECLINES
Catfish pond acreage has declined 50 percent in the last five years, Barlow said, and it’s likely to decrease more.”
A year ago, Lonoke County had three farms producing catfish or fingerlings among their stock. But Larry Raper has quit the business since then, citing feed prices, according to Anita Kelly extension aquaculture specialist out of Lonoke.
“They are losing money with every fish they raise,” she said.
“The ones that are still in business are adjusting how and when they feed their fish,” Kelly said, and some have gone through a national training program aimed at implementing such efficiencies.
Catfish farming is most prevalent in the poorest regions of Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama, and it provides jobs in those depressed areas, Barlow said.
He said some farmers have already converted their ponds into soybean fields.
Kelly said some are planting rice in their ponds since they are designed to hold water.
“We are encouraging people to eat U.S. farm-raised catfish to help the industry out,” she said.
CARCINOGENIC FISH STOPPED
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has refused four recent shipments of Vietnamese pangasius with residues of nitrofurans.
That fish is sometimes sold as U.S. catfish.
“Studies have shown that residues of nitrofurans ingested by consumption of contaminated product are bioavailable,” according to a FDA press release forwarded by the Catfish Institute.
“When consumed, nitrofuran residues are absorbed by the consumer’s body and again form tissue-bound residues. Since the compound is considered to be carcinogenic and genotoxic, consumption over time of product contaminated with nitrofurans may present a human health risk,” the FDA said.
Jeff McCord, a consultant for the Catfish Institute, said that only about 2 percent of imported seafood is inspected and tested at U.S. ports.
Fish that is rejected too often finds another U.S. port in which to unload, or else they go further south to other countries, McCord said.
Nitrofurans have been banned for use or consumption in the U.S. for about 20 years.
The fish also contained other antibiotics that ingested by people could help some bacteria develop resistance.
Leader senior staff writer
A year ago, Lonoke fishmonger Robert Murtha told The Leader the writing was on the wall for Arkansas farm-raised catfish.
After 20 years of farming, then another 20 years dressing and selling fish from his roadside shed on Hwy. 31 just east of Lonoke, Murtha sold the shed cover and headed to the house.
“I took the sign down yesterday,” he said Tuesday.
When his shed burned to the ground several years ago, he rebuilt and soldiered on, but now high feed prices and foreign competition have done what that fire couldn’t.
“I’ve retired,” Murtha said. “I’m tired of fighting.” Catfish feed has risen from about $200 a ton to as much as $600 a ton over about five years, according to some reports.
The rise in feed prices, fueled in part by increased demand for corn from which to make ethanol, already was a problem for catfish producers, but with a drought- driven reduction in the corn harvest, prices have risen dramatically.
FEED UP 50 percent
Feed prices are up 50 percent compared to this time last year, Roger Barlow said Tuesday. Barlow, vice president of the Catfish Farmers of America and president of the Catfish Institute, said it’s no accounting trick. It absolutely costs more to produce a pound of catfish than the farmers can sell it for.
Domestic pond catfish prices are $3 a pound, but fish imported from China and Vietnam cost about $2 a pound, which is important to restaurants running on a thin profit margin.
“You’ve got an industry at levels that are not sustainable,” he said.
The producers are squeezed between rising feed prices and the downward price pressure caused by that foreign competition.
ACREAGE DECLINES
Catfish pond acreage has declined 50 percent in the last five years, Barlow said, and it’s likely to decrease more.”
A year ago, Lonoke County had three farms producing catfish or fingerlings among their stock. But Larry Raper has quit the business since then, citing feed prices, according to Anita Kelly extension aquaculture specialist out of Lonoke.
“They are losing money with every fish they raise,” she said.
“The ones that are still in business are adjusting how and when they feed their fish,” Kelly said, and some have gone through a national training program aimed at implementing such efficiencies.
Catfish farming is most prevalent in the poorest regions of Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama, and it provides jobs in those depressed areas, Barlow said.
He said some farmers have already converted their ponds into soybean fields.
Kelly said some are planting rice in their ponds since they are designed to hold water.
“We are encouraging people to eat U.S. farm-raised catfish to help the industry out,” she said.
CARCINOGENIC FISH STOPPED
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has refused four recent shipments of Vietnamese pangasius with residues of nitrofurans.
That fish is sometimes sold as U.S. catfish.
“Studies have shown that residues of nitrofurans ingested by consumption of contaminated product are bioavailable,” according to a FDA press release forwarded by the Catfish Institute.
“When consumed, nitrofuran residues are absorbed by the consumer’s body and again form tissue-bound residues. Since the compound is considered to be carcinogenic and genotoxic, consumption over time of product contaminated with nitrofurans may present a human health risk,” the FDA said.
Jeff McCord, a consultant for the Catfish Institute, said that only about 2 percent of imported seafood is inspected and tested at U.S. ports.
Fish that is rejected too often finds another U.S. port in which to unload, or else they go further south to other countries, McCord said.
Nitrofurans have been banned for use or consumption in the U.S. for about 20 years.
The fish also contained other antibiotics that ingested by people could help some bacteria develop resistance.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
EDITORIAL >> Great show on air base
The Blue Angels put on two tremendous shows over the weekend at Little Rock Air Force Base, capping off another successful open house. For almost an hour, more than 200,000 people watched the precision flying team near the flightline on Saturday and on Sunday, under beautiful skies and temperatures in the 80s.
This was perhaps the Blue Angels’ best performance at the base. There were several other thrilling performances besides the headliners, including the C-130 airdrops, John Klatt’s Air National Guard demonstration team, the B-2 stealth bomber, disabled American veterans flight team, Super Hornet CF-18, Otto the Helicopter, Fat Albert and many more.
There was also a small Soviet plane with a red star owned by Richard Dawe, president of Ozarka College in Melbourne, wearing his Navy Reserves uniform. It was a fitting symbol for the demise of the Soviet empire
Col. Mike Kirby and his hard-working staff deserve our gratitude for putting on a great and thrilling show.
This was perhaps the Blue Angels’ best performance at the base. There were several other thrilling performances besides the headliners, including the C-130 airdrops, John Klatt’s Air National Guard demonstration team, the B-2 stealth bomber, disabled American veterans flight team, Super Hornet CF-18, Otto the Helicopter, Fat Albert and many more.
There was also a small Soviet plane with a red star owned by Richard Dawe, president of Ozarka College in Melbourne, wearing his Navy Reserves uniform. It was a fitting symbol for the demise of the Soviet empire
Col. Mike Kirby and his hard-working staff deserve our gratitude for putting on a great and thrilling show.
TOP STORY >> County clerk warns on voting scam
Every election season, countless political chain e-mails begin circulating, usually with the intent to promote one point of view or another.
Many of those e-mails include false or misleading information, including a recent example that begins “Please pass the word along. The voting rules have changed.”
The e-mail goes on to imply that individuals who haven’t voted since the 2008 presidential election are now ineligible to vote and have to re-register.
When asked about the email, Pulaski Circuit/County Clerk Larry Crane said, “That’s completely false. If you’ve voted in Pulaski County at any time since the end of 2007, you’ll be able to vote in the elections this fall. That includes people who voted in the 2008 presidential election. If you’ve moved within Pulaski County since you last voted, please give our office a call at 340-8683 so we can update your voting address. Otherwise, just come out and vote.”
The clerk’s office is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of voter registration records in Pulaski County.
With the 2012 general election just over two months away, Crane is encouraging Pulaski County residents to register to vote.
“I want to make sure that people are ready to make their voices heard. You can only vote if you’ve registered ahead of time,” said Crane.
The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 6 general election is Oct. 9.
Voter registration applications are available from the clerk’s website, www.pulaskiclerk.com, or at local libraries, state revenue offices and the clerk’s office.
Registered Pulaski County voters can also click the “Check Your Voter Information” link on the clerk’s homepage to verify registration information or locate polling places.
Early voting for the Nov. 6 general election will begin on Monday, Oct. 22.
In addition, several lower-profile elections are on the schedule this fall.
School board elections are Tuesday. Early voting for the election has begun.
Many of those e-mails include false or misleading information, including a recent example that begins “Please pass the word along. The voting rules have changed.”
The e-mail goes on to imply that individuals who haven’t voted since the 2008 presidential election are now ineligible to vote and have to re-register.
When asked about the email, Pulaski Circuit/County Clerk Larry Crane said, “That’s completely false. If you’ve voted in Pulaski County at any time since the end of 2007, you’ll be able to vote in the elections this fall. That includes people who voted in the 2008 presidential election. If you’ve moved within Pulaski County since you last voted, please give our office a call at 340-8683 so we can update your voting address. Otherwise, just come out and vote.”
The clerk’s office is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of voter registration records in Pulaski County.
With the 2012 general election just over two months away, Crane is encouraging Pulaski County residents to register to vote.
“I want to make sure that people are ready to make their voices heard. You can only vote if you’ve registered ahead of time,” said Crane.
The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 6 general election is Oct. 9.
Voter registration applications are available from the clerk’s website, www.pulaskiclerk.com, or at local libraries, state revenue offices and the clerk’s office.
Registered Pulaski County voters can also click the “Check Your Voter Information” link on the clerk’s homepage to verify registration information or locate polling places.
Early voting for the Nov. 6 general election will begin on Monday, Oct. 22.
In addition, several lower-profile elections are on the schedule this fall.
School board elections are Tuesday. Early voting for the election has begun.
TOP STORY >> Open house brings 200,000 to air base
By SARAH CAMPBELL
Leader staff writer
The Blue Angels drew more than 200,000 people to Little Rock Air Force Base on Saturday and Sunday for the 2012 Heritage and Heroes Open House and Air Show.
“It was near perfect weather. I don’t think you could have custom-ordered better weather. We are humbled by the massive outpouring of support for our air show by more than 200,000 of our neighbors. It was a tremendous honor to show off our base to them,” LRAFB spokesman Arlo Taylor said.
Petty Officer First Class Eric Rodley, a spokesman for the Navy’s flight demonstration team, said, “The air show was great. Everyone in Arkansas treated us really well. The crowd was great. We appreciate everyone’s support out there.”
People were turned away when the gates closed 15 minutes after the start of the Blue Angels performance. The gates were closed to prepare for outbound traffic flow, Rodley said.
About 11 million people see the squadron during air shows every year. The Blue Angels also visit more than 50,000 people March through November at schools and hospitals, according to the squadron’s website.
The website says 16 officers voluntarily serve with the team, and every year it chooses three tactical jet pilots, two support officers and one Marine Corps C-130 pilot to replace the members who are leaving.
The Blue Angels have 16 jets — four single-seat F/A-18 A models, nine single-seat F/A-18 C models, one two-seat F/A-18 B and two two-seat F/A-18 D models.
The closest the jets fly to each other is 18 inches during the Diamond 360 maneuver. They can reach speeds of about 1,400 mph and climb 30,000 feet per minute.
The jets travel between 120 mph and 700 mph during air shows. The highest they fly is 15,000 feet during vertical rolls and the lowest is 50 feet during the sneak pass.
The team also has one Lock-heed Martin C-130 Hercules, which is known as Fat Albert, which cruises at 375 mph.
Blue Angels pilots have to have an aircraft-carrier qualification and a minimum of 1,250 tactical flight hours.
The same is required of the events coordinator, who must also be a naval flight officer or a weapons systems officer.
The Marine Corps pilots flying Fat Albert have to be aircraft commanders with at least 1,200 flight hours.
The demonstration pilots, the events coordinator, maintenance officer and flight surgeon spend two years with the Blue Angels. The other officers usually serve the squadron for three years.
Capt. Greg McWherter, a native of Atlanta, is the “Boss,” the commanding officer for the Blue Angels. The chief of naval air training selects the “Boss,” who must have commanded a tactical jet squadron and have at least 3,000 tactical jet flight hours.
The other Blue Angles officers are Lt. Commander John Hiltz of Fort Mitchell, Ky.; Capt. Brandon Cordill of Hernet, Calif.; Maj. Brent Stevens of Knoxville, Tenn.; Lt. Commander C.J. Simpson of Coon Rapids, Minn.; Lt. Commander David Tickle of Birmingham, Ala.; narrator Lt. Mark Tedrow of Charleroi, Pa.; event coordinator Lt. Commander Todd Royles of Willow Grove, Pa., and C-130 pilot Capt. Benjamin Blanton of Ventura County, Calif.
The squadron’s enlisted team has 105 members, according to the Blue Angels website.
That team takes care of maintenance, public affairs and provides medical support and coordinates events. There are five technical representatives in charge of financial matters and logistics.
Leader staff writer
The Blue Angels drew more than 200,000 people to Little Rock Air Force Base on Saturday and Sunday for the 2012 Heritage and Heroes Open House and Air Show.
“It was near perfect weather. I don’t think you could have custom-ordered better weather. We are humbled by the massive outpouring of support for our air show by more than 200,000 of our neighbors. It was a tremendous honor to show off our base to them,” LRAFB spokesman Arlo Taylor said.
Petty Officer First Class Eric Rodley, a spokesman for the Navy’s flight demonstration team, said, “The air show was great. Everyone in Arkansas treated us really well. The crowd was great. We appreciate everyone’s support out there.”
People were turned away when the gates closed 15 minutes after the start of the Blue Angels performance. The gates were closed to prepare for outbound traffic flow, Rodley said.
About 11 million people see the squadron during air shows every year. The Blue Angels also visit more than 50,000 people March through November at schools and hospitals, according to the squadron’s website.
The website says 16 officers voluntarily serve with the team, and every year it chooses three tactical jet pilots, two support officers and one Marine Corps C-130 pilot to replace the members who are leaving.
The Blue Angels have 16 jets — four single-seat F/A-18 A models, nine single-seat F/A-18 C models, one two-seat F/A-18 B and two two-seat F/A-18 D models.
The closest the jets fly to each other is 18 inches during the Diamond 360 maneuver. They can reach speeds of about 1,400 mph and climb 30,000 feet per minute.
The jets travel between 120 mph and 700 mph during air shows. The highest they fly is 15,000 feet during vertical rolls and the lowest is 50 feet during the sneak pass.
The team also has one Lock-heed Martin C-130 Hercules, which is known as Fat Albert, which cruises at 375 mph.
Blue Angels pilots have to have an aircraft-carrier qualification and a minimum of 1,250 tactical flight hours.
The same is required of the events coordinator, who must also be a naval flight officer or a weapons systems officer.
The Marine Corps pilots flying Fat Albert have to be aircraft commanders with at least 1,200 flight hours.
The demonstration pilots, the events coordinator, maintenance officer and flight surgeon spend two years with the Blue Angels. The other officers usually serve the squadron for three years.
Capt. Greg McWherter, a native of Atlanta, is the “Boss,” the commanding officer for the Blue Angels. The chief of naval air training selects the “Boss,” who must have commanded a tactical jet squadron and have at least 3,000 tactical jet flight hours.
The other Blue Angles officers are Lt. Commander John Hiltz of Fort Mitchell, Ky.; Capt. Brandon Cordill of Hernet, Calif.; Maj. Brent Stevens of Knoxville, Tenn.; Lt. Commander C.J. Simpson of Coon Rapids, Minn.; Lt. Commander David Tickle of Birmingham, Ala.; narrator Lt. Mark Tedrow of Charleroi, Pa.; event coordinator Lt. Commander Todd Royles of Willow Grove, Pa., and C-130 pilot Capt. Benjamin Blanton of Ventura County, Calif.
The squadron’s enlisted team has 105 members, according to the Blue Angels website.
That team takes care of maintenance, public affairs and provides medical support and coordinates events. There are five technical representatives in charge of financial matters and logistics.
TOP STORY >> Five schools here named among best
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Five area schools have been named to the state’s top 25 list by the University of Arkansas.
Little Rock Air Force Base’s Arnold Drive and Cabot’s Stagecoach made the list of top elementary schools.
Cabot Middle School South, along with Searcy’s Ahlf Junior High and Southwest Middle School, are among the top middle schools in the state.
The university’s Office of Educational Policy ranked the schools based on the results of the 2011-2012 Benchmark test scores.
The university ranked schools based on the percentage of students who scored proficient or advanced, and on “GPA” — which breaks down the proficient and advanced scores even further.
On the GPA scale, each test score category is assigned a grade point: Below basic scores received a one, basic scores were awarded a two; proficient scores were given a three and advanced was worth four. The best score a school could get would be a GPA of 4 if all students scored advanced.
Arnold Drive was ranked as the 16th best elementary school in the state with 95 percent of its third, fourth and fifth graders scoring proficient or advanced on the Benchmark exam. The school had a GPA of 3.71. The best school in the state, Melbourne’s Mount Pleasant, had a GPA of 3.89.
Cabot’s Stagecoach is the 21st best elementary school in the state with 94 percent of its third, fourth and fifth graders scoring proficient or advanced. The school had a GPA of 3.68.
Ahlf Junior High in Searcy is ranked this year as the 14th best middle school in the state. Its students were 89 percent proficient or advanced on the Benchmark and had a GPA of 3.43.
Cabot’s Middle School South was listed as the 15th best middle school with the same numbers as Ahlf, 89 percent proficient or advanced and a GPA of 3.43.
Southwest Middle School in Searcy is the 21st best school with 87 percent scoring proficient or advanced on the Benchmark and a GPA of 3.41.
The rankings are based on school performances on both the literacy and math Benchmark scores.
The university also looked at state rankings based just on math scores and just the literacy exam.
The top elementary math school in the area is Stage-coach, ranked 10th in the state at 97 percent proficient or better and a GPA of 3.75. Of the 505 elementary schools ranked, the average was 82 percent and the average GPA was 3.27.
Among middle schools in math, Cabot Middle School North is 19th in the state with 86 percent proficient or better and a GPA of 3.39. Cabot Middle School South and Ahlf Junior High are tied for 20th at 87 percent and a GPA of 3.38.
Of the 355 middle schools researched, the average GPA was 3.01 and the average percent of students scoring proficient or better was 72 percent.
Looking at just literacy scores, Arnold Drive is the 11th best in the state with 95 percent of its third, fourth and fifth grade students scoring proficient or better and a GPA of 3.75.
The statewide average was 83 percent with a GPA of 3.30.
At the middle school level in literacy, Cabot Middle School South is the 13th best tied with Searcy’s Southwest Middle both at 91 percent and a GPA of 3.48. At 16th best in literacy is Ahlf Junior High at 91 percent proficient or better and a GPA of 3.47.
Statewide, the average was 80 percent and a GPA of 3.17.
The university has been delving into test scores since 2003, looking for trends and patterns to help other schools improve their test scores.
Among trends noticed are that higher performing schools tend to have fewer students on free and reduced lunch. The state average is around 65 percent, but the average of the top 25 schools is closer to 35 percent.
The top schools are also larger campuses than the state average and have a lower minority population. The statewide minority student population is about 35 percent, while the high performing schools are around 19 percent.
Leader staff writer
Five area schools have been named to the state’s top 25 list by the University of Arkansas.
Little Rock Air Force Base’s Arnold Drive and Cabot’s Stagecoach made the list of top elementary schools.
Cabot Middle School South, along with Searcy’s Ahlf Junior High and Southwest Middle School, are among the top middle schools in the state.
The university’s Office of Educational Policy ranked the schools based on the results of the 2011-2012 Benchmark test scores.
The university ranked schools based on the percentage of students who scored proficient or advanced, and on “GPA” — which breaks down the proficient and advanced scores even further.
On the GPA scale, each test score category is assigned a grade point: Below basic scores received a one, basic scores were awarded a two; proficient scores were given a three and advanced was worth four. The best score a school could get would be a GPA of 4 if all students scored advanced.
Arnold Drive was ranked as the 16th best elementary school in the state with 95 percent of its third, fourth and fifth graders scoring proficient or advanced on the Benchmark exam. The school had a GPA of 3.71. The best school in the state, Melbourne’s Mount Pleasant, had a GPA of 3.89.
Cabot’s Stagecoach is the 21st best elementary school in the state with 94 percent of its third, fourth and fifth graders scoring proficient or advanced. The school had a GPA of 3.68.
Ahlf Junior High in Searcy is ranked this year as the 14th best middle school in the state. Its students were 89 percent proficient or advanced on the Benchmark and had a GPA of 3.43.
Cabot’s Middle School South was listed as the 15th best middle school with the same numbers as Ahlf, 89 percent proficient or advanced and a GPA of 3.43.
Southwest Middle School in Searcy is the 21st best school with 87 percent scoring proficient or advanced on the Benchmark and a GPA of 3.41.
The rankings are based on school performances on both the literacy and math Benchmark scores.
The university also looked at state rankings based just on math scores and just the literacy exam.
The top elementary math school in the area is Stage-coach, ranked 10th in the state at 97 percent proficient or better and a GPA of 3.75. Of the 505 elementary schools ranked, the average was 82 percent and the average GPA was 3.27.
Among middle schools in math, Cabot Middle School North is 19th in the state with 86 percent proficient or better and a GPA of 3.39. Cabot Middle School South and Ahlf Junior High are tied for 20th at 87 percent and a GPA of 3.38.
Of the 355 middle schools researched, the average GPA was 3.01 and the average percent of students scoring proficient or better was 72 percent.
Looking at just literacy scores, Arnold Drive is the 11th best in the state with 95 percent of its third, fourth and fifth grade students scoring proficient or better and a GPA of 3.75.
The statewide average was 83 percent with a GPA of 3.30.
At the middle school level in literacy, Cabot Middle School South is the 13th best tied with Searcy’s Southwest Middle both at 91 percent and a GPA of 3.48. At 16th best in literacy is Ahlf Junior High at 91 percent proficient or better and a GPA of 3.47.
Statewide, the average was 80 percent and a GPA of 3.17.
The university has been delving into test scores since 2003, looking for trends and patterns to help other schools improve their test scores.
Among trends noticed are that higher performing schools tend to have fewer students on free and reduced lunch. The state average is around 65 percent, but the average of the top 25 schools is closer to 35 percent.
The top schools are also larger campuses than the state average and have a lower minority population. The statewide minority student population is about 35 percent, while the high performing schools are around 19 percent.
SPORTS STORY >> Fans’ priorities are out of order
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Arkansas Razorback fan base is divided since the eighth-ranked Hogs lost 34-31 to hapless Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday. Fans’ expectations for this season were as high as any in a few decades, and the loss to a team that’s not had a winning season since 1994 has dashed those expectations.
Now it seems that about half the fan base wants to rehire Bobby Petrino and fire athletic director Jeff Long for firing Petrino in the first place. And those fans are wrong.
Some try to revise history and minimize the egregious offenses Petrino committed. Others just have their priorities out of line and believe winning at football is the most important thing to consider. They don’t care that he cheated on his wife, hired his mistress for a job she wasn’t qualified for, wrecked his motorcycle with her aboard, lied to his boss (Long), allowed Long to send out a press release he knew was false and finally called his own press conference and lied to the media and fans about the whole incident. And let’s not forget he paid the woman he was sleeping with $20,000. There’s a word for that which won’t be used here, but it pertains to an old saying about an even older profession.
And he hired this woman for a job in the football department. For the fans whose priority No. 1 is Razorback football, that fact alone should tell you that Razorback football was no longer Petrino’s top priority, but even that misses the point here.
The point is that fans who want Petrino back have misprioritized the important things in life.
Some fans just want him back because he won games and that’s all that matters.
Some will try to argue that his success brought millions of dollars to the program. But that’s a tenuous rationalization Even if it’s true, money is not the most important thing here either. It rarely is in truth, it’s just treated that way because our priorities are out of line.
Fans who are against rehiring Petrino are often called self righteous, or morality peddlers or Bible thumpers. One was even told to keep his morality to himself and at his worship services.
The late writer David Foster Wallace once made this profound observation.
“Here’s something that’s weird but true: in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there’s no such thing as not worshiping. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship – is that pretty much anything else will eat you alive. If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you.”
One might also add, worship sports or competition and winning, you’ll die every time you lose and sacrifice some truly important things like family, integrity, honesty and courage for something that’s not really that important, like winning at football.
Don’t want to feel eaten alive every time the Hogs fail? Put them in their proper place in life’s priorities.
Leader sports editor
The Arkansas Razorback fan base is divided since the eighth-ranked Hogs lost 34-31 to hapless Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday. Fans’ expectations for this season were as high as any in a few decades, and the loss to a team that’s not had a winning season since 1994 has dashed those expectations.
Now it seems that about half the fan base wants to rehire Bobby Petrino and fire athletic director Jeff Long for firing Petrino in the first place. And those fans are wrong.
Some try to revise history and minimize the egregious offenses Petrino committed. Others just have their priorities out of line and believe winning at football is the most important thing to consider. They don’t care that he cheated on his wife, hired his mistress for a job she wasn’t qualified for, wrecked his motorcycle with her aboard, lied to his boss (Long), allowed Long to send out a press release he knew was false and finally called his own press conference and lied to the media and fans about the whole incident. And let’s not forget he paid the woman he was sleeping with $20,000. There’s a word for that which won’t be used here, but it pertains to an old saying about an even older profession.
And he hired this woman for a job in the football department. For the fans whose priority No. 1 is Razorback football, that fact alone should tell you that Razorback football was no longer Petrino’s top priority, but even that misses the point here.
The point is that fans who want Petrino back have misprioritized the important things in life.
Some fans just want him back because he won games and that’s all that matters.
Some will try to argue that his success brought millions of dollars to the program. But that’s a tenuous rationalization Even if it’s true, money is not the most important thing here either. It rarely is in truth, it’s just treated that way because our priorities are out of line.
Fans who are against rehiring Petrino are often called self righteous, or morality peddlers or Bible thumpers. One was even told to keep his morality to himself and at his worship services.
The late writer David Foster Wallace once made this profound observation.
“Here’s something that’s weird but true: in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there’s no such thing as not worshiping. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship – is that pretty much anything else will eat you alive. If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally grieve you.”
One might also add, worship sports or competition and winning, you’ll die every time you lose and sacrifice some truly important things like family, integrity, honesty and courage for something that’s not really that important, like winning at football.
Don’t want to feel eaten alive every time the Hogs fail? Put them in their proper place in life’s priorities.
SPORTS STORY >> Bison lose key back with Seminoles next
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Although Carlisle has yet to play a full 48-minute game this season, the Bison were able to dominate Mountain Pine 50-0 for three and one-third quarters last week and will travel to class 3A Osceola on Friday for the final non-conference game of the season.
Unlike Mountain Pine, which is going through a rebuilding year, Osceola (1-1) will be a formidable opponent for Carlisle (1-0). All-conference senior running back Korliss Marshall ran for 1,421 yards and 22 touchdowns a year ago, but isn’t the only one in the Seminoles’ backfield that can give opposing defenses a headache.
Fellow senior Jamal Jackson, who is also the team’s defensive leader, ran five times for 97 yards and two scores in last week’s 18-0 weather-shortened win over Gosnell. Carlisle has a stable of backs as well, but will be without junior standout Bo Weddle for the remainder of the season after he suffered a torn ACL on the Bison’s first possession against Mountain Pine.
“I found it out (Monday),” said Carlisle coach Scott Waymire about Weddle’s injury. “He came and spoke with me after practice and let me know the results. The good thing is he’s a junior. He’ll have surgery in the next couple of weeks, and I know he’s going to come back and have a great 2013 season. He’s a super kid in everything he does, and he does everything right.
“So we hate this, but you know that’s part of the game. You can’t replace a guy like Bo Weddle if he’s not in the lineup because of his attitude and his character. What you see on Friday nights from him you see Monday thru Thursday. You just can’t replace that stuff but we have guys that will have to fill in.”
Junior running back Deron Ricks has already been expected to have a big increase in carries this year after rushing for nearly 700 yards as a sophomore. But with Weddle out, even more will be expected of the big bruiser.
Fullback Josh Mathis could see a significant increase in carries as well to help assist Ricks in the backfield.
It’s no secret that Carlisle likes to run the ball, but other than all-state left tackle Clayton Fields; the Bison front will be undersized compared to the Seminoles’ defense.
“They’re athletic and big which are two dangerous combinations,” Waymire said of Osceola. “They got a big fullback/linebacker that’s about 6’1, 220 in Jamal Jackson. He’s a heck of a player and they’re big up front.
“They probably average 265 (pounds) across. So we definitely have our hands full on everything that we’re going to do. We just have to come out and play.”
Weddle, who also led the Bison defense in tackles last season at linebacker, will leave a big void at the position. Mathis and Ricks, both linebackers, are expected to step up in an attempt to fill that void along with others.
The injury Weddle sustained was the topic of discussion after last week’s game, but the Bison’s success in the passing game has also been noted.
Last week senior quarterback Chris Hart threw for 125 yards and four touchdowns against the Red Devils. Two went to junior wideout Austin Reed and two went to junior Justice Bryant.
Hart proved to be a prolific passer last year after throwing for more than 500 yards and 11 touchdowns (one interception) in limited time at the position.
Osceola’s senior Maurian Carr has finally earned his shot as the Seminoles’ starter after playing back-up the previous two seasons.
Carr’s athleticism will give the Bison defense another thing to prepare for in addition to the play-making abilities of Marshall and Jackson.
Weddle’s production on the field will no doubt be missed for the remainder of the season, but Friday night’s game at Osceola promises to be good game between two solid teams.
Leader sportswriter
Although Carlisle has yet to play a full 48-minute game this season, the Bison were able to dominate Mountain Pine 50-0 for three and one-third quarters last week and will travel to class 3A Osceola on Friday for the final non-conference game of the season.
Unlike Mountain Pine, which is going through a rebuilding year, Osceola (1-1) will be a formidable opponent for Carlisle (1-0). All-conference senior running back Korliss Marshall ran for 1,421 yards and 22 touchdowns a year ago, but isn’t the only one in the Seminoles’ backfield that can give opposing defenses a headache.
Fellow senior Jamal Jackson, who is also the team’s defensive leader, ran five times for 97 yards and two scores in last week’s 18-0 weather-shortened win over Gosnell. Carlisle has a stable of backs as well, but will be without junior standout Bo Weddle for the remainder of the season after he suffered a torn ACL on the Bison’s first possession against Mountain Pine.
“I found it out (Monday),” said Carlisle coach Scott Waymire about Weddle’s injury. “He came and spoke with me after practice and let me know the results. The good thing is he’s a junior. He’ll have surgery in the next couple of weeks, and I know he’s going to come back and have a great 2013 season. He’s a super kid in everything he does, and he does everything right.
“So we hate this, but you know that’s part of the game. You can’t replace a guy like Bo Weddle if he’s not in the lineup because of his attitude and his character. What you see on Friday nights from him you see Monday thru Thursday. You just can’t replace that stuff but we have guys that will have to fill in.”
Junior running back Deron Ricks has already been expected to have a big increase in carries this year after rushing for nearly 700 yards as a sophomore. But with Weddle out, even more will be expected of the big bruiser.
Fullback Josh Mathis could see a significant increase in carries as well to help assist Ricks in the backfield.
It’s no secret that Carlisle likes to run the ball, but other than all-state left tackle Clayton Fields; the Bison front will be undersized compared to the Seminoles’ defense.
“They’re athletic and big which are two dangerous combinations,” Waymire said of Osceola. “They got a big fullback/linebacker that’s about 6’1, 220 in Jamal Jackson. He’s a heck of a player and they’re big up front.
“They probably average 265 (pounds) across. So we definitely have our hands full on everything that we’re going to do. We just have to come out and play.”
Weddle, who also led the Bison defense in tackles last season at linebacker, will leave a big void at the position. Mathis and Ricks, both linebackers, are expected to step up in an attempt to fill that void along with others.
The injury Weddle sustained was the topic of discussion after last week’s game, but the Bison’s success in the passing game has also been noted.
Last week senior quarterback Chris Hart threw for 125 yards and four touchdowns against the Red Devils. Two went to junior wideout Austin Reed and two went to junior Justice Bryant.
Hart proved to be a prolific passer last year after throwing for more than 500 yards and 11 touchdowns (one interception) in limited time at the position.
Osceola’s senior Maurian Carr has finally earned his shot as the Seminoles’ starter after playing back-up the previous two seasons.
Carr’s athleticism will give the Bison defense another thing to prepare for in addition to the play-making abilities of Marshall and Jackson.
Weddle’s production on the field will no doubt be missed for the remainder of the season, but Friday night’s game at Osceola promises to be good game between two solid teams.
SPORTS STORY >> Falcons tackling Senators
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
North Pulaski will try to pick up its second win of the season this Friday when the Falcons (1-0) host 7-4A Conference member Joe T. Robinson (1-1).
With the first two weeks of the season already over, it’s unclear which team has the advantage going into this week’s game. After North Pulaski’s week one nail-biting 13-12 win over J.A. Fair, the Falcons trailed 14-0 against class 4A Maumelle before the game was cancelled due to lightning with 8:47 to go in the second quarter.
Robinson lost by 29 points in its season opener at Hot Springs, but the Senators responded Saturday with a 16-14 win over Fair at Charlie George Stadium in Little Rock. Turnovers, fumbles in particular, have plagued both teams in their games this season.
The Falcons lost five fumbles in the red zone in their win against Fair, two of which were inside the War Eagles’ 5-yard line. Robinson lost four fumbles on Saturday in its win over Fair. With teams this evenly-matched, the one that will have the edge this week will be the team that doesn’t turn the ball over, and commits the fewest penalties.
“It was a bad mixture of play-calling on my part,” said North Pulaski coach Teodis Ingram about last week’s game against Maumelle. “I made some calls that shouldn’t have been made at the time because of some of the issues we had going on, but I take responsibility for that.”
North Pulaski’s offense was in the negative last week until quarterback Steven Farrior broke away for a 51-yard run. But due to the lightning, whatever momentum the Falcons’ offense had was quickly suspended.
Austin Allen, one of the top athletes and playmakers on the North Pulaski roster, was named the starting quarterback in the summer. But after suffering a torn ACL, Allen is out for the season. Therefore, the Falcons have been running a quarterback-by-committee type of offense.
In the past two weeks, Farrior and sophomore Doug Gates have been getting the majority of the reps at the position, but senior Ashton Nichols has been competing for playing time as well.
Robinson has only six seniors on its roster, but is full of talented sophomores.
Quarterback Kristian Thompson ran six yards for a score with 4:46 to play in last week’s win over Fair – then punched in the game-winning two-point conversion.
Fair’s final scoring threat was also shut down by Thompson.
At safety, Thompson intercepted a tipped pass at the Robinson 20 early in the fourth quarter.
North Pulaski’s other focus on defense will be to stop the Robinson running backs, which are also young but rich in potential.
“I’m very impressed with their running backs,” Ingram said. “They’ve done a great job of carrying the football. They don’t go down after first contact. We’re going to have to gang-tackle those guys, because their feet don’t stop moving.”
Robinson may have a good group of backs, but so does North Pulaski. In the Falcons’ week one win, junior running back Damon Thomas racked up 116 yards on 22 carries. Damon Thomas also had an 11-yard reception on third and long that set up the Falcons’ final touchdown.
Versatile junior Fred Tho-mas had 98 yards of offense for the Falcons in week one, averaging 10.7 yards-per-carry. Friday’s match-up will be a competitive one and Ingram hopes his team will be ready.
“They’re a good football team,” Ingram said of Robinson. “They’re well-coached and they have a lot of underclassmen. But they play hard for four quarters.”
Leader sportswriter
North Pulaski will try to pick up its second win of the season this Friday when the Falcons (1-0) host 7-4A Conference member Joe T. Robinson (1-1).
With the first two weeks of the season already over, it’s unclear which team has the advantage going into this week’s game. After North Pulaski’s week one nail-biting 13-12 win over J.A. Fair, the Falcons trailed 14-0 against class 4A Maumelle before the game was cancelled due to lightning with 8:47 to go in the second quarter.
Robinson lost by 29 points in its season opener at Hot Springs, but the Senators responded Saturday with a 16-14 win over Fair at Charlie George Stadium in Little Rock. Turnovers, fumbles in particular, have plagued both teams in their games this season.
The Falcons lost five fumbles in the red zone in their win against Fair, two of which were inside the War Eagles’ 5-yard line. Robinson lost four fumbles on Saturday in its win over Fair. With teams this evenly-matched, the one that will have the edge this week will be the team that doesn’t turn the ball over, and commits the fewest penalties.
“It was a bad mixture of play-calling on my part,” said North Pulaski coach Teodis Ingram about last week’s game against Maumelle. “I made some calls that shouldn’t have been made at the time because of some of the issues we had going on, but I take responsibility for that.”
North Pulaski’s offense was in the negative last week until quarterback Steven Farrior broke away for a 51-yard run. But due to the lightning, whatever momentum the Falcons’ offense had was quickly suspended.
Austin Allen, one of the top athletes and playmakers on the North Pulaski roster, was named the starting quarterback in the summer. But after suffering a torn ACL, Allen is out for the season. Therefore, the Falcons have been running a quarterback-by-committee type of offense.
In the past two weeks, Farrior and sophomore Doug Gates have been getting the majority of the reps at the position, but senior Ashton Nichols has been competing for playing time as well.
Robinson has only six seniors on its roster, but is full of talented sophomores.
Quarterback Kristian Thompson ran six yards for a score with 4:46 to play in last week’s win over Fair – then punched in the game-winning two-point conversion.
Fair’s final scoring threat was also shut down by Thompson.
At safety, Thompson intercepted a tipped pass at the Robinson 20 early in the fourth quarter.
North Pulaski’s other focus on defense will be to stop the Robinson running backs, which are also young but rich in potential.
“I’m very impressed with their running backs,” Ingram said. “They’ve done a great job of carrying the football. They don’t go down after first contact. We’re going to have to gang-tackle those guys, because their feet don’t stop moving.”
Robinson may have a good group of backs, but so does North Pulaski. In the Falcons’ week one win, junior running back Damon Thomas racked up 116 yards on 22 carries. Damon Thomas also had an 11-yard reception on third and long that set up the Falcons’ final touchdown.
Versatile junior Fred Tho-mas had 98 yards of offense for the Falcons in week one, averaging 10.7 yards-per-carry. Friday’s match-up will be a competitive one and Ingram hopes his team will be ready.
“They’re a good football team,” Ingram said of Robinson. “They’re well-coached and they have a lot of underclassmen. But they play hard for four quarters.”
SPORTS STORY >> Cabot faces biggest test against Conway
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panthers are still unbeaten after two weeks of football, and are 2-0 since all games that at least got started are considered official. The Panthers were ahead of Catholic High 28-7 with seven seconds left in the first half when the game was stopped because of lightning.
They face their toughest test to date this Friday, according to head coach Mike Malham, when they face rival Conway at Panther Stadium.
“I thought Catholic was a little better than Jacksonville and I think Conway is going to be better than Catholic,” Malham said. “Conway scrimmaged North Little Rock and played them pretty even, and everybody knows how talented North Little Rock is. These next two weeks, we’ll really find out if we’re a contender.”
The Panthers’ offense struggled for much of the game against Jacksonville, but the defense shut down the Red Devils’ offense.
It was the opposite against the Rockets. Catholic could not stop Cabot’s offense. The Panthers had four possessions and scored four touchdowns. The Rockets’ offense moved the ball with ease after their first possession.
Turnovers thwarted two Catholic drives; one was an interception in the end zone.
On the final possession of the game, the Rockets were on the Cabot 8-yard line when play was stopped. They did it almost entirely through the air.
“That’s always our big concern – don’t give up the big play and covering the pass,” Malham said. “Catholic did a good job in the second quarter of moving the ball on us. Conway gets guys out in open spaces too and tries to let their athletes make plays. So we’re going to find out how good our defense is.”
Cabot’s offense was nearly perfect. The Panthers gained 283 in one half of play, all on the ground. Junior halfback Max Carroll led the way with three carries for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
“The offense looked pretty good,” Malham said. “When you score every time you get the ball that’s pretty good. We didn’t have as many missed assignments as we did against Jacksonville. Hopefully we can continue to progress because it just gets tougher. If we can I think we have a chance to be pretty good.”
Jeff Anderson is Conway’s leading rusher. Anderson is a big back with good speed. Anderson is 6-feet, 220 pounds. He’s offset by Duron Brown, who is only 5-6, 170, but has 4.5 speed.
Brandon Cox is the team’s fastest player with a hand-held 40-yard dash time of 4.35 seconds. He’s listed as a receiver, but will frequently take the ball in the backfield.
“They’ve got some speed that gave us trouble last year and they have those guys back,” Malham said. “Like I said, we’ll find out how good our defense is real soon.”
Cabot’s matchup with Conway has also become a big rivalry in recent years, the significance of which Malham does not downplay.
“I think it’s pretty big,” Malham said. “The kids know that and they like to play Conway. Every time Cabot and Conway play, wherever it’s at, the crowd is loud and the stadium is pretty packed. I think both towns kind of enjoy this thing.”
Leader sports editor
The Cabot Panthers are still unbeaten after two weeks of football, and are 2-0 since all games that at least got started are considered official. The Panthers were ahead of Catholic High 28-7 with seven seconds left in the first half when the game was stopped because of lightning.
They face their toughest test to date this Friday, according to head coach Mike Malham, when they face rival Conway at Panther Stadium.
“I thought Catholic was a little better than Jacksonville and I think Conway is going to be better than Catholic,” Malham said. “Conway scrimmaged North Little Rock and played them pretty even, and everybody knows how talented North Little Rock is. These next two weeks, we’ll really find out if we’re a contender.”
The Panthers’ offense struggled for much of the game against Jacksonville, but the defense shut down the Red Devils’ offense.
It was the opposite against the Rockets. Catholic could not stop Cabot’s offense. The Panthers had four possessions and scored four touchdowns. The Rockets’ offense moved the ball with ease after their first possession.
Turnovers thwarted two Catholic drives; one was an interception in the end zone.
On the final possession of the game, the Rockets were on the Cabot 8-yard line when play was stopped. They did it almost entirely through the air.
“That’s always our big concern – don’t give up the big play and covering the pass,” Malham said. “Catholic did a good job in the second quarter of moving the ball on us. Conway gets guys out in open spaces too and tries to let their athletes make plays. So we’re going to find out how good our defense is.”
Cabot’s offense was nearly perfect. The Panthers gained 283 in one half of play, all on the ground. Junior halfback Max Carroll led the way with three carries for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
“The offense looked pretty good,” Malham said. “When you score every time you get the ball that’s pretty good. We didn’t have as many missed assignments as we did against Jacksonville. Hopefully we can continue to progress because it just gets tougher. If we can I think we have a chance to be pretty good.”
Jeff Anderson is Conway’s leading rusher. Anderson is a big back with good speed. Anderson is 6-feet, 220 pounds. He’s offset by Duron Brown, who is only 5-6, 170, but has 4.5 speed.
Brandon Cox is the team’s fastest player with a hand-held 40-yard dash time of 4.35 seconds. He’s listed as a receiver, but will frequently take the ball in the backfield.
“They’ve got some speed that gave us trouble last year and they have those guys back,” Malham said. “Like I said, we’ll find out how good our defense is real soon.”
Cabot’s matchup with Conway has also become a big rivalry in recent years, the significance of which Malham does not downplay.
“I think it’s pretty big,” Malham said. “The kids know that and they like to play Conway. Every time Cabot and Conway play, wherever it’s at, the crowd is loud and the stadium is pretty packed. I think both towns kind of enjoy this thing.”
SPORTS STORY >> Concerns in house for Devils
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville comes off a disappointing showing at Benton last week to prepare for yet another road game. The Red Devils will try to rebound from their 34-20, three-quarter loss at Benton against the Maumelle Hornets on Friday.
The Hornets played less than Jacksonville last week. They led North Pulaski 14-0 halfway through the second quarter when that game was halted due to inclement weather.
Maumelle played less than that its first week of play when it trailed Hot Springs Lakeside in the second quarter when that game was stopped for bad weather.
It gives the Red Devils little to study in preparation for this Friday’s game, but head coach Rick Russell says his main concern is his own team.
“We got what film we could of them, but this is more about us and what we’re going to do to get better and bounce back,” Russell said. “I was very pleased with how much the offense progressed, but defensively we were a little disappointed. We just didn’t tackle very well. The big plays killed us and a lot of it was missed tackles. We had times where technique got us too, but we have to tackle better. Wallace Foote (Benton’s star running back) is an incredible athlete, one of the best in the state, but we had him hemmed in a couple of times and let him get loose.”
Starting the season against Cabot, who runs the tightly packed dead T offense, to facing the spread attack of Benton was a big adjustment to make in one week. Maumelle doesn’t run a wide open spread, but is more similar to Benton than to Cabot. Russell expects a better defensive performance this week.
“You know you work for weeks teaching to run downhill, shoot the gaps and play very aggressively against Cabot, then you have to come back and get them out of that and try to get them to stay back and read,” Russell said. “We didn’t do that as well as we needed to and that’s my job to make those adjustments and have them prepared. So I’ll take the responsibility for that. We’re going to be better.”
After being held scoreless against Cabot, including gaining just one first down in the second half, the Jacksonville offense executed some big plays and moved the ball well against Benton.
“We ran the ball better and we threw it better,” Russell said. “Aaron Smith played a good game. He’s becoming the kind of quarterback you want back there. He made some good decisions on his reads and he made some good throws. We’re still having too many drops. That’s the last piece of the puzzle that makes a play work, catching the ball. Everybody else can do everything right.
“The ball is placed where it needs to be, but you have to catch it. And we’re going to get there too. We just have to play and practice with a little more focus – get a little more determined.”
While conference play, which determines playoff berths and positions, doesn’t begin until week four, the Red Devils are approaching this game as if it were that important.
“This week there is urgency,” Russell said. “We’re treating this like our first conference game. We’re treating this like a ‘have-to-win’ game because we need to be playing like we’re capable of playing when conference starts. If we can play like that, and be as good as I think we can be, this can be the best team we’ve ever had since I’ve been here. I like this team.”
Leader sports editor
Jacksonville comes off a disappointing showing at Benton last week to prepare for yet another road game. The Red Devils will try to rebound from their 34-20, three-quarter loss at Benton against the Maumelle Hornets on Friday.
The Hornets played less than Jacksonville last week. They led North Pulaski 14-0 halfway through the second quarter when that game was halted due to inclement weather.
Maumelle played less than that its first week of play when it trailed Hot Springs Lakeside in the second quarter when that game was stopped for bad weather.
It gives the Red Devils little to study in preparation for this Friday’s game, but head coach Rick Russell says his main concern is his own team.
“We got what film we could of them, but this is more about us and what we’re going to do to get better and bounce back,” Russell said. “I was very pleased with how much the offense progressed, but defensively we were a little disappointed. We just didn’t tackle very well. The big plays killed us and a lot of it was missed tackles. We had times where technique got us too, but we have to tackle better. Wallace Foote (Benton’s star running back) is an incredible athlete, one of the best in the state, but we had him hemmed in a couple of times and let him get loose.”
Starting the season against Cabot, who runs the tightly packed dead T offense, to facing the spread attack of Benton was a big adjustment to make in one week. Maumelle doesn’t run a wide open spread, but is more similar to Benton than to Cabot. Russell expects a better defensive performance this week.
“You know you work for weeks teaching to run downhill, shoot the gaps and play very aggressively against Cabot, then you have to come back and get them out of that and try to get them to stay back and read,” Russell said. “We didn’t do that as well as we needed to and that’s my job to make those adjustments and have them prepared. So I’ll take the responsibility for that. We’re going to be better.”
After being held scoreless against Cabot, including gaining just one first down in the second half, the Jacksonville offense executed some big plays and moved the ball well against Benton.
“We ran the ball better and we threw it better,” Russell said. “Aaron Smith played a good game. He’s becoming the kind of quarterback you want back there. He made some good decisions on his reads and he made some good throws. We’re still having too many drops. That’s the last piece of the puzzle that makes a play work, catching the ball. Everybody else can do everything right.
“The ball is placed where it needs to be, but you have to catch it. And we’re going to get there too. We just have to play and practice with a little more focus – get a little more determined.”
While conference play, which determines playoff berths and positions, doesn’t begin until week four, the Red Devils are approaching this game as if it were that important.
“This week there is urgency,” Russell said. “We’re treating this like our first conference game. We’re treating this like a ‘have-to-win’ game because we need to be playing like we’re capable of playing when conference starts. If we can play like that, and be as good as I think we can be, this can be the best team we’ve ever had since I’ve been here. I like this team.”
SPORTS STORY >> Brothers collide in Wildcats’ matchup
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The brothers Bolding meet for the second time in their careers Friday when Bobby Bolding’s Pine Bluff Zebras visit North Little Rock to take on Brad Bolding’s Charging Wildcats. The two met once before when Bobby was coaching perennial contender Stuttgart while Brad was helping turn Mayflower’s program around. Stuttgart won that meeting big, but 2012 is a different situation.
Again it’s older brother Bobby who is coaching at the more storied program in Pine Bluff, but Brad has almost all the other advantages, as Bobby Bolding so clearly defines.
“Well their offensive line is bigger and stronger than our defensive line,” Bobby Bolding began. “Their defensive line is bigger and stronger than our offensive line. Their defensive backs are faster than our receivers. Their running backs are bigger than our linebackers and faster than anybody we’ve got on defense. And their kicker kicks it farther than ours does. So I don’t really see us with any advantages at all.”
The Zebra head coach did find one good thing to say about his squad.
“Well our kids love to play football,” Bobby said. “So we’ll show up and compete. We have a contract so we sort of have to.”
Brad Bolding knows better. Pine Bluff has put up huge numbers on offense in its two games this season against good competition. The Zebras routed Fort Smith Northside 53-27 in their first game, then beat down city rival Watson Chapel 48-12 in a game that wasn’t even that close.
North Little Rock is also coming off a disappointing loss at Longview, Texas, and Brad Bolding thinks his team has its work cut out this Friday.
“Obviously that tailback of theirs is a dandy,” Brad said about senior Walter Ashley. The senior ran for nearly 2,000 yards last year and has almost 400 all-purpose yards in two games this season. “This year they’ve got a quarterback that can throw it too. I think QB was a question mark for them coming into the season, but they’ve found one that’s really become a dual threat. That offense is hard to stop. Nobody they’ve played has done it yet.”
Brad Bolding says one of his team’s main priorities right now is fixing the things that went wrong in last week’s 30-14 loss. The offense turned the ball over twice times with a lost fumble and an interception. It also gave up a safety on a reverse to end the game.
Worse and more disconcerting for the head Wildcat, was special teams’ play. North Little Rock gave up a blocked punt for a touchdown, a punt return for a touchdown, lost a fumble on a kickoff, missed a field goal and had an extra point blocked.
“We blew it on special teams,” Brad Bolding said. “We held their offense to 209 yards, 10 yards passing. Offense made some mistakes but we played well enough on offense and defense to win the game. We missed an opportunity to go down there and beat an elite Texas team on their field. For us to go down there, drive five hours and wallow around on special teams like that was disappointing. And that’s something we feel like we spend more time on than maybe anybody in the state.”
The team has added extra meeting time early in the morning this week to go over what went wrong and how to correct it.
“We have to correct it,” Brad said. “In close games, special teams is something you’ve got to have. The name ought to tell you how important it is. It’s not called special offense or special defense. So it’s a big part of the game and we have to understand that and treat it that way.”
Leader sports editor
The brothers Bolding meet for the second time in their careers Friday when Bobby Bolding’s Pine Bluff Zebras visit North Little Rock to take on Brad Bolding’s Charging Wildcats. The two met once before when Bobby was coaching perennial contender Stuttgart while Brad was helping turn Mayflower’s program around. Stuttgart won that meeting big, but 2012 is a different situation.
Again it’s older brother Bobby who is coaching at the more storied program in Pine Bluff, but Brad has almost all the other advantages, as Bobby Bolding so clearly defines.
“Well their offensive line is bigger and stronger than our defensive line,” Bobby Bolding began. “Their defensive line is bigger and stronger than our offensive line. Their defensive backs are faster than our receivers. Their running backs are bigger than our linebackers and faster than anybody we’ve got on defense. And their kicker kicks it farther than ours does. So I don’t really see us with any advantages at all.”
The Zebra head coach did find one good thing to say about his squad.
“Well our kids love to play football,” Bobby said. “So we’ll show up and compete. We have a contract so we sort of have to.”
Brad Bolding knows better. Pine Bluff has put up huge numbers on offense in its two games this season against good competition. The Zebras routed Fort Smith Northside 53-27 in their first game, then beat down city rival Watson Chapel 48-12 in a game that wasn’t even that close.
North Little Rock is also coming off a disappointing loss at Longview, Texas, and Brad Bolding thinks his team has its work cut out this Friday.
“Obviously that tailback of theirs is a dandy,” Brad said about senior Walter Ashley. The senior ran for nearly 2,000 yards last year and has almost 400 all-purpose yards in two games this season. “This year they’ve got a quarterback that can throw it too. I think QB was a question mark for them coming into the season, but they’ve found one that’s really become a dual threat. That offense is hard to stop. Nobody they’ve played has done it yet.”
Brad Bolding says one of his team’s main priorities right now is fixing the things that went wrong in last week’s 30-14 loss. The offense turned the ball over twice times with a lost fumble and an interception. It also gave up a safety on a reverse to end the game.
Worse and more disconcerting for the head Wildcat, was special teams’ play. North Little Rock gave up a blocked punt for a touchdown, a punt return for a touchdown, lost a fumble on a kickoff, missed a field goal and had an extra point blocked.
“We blew it on special teams,” Brad Bolding said. “We held their offense to 209 yards, 10 yards passing. Offense made some mistakes but we played well enough on offense and defense to win the game. We missed an opportunity to go down there and beat an elite Texas team on their field. For us to go down there, drive five hours and wallow around on special teams like that was disappointing. And that’s something we feel like we spend more time on than maybe anybody in the state.”
The team has added extra meeting time early in the morning this week to go over what went wrong and how to correct it.
“We have to correct it,” Brad said. “In close games, special teams is something you’ve got to have. The name ought to tell you how important it is. It’s not called special offense or special defense. So it’s a big part of the game and we have to understand that and treat it that way.”
Monday, September 10, 2012
EDITORIAL >> Democrats convention
Friday’s lackluster employment numbers could hurt President Obama’s re-election effort — 96,000 new jobs are barely enough for people entering the workforce for the first time — but the strong endorsement by former President Bill Clinton at the Democratic convention should advance Obama’s chances.
Clinton, who has looked frail lately, still made the longest speech at the convention and could have gone on till past midnight if was asked. He spoke for almost an hour, twice as long as the president, vice president and Mrs. Obama. He easily took the top prize for best speech at either political convention.
Clinton can work a crowd, especially when he speaks like an Arkie: “Obama 250,000, Romney, zero,” he said, speaking of new jobs in the auto industry as a result of the bailout, which Mitt Romney opposed.
Clinton knows how to do the numbers and balance a budget. After all, he did it for 12 years while he was Arkansas governor: He’s the last president who left office with a budget surplus — they were supposed to go into a lock box, remember? — and thinks it’s easy arithmetic: End the wars and raise taxes on millionaires.
Clinton, who has a slight tremor now, often shook his hands as he spoke, insisting that Democrats are better at job creation than Republicans.
“Well, since 1961,” Clinton told the convention, “the Republicans have held the White House 28 years, the Democrats 24. In those 52 years, our economy produced 66 million private sector jobs. What’s the jobs score? Republicans 24 million, Democrats 42 million!”
He was too modest to tell the crowd half those jobs were created during his presidency. Maybe he would have told them if he’d been given more time. Still, it was the best speech of his career.
Clinton, who has looked frail lately, still made the longest speech at the convention and could have gone on till past midnight if was asked. He spoke for almost an hour, twice as long as the president, vice president and Mrs. Obama. He easily took the top prize for best speech at either political convention.
Clinton can work a crowd, especially when he speaks like an Arkie: “Obama 250,000, Romney, zero,” he said, speaking of new jobs in the auto industry as a result of the bailout, which Mitt Romney opposed.
Clinton knows how to do the numbers and balance a budget. After all, he did it for 12 years while he was Arkansas governor: He’s the last president who left office with a budget surplus — they were supposed to go into a lock box, remember? — and thinks it’s easy arithmetic: End the wars and raise taxes on millionaires.
Clinton, who has a slight tremor now, often shook his hands as he spoke, insisting that Democrats are better at job creation than Republicans.
“Well, since 1961,” Clinton told the convention, “the Republicans have held the White House 28 years, the Democrats 24. In those 52 years, our economy produced 66 million private sector jobs. What’s the jobs score? Republicans 24 million, Democrats 42 million!”
He was too modest to tell the crowd half those jobs were created during his presidency. Maybe he would have told them if he’d been given more time. Still, it was the best speech of his career.
Saturday, September 08, 2012
SPORTS STORY >> Carlisle blasts Mountain Pine
By ANN THARP
Special to The Leader
Compared to last week, it was a beautiful, warm night in Carlisle for the start of the game as Carlisle hosted the Mountain Pine Red Devils. However, this week’s game was also stopped by lightning with eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter with the Bison winning 50-0 at Fred C. Hardke Field on Friday.
The Bison were stopped in the first quarter of last week’s season opener against McCrory, and although they managed to get further through Friday’s contest, they are still two weeks into the season without completing a full 48 minutes.
Bo Weddle returned the opening kick-off to the 37-yard line. Weddle ran the ball to the 43 on first down. On fourth and three, the Bison’s Deron Ricks picked up a first down to the Mountain Pine 41.
After a holding call, the offense was backed up and held until Ricks took the ball and ran with it to the 4-yard line. Chris Hart connected with Austin Reed for the touchdown. The extra point was no good.
The Bison’s Justice Bryant recovered a fumble on the kick off. Following a penalty, on the second play from scrimmage, Hart connected with Bryant for a touchdown. Again, the extra point was no good.
On the next possession by the Red Devils, the defense held again, forcing a punt. The Bison started on their own 47. They were without Bo Weddle, their all-state running back, who suffered a knee injury on the first series.
After an incompletion on fourth down, the Mountain Pine offense took over on their own 47. Again, the Bison defense held, forcing a punt. Hart returned the punt, but a penalty moved the ball back to the 22.
The Red Devils took possession on the Bison 44. After a completion by Austin Meeks, the Red Devil offense stalled again. In the second quarter, on a fourth down attempt, Josh Mathis intercepted the pass and took the ball to the 18. Hart on second down again connected with Reed for the touchdown.
The point-after attempt was unsuccessful to keep the score 18-0 with 10:58 remaining in the half.
The Red Devils began their next possession on their own 45-yard line. On second down, Clayton Fields picked up a fumble and ran it into the end zone. The two-point conversion was successful to make the score 26-0 Bison.
After another punt, the Bison offense started a midfield. Ricks took the ball to the Mountain Pine 5 on first down and punched it in for the score two plays later. Bryant converted the two-point try for a 34-0 Carlisle lead.
Hart connected with Bryant for the Bison’ next score with a 68-yard touchdown pass and followed with a conversion pass to Reed for a 42-0 halftime lead.
Mountain Pine got first possession to start the second half. The Red Devils moved the ball into Bison territory with three first downs before turning the ball over on a fumble. Carlisle took out most of its starting skill players and went with Chase Brazeal at quarterback. Clinton Hampton secured the final touchdown for the Bison with a 66-yard run, as Tyler Youngman set the final margin with a successful two-point run.
Lightning moved in to start the fourth quarter, and the game was finally called around the eight-minute mark.
Ricks led the Bison with eight carries for 109 yards. Hart was 5 for 11 passing for 125 yards and four touchdowns.
“That’s something the coaching staff will work on,” Carlisle coach Scott Waymire said of the frequent penalties. “I was pleased with the way Ricks, Bryant, Hart and the receivers stepped up (when Weddle went out). I was also pleased with the defense and the effort.”
Special to The Leader
Compared to last week, it was a beautiful, warm night in Carlisle for the start of the game as Carlisle hosted the Mountain Pine Red Devils. However, this week’s game was also stopped by lightning with eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter with the Bison winning 50-0 at Fred C. Hardke Field on Friday.
The Bison were stopped in the first quarter of last week’s season opener against McCrory, and although they managed to get further through Friday’s contest, they are still two weeks into the season without completing a full 48 minutes.
Bo Weddle returned the opening kick-off to the 37-yard line. Weddle ran the ball to the 43 on first down. On fourth and three, the Bison’s Deron Ricks picked up a first down to the Mountain Pine 41.
After a holding call, the offense was backed up and held until Ricks took the ball and ran with it to the 4-yard line. Chris Hart connected with Austin Reed for the touchdown. The extra point was no good.
The Bison’s Justice Bryant recovered a fumble on the kick off. Following a penalty, on the second play from scrimmage, Hart connected with Bryant for a touchdown. Again, the extra point was no good.
On the next possession by the Red Devils, the defense held again, forcing a punt. The Bison started on their own 47. They were without Bo Weddle, their all-state running back, who suffered a knee injury on the first series.
After an incompletion on fourth down, the Mountain Pine offense took over on their own 47. Again, the Bison defense held, forcing a punt. Hart returned the punt, but a penalty moved the ball back to the 22.
The Red Devils took possession on the Bison 44. After a completion by Austin Meeks, the Red Devil offense stalled again. In the second quarter, on a fourth down attempt, Josh Mathis intercepted the pass and took the ball to the 18. Hart on second down again connected with Reed for the touchdown.
The point-after attempt was unsuccessful to keep the score 18-0 with 10:58 remaining in the half.
The Red Devils began their next possession on their own 45-yard line. On second down, Clayton Fields picked up a fumble and ran it into the end zone. The two-point conversion was successful to make the score 26-0 Bison.
After another punt, the Bison offense started a midfield. Ricks took the ball to the Mountain Pine 5 on first down and punched it in for the score two plays later. Bryant converted the two-point try for a 34-0 Carlisle lead.
Hart connected with Bryant for the Bison’ next score with a 68-yard touchdown pass and followed with a conversion pass to Reed for a 42-0 halftime lead.
Mountain Pine got first possession to start the second half. The Red Devils moved the ball into Bison territory with three first downs before turning the ball over on a fumble. Carlisle took out most of its starting skill players and went with Chase Brazeal at quarterback. Clinton Hampton secured the final touchdown for the Bison with a 66-yard run, as Tyler Youngman set the final margin with a successful two-point run.
Lightning moved in to start the fourth quarter, and the game was finally called around the eight-minute mark.
Ricks led the Bison with eight carries for 109 yards. Hart was 5 for 11 passing for 125 yards and four touchdowns.
“That’s something the coaching staff will work on,” Carlisle coach Scott Waymire said of the frequent penalties. “I was pleased with the way Ricks, Bryant, Hart and the receivers stepped up (when Weddle went out). I was also pleased with the defense and the effort.”
SPORTS STORY >> Consistent play earns NP ladies win at JHS
By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The North Pulaski volleyball team beat rival Jacksonville 3-0 Thursday at JHS to improve its overall record to 2-2 this season. The Lady Falcons controlled the action from midway through game one until late in game three, but overcame the game-three lull to dominate the end of the match and preserve the three-game sweep.
“We were a lot more consistent tonight,” North Pulaski coach Ben Belton said. “Brianna Lyons played extremely well tonight. We passed better. We didn’t make our setter run as much. We just did a lot better. I hope we can build on this and get some team chemistry going. That’s been a big part of the problem so far.”
Jacksonville led halfway through game one. The Lady Red Devils held a 14-12 lead when North Pulaski’s Emily Long took serve. The junior setter served up an ace, then scored four more points on serve to give the Lady Falcons a 17-14 lead and force Jacksonville to call a timeout.
After the break, North Pulaski added one more point before the Lady Red Devils broke serve. Jacksonville scored one point on goal and North Pulaski’s Casey Mullen then served four straight points for a 22-16 lead that the Lady Falcons turned into a 25-18 win in game one.
Long took serve again to start game two and reeled off three straight points. The Lady Falcons never trailed in the 25-16 win.
Game three was back and forth in the early going. The game was tied at 11 until the Lady Red Devils reeled off four straight points on Bailea Mitchell’s serve. The streak finally stopped when Long got in position to set up a hit, but dunked it behind her head and into an empty spot in Jacksonville’s side of the court to make it 15-12 Lady Devils.
The two teams traded side outs until the score was 18-15. Mullen took serve again for North Pulaski and the Lady Falcons scored seven consecutive points on serve, including two aces by Mullen. North Pulaski won game three 25-20.
Lyons led all players with seven kills. For Jacksonville, Mitchell led with six kills despite being the smallest player on the floor.
North Pulaski improved to 2-1 in conference play while Jacksonville fell to 1-2.
The Lady Red Devils travel to McClellan on Tuesday then host Helena-West Helena Central on Thursday.
North Pulaski has three matches next week. The Lady Falcons travel to White Hall for a non conference matchup on Monday. They’ll host Mills in a 5A Central match on Tuesday then travel to Little Rock Christian Academy on Thursday.
Leader sports editor
The North Pulaski volleyball team beat rival Jacksonville 3-0 Thursday at JHS to improve its overall record to 2-2 this season. The Lady Falcons controlled the action from midway through game one until late in game three, but overcame the game-three lull to dominate the end of the match and preserve the three-game sweep.
“We were a lot more consistent tonight,” North Pulaski coach Ben Belton said. “Brianna Lyons played extremely well tonight. We passed better. We didn’t make our setter run as much. We just did a lot better. I hope we can build on this and get some team chemistry going. That’s been a big part of the problem so far.”
Jacksonville led halfway through game one. The Lady Red Devils held a 14-12 lead when North Pulaski’s Emily Long took serve. The junior setter served up an ace, then scored four more points on serve to give the Lady Falcons a 17-14 lead and force Jacksonville to call a timeout.
After the break, North Pulaski added one more point before the Lady Red Devils broke serve. Jacksonville scored one point on goal and North Pulaski’s Casey Mullen then served four straight points for a 22-16 lead that the Lady Falcons turned into a 25-18 win in game one.
Long took serve again to start game two and reeled off three straight points. The Lady Falcons never trailed in the 25-16 win.
Game three was back and forth in the early going. The game was tied at 11 until the Lady Red Devils reeled off four straight points on Bailea Mitchell’s serve. The streak finally stopped when Long got in position to set up a hit, but dunked it behind her head and into an empty spot in Jacksonville’s side of the court to make it 15-12 Lady Devils.
The two teams traded side outs until the score was 18-15. Mullen took serve again for North Pulaski and the Lady Falcons scored seven consecutive points on serve, including two aces by Mullen. North Pulaski won game three 25-20.
Lyons led all players with seven kills. For Jacksonville, Mitchell led with six kills despite being the smallest player on the floor.
North Pulaski improved to 2-1 in conference play while Jacksonville fell to 1-2.
The Lady Red Devils travel to McClellan on Tuesday then host Helena-West Helena Central on Thursday.
North Pulaski has three matches next week. The Lady Falcons travel to White Hall for a non conference matchup on Monday. They’ll host Mills in a 5A Central match on Tuesday then travel to Little Rock Christian Academy on Thursday.
SPORTS STORY >> Mother Nature the victor
Lonoke was just starting to find its groove when Mother Nature intervened, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and most significantly, close lightning to A.S. “Bro” Erwin Stadium in Beebe to end the annual Highway 31 match up between the Jackrabbits and the Badgers in a no contest on Friday.
The Jackrabbits were ahead on the scoreboard 14-7 following a dazzling 72-yard touchdown catch and run by junior receiver Blake Mack. Mack took the screen pass on the left side from junior quarterback Grant Dewey and cut toward the middle of the field to weave his way through Beebe’s linebackers before heading back to the left side and into the end zone untouched with 41 seconds remaining in the first half, and ultimately, the game.
But just as the half hit, so did the storm. Fans waited in their vehicles for close to an hour to ride out the monsoon-like conditions, but officials finally called it just before 9:45 p.m.
Beebe threatened to strike first in the opening possession with a 13-play drive that started at the Badger 28-yard line and went all the way to the Lonoke 9, but a procedure penalty against the Badgers and a fumble on the next play gave possession to Lonoke after a heads-up recovery by senior defensive back D.J. Burton.
The ’Rabbits could not get anything going on their opening drive and gave it back after two incomplete passes and a short two-yard rush by senior tailback Eric Williams. Beebe took over again at the Lonoke 45, and this time, the Badgers closed the deal.
Junior fullback Eric Thorn took Beebe down to the 18-yard line with a 27-yard run, and scored Beebe’s only touchdown two plays later on a 17-yard dash to the goal line.
Pearson Sloan added the extra point to give the Badgers a 7-0 lead at the 3:18 mark of the first quarter.
The Jackrabbits finally got going when they took possession at the Beebe 41 with 9:38 remaining.
Williams toted four different times early in the drive for a combined 30 yards. Mack caught a pass from Dewey good for 12 yards to set Lonoke up with a third-and-one from the 4-yard line. Burton then got the call to go behind center in the Wildcat formation and punched in for the score. Junior kicker Jose Garcia added the extra point to tie the game at 7-7 with 7:03 remaining.
Thorn had 13 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown for Beebe. For Lonoke, Dewey was 3 for 6 for 87 yards and a touchdown, with two of those receptions for 84 yards to Mack. Beebe will play at Vilonia next Friday while Lonoke will play at Little Rock McClellan.
The Jackrabbits were ahead on the scoreboard 14-7 following a dazzling 72-yard touchdown catch and run by junior receiver Blake Mack. Mack took the screen pass on the left side from junior quarterback Grant Dewey and cut toward the middle of the field to weave his way through Beebe’s linebackers before heading back to the left side and into the end zone untouched with 41 seconds remaining in the first half, and ultimately, the game.
But just as the half hit, so did the storm. Fans waited in their vehicles for close to an hour to ride out the monsoon-like conditions, but officials finally called it just before 9:45 p.m.
Beebe threatened to strike first in the opening possession with a 13-play drive that started at the Badger 28-yard line and went all the way to the Lonoke 9, but a procedure penalty against the Badgers and a fumble on the next play gave possession to Lonoke after a heads-up recovery by senior defensive back D.J. Burton.
The ’Rabbits could not get anything going on their opening drive and gave it back after two incomplete passes and a short two-yard rush by senior tailback Eric Williams. Beebe took over again at the Lonoke 45, and this time, the Badgers closed the deal.
Junior fullback Eric Thorn took Beebe down to the 18-yard line with a 27-yard run, and scored Beebe’s only touchdown two plays later on a 17-yard dash to the goal line.
Pearson Sloan added the extra point to give the Badgers a 7-0 lead at the 3:18 mark of the first quarter.
The Jackrabbits finally got going when they took possession at the Beebe 41 with 9:38 remaining.
Williams toted four different times early in the drive for a combined 30 yards. Mack caught a pass from Dewey good for 12 yards to set Lonoke up with a third-and-one from the 4-yard line. Burton then got the call to go behind center in the Wildcat formation and punched in for the score. Junior kicker Jose Garcia added the extra point to tie the game at 7-7 with 7:03 remaining.
Thorn had 13 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown for Beebe. For Lonoke, Dewey was 3 for 6 for 87 yards and a touchdown, with two of those receptions for 84 yards to Mack. Beebe will play at Vilonia next Friday while Lonoke will play at Little Rock McClellan.
SPORTS STORY >> Benton has lead as game canceled
By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
Jacksonville battled class 6A Benton in a competitive first half Friday at C.W. Lewis Stadium, but the Panthers went into the half with the lead after a trick play that resulted in a 52-yard touchdown run that put Benton up 28-20. Benton added a score in the third quarter after a special teams error set the Panthers up at the Jacksonville 20. With second remaining in the third quarter, the remainder of the game was called off with Benton leading 34-20.
The Red Devils started strong as the offense found the end zone on its opening drive. It took Jacksonville just seven plays to score after sophomore running back Lamont Gause dashed 28 yards into the end zone on a well-timed option pitch from senior quarterback Aaron Smith.
John Herriman’s extra point gave the Red Devils a quick 7-0 lead. Benton went three-and-out on its first drive after three incomplete passes, but after Jacksonville turned the ball over on downs, the Panthers responded with a 10-play drive capped off by a 28-yard touchdown reception from Boone Cox.
Starting at its own 28-yard line, Jacksonville retook the lead when Gause broke away down the home team sideline 63 yards for another score. Herriman’s extra point put the Red Devils back up 14-7.
However, Jacksonville gave Benton’s offense a gift after the Red Devils failed to convert on another fourth down at their own 34-yard line. An illegal shift penalty backed Benton’s offense up, but on the next play, junior quarterback Tarek Beaugard connected with wideout J.V. Davis for a 44-yard score to tie it up at 14.
The Panthers grabbed their first lead with 2:14 to play in the second quarter after Beaugard hit standout running back Wallace Foote on a screen pass that resulted in a 33-yard touchdown. Jacksonville scored on its next possession on a double pass.
Smith connected with Kevin Richardson on a lateral pass to the sideline, and Richardson found Terrell Moore wide open up field for a 33-yard touchdown. Herriman’s extra point attempt was blocked though with 41 seconds to go in the half.
After Benton returned the ensuing kickoff to its own 47-yard line, the Panthers lined up as if they were going to take a knee to end the half. But on the snap, Beaugard rolled left and snuck the ball into Foote’s stomach, and as the Red Devil defenders chased Beaugard, Foote took off and found the endzone on a 52-yard run after eluding the Jacksonville secondary.
Leader sportswriter
Jacksonville battled class 6A Benton in a competitive first half Friday at C.W. Lewis Stadium, but the Panthers went into the half with the lead after a trick play that resulted in a 52-yard touchdown run that put Benton up 28-20. Benton added a score in the third quarter after a special teams error set the Panthers up at the Jacksonville 20. With second remaining in the third quarter, the remainder of the game was called off with Benton leading 34-20.
The Red Devils started strong as the offense found the end zone on its opening drive. It took Jacksonville just seven plays to score after sophomore running back Lamont Gause dashed 28 yards into the end zone on a well-timed option pitch from senior quarterback Aaron Smith.
John Herriman’s extra point gave the Red Devils a quick 7-0 lead. Benton went three-and-out on its first drive after three incomplete passes, but after Jacksonville turned the ball over on downs, the Panthers responded with a 10-play drive capped off by a 28-yard touchdown reception from Boone Cox.
Starting at its own 28-yard line, Jacksonville retook the lead when Gause broke away down the home team sideline 63 yards for another score. Herriman’s extra point put the Red Devils back up 14-7.
However, Jacksonville gave Benton’s offense a gift after the Red Devils failed to convert on another fourth down at their own 34-yard line. An illegal shift penalty backed Benton’s offense up, but on the next play, junior quarterback Tarek Beaugard connected with wideout J.V. Davis for a 44-yard score to tie it up at 14.
The Panthers grabbed their first lead with 2:14 to play in the second quarter after Beaugard hit standout running back Wallace Foote on a screen pass that resulted in a 33-yard touchdown. Jacksonville scored on its next possession on a double pass.
Smith connected with Kevin Richardson on a lateral pass to the sideline, and Richardson found Terrell Moore wide open up field for a 33-yard touchdown. Herriman’s extra point attempt was blocked though with 41 seconds to go in the half.
After Benton returned the ensuing kickoff to its own 47-yard line, the Panthers lined up as if they were going to take a knee to end the half. But on the snap, Beaugard rolled left and snuck the ball into Foote’s stomach, and as the Red Devil defenders chased Beaugard, Foote took off and found the endzone on a 52-yard run after eluding the Jacksonville secondary.
SPORTS STORY >> Wildcats get away with win at Cabot
By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
The end result may have been the same, but North Little Rock had to work much harder the second time around against a scrappy Cabot team determined to defend its home court in a 3-1 victory for the Lady Charging Wildcats at Panther Arena on Thursday.
North Little Rock easily downed the Lady Panthers in a nonconference match a week earlier, but with 7A/6A East Conference points on the line, Cabot was not willing to go down without a fight.
Junior Lakin Best helped lead the Lady Panthers late in game two with five of her match-high 15 total kills, while Cabot also contended strongly in the final two games with leads midway through both frames before the Lady Wildcats finally prevailed.
“I knew it was going to be tough coming in here because it was conference,” North Little Rock coach Becky Matthews said. “And they were coming off of a loss. I knew this was likely to happen. We didn’t come out pushing hard, and it gave them a little bit of life. Slack off at all, and they can come back, and that’s what happened. I didn’t feel like our defense was very good tonight, and that hurt us.”
The Lady Panthers (1-5, 0-2) gave notice early they did not intend to fade quietly as they pushed the first game to extra points. North Little Rock seniors Kelsie Claussen and Jaelyn Wayne finally found a way to secure the two-point margin required to win with a kill by Claussen and a block from Wayne to end game one 27-25. Cabot got a big moral victory by winning the second game 25-18, while the Lady ’Cats (3-1, 2-0) took the final two games 25-18 and 25-19.
“Both sides did real well on hitting,” Matthews said. “We weren’t reading the cross-court hits very well. Our blockers weren’t getting there. We had some good moments too – I wasn’t upset with our hitters.”
Senior Kendra Tillman proved best at putting a crimp in Cabot momentum as the Lady Wildcat hitter came up with big kills at key times to prevent big scoring runs by the hosts. Tillman finished with nine kills.
“She’s real smart about tipping and other things,” Matthews said of Tillman. “We kept telling the setters to go to her. Sometimes girls are on, and sometimes they are off, and she was having a good moment, so we were utilizing that.”
Cabot junior Bailey Uhiren led the way for the Lady Panthers in the second game with six kills, while Best came on strong late in the game with two kills, and junior Taylor Bitely served up an ace at the end to secure the victory.
“It’s a process – Rome was not built in a day,” Lady Panthers coach DeAnna Campbell said. “All I care about right now is the same thing I’ve cared about since I took this job and that’s the fact that we’re moving forward and getting better every game. I’d like to get it done this year – we’re taking games off people now.”
The Lady Panthers had their chances in the fourth game with a lead that went as high as 13-8 before North Little Rock gradually worked its way back into contention to tie the game at 15 and eventually pull away in the closing stages.
“It only takes three games to win,” Campbell said. “If we take a game off North Little Rock, who just killed West Memphis last week, and push them to double-digits, then come tournament time – that’s our goal. We want to get in the state tournament. If we can keep pushing good teams, then we should level out and get wins.”
Cabot won the hitting battle overall with 41 kills to North Little Rock’s 38. Best led all hitters with 15 kills for the Lady Panthers while Uhiren added nine kills and Bitely had six kills along with a team-high three blocks. For North Little Rock, Tillman and Keedra Johnson led with nine kills each, while Tillman led the team in blocks with five. Wayne had seven kills and four blocks while Claussen finished with six kills.
Leader sportswriter
The end result may have been the same, but North Little Rock had to work much harder the second time around against a scrappy Cabot team determined to defend its home court in a 3-1 victory for the Lady Charging Wildcats at Panther Arena on Thursday.
North Little Rock easily downed the Lady Panthers in a nonconference match a week earlier, but with 7A/6A East Conference points on the line, Cabot was not willing to go down without a fight.
Junior Lakin Best helped lead the Lady Panthers late in game two with five of her match-high 15 total kills, while Cabot also contended strongly in the final two games with leads midway through both frames before the Lady Wildcats finally prevailed.
“I knew it was going to be tough coming in here because it was conference,” North Little Rock coach Becky Matthews said. “And they were coming off of a loss. I knew this was likely to happen. We didn’t come out pushing hard, and it gave them a little bit of life. Slack off at all, and they can come back, and that’s what happened. I didn’t feel like our defense was very good tonight, and that hurt us.”
The Lady Panthers (1-5, 0-2) gave notice early they did not intend to fade quietly as they pushed the first game to extra points. North Little Rock seniors Kelsie Claussen and Jaelyn Wayne finally found a way to secure the two-point margin required to win with a kill by Claussen and a block from Wayne to end game one 27-25. Cabot got a big moral victory by winning the second game 25-18, while the Lady ’Cats (3-1, 2-0) took the final two games 25-18 and 25-19.
“Both sides did real well on hitting,” Matthews said. “We weren’t reading the cross-court hits very well. Our blockers weren’t getting there. We had some good moments too – I wasn’t upset with our hitters.”
Senior Kendra Tillman proved best at putting a crimp in Cabot momentum as the Lady Wildcat hitter came up with big kills at key times to prevent big scoring runs by the hosts. Tillman finished with nine kills.
“She’s real smart about tipping and other things,” Matthews said of Tillman. “We kept telling the setters to go to her. Sometimes girls are on, and sometimes they are off, and she was having a good moment, so we were utilizing that.”
Cabot junior Bailey Uhiren led the way for the Lady Panthers in the second game with six kills, while Best came on strong late in the game with two kills, and junior Taylor Bitely served up an ace at the end to secure the victory.
“It’s a process – Rome was not built in a day,” Lady Panthers coach DeAnna Campbell said. “All I care about right now is the same thing I’ve cared about since I took this job and that’s the fact that we’re moving forward and getting better every game. I’d like to get it done this year – we’re taking games off people now.”
The Lady Panthers had their chances in the fourth game with a lead that went as high as 13-8 before North Little Rock gradually worked its way back into contention to tie the game at 15 and eventually pull away in the closing stages.
“It only takes three games to win,” Campbell said. “If we take a game off North Little Rock, who just killed West Memphis last week, and push them to double-digits, then come tournament time – that’s our goal. We want to get in the state tournament. If we can keep pushing good teams, then we should level out and get wins.”
Cabot won the hitting battle overall with 41 kills to North Little Rock’s 38. Best led all hitters with 15 kills for the Lady Panthers while Uhiren added nine kills and Bitely had six kills along with a team-high three blocks. For North Little Rock, Tillman and Keedra Johnson led with nine kills each, while Tillman led the team in blocks with five. Wayne had seven kills and four blocks while Claussen finished with six kills.
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