FC Junior Mustangs outlast WM West for first season win
In what became a "good, hard fought game" played at Sam Smith Stadium, the Forrest City Junior Mustangs outlasted West Memphis West 22-20 to even their early season mark at 1-1.
It was the season opener for West who fall to 0-1.
The Junior Mustangs trailed West 14-8 at the half before scoring 14 second half points to eke out the win.
Jarvis Palmer finished with 164 receiving yards and one touchdown while Kevin Young hauled in a 45-yard touchdown reception. Roderick Tiswell accounted for a Junior Mustang rushing touchdown and quarterback Dayln Washington threw for more than 200 yards including a pair of touchdown passes.
The Junior Mustangs will make their first road trip of the season next Thursday when they travel to play the consolidated West Memphis Wonder/East team.
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The Forrest City Mustangs varsity have an open date tonight after scheduled opponent Hamburg cancelled.
The Mustangs will host Little Rock Mills next Friday in a nonconference game at Sam Smith Stadium in the first football meeting between the two schools since the 2001 season, a 14-6 Mills victory at Sam Smith Stadium, under then head Mustang coach Donnie Willis.
Since the 1979 season, the two schools have met in football only six times.
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The Palestine-Wheatley Junior Patriots had an open date
Thursday and will return to action next week when they host Clarendon.
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The Class 3A PalestineWheatley varsity Patriots will make the trip to face Class 2A Marked Tree tonight for a nonconference matchup for the second straight season.
The Indians won last year's game 28-27.
Before last year's game against the Indians the two teams last meeting came in 2011, a 56-20 Marked Tree win under then head coach Charles Sartin.
Before that meeting Marked Tree earned a forfeit win over the Patriots during the 2007 season under then head coach Dwain Roark.
Both teams will field approximately the same number of players for tonight's game.
Marked Tree will go with first year quarterback Willie Marshall, a 5-11, 170 pound junior, who looks to be more of a rushing threat than a passing threat, which overall makes the Indians more run heavy than working the pass.
Marshall will work behind an experienced Marked Tree line that returns four starters and senior tight end BJ Marshall, Marked Tree's All State reciever from a year ago. Marshall hauled in 31 passes a year ago for just over 600 receiving yards and seven touchdowns
The Patriots recouped a couple of players injured in the opener against Des Arc, but will likely stay with most of last week's starters.
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The Lee Academy Cougars have an open date tonight after scheduled opponent Arkansas
Christian cancelled.
The Cougars will return to action on Friday, Sept. 10 at Marvell Academy.
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Valley View and Harding Academy will play tonight after Gosnell cancelled their scheduled game against the Blazers due to Covid-19 concerns.
Harding Academy, which has won the last two Class 3A state championships, travels to Valley View this evening. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Harding Academy has won 28 of its last 29 games, losing only to Briarcrest (Tenn.) Christian last season during that span. Last year the Wildcats finished 12-1 while averaging better than 45 points per game against in-state foes.
••••• Jonesboro travels to play two of the state’s top 10 teams in its last two non-conference games, visiting fourth-ranked Cabot tonight and 10th-ranked Conway next week. Both teams reached the Class 7A state semifinals last season.
The Hurricane (1-0) drilled another 7A foe last week, routing Little Rock Catholic 37-7, but the Panthers (1-0) and Wampus Cats (0-1) represent a greater challenge.
Both games will also serve as a preview of sorts for 2022 when Jonesboro moves into Class 7A and probably the same conference as its next two opponents. Cabot is No. 1 in enrollment according to Arkansas Activities Association figures used for the 2022-24 reclassification, while Conway is No. 5.
Jonesboro lost to both teams last year, falling 36-32 to Cabot and 49-28 to Conway.