Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Clint Cornett Inducted Into Sports Hall Of Fame
REFEREE INDUCTED JULY 12
PRAIRIE GROVE — In 40 seasons of officiating high school football games, Clint Cornett, of Prairie Grove, didn’t come through unscathed en route to the Arkansas Officials Hall of Fame.
“He’s worked several of our games and broke a limb during one of them,” said Kaye Abshier, wife of Prairie Grove head football coach, Danny Abshier.
The third game of the 1991 season on Sept. 9 was a tough day on the job for Cornett officiating a senior B game with Huntsville playing at Prairie Grove.
Danny remembers the incident vividly saying Cornett was just on the sideline out in front of a play doing his job well.
“He was kind of forced into the sideline by the action,” Danny Abshier said. “The pile lands on him. He was hurting out there. Everybody was trying to calm him down. I remember him talking, explaining how it happened.”
According to Cornett, the whistle had blown but momentum from a Prairie Grove tackle of a Huntsville player carried both boys into him and coaches told him the impact knocked all three unconscious.
Cornett suffered a compound fracture on his shin bone along with cracked ribs and when the paramedics arrived they began working on him. According to Danny Abshier, one EMT said, “I’m going to untie your shoe.”
“He started untying his shoe and Clint, he kind of sat up and doubled up his fist like he was going to hit that guy. I said, ‘Whoa, whoa, take it easy, Clint.’”
The EMT said, “I’ll just cut your shoe laces,” and he did.
“Everyone thought I was through officiating after that but after I got rehabilitated next year I was on the field again,” Cornett said.
Cornett officiated 40 seasons of football from 1967 to 2007, working two state championship games and one Arkansas High School Coaches Association All- Star game. In recognition of his contri- butions to Arkansas high school athletics, Cornett was inducted into the Arkansas Officials Association Hall of Fame on July 12 at Hot Springs.
Danny Abshier described Cornett as “a good, solid official.”
“He had a good demeanor about him the way he handles things.”
The Tigers ran a trick play against Gravette in a junior high game coming out of a timeout, which later had a bearing with Cornett called on to enforce the rules in a senior high game involving Prairie Grove and the Lions.
“We were right there on our hash. You just go out there and snap it and run the play,” Abshier said, recalling Gravette coach Duke Mobley said, “You’re not going to do that to me again.”
When the Tigers took timeout during a senior high game against Gravette with an identical scenario with the football resting on the Prairie Grove hash at the Tigers’ 25-yard line, Mobley declared, “You’re not going to do that to me again,” afraid the Tigers would break out and run a play against the Lions real fast.
“He huddles his team on our sideline and I went over to Clint and said, ‘He can’t do that. Look over here besides me.’”
“You had to know Clint and his way of handling things. He looks over and right besides me is Duke Mobley and all of the Gravette players and he says, ‘What in the world?’ Then, he goes down there, makes them go back and sent them on their way.”
According to Danny Abshier, Cornett used to coach one of the 16 and under girls softball teams at Prairie Grove and always helped out financially with his team and maybe others, too.
“I’ve always said we should name a field after him over here, I’m thinking a softball field,” Danny Abshier said. “He was always a giving guy. He helped out with whatever we wanted to do.”
Danny Abshier said Cornett would be the first guy he’d call if there wasn’t a referee crew available for a game.
Although he retired in 2007, Cornett remains
“I’ve always said we should name a field after him over here, I’m thinking a softball field. He was always a giving guy. He helped out with whatever we wanted to do.”
Danny Abshier Prairie Grove football coach
involved in the community working the Prairie Grove powder puff and benefit games.
“He’s got a couple of other guys on his crew. They’re real easy- going before the game but whenever that whistle blows, it’s all business. He’s a good friend outside that game but inside that game he’s going to be fair to either team as much as he can.”
“Make sure you had it even and fair. Don’t get carried away, make sure you’re fair to the youngsters. That was my main goal whether it was a sixth grade game or a 7A game,” Cornett said.
Danny Abshier paid Cornett the ultimate compliment a game official can get from a coach involved in a competition his crew has worked.
“I can’t remember a whole lot of calls that they missed.”