Stories from Friday, September 14, 2012

The Junior Hornets gained their first win of the season as they visited the Brookland Junior Bearcats and came away with a 20-6 win. This evened their record at 1-1 on the year. Connor Haag led the way with 145 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Dillon Russell added 60 yards on 10 totes with Malik Versie gaining 50 yards on 6 carries. Walker Hammond led the defensive charge with six tackles while Versie and Russell each addd four tackles. Trumann's Junior Wildcats fell to 0-2 on the season as they hosted the Nettleton Junior Raiders falling 40-6. Lorenzo Buchanan scored Trumann's only touchdown of the night on a 67-yard run. Buchanan finished the night with 75 yards rushing. Garrett Woods and Trey Moody had eight and seven tackles respectively on defense. Deangelo Griffin scored on both sides of the ball as the Marked Tree Junior Indians gained their first win of the season by beating Cedar Ridge at Newark last Thursday night. Griffin rushed for 78 yards and a score and scooped up a fumble and returned it 54-yards for a touchdown. Jaleel Lott led the team in rushing with 110 yards. Lott and Blake Daniels each had a rushing touchdown.

The EPC Junior Warriors evened their record last Thursday with a 34-6 win over the Walnut Ridge Junior Bobcats. The Junior Warriors are 1-1 on the season. Malik Monk recovered a Walnut Ridge fumble on EPC's 13-yard line to end the opening drive by the Junior Bobcats. Clay Malone hooked up with Monk on the first play from scrimmage for an 87-yard touchdown pass. Des Barnes added the two-point conversion run to put the Junior Warriors up 8-0 with 4:26 left in the opening quarter. Barnes picked up a Bobcats fumble and returns it 21-yards for the touchdown. Malone is stopped on the two-point try making the score 14-0 EPC with 1:34 left in the first. The teams exchanged possessions to start the second quarter. The game was stopped briefly in the second quarter as EPC's Zach Brooks suffered a dislocated knee cap. Austin Smith recovers a Walnut Ridge fumble that leads to a Malone to Monk 20-yard touchdown pass. The duo hooked up for the two-point pass play to set the score at 22-0 EPC. Barnes adds his second touchdown of the night as he returns a Junior Bobcats punt 36-yards for a touchdown. The two-point try is no good leaving the score 28-0 Junior Warriors with 1:44 to go in the third quarter. The Junior Bobcats get on the board with a 10-yard run with 14 seconds to go in the third quarter. The two-point try is stopped leaving the score 28-6 after three quarters of play. Barnes scored his third touchdown of the game with a 38-yard touchdown in the final quarter. The two-point try is no good setting the final score at 34-6. Barnes led EPC with 75 yards rushing scoring three touchdowns on the night. Monk had 118 yards receiving with two touchdown catches. Malone completed three of four passes for 118 yards and two touchdown passes. Kyler Gordon recored six tackles on defense with two of those being sacks. Monk added five stops and recovered three fumbles. "The guys came out and played hard tonight," EPC Coach Brian Weathers said after the game. "I'm extremely proud of these guys," Weathers added. The Junior Warriors will travel to Cross County this Thursday. Kickoff is at 7.

The Marked Tree Indians and Harrisburg Hornets played a great first half of football, then two storms hit Hornet Stadium. Marked Tree got the ball first and wasted little time as Darius Ivy scored on a 68-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. The extra-point was blocked making the score 6-0 Indians with 11:48 left in the opening period. Chris Montague scored for the defense as he intercepted an errant Marcus Smith pass and returned it 48-yards for a touchdown. Ivy added the two-point conversion to make the score 14-0 Marked Tree with 10:17 left in the first. Marcus Smith hit Dakota Jones with a 15-yard pass to get the Hornets there first points of the night. Smith added the two-point conversion run to make the score 14-8 Indians with 5:21 left in the first period. Marked Tree answered that score as Brody McCrary hit Dee Crockett with a 10-yard touchdown pass with 3:36 to go in the first. Bailey Gilbert was stopped on the two-point try leaving the score 20-8. Harrisburg marched the ball down field with Smith taking it in from two-yards out. The two-point try failed making the score 20-14 with 2:34 left in the first. Smith escaped a strong pass rush to find Jeremy Martin with a 35-yard touchdown strike to tie the game up at 20. Smith then found Arizona Sharp with a two-point pass play to make the score 22-20 Hornets with 3:15 left before half. Marked Tree didn't last the Hornets lead last long as Ivy took the snap as quarterback and went 58-yards for the score on the first play after the kickoff. Octavious Dean runs in the two-point conversion to make the score 28-22 Marked Tree with 3:01 left before half. With the score 28-22 in favor of Marked Tree, the first storm hit Hornet Stadium. Lightning and rain caused the game to be at least 30 minutes delayed before starting the second half. When the storm lingered, the referee suspended the game and said it was up to the schools to decide on making the game up. The second storm hit as the Hornets wanted to play the game with the Indians not wanting to play. This reporter contacted the Arkansas Activities Association via email and was told this by Wadie Moore, "If both schools cannot agree to make up, the game will be declared a no contest." Marked Tree Coach Waylon Dunn offered this after the game, "You want to play the game but you have to think of the safety of the kids." On the game Dunn said, "I thought we played good in spurts, there are some things we need to work on." "I thought we did some good things, we ran the ball well and blocked well," Harrisburg Coach Keith Davis said. "We gave some big plays on defense, just gotta make those tackles," Davis added. Devon Jarrett had 64 yards rushing for Harrisburg with Jones adding 45 yards on the ground. Ivy led Marked Tree with 141 yards rushing. Harrisburg will host Riverview this Friday while Gurdon visits Marked Tree. Both games are to kickoff at 7.

The Nettleton Raiders used a balanced offensive game to post a 48-0 win over Trumann this past Saturday at Wildcat Field. The game was postponed from Friday night due to the storm that moved through the area. The Raiders scored four times rushing and three times passing. Nettleton scored on a 76-yard pass and 60-yard run to go up 14-0 after the first quarter of play. The Raiders added two more scores it the second quarter on a 29-yard run and a 45-yard pass to take a 28-0 lead in to halftime. Nettleton tacked on two more scores it the third quarter on a one-yard run and 15-yard pass. The Raiders final score came late in the game on a 15-yard run. "We've got to go back to the drawing board, our line and backs have to block," Trumann Coach Greg White said about his team. "I still believe in this football team and in the players on this team," White added. Tevin Bradley was a bright spot for the Wildcats recording 15 tackles from his linebacker spot on defense. Trumann will host Earle Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7.

The EPC Warriors shined on both sides of the ball this past Monday night as they hosted the Lions of Manila and posted a 46-0 victory. The game was moved to Monday due to the storms that came through Friday night. The game resumed with EPC up 7-0. Trevor McDaniel scored on a four-yard run in the opening quarter and Blake Carter added the point after. The quarter ended with the score still 7-0. Aaron Scales scored on a one-yard keeper with 9:15 left in the second quarter with Carter again making the point after to put the score at 14-0. Tristan McDaniel caught a 15-yard pass from Aaron Scales for the Warriors next points. Carter was again good on the extra point to make the score 21-0 EPC with 5:01 left before half. Caleb Harston scooped up a fumble and returned it 60-yards for a score with 41 seconds to go before halftime. Carter adds the extra point to send EPC to the half with a 28-0 lead. Aaron Scales hooked up with his brother Byron Scales for a 23-yard touchdown pass with 6:20 left in the third. Carter's point after was blocked leaving the score 34-0. Byron Scales added his second touchdown of the game with a nine-yard run with 1:44 left in the third. The extra-point was again blocked setting the score at 40-0. Harston scored the final points of the night as he took a handoff and scampered 19-yards for the score with 10:15 left in the game. The two-point try failed making the score 46-0. "I was pleased with the execution of the team tonight," Coach Brian Weathers said after the game. "We flew to the ball on defense," Weathers added. Harston led a balanced ground attack with 78 yards rushing. Trevor McDaniel added 77 yards and Jammar "Mookie" Sturdivant chipped in 55 yards. Aaron Scales threw for 71 yards hitting on five of eight passes with two touchdown passes. Harston and Byron Scales both had 12 tackles on defense. The Warriors will travel to Hazen this week. Kickoff is set for 7.

Harley Jack Hitchcock, 85, passed away Friday, Sept. 7, 2012, at Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich, Ill. He was born April 8, 1927, and raised in Arkansas the son of John Riley and Louchester Hitchcock. Harley married Ina Hawkins at a furniture store in Marked Tree, Ark., on Dec. ...

TRUMANN - Mr. Noah Warren Ragsdale, 97, of Trumann, died Sunday, Sept. 2, 2012, in Hillsboro, Mo. Mr. Ragsdale was born Dec. 21, 1914, in Stewart, Ark. He was a retired factory worker of McDonnell Douglas, veteran of the U.S. Army serving in World War II and a member of Trumann Revival Center...

TRUMANN - Mrs. Nelldean Bryant, 71, of Trumann died Sunday, Sept. 2, 2012, at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro. Mrs. Bryant was born in Monette, Ark. to the late Paul W. and Tessie Layne Halsey, and had lived most of her lifetime in Trumann. She was a housewife and of Baptist faith...

HARRISBURG - Mr. James Chester Holmes, of the Central Community Harrisburg, Ark., departed this life to join his wife of 63 years Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, at the age of 89 years, three months and 10 days. Chester was born on Tuesday, May 29, 1923, to William Hardy and Lydia Upshaw Holmes. ...

HARRISBURG - Mr. Michael Wayne Holmes, of Harrisburg, Ark., departed this life Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, at the St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro at the age of 34. He was born Sept. 20, 1977 in Cleveland, Miss., the son of Rickey Lynn Holmes and Connie Willis Holmes. ...

TRUMANN - Mr. David Wesley Osment, 57, of Trumann, died Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012 at the family residence. He was born in Trumann to the late C.H. and Norma Maxine Pepper Osment Jr. and had lived in Trumann most of his lifetime. He owned and operated a used car lot and was a river boat operator and was of Baptist faith...

The Marked Tree City Council authorized the mayor to open up a line of credit for a short term loan to help pay for construction of the Awesome Products rail spur. Construction of the spur is estimated to cost about $1.19 million. The city has been awarded two grants for the project: an Arkansas Economic Development Commission grant for $499,000 and an Economic Development Administration grant for $600,000...

Old vegetable oil used in restaurants doesn't have to be thrown out. Dr. Kevin Humphrey, assistant professor of Agricultural Education at Arkansas State University, and his students have started manufacturing biodiesel from waste vegetable oil. Dr. Humphrey and his students first started their lab in 2008. Using a system housed at the ASU farm, Humphrey can refine seeds into meal for livestock and vegetable oil, and waste vegetable oil can be processed into biodiesel and glycerin...

The Trumann City Council heard from Paul Jones of Jones Consulting at this month's meeting regarding the Arkansas Development Finance Authority's home improvement program. Jones said that the ADFA distrbutes funds throughout the state that can be used toward refurbishing houses or demolishing and rebuilding houses that are ready to be condemned. ...

John Anthony Arnoult, 28, of 1610 Arrowhead Pond Road, Jonesboro, was arrested Sept. 9 after investigation by the Trumann Police Department and Arkansas State Police into the deaths of Constance "Connie" Cole, 56, and John Poff, 57, both of Trumann...