Monthly Archives: November 2025

Food insecurity remains challenge for Food Bank of NEA

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Story by DDNS Reporter Jerry Don Burton

JONESBORO – Following the government shutdown and with the holiday season approaching, food insecurity in Northeast Arkansas (NEA) remains a challenge for food banks.

Arkansas faces the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation, according to a since-discontinued annual report published in 2024 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA defines food insecurity as a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.

Terry Austin, development officer at the Food Bank of NEA, said the rural nature of Northeast Arkansas contributes to the high rates of food insecurity. Many areas of Arkansas are also classified as food deserts.

Food deserts are areas where access to affordable, healthy food is restricted or nonexistent due to the absence of grocery stories within convenient distances, as defined by Food Empowerment Project.

“Statistically speaking, 21% of Northeast Arkansas citizens are in food insecure households,” Austin said. “Which is a staggering statistic to me.”

The Food Bank of NEA entrance, located at 3414 One Place in Jonesboro. Photo courtesy of Food Bank of NEA Facebook.

Food deserts are not the only elements worsening food security in NEA, though. National factors have further increased demand for food banks.

Lingering Impacts of Government Shutdown
Austin said the latest government shutdown, which lasted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12 put a spotlight on food insecurity. He said those who depend on food assistance, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and federal employees, were particularly impacted.

The Food Bank of NEA saw a 16% increase in SNAP recipients who received food assistance during the shutdown compared to that same period in 2024. 8% of those served were new households that had never received assistance from the Food Bank of NEA before.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4, is also expected to impact food security nationwide.

President Donald Trump displays the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, after signing it. Photo Courtesy of Leah Millis, Reuters.

“[The act] is estimated to reduce the number of meals for SNAP beneficiaries in the nation by some six billion meals year to year over the next 10 years,” Austin said. “We’re gonna see that kind of cut in food assistance and that’s going to mean a very steady rise in demand.”

Another factor influencing the increased pressure on food banks is the approaching holiday season.

Holiday Season Challenges
“Regardless of what your family’s financial picture may be, you still want to have those holiday gatherings,” Austin said. “You want to have a table of food to share with your loved ones.”

The holiday season further contributes to an increase in demand because, since many children will be on break, they’ll miss out on school-provided meals. One in three children are at risk for hunger in NEA.

Austin said the Food Bank of NEA orders traditional seasonal food during this time of year to give families in need the food to make a holiday meal.
Food insecurity is not an issue limited to NEA, either.

The River Valley Regional Food Bank entrance, located a 1617 Zero Street in Fort Smith.

Food Insecurity Affects Arkansans Everywhere
On the opposite side of the state, the River Valley Regional Food Bank in Fort Smith serves 140 pantries across eight counties in Western Arkansas.

Hattie Hamilton, interim food bank director and operations manager for the River Valley Regional Food Bank, said they have reached out to Feeding America for extra food. She said the additional product will help the food bank better supply the pantries as need increases.

Feeding America is a non-profit network of food banks nationwide that helps feed more than 46 million people.

“Our battle here to help fight against it is just to get the food in to help get to the neighbors in need,” Hamilton said.

State Funding Support
In an effort to combat SNAP cuts and relieve pressure on food banks, state funds have provided support to food banks across Arkansas.

On Oct. 31, Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders directed $500,000 to be split among the six Feeding America partnered food banks in the state. On Nov. 9, with the shutdown still in effect, Sanders assigned $500,000 more to food banks.

“As the shutdown continues, my administration will stand with our partners in the legislature, at churches and in food banks to help Arkansans stay fed,” Sanders said.

Back in NEA, Austin said their food bank received about $83,000 from the state. He said the Food Bank of NEA priortized buying protein products with the funds.

“Protein is a critical part of a diet and it’s also part of a diet that’s hard for us to provide enough of in our distributions,” Austin said. “We get a lot of canned goods and a lot of dry goods. Protein can be tricky to fit into that parameter, so that’s why we focused using those dollars on protein purchases.”

Austin said he wants to stress that the food bank is grateful for the money, but more help is needed to meet the rising need.

Demand Rising in Northeast Arkansas
One of six food banks in Arkansas, the Food Bank of NEA serves a 12-county area in the northeast region of the state, serving about 8,000 square miles.

Austin said the Food Bank of NEA primarily raises money and food and then distributes products to 176 partner agencies. These agencies include churches, schools, food pantries and homeless shelters.

In 2024, the Food Bank of NEA distributed 8.2 million pounds of food to those facing food insecurity. 25% of that food was fresh products like meat, vegetables and fruit.

A Food Bank of NEA delivery truck, parked in the loading dock of the Food Bank of NEA. Photo Courtesy of the Food Bank of NEA website.

In addition to distributing food to partner agencies, Austin said the Food Bank of NEA travels to each of the 12 counties as least four times a year to hold a mobile distribution.

Through these distributions, Austin said the food bank arrives to a central location and hands out food themselves. He said the increased demand is felt even in these mobile distributions.

During a mobile distribution held in Craighead County in early October, Austin said the food bank brought 24 more boxes of food than normal and still had to turn away about 30 households because they ran out of food.
Similarly, during a distribution in Lawrence County, Austin said they brought 64 additional boxes of food and had to turn away 42 households.

“We simply ran out of food,” Austin said. “The demand has definitely spiked and it spiked in part because of the shutdown, but honestly, the demand was already beginning to climb.”

How to Receive Assistance and Offer Support
For those in need of food assistance, Austin said one of the best resources they offer is an interactive map on their website that allows users to find what food distributors in NEA are closest to them. Phone numbers, addresses and more information is included in the map to help guide users to help they need.

A screenshot of the Food Bank of NEA interactive map. The map allows users to search for food distributors in their location. Screenshot retrieved from the Food Bank of NEA website.



“We have done this a long time and we know all the ins and outs and the best way, the most efficient ways to get food to people who need it,” Austin said. “We stand ready to help if we need to.”

The Food Bank of NEA also has links under the “How to Help” section of their website for those interested in donating or volunteering. 1,157 volunteers donated 3,847 hours in 2024 to support the Food Bank of NEA.

Some of the most needed food items include peanut butter, canned soups, pasta, cereal, boxed meals, canned meats, and canned fruits and vegetables.

Austin said fresh food is always a challenge, so shelf-stable products are preferred. He also said popular foods that are flexible in meal prep are favored, such as spaghetti, corn, green beans and macaroni and cheese.

More than food, though, Austin said the Food Bank of NEA–and most food banks in general–actually prefer money donations.

Austin said donating money directly would serve the food bank more than canned goods, as the food bank buys product in bulk at reduced prices.
“We typically say that $1 donated can provide up to three meals,” Austin said. “We’re able to really stretch those dollars a long way.”

Austin said money donations can be used to pay for freight costs and other fees needed to keep the food bank running, too.

Still, Austin said any form of support–food donations, money donations, volunteer work or otherwise–is greatly appreciated.

The Food Bank of NEA is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and is located at 3414 One Place in Jonesboro. The food bank can also be reached by phone by calling 870-932-3663.
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“The Thanksgiving Play” rounds out Fall Theatre performances

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Story by DDNS Reporter Amelia Young

The cast of “The Thanksgiving Play,” going through the play one full final time the night before opening night. Photo courtesy of DayDay Robinson.

JONESBORO, Ark.- The Arkansas State University Theater Department rounds out the Fall semester with a show with the perfect blend of satirical comedy and cultural commentary with “The Thanksgiving Play.”

            “The Thanksgiving Play” centers around a group of four well-intentioned educators who are trying to come up with and write a Thanksgiving pageant without any Native American representation, but they get trapped in a loop of being socially aware, political correctness and trying to do what they believe is ‘the right thing.’

            The play selection committee, which includes the director of The Thanksgiving Play, Dallas Martinez, as well as other professors in the theater department and three students, begins looking at plays for the next season almost a year in advance. They look at productions done in recent years and what the needs of students are.

            “We want our students to have a well-rounded resume when they graduate so that it doesn’t show that they have only done one thing. So we start thinking about the needs, such as have we done a language play. Have we done a particular type of musical that takes place in like a golden age versus a modern age? Have we done ensembles? Have we done farces? Things like that so that when they leave here they’re able to not just say, ‘I can only audition for blank,’ right,” Martinez said.

            This production takes place in a round in their black box  Simpson theater. A round is when the audience is on all sides of the stage and can therefore see the actors at all times. The department typically has one show a season in the Simpson Theater, but this is the first time in several years that it has been set up in the round style.

            “My favorite part of being in this production has been doing a show in the black box. I’ve never really had an opportunity to do a show in there, and this show takes place in the round, which means the audience is all around you, so it’s been really fun to dig into new acting skills. And there’s just nowhere to hide,” Zane Brewer, senior theater major from Conway, Arkansas

Joanna Crites plays Logan, a drama teacher and director who wants to put on a culturally and politically correct Thanksgiving play at her school.

Brewer plays Jaxton, Logan’s boyfriend, an actor in the play, and an ultimate yoga bro who is always ready to add his opinion.

Nico Stark plays Caden, a history teacher tasked with keeping the play historically accurate.

Kamyron Lefebvre plays Alicia, an actress hired by Logan as the Native American representation. Logan later finds out that Alicia is not actually Native American and only auditions for roles in different ethnicities. As no one is actually Native American, the four now have to come up with a way to tell the story of Thanksgiving with no native American representation.

This will be Crites’ first time in a leading role; she has been in an A-State production in the past, but it was more of an ensemble position.

“I think every show is very different; there’s really no comparing one show to another in my mind. I think that every cast and every crew, every director is different, and there’s just so much to love about each experience that I get to have. This is definitely the first time that I’ve had such a leading role, and so that’s been really exciting and different for me.”

The four become trapped in a never-ending spiral of social awareness, political correctness, and doing the ‘right thing.’ The audience is sure to leave laughing once they find out what the final concept is for the play they have spent so much time and turmoil putting together.

“Come see the show, ‘cause it’s fun. It’s Thanksgiving. Come out and have a good time. It’s a comedy and they’re gonna leave laughing, we promise. Like it’s really, really fun. They’re just gonna have a great time, it’s the holiday season, come on out people,” Brewer said.

There will be three more performances, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, at the Fowler Center in the Simpson Theater, 201 Olympic Drive. You can purchase tickets online, at the A-State Box Office in First National Bank Arena or by calling  (870) 972-2781. For the general public, tickets are $15. A-State students are admitted free with their student ID.

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JONESBORO, Ark.- The Arkansas State University Theater Department rounds out the Fall semester with a show with the perfect blend of satirical comedy and cultural commentary with “The Thanksgiving Play.”

            “The Thanksgiving Play” centers around a group of four well-intentioned educators who are trying to come up with and write a Thanksgiving pageant without any Native American representation, but they get trapped in a loop of being socially aware, political correctness and trying to do what they believe is ‘the right thing.’

            The play selection committee, which includes the director of The Thanksgiving Play, Dallas Martinez, as well as other professors in the theater department and three students, begins looking at plays for the next season almost a year in advance. They look at productions done in recent years and what the needs of students are.

            “We want our students to have a well-rounded resume when they graduate so that it doesn’t show that they have only done one thing. So we start thinking about the needs, such as have we done a language play. Have we done a particular type of musical that takes place in like a golden age versus a modern age? Have we done ensembles? Have we done farces? Things like that so that when they leave here they’re able to not just say, ‘I can only audition for blank,’ right,” Martinez said.

            This production takes place in a round in their black box  Simpson theater. A round is when the audience is on all sides of the stage and can therefore see the actors at all times. The department typically has one show a season in the Simpson Theater, but this is the first time in several years that it has been set up in the round style.

            “My favorite part of being in this production has been doing a show in the black box. I’ve never really had an opportunity to do a show in there, and this show takes place in the round, which means the audience is all around you, so it’s been really fun to dig into new acting skills. And there’s just nowhere to hide,” Zane Brewer, senior theater major from Conway, Arkansas

Joanna Crites plays Logan, a drama teacher and director who wants to put on a culturally and politically correct Thanksgiving play at her school.

Brewer plays Jaxton, Logan’s boyfriend, an actor in the play, and an ultimate yoga bro who is always ready to add his opinion.

Nico Stark plays Caden, a history teacher tasked with keeping the play historically accurate.

Kamyron Lefebvre plays Alicia, an actress hired by Logan as the Native American representation. Logan later finds out that Alicia is not actually Native American and only auditions for roles in different ethnicities. As no one is actually Native American, the four now have to come up with a way to tell the story of Thanksgiving with no native American representation.

This will be Crites’ first time in a leading role; she has been in an A-State production in the past, but it was more of an ensemble position.

“I think every show is very different; there’s really no comparing one show to another in my mind. I think that every cast and every crew, every director is different, and there’s just so much to love about each experience that I get to have. This is definitely the first time that I’ve had such a leading role, and so that’s been really exciting and different for me.”

The four become trapped in a never-ending spiral of social awareness, political correctness, and doing the ‘right thing.’ The audience is sure to leave laughing once they find out what the final concept is for the play they have spent so much time and turmoil putting together.

“Come see the show, ‘cause it’s fun. It’s Thanksgiving. Come out and have a good time. It’s a comedy and they’re gonna leave laughing, we promise. Like it’s really, really fun. They’re just gonna have a great time, it’s the holiday season, come on out people,” Brewer said.

There will be three more performances, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, at the Fowler Center in the Simpson Theater, 201 Olympic Drive. You can purchase tickets online, at the A-State Box Office in First National Bank Arena or by calling  (870) 972-2781. For the general public, tickets are $15. A-State students are admitted free with their student ID.

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Kamyron Lefebvre, playing Alicia, and Jo Crites playing Logan in “The Thanksgiving Play” written by Larissa FastHorse. Photo by Amelia Young.

West Memphis Three attorneys participate in panel discussion

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DDNS Story by Jerry Don Burton

(From left) Jeff Rosenzweig and Paul Ford listen as Dan Stidham speaks during the West Memphis Three panel discussion. All three men were attorneys involved in the defense of the West Memphis Three and were invited by the Arkansas State University Sociology and Criminology Association to attend the panel. Photo by Jerry Don Burton.

JONESBORO – Attorneys who defended three freed men convicted as teenagers, known as the West Memphis Three, spoke in a panel discussion at Arkansas State University to share insight, advice, and theories regarding the case.

The highly publicized and controversial case originated from the murders of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1993. Damien Echols, Jessie Miskelley Jr., and Jason Baldwin were convicted of the murders, despite questionable evidence.

The A-State Sociology and Criminology Association (SCA) hosted the public panel on Thursday, Nov. 6, in the Reng Student Union Auditorium.

Stacy Dewald, faculty co-adviser for the SCA, said she wanted the event to bring attention that the criminal justice system is flawed, show wrongful convictions exist and offer new perspectives for those who still think the West Memphis Three are guilty. She said she believes the panel discussion achieved this goal.

The three attorneys who participated in the panel, Jeff Rosenzweig, Paul Ford, and Dan Stidham, began the discussion by detailing their connection to the case. Rosenzweig was on the team responsible for releasing the West Memphis Three in 2011, Ford was on the original defense team for Baldwin, and Stidham represented Miskelley as an attorney.
Ford said this case highlights the power of confirmation bias.

“Once you have this notion, all new information is going to be sorted to reaffirm whatever that notion is. If your first notion is ‘they’re guilty,’ you’re going to hold on to that,” Ford said. “So when you meet people who are less than 40 years of age and their first involvement in this proceeding was to watch the HBO documentaries, they can’t believe they were convicted. Because that was the first story that they heard, but that was not the first story that people heard in 1993.”

Ford said the citizens of West Memphis needed somebody to blame so they could feel their community was safe.
The existence of multiple potential suspects other than the West Memphis Three contributes to the controversial nature of the case and is the topic of many ongoing debates.

The three panelists said they are confident the West Memphis Three are innocent and have their own theories as to who committed the murders.

Rosenzweig said one valid suspect is “Mr.Bojangles,” referring to a bleeding man who was seen entering the nearby Bojangles restaurant about two hours after the boys were reported missing. Witnesses said the man was mentally disoriented and entered the women’s restroom. The next day, police took blood samples from the restroom that were later lost.

Ford said he has always been suspicious of Chris Morgan, a teenager who unexpectedly traveled to California with Brian Holland, another teenager, four days after the bodies were found. During questioning, Morgan said he had a history of drug and alcohol use and experienced blackouts and memory lapses. He said he might have killed the victims, but recanted this statement. This recanted statement was debated in the trial, but was found inadmissible as evidence.

Stidham said he has a suspect, a serial killer, whom he can place in the vicinity of the murders. He said he will explore the lead further and hopefully have more information to present before he retires.

Prevalent media coverage represents another element that generated controversy for the case.

Ford said national attention in the case, specifically from the media, was a double-edged sword.

“To have a CNN truck pull up outside of the courthouse in Corning, Arkansas, that’s like finding Bigfoot,” Ford said. “It was a big deal. Everywhere you went, there were reporters, cameras, people wanting interviews, producers from talk shows.”

Ford said if he could do anything differently in the trial, he would trust the media less. However, without a relationship with the media, he said, there would never have been a documentary and the West Memphis Three would still be in prison.

Dewald said the 1996 HBO documentary, “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills,” saved Echol’s life. Echols was the only teenager sentenced to death in the trial.

The case is also associated with the Satanic panic, due to the prosecution’s assertion that the children were murdered as part of a Satanic ritual. The Satanic panic was a social panic that began in the 1980s and continued throughout the late 1990s, involving widespread cases and accusations of Satanic ritual abuse.

Rosenzweig said some still believe the West Memphis Three are guilty for a number of reasons, ranging from having personal connections to being ill-informed.

“You’re never going to convince everyone, no matter what,” Rosenzweig said. “You just have to move on and go to the next person.”

Stidham said the use of the Alford Plea in the case is a common source of confusion that many people struggle to understand.

In 2011, the West Memphis Three entered an Alford Plea, meaning they pleaded guilty while maintaining their innocence. Judge David Laser accepted the plea, which simultaneously freed the men after serving 18 years in prison and put the case to rest.

Rosenzweig said he agrees with Stidham that the Alford Plea is a confusing part of the case and is controversial in its own right. Rosenzweig said if the state really thought the West Memphis Three killed the boys, they would still be in prison.

Ford said if the prosecution felt the teenagers actually killed the three eight-year-old boys, they should feel ashamed for letting them go free.

“Why would you ever agree to let people you think killed eight-year-olds walk free?” Ford said. “That, to me, is the greatest evidence that they really didn’t believe it.”

Scott Ellington, the prosecuting attorney at the time, said he recognized the compromise was not ideal. Still, he said, it gave the state the guilty plea it wanted and the defendants the ability to continue asserting their innocence.

“It certainly was not a perfect resolution to the case for the state, but it was much better than having three trials, trying to convince 36 jurors of the defendants’ guilt using old evidence, failed memories, changed minds, dead witnesses and the parents of two of the victims who now say they believe the defendants are innocent of the crimes,” Ellington said in a 2011 article from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

Rosenzweig said procedural mechanisms, which are rules designed to secure a fair and consistent application of due process, have not improved in Arkansas since the original West Memphis Three trial. He said forensic advancements make scientific evidence much more precise, but misunderstandings still persist and proliferate on social media.

Stidham said documenting is important, and interrogations should be recorded in their entirety. Ford said what he found egregious about the case was that adolescents were questioned by law enforcement without a parent present or knowledge.

The discussion ended after the panelists advised the audience on what to do if they are ever falsely accused of a crime. Stidham and Ford said to stay quiet and get a good lawyer, and Rosenzweig said to recognize that the exoneration process takes time.

Dewald, who is also an assistant professor of criminology, said planning for the event began in August, when A-State students Lesleigh Sullivan and Anna Hartley expressed an interest in the West Memphis Three for their honors project.
Dewald said she feels a connection to the West Memphis Three because she grew up around the same time and shared similar interests in music and books.

“I kind of felt connected to them, but what was different is they grew up in the South, I grew up in the North,” Dewald said. “So it wasn’t so frowned upon in the North to like Metallica and Stephen King.”

The assistant professor of criminology said the case remains nationally relevant because DNA evidence remains to be tested and many questions remain unanswered. She said community interest endures because many people feel a local connection to the case.

Stidham said interest in the case will persist for many years.

“People are going to be talking about this case in 300 years, like we talked about the Salem witch trials,” Stidham said. “It’s essentially the same thing.”

Dewald said she didn’t think the panel would draw as many attendees as it did. Nevertheless, she said she appreciates the interest and hopes the event raises awareness and helps dispel some myths surrounding the West Memphis Three and the criminal justice system.

On Aug. 1, 2025, new DNA testing for evidence from the original crime scene was ordered by Crittenden County Circuit Court Judge Tonya Alexander. At the time of writing, however, no other updates have been announced.


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Arkansas State football looking to go bowling

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Story by DDNS Reporter Jared Burton

Arkansas State’s football season started strong with a 42-24 win over SEMO at home to start the season at 1-0, then the Red Wolves went on a 4-game losing streak as they lost 56-14 to Arkansas in Little Rock, then lost 3 close games to Iowa State 24-16, Kennesaw State 28-21, and ULM 28-16.

The Red Wolves were tied with Texas State in the fourth quarter. Both teams traded touchdowns to make it 24-24 after it was 10-10 to start the fourth quarter. After the Red Wolves scored 24-24, Texas State got a big run play to set up 1st and goal, and then scored on the next play to make it 30-24 with the extra point coming up.

Looking at the score, the Red Wolves thought they were going to start the season 1-5, but the Texas State kicker missed an extra point, giving A-State a chance to win and save their season. Following the kickoff, the Red Wolves needed just 53 seconds to score what could have been the game-winning touchdown. Clune van Andel kicked the extra point and made the score 31-30 in favor of the red wolves. Following the kickoff, Texas State tried a series of laterals. But the rally came short, and A-State would go on to win the game 31-30. The win would give A-State momentum leading into their bye week.

Following the bye week, A-State would go on to win its next 3 games. A 15-14 win at South Alabama, a 34-24 homecoming win against Georgia Southern, and a 23-10 win at Troy. The Red Wolves have a chance to lead the Sun Belt West if they beat Southern Miss.

But the Red Wolves rally came a play short as Southern Miss intercepted Raynor’s pass in the endzone as time expired to give the Red Wolves their first loss in conference play and their first loss since the ULM game.

While the shot at winning the division and going to the Sun Belt championship is out of reach, the chance of going bowling in the postseason is still alive as A-State just needs one more win to become bowl eligible, as the Red Wolves have 2 games left with a home mid-week game against Louisiana and a road trip to App State. Since ASU has five wins, websites that post bowl projections have included A-State. The following are the websites that have A-State projected to go bowling after the loss to Southern Miss.

ESPN (Schlabach): Boca Raton bowl vs Miami (Ohio)

Athlon Sports: 68 Ventures bowl vs Western Michigan

Pro Football Network: 68 Ventures Bowl vs Central Michigan

Sports Illustrated: Myrtle Beach Bowl vs Utah State

On3 Sports: Cure Bowl vs Western Kentucky College football news: IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl vs Jacksonville State

Brookland spoils Paragould’s senior celebtration with 21-6 victory

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Story by DDNS reporter Benjamin McDowell

The Paragould Rams hosted the Brookland Bearcats on Friday night in their final home game of the regular season. It was an emotional evening for the Rams as the senior players took the field one last time in front of their home crowd.

Brookland entered the matchup determined to rebound from a narrow 24-21 loss to Batesville the week before. The Bearcats wasted no time setting the tone, leaning heavily on their running game led by tailback Elijah Hammon. Their early persistence paid off with a 1-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, giving Brookland an early 7-0 lead.

The Bearcats’ defense quickly followed suit, forcing multiple three-and-outs and stalling Paragould’s offensive rhythm. Late in the first quarter, Brookland stopped the Rams on a key 4th-and-6 attempt, keeping momentum on their side. The Bearcats continued to pound the ball on the ground, finding consistent yardage through Hammon and fellow back Nathan Murray.

Murray capped off a steady second-quarter drive with an 8-yard rushing touchdown, extending Brookland’s advantage to 14-0 before halftime. The Rams struggled to find offensive consistency, as Brookland’s defense clogged running lanes and pressured quarterback Reid Phillips throughout the half.

Paragould opened the third quarter hoping to climb back into the game but was plagued by costly mistakes. A mishandled snap on 3rd-and-1 ended a promising drive, and penalties—including a sideline warning, holding call, and unsportsmanlike conduct flag—further set the Rams back. Brookland capitalized by controlling time of possession and wearing down the defense with long, clock-draining drives.

In the fourth quarter, Brookland delivered a backbreaking score as Murray broke free for a 10-yard touchdown run on 4th-and-12, pushing the lead to 21-0. Paragould showed fight late, as Phillips connected with Austin Burdin on a 41-yard completion and later punched in a 2-yard touchdown run to put the Rams on the board.

Despite the late push, the Bearcats held strong to secure a 21-6 victory.

After the game, Rams head coach Randy Phillips praised his team’s effort and perseverance.
“Our kids kept fighting,” Phillips said. “That’s what we talk about every week—never quitting, no matter the score. We just had some missed assignments and mistakes that cost us, but I’m proud of how they kept battling.”

Phillips also reflected on his senior class.

“This group means a lot to me,” he said. “They were sophomores when I first got here, and I’ve seen them grow into strong young men and leaders. They’ve made a real impact on this program.”

Brookland head coach Mark Hindsley credited his team’s focus and resilience for the win.

“Our message this week was about improvement,” Hindsley said. “We wanted to play hard and finish the season the right way. The record doesn’t show how much growth we’ve had, but tonight our kids earned it.”

Hindsley added that closing out the season with his senior class makes the win even more meaningful.

“This group has been with me since their freshman year,” he said. “To see their development and character over time—it means a lot. I’m proud of them.”

Arkansas State Football Playing with Sun Belt West Division On the Line.

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Story by DDNS Reporter Jared Burton

On November 8th, 2025, the Sun Belt West Division will be on the line as the Southern Miss Golden Eagles will travel to Jonesboro to take on a red-hot Arkansas State Red Wolves. The Golden Eagles of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, enters the matchup coming off its bye week, while the Red Wolves of Jonesboro, Arkansas, are coming off a dominant defense performance with a 23-10 victory over Troy last week. This game has West Division title implications as the teams are currently 1st and 2nd in the West Division. If Southern Miss wins this game, it will win the West. If Arkansas State wins this game, they will win the West Division as they would have the head-to-head tie breakers with both Troy and Southern Miss.

Arkansas State head coach butch jones and Southern Miss head coach Charles Huff were asked about the Sun Belt West Division showdown on Monday during the Sun Belt weekly Zoom press conference.

“Well, just, you know, not giving up explosive plays, and they force you to execute. They force you to play in space. They force you to tackle a quarterback who is a dynamic player, deserving of all his honors, deserving of all the expectations in terms of preseason conference Player of the Year. They do a great job in terms of getting their skill players, their hands on the ball, and creating space, and really putting the ball in play. I think that the whole key is the ability of the quarterback to put the ball in play, and they’re big up front. So again, they’re extremely talented, and then defensively, you know, as good a defense that we’ve faced all year. Therefore, it will be a challenge,” said Arkansas state head coach Butch Jones.

“We have to go play a really good Arkansas State football team, you know, arguably the hottest team in the country over the last month. And that’s a fact. I mean, they’ve been able to go on the road and win games. They’ve been able to win close games, and that’s what good teams do: good teams find a way to win games, bad teams find a way to lose them. Obviously, they’re playing at a really high level with a lot of confidence. I have known Coach Jones for a long time. His process is set up for them to be playing well at the back end of the season, you know, at this level, sometimes our schedule doesn’t allow, you know, for the miraculous runs in the beginning of the season with the P4s that you have to play and those types of things. But people remember what you do in November, and they are setting themselves up for a really good run. Planned a really high level. I think their quarterback is arguably the best in the conference. I can’t judge my guy cause I see him every day, but as an opponent, he creates a lot of issues. Defensively, they give you a lot of looks. We’re going to an environment that’ll be different than the environment we went to, we plant at a different time as far as kickoff. We play a completely different team. I think we have learned throughout the course of the season, the key to all of it is preparation and mental disposition, whether you’re playing at home or away. I think when you play on the road, you’ve got to have a little more intentional focus. When the game time adjusts and you are adjusting, you have to have a little bit of awareness of that. We anticipate a really good game day environment. You know, you got a team that’s playing really well with a community and fan base that truly supports. So, we’re expecting a very hostile environment, obviously, with the kick time and location and all those things, we’ve got to make some adjustments in our schedule,” said Southern Miss head coach Charles Huff.

Both Coach Jones and Coach  Huff were asked about the Sun Belt West Division showdown on Tuesday during their weekly press conferences.

“And now we’ve got to get prepared for a really good Arkansas State football team that’s playing extremely well, arguably, the hottest team in the conference right now on the four-game win streak. Doing a really good job of finding ways to have gritty wins. I truly believe good teams find ways to win games; bad teams find ways to lose them. Over the last month, Arkansas State has done a really good job of finding ways to win games. Coach Butch Jones does a phenomenal job. You can see the culture, you can see the process that they have, how they go about it. I think they play extremely hard on both sides of the ball. I think their quarterback is arguably the best in the conference. I can’t rate hours because obviously I’m a little bit biased, but the kid’s dangerous. He can make all the throws. Obviously, he can activate his legs. I think he’s taking a step in growth from last year to this year, or from when he was a freshman and we played him at the other place. He’s not just pulling the ball down to run now. He’s pulling it down and still keeping his eyes downfield, which creates another whole set of issues. I think their O-line does a really good job of finishing blocks. Probably the best group of receivers as a cord that we faced all year. Offensively, they stress you with different formations, and they play with tempo. You always have to have a quarterback player with eyes on the quarterback, probably two quarterback players because of his ability, which takes guys out of coverage or out of your run fits, or they have dual responsibilities. They got to run fit and a quarterback responsibility, which is extremely tough defensively; they’re defensive line probably plays as hard as any group we’ve seen. They play with a high motor, a lot of effort. The back end stresses you with a lot of different coverages. I think you’re doing a really good job of mixing up different looks to formations. So, it’s going to be a challenge. I expect a really hostile environment. Their fans do a really good job of supporting. So, I expect you know the 11 o’clock kickoff to be rocking down there in their stadium. I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard it’s one of the nicer stadiums and setups in the conference. They’ve done a really good job over the history of their time in this league of improving facilities and improving their profile. So, it’s going to be a challenge for us by no means, are we overlooking them? Truly, the word appropriate fear comes into play, probably for the head coach here. It’s a little bit more of true fear. 
When you watch these guys play, even when you watch games in the beginning of the season, when they were, battling the schedule of P4 teams and those type of teams, they were in the games, and one or two plays here didn’t go their way the last four games, those plays have gone their way, but they’ve never been out of a game. They’ve never been blown out, if that makes sense. Arkansas is probably the biggest score differential that they’ve had, even against Iowa State. 
They’re in the game. They’re competing. A couple plays here or there, even games where they get behind Texas State, Georgia Southern. Kennesaw State, even though they lost that game, battled back. At the very end. So, they’re definitely a scary team. We’ve got a lot of work to do to focus on what we can control and how we play. 
It starts with how we prepare. I thought we had a really good day yesterday, even over the break, you know, our leaders had guys watching film, Braylon, Chris Jones, those guys were in the group text, making sure guys were watching the game, even though we were off that week. When they came on Sunday, they came in with a really good knowledge base, a little bit further ahead than some of our opponents. So, we’ve got a chance to rest this week, and then we’ve got to go play really well. Does it matter how much attention you put on the team if you don’t go out and execute? So, our players are fully understanding what we’re walking into,” said Coach Huff

“This is as good a team that’s been in the Sun Belt since we’ve been here. And I know Coach Huff, you know, tries to play the game and God love him, but they’re a really talented football team, you know, and it’s the age of college football. We’re playing the defending champion. You look at their starting defense, seven of those 11 came from Marshall. And then the quarterback, who is as good a quarterback as I’ve seen. And I think the thing about him is he can throw the deep ball exceptionally well. He’s big, he’s physical, he can make all the throws. He’s impressive. The receiving core is probably as good a receiving core as anybody in the group of six. You know, they have tall guys, they have mid-range guys, they all can run, they all have good ranges that catch the football. I think their tight ends are really, really talented. Running backs are hard to bring down offensive line is big and imposing. I mean, there’s a reason other record is the way they are, and they know how to win, and then defensively, their defensive front is violent. They’re physical, probably the best back end of any team we’ve faced all year. 
Their break and drive, their ability to drive routes is really, really impressive. Special teams. So when you really look at this football team, they’re the defending champion. Their players know how to win. I think it’s. Kind of the circumstances that surround college football. Who would ever have thought that four or five years ago, you would take a championship team on their coach, and be displaced, and go to another school in your conference, and everybody follows, and they kind of pick up where they left off at their previous school? I think, you know, that’s if there’s ever an indication or a definition of where we’re at in the profession, and, you know, Coach Huff has done a great job there. But they’re as talented a team as we’ll face. I definitely have my respect. The more videos I watch, the more impressive they are, and then, you know, every game is about the style, you know, the Style of fights dictates how you’re going to play, and you know, they play differently. They do a really good job offensively. They go really fast. 
They do a great job with their cadence. They get a lot of gimmes and a lot of free plays because they’re such good at what they do in their cadence, they control the tempo, they can run the ball, they can push the ball down the field. So that style of play is going to be different, very similar to summer, regards to Kennesaw, but there are a lot of differences as well, and then defensively, really, really good at all three levels of their defense. 
Like I said, there’s the secondaries elite. Their defense is elite. So it’s going to take a great effort of complimentary football, and it’s going to take winning the process and you know, how do we prepare day in and day out and just working to win the day and then just stack days and, you know, these games are always great to see and kind of roll the ball out and play at 11 a.m. and kind of see how you how you face off and try to give your players, you know, every competitive advantage you can. And you have to search for them because they have no weaknesses. They’re a really good football team. And, you know, I’ve been up here and told you like it is, I’ve been very complimentary of our opponents, but I don’t think you’ve ever heard me this complimentary of a football team before, because they’re really a complete team in all three phases,” said Coach Jones.

New for the 2025 season, the Sun Belt Conference announced that they are doing weekly football availability reports for all 14 teams that are playing conference games. It is similar to the NFL’s injury report, but the availability reports don’t say what kind of injury the player has, unlike the NFL’s injury report. The report will have players listed as available, questionable, doubtful, probable, or out, and will have the same say game time decision on the reports that are listed on gamedays. The first initial report will be announced three days before each conference game, which will be on Wednesday. Another update to the availability reports will happen on gamedays at 10:30 EST/9:30 CST. Both Arkansas State and Southern Miss submitted their availability reports on Wednesday night. The players on the list for Southern Miss are OL Jahmir Davis (out) and DB Ishmael Ibraheem (out). The players on the list for Arkansas state are WR  Nazeviah Burris (out), TE Jabari Bush (out), RB JaQuez Cross (out), DB Malik McConnico (out), OL Tristan Smith (out), DL Quincey Wright(out), TE Tyler Little (questionable), and DB Brandon Greil (questionable).