Tag Archives: football

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Valley View vs. Maumelle

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Blazers net Hornets, 38-14

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, November 10, 2023

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – Blazers quarterback Carson Turley’s five touchdown performance helped Valley View defeat the Maumelle Hornets 38-14 on Friday night at Central Dealerships Stadium, advancing to the second round of playoffs next week.

Turley threw two passing touchdowns and ran for three in the victory.

Maumelle’s Alan Timmons (0) fails to stop Valley View running back Anthony Feliz (29) during first half action in Jonesboro, Friday, November 10, 2023. Photo by Atsuki Ohbuchi

Valley View head coach Sean Cockrell expressed his thoughts on the play of his quarterback.

“We have been leaning on him all year and he just took over the game again,” Cockrell said.

On Maumelle’s first drive of the game, a screen pass led to a 34-yard touchdown along with a successful two-point conversion.

Valley View was then held to a three and out when they faked the fourth down attempt with a punt by their quarterback.

Running back Anthony Feliz had a 65-yard run for Valley View, then the very next play Turley scored a 5-yard rushing touchdown. The Blazers settled for a PAT to only be down 8-7.

Valley View linebacker Jude Rapert sacked Maumelle’s quarterback on their fourth down attempt, and the Blazers offense got the ball back with less than a minute left in the first quarter.

A 59-yard touchdown for Valley View was taken away for a personal foul penalty, resulting in the same field position. 

Maumelle’s defense stopped the Blazer offense, but on the punt there was a controversial call for roughing the kicker. The Hornets got the ball back at the end of the first quarter.

Maumelle’s next drive ended in an interception by Valley View safety Laird Cullen, returning passed midfield. A quarterback keeper from Turley resulted in a 33-yard touchdown to give the Blazers a 14-8 lead early in the second quarter.

The Hornets ran a reverse sweep on fourth down to convert in Blazer territory. Maumelle converted on another fourth down on the same drive around the 10 yard-line for excellent field position. 

The Hornets tried to go three in a row on fourth down conversions in the same drive, but stalled to an incomplete pass. Valley View got the ball back around the 15 yard-line. 

Turley threw a 55-yard pass to wide receiver TJ Starks to give the Blazers an opportunity to increase their lead.

The very next play Turley threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Andrew Jones, taking a 21-8 lead with a little more than three minutes left in the second quarter.

Maumelle went on to score a late touchdown to minimize Valley View’s lead, 21-14.

When the Blazers got the ball back, Turley rolled out of the pocket and threw a 30-yard pass to Starks with five seconds left for a field-goal try. Their kick was successful heading to halftime with a 24-14 lead. 

Valley View’s momentum carried over in the second half. Cockrell gave his comments on the way the team played in the second half.

“At halftime we challenged them and told them they had to come out and play hard. They did and I am super proud of the way we played,” Cockrell said.

“At halftime we challenged them and told them they had to come out and play hard. They did and I am super proud of the way we played,”

Valley View head coach Sean Cockrell

Maumelle’s first drive of the second half resulted in the offenses’ second interception, this time to Valley View cornerback Kenneth Robinson.

The Blazers settled for a field goal after the interception but missed to remain 24-24 midway through the third quarter. 

Valley View eventually got the ball back when Turley scored his fourth touchdown of the game on a quarterback keeper, increasing their lead 31-14 at the end of the third quarter.

Turley threw a touchdown pass to Starks for his second passing touchdown, and fifth total touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter.

The Blazers will play another home game next Friday against the Shiloh Christian Saints, to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Cockrell had some thoughts on their upcoming game.

“We just have to take care of the ball and force some turnovers defensively,” Cockrell said.

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

Feature Photo: Maumelle’s Bubba Johnson (31) gets stopped by Valley View defense during first half action in Jonesboro, Friday, November 10, 2023. Photo by Atsuki Ohbuchi

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Jonesboro vs. Little Rock Central

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Golden Hurricane defeats LR Central Tigers, 45-6

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, Nov. 3, 2023

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Jonesboro Golden Hurricane earned a home playoff game and a fifth seed in the playoffs under first-year head coach Tyler George, as a duo rushing attack helped the Golden Hurricanes defeat the Little Rock Central Tigers 45-6 at Cooksey-Johns Stadium on Friday night.

Central’s Kamden Buckingham (22) and Kaheem Morris (15) try to stop Jonesboro’s Markeice Stafford (25) during first half action, Friday, November 3, 2023. Photo by Atsuki Ohbuchi

Coach George gave his thoughts on making the playoffs in his first year as head coach.

“I think it’s huge. It’s huge for our program after the year we had last year. Those kids continue to fight. They got battle tested last year moving up to 7A. They came in this year ready for it. Super proud of our kids and our staff to be able to get to where we are right now,” George said. 

Running back Markevious Pickett and running back Jordan Daniels combined for five rushing touchdowns in the win. 

Coach George expressed his thoughts on the successful running game.

“We talk about warrior mentality. They came out the second half and were rocking and rolling,” George said. 

Although the running game was strong throughout the game, the offense struggled to put points on the board early in the game. 

Jonesboro would not get their first points until a little over four minutes left in the first quarter, settling for a field goal as back-to-back penalties occurred on offense. 

Coach George expressed his frustration with the amount of penalties throughout the game. 

“We’ve got to clean some things up. I’m never going to blame the referees at all. We do have some things to clean up and we’ll work on that this week,” George said. 

“We’ve got to clean some things up. I’m never going to blame the referees at all. We do have some things to clean up and we’ll work on that this week,”

Jonesboro head coach Tyler George

The Golden Hurricanes also rotated quarterbacks Terrance Brown and Asa Myers throughout the game, which is rare for most teams. 

Brown threw an interception early in the first quarter, but Jonesboro eventually got the ball back. 

Myers would go on to start their first touchdown-scoring drive as Pickett scored from 12 yards with a 10-0 early in the second quarter. 

When the Tigers got the ball back, defensive end Jonathan Milton sacked the quarterback resulting in a fourth down and long, giving the Golden Hurricanes possession. 

Myers threw a short screen pass to tight end Myreion Taylor for a 45-yard touchdown late in the second quarter. 

Little Rock Central’s next drive ended in an interception by Jonesboro defensive back Taz Clark right before halftime. 

Coming out of the half, the Golden Hurricanes drove down the field in five plays as Pickett scored his second rushing touchdown in a goal-line situation, leading 24-0 early in the third quarter. 

Daniels dominated the second half, scoring a 20-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter and two in the fourth quarter. 

Jonesboro is waiting to see who their opponent is for next week’s game, as Little Rock Central lost their 31st straight regular season game and ended the season with an 0-10 record.

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

NOTE: Feature photo shows Central’s Kamden Buckingham (22) and Kaheem Morris (15) trying to stop Jonesboro’s Markeice Stafford (25) during first half action, Friday, November 3, 2023. Photo by Atsuki Ohbuchi

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Walnut Ridge vs. Osceola

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Bobcats leap over Seminoles, 32-22

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, Oct. 20, 2023

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. – An offensive backfield duo helped the Walnut Ridge Bobcats to a 32-22 victory over the Osceola Seminoles on Friday night at Sexton Field. 

Running back Enrique Perez and running back Robbie Tate each had two rushing touchdowns, combining for all four of the Bobcats’ touchdowns. 

Walnut Ridge head coach Jeffery Blake gave his thoughts on Perez’s performance. 

“We have to have a lot of production out of him. We have to have him keep our offense moving,” Blake said. 

Another Bobcat player who stood out was quarterback Jersie Cunningham. Not only did he manage the offense, but he also had two interceptions on defense to give his team excellent field position. 

“Jersie has grown throughout the year. He is a heck of a player and has been this whole time here. He is just a sophomore, so we have got two more years left with him. We expect big plays out of him, and that is what he does each and every week,” Blake said. 

“Jersie has grown throughout the year. He is a heck of a player and has been this whole time here. He is just a sophomore, so we have got two more years left with him. We expect big plays out of him, and that is what he does each and every week,”

Walnut Ridge head coach Jeffery Blake

Osceola’s first drive of the game ended with a touchdown thanks to utilizing the NFL Philadelphia Eagles’ trending play, the ‘tush push’ to convert on a third and fourth down. 

That drive helped the Seminoles knock off five minutes on the clock.

The Bobcats responded with Perez scoring his first touchdown from 20 yards, as well as converting on the two-point conversion to take an 8-6 lead late in the first quarter. 

Walnut Ridge would eventually get the ball back from a Cunningham interception, but then Cunningham threw an interception with Osceola recovering. 

The Seminoles’ next drive was stalled to a punt, when the punt was blocked and recovered by the Bobcats in excellent field position. 

Tate would go on to score his first rushing touchdown to increase the lead, 16-6 before halftime.

After multiple flags on Osceola’s first drive of the second half, they would go on to score a red zone touchdown and convert a two-point conversion to minimize Walnut Ridge’s lead. 

Walnut Ridge found a way to drive down the field with Tate scoring his second rushing touchdown in a goal-line situation, leading 24-14 midway through the third quarter. 

The Seminoles were not going down without a fight, when having a methodical drive to score a touchdown with one second left in the third quarter. 

Osceola’s hopes of a victory were closed when Perez scored a 69-yard rushing touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The Seminoles drove down the field in a red zone opportunity but could not complete a comeback when Cunningham snagged his second interception of the night.

Walnut Ridge was able to run out the clock and seal a victory, giving them a 6-2 record on the season. 

Coach Blake gave his overall takeaways from the game. 

“Just a great football game, great atmosphere. Osceola is a heck of a team, and they were very athletic and fast. I was proud of our guys for sticking together down the stretch and kept it going,” Blake said. 

The Bobcats will travel to play Manila in a conference matchup next Friday. 

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

NOTE: Feature photo by Dave Adamson on Unsplash

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Nettleton vs. Southside

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Southerners capture Raiders, 42-17

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, Oct. 13, 2023

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Southside Southerners remain undefeated with a strong second half to beat the Nettleton Raiders 42-17 on Friday night at Raider Stadium.

Southerners quarterback Savion Hall scored four total touchdowns, one passing and the other three rushing, but Nettleton had the momentum early and fought, keeping the score 21-17 at halftime.

Southside went for an onside kick to start the game with Nettleton recovering in Southerners’ territory. 

Running back TJ Brown led the Raiders to their first score on their first drive, with three straight rushing plays to reach the endzone. Nettleton then decided to do their own onside kick and recovered at the 34-yard line. 

Nettleton’s TJ Brown (10) runs the ball against Southside during first half action in Jonesboro on Friday, October 13, 2023.

The Raiders’ drive was stalled to a successful field goal attempt by Mason Waln, giving them a 10-0 lead. 

Southside would eventually respond with Hall running straight up the middle for a 30-yard touchdown. 

The Southerners gained quick momentum when Raider quarterback Maddox Hampton threw an interception around midfield in a triple coverage scenario. 

Southside took advantage of the excellent field position with a 32-yard rushing touchdown by Hall, leading 14-10. 

The back and forth game continued, as Brown scored his second rushing touchdown on a 40-yard play to get the lead back early in the second quarter at 17-14. 

Hall’s final rushing touchdown occurred in a goal-line situation to regain the lead before halftime. 

On Southside’s opening drive of the second half, Hall threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to running back Isaac Wallis, leading 28-14. 

Nettleton drove down the field on their next drive but failed to execute on fourth down, resulting in a turnover on downs. 

After that, the Southerners would go on to score two more touchdowns and run the clock out.

The Raiders are now 6-2, looking to bounce back next week as they travel to play Forrest City in a conference matchup. 

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

NOTE: Feature photo shows Nettleton’s Maddox Hampton preparing to throw the ball against Southside during first half action on Friday, October 13, 2023. Photo by Ibuki Hinohara

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Brookland vs. Southside

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Southerners skin Bearcats, 38-0

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, Oct. 6, 2023

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Southside Southerners spoiled the Brookland Bearcats’ homecoming in shutout fashion with an impressive rushing attack on Friday night at Jordan’s Stadium.

Southside’s Savion Hall (11) tries to get through Brookland’s Barrett Cunningham (18) during first half action on Friday, October 6, 2023.

The long runs were established from the get-go, as Southside wide receiver Seth Case ran for 41 yards on a motion play to put the Southerners in a redzone opportunity on their first drive of the game. 

Running back Gabriel Witt finished the drive with a goal-line touchdown midway through the first quarter. 

Brookland head coach Mark Hindsley addressed Southside’s ability to run the ball on their offensive line. 

“It’s hard to stop them. When their offensive line blocks until the whistle and they do the things they do up front, that is why they had success,” Hindsley said. 

As Brookland geared up for kickoff, Southside recovered the ball in Bearcat territory. Case scored a 31-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Southerners a 14-0 lead early in the first half.

The Bearcats’ defense held the Southerners’ offense on back-to-back drives but could not capitalize on the opportunities. 

After a failed fake punt by Southside resulting in a turnover on downs, Brookland quarterback Hayden Elder threw an interception on the second drive of the game.

Southside would get excellent field position but were stopped to a field-goal try, making the score 17-0 midway through the second quarter. 

The Bearcats were once stopped again on offense, while Southerners quarterback Savion Hall rolled out of the pocket for a 51-yard rushing touchdown right before halftime. 

Unfortunately for Brookland, Southside would get the ball to start the second half. After a failed onside kick by the Bearcats, Witt ran for 37 yards to put the Southerners in another goal-line situation. 

Running back Louis Calhoun punched in for a score, Southside leading 31-0 early in the third quarter. 

The Southerners eventually got the ball back as the Bearcat offense could not connect down the field with passes. 

Back-to-back long runs from the Witt and Case duo, led to their second straight drive with a goal-line situation. Case capped off the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game. 

Entering the fourth quarter, Brookland was still looking for their first score. Their next drive was stalled as Elder threw his second interception of the game. 

Southside ran the clock out to win 38-0. 

Coach Hindsley expressed his thoughts on the outcome of the game and what the team needs to do moving forward. 

“There were no positives (takeaways). Negatives, there were a bunch of them. We have just got to get better. We have got to get better as a team. We have to get better offensively and defensively. We have to get more focused and have the right mindset going into every week,” Hindsley said. 

Brookland is now 1-4 on the season and looking to get back in the win column as they travel to play Valley View in a conference matchup next Friday. 

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

NOTE: Featured photo shows Brookland’s Tyler Hammett (12) pushing through Southside’s defense during first half action on Friday. Courtesy of Terrance Armstard

Day 1 – The 38th annual Barry Pruitt Hurricane Classic

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Golden Hurricane defeats Cedar Ridge Timberwolves, 61-27

Delta Digital News Service

Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023

Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – Day one of the 38th annual Barry Pruitt Hurricane Classic is complete, with wins from Jonesboro, Rossview, Bartlett and Fayetteville on Thursday night at Don Riggs Hurricane Gymnasium to move on to the winner’s bracket.

Cedar Ridge’s Kyle Provence (3) tries to stop Jonesboro guard Caleb Chew (15) during the first round of the 38th annual Barry Pruitt Hurricane Classic basketball tournament in Jonesboro, Thursday, November 30, 2023. Photo by Atsuki Ohbuchi

The Jonesboro Golden Hurricane defeated the Cedar Ridge Timberwolves 61-27. 

Jonesboro guard Chris Stacy led the team in scoring with 14 points, and led the team with three, three-pointers in the third quarter. Two of the three-pointers were on back-to-back possessions to increase the Golden Hurricanes’ lead.

Jonesboro head coach Wes Swift shared his thoughts on Stacy’s performance.

“He’s a knock down shooter. We need him to stretch the floor. He played a nice role in that third quarter,” Swift said.

The score was 23-14 at halftime, with the Golden Hurricane leading. Coach Swift felt like the score was too close of a margin and needed to play better on both sides of the ball.

“With the score at halftime, we can work on the offense against the one-three-one. We didn’t have a lot of points at halftime and they (Cedar Ridge) do a really good job on their one-three-one. We wanted to play inside out and they did a good job of allowing us to get the ball in the paint,” Swift said. 

“With the score at halftime, we can work on the offense against the one-three-one. We didn’t have a lot of points at halftime and they (Cedar Ridge) do a really good job on their one-three-one. We wanted to play inside out and they did a good job of allowing us to get the ball in the paint,”

Jonesboro head coach Wes Swift

Swift also had some comments about his defense in the first half.

“We didn’t press and we thought we could press them. We felt like we needed to, to get some easy buckets and try to stretch that lead out a little bit. I thought we had a really good third quarter once we turned the heat up a little bit,” Swift said. 

The Golden Hurricane play the Rossview Hawks (Rossview, TN) on Friday night at 7 p.m. while Cedar Ridge plays the Nettleton Raiders on Friday at 4 p.m.

The Hawks defeated the Nettleton Raiders 54-53, as the Raiders shot a buzzer-beater three-pointer and hoped for a foul for an and-one.

Nettleton fought hard all game, while being down by eight points with two minutes left in the game and coming back. The Raiders would of course minimize that lead with a couple three-pointers and fouls, but failed to make all of their free-throws. 

Nettleton head coach Bubba Deaton expressed his thoughts on the loss and some positive and negative takeaways.

“We did some good things. We’ve got a lot of things to improve on. We didn’t play very well in the first half offensively. Didn’t get stops in the second half. To be down eight with two minutes left and give ourselves a chance, shows some grit. Probably should’ve gone to the press a little earlier. We shared the ball and we missed some shots that we normally take,” Deaton said. 

The Bartlett Bulldogs (Bartlett, TN) defeated the Osceola Seminoles 78-34. Bartlett guard and Arkansas State signee R’Chaun King scored nine points in the win.

The Fayetteville Bulldogs beat the West Memphis Blue Devils 71-43. The Bulldogs will play Bartlett on Friday night at 8:30 p.m. Osceola will play West Memphis on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a multimedia journalism major in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at brayden.morse@smail.astate.edu.

Note: Photos by DDNS Staff Photographer Atsuki Ohbuchi

PHOTO: Red Wolves beat Texas State 77-31

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Victory makes A-State bowl eligible

Delta Digital News Service

Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023

By Atsuki Ohbuchi 大渕 純暉 | Staff Photographer

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Arkansas State University Red Wolves beat the Texas State University Bobcats on Allison Field at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. The Red Wolves won 77-31 making them bowl eligible.

A-State running back Red Wolves Ja’Quez Cross
runs the ball against Texas State Bobcats on Allison Field at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, Ark., Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023.

PHOTO GALLERY

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Atsuki Ohbuchi | 大渕 純暉 is a junior in the Neil Griffin College of Business at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He can be reached at: atsuki.ohbuchi@smail.astate.edu

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Nettleton vs. Batesville

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Nettleton offensive trio help edges out Batesville, 34-20

Delta Digital News Service

Sept. 22, 2023

By Brayden Morse | Sports Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – Nettleton’s offensive trio helped edge Batesville as the Raiders beat the Pioneers 34-20 Saturday night at Raider Stadium.

Quarterback Maddox Hampton, running back TJ Brown and wide receiver Curtez Smith combined for four of the five Raider touchdowns. 

Nettleton Head Coach Steven Hampton discussed his offensive trio and their performance. 

“They ran hard, they ran great tonight and Maddox throwing the ball as well. We feel like we have some weapons and we just have to figure out ways to utilize them,” Hampton said. 

“They ran hard, they ran great tonight and Maddox throwing the ball as well. We feel like we have some weapons and we just have to figure out ways to utilize them,” Hampton said. 

Nettleton Head Coach Steven Hampton

After Nettleton failed to execute on their second drive of the game, they were forced to punt but recovered a fumble by the returner to put the Raiders at Batesville’s 20-yard line. 

Brown converted on third down to put Nettleton in a goal-line situation. Smith then punched in a rushing touchdown to tie the game at seven early in the second quarter. 

On Batesville’s next drive, they took advantage of the Raiders’ penalties allowing them to drive down the field . Running back Owen McLaughlin scored his second rushing touchdown for 15 yards as the Pioneers led 14-7 midway through the second quarter. 

Batesville’s Owen McLaughlin (7) runs the ball against Nettleton during first-half action in Jonesboro, Friday, September 22, 2023.

Hampton connected with Smith for a 10-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 14 late in the second quarter. 

Right before halftime, Batesville found a way to kick a field goal to put them up 17-14.

The Raiders came out with a bang in the second half, with Hampton throwing a 40-yard pass to wide receiver Quordarius Thompson. Hampton ended the drive with a goal-line touchdown to put Nettleton up 20-17. 

After the Raider defense stopped the Pioneer offense, a string of short plays for Nettleton resulted in another goal-line situation where Brown scored a rushing touchdown on a wildcat formation to increase Nettleton’s lead 27-17. 

Back-to-back-to-back turnovers occurred on three straight drives between the two offenses, as Batesville eventually got the ball midway through the fourth quarter.

After a fourth down conversion by the Pioneers, their offense could not get anything else going as they had to settle for a field goal. Batesville minimized Nettleton’s lead 27-20. 

The Pioneers were forced to kick an onside kick late in the fourth quarter, as the Raiders recovered at Batesville’s 45-yard line. 

Running back Xavier Harrell sealed the win with a 22-yard rushing touchdown, putting Nettleton up 34-20 with about a minute left in the game. 

Coach Hampton shared his positive takeaways from the win.

“The first half was about as ugly as it could be. There were not any pointing fingers, it was a lot of pulling together. There were a lot of guys saying hey we got this and we just need to clean it up. That is the biggest takeaway, it is just the mindset. If our guys can grasp a hold of that and come together as a team, I think the sky is the limit for this group,” Hampton said. 

Nettlelton looks to get their second-straight conference win next game, as they travel to play Brookland.

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Brayden Morse

Brayden Morse is a junior in the multimedia journalism program in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro.

NOTE: Photos courtesy of Terrance Armstard

    NO MORE CONCUSSIONS FOR THE POCAHONTAS REDSKINS

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POCAHONTAS – The Pocahontas School District football team will have new helmets as Coach Charles Baty requested the board to purchase new, improved concussion resistant helmets from Xenith, a new helmets manufacturing company, on Feb. 24.

Baty said they could buy the Xenith helmets which, go for $440 each through a Stack program where the school will pay $125 per helmet. He said the Xenith helmets are made with the latest technology which include an adjustable pad and band, and can be custom adjusted to fit large and small size heads.

“My main concern is to keep our children safe, and the new helmets are of superior quality, number one rated according to a Virginia Tech study. We received a case of reported concussion and we don’t want that to happen to our children. My goal is to put them in the best helmet; we all look alike; we all feel valued,” Baty said.

Baty said the helmets they used before, although of durable quality, did not have the adjustable pads and bands to keep the helmet tightly fixed on the players’ heads. The team currently has only 12 concussion resistant helmets. The new helmets, if purchased, will cost $40 each to recondition every year for five years.

Baty said both junior and senior high school teams needed a total of 115 helmets. Currently, the school spends $41,000 a year to recondition the current helmets.

“From the financial step, I think this is a good deal, coach your looking after the kids impresses me,” Gary Cole, the vice president of the board, said.

Cole said putting the children’s welfare first was more important. He said the helmet was also affordable and within the football budget.

“What I like about this Xenith helmet is you can tighten the bands and custom it to fit your child’s head such that when it’s knocked, it doesn’t fall off,” Secretary Karen Baltz reiterated.

In the girls’ basketball games, senior girls will play Pulaski Robinson in the first round of regionals at Valley View Thursday, Feb. 27, beginning at 4.p.m.

One Hand Grab

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gabrieltait's avatarPhotojournalism @ stAte

Arkansas State wide receiver Tres Houston, #15, catches a pass at the game against a Missouri player in the second quarter of their game, September 12, 2015 at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, Ark. Missouri defeated Arkansas State University 27-20. | Photo By: Kayla Macomber Arkansas State wide receiver Tres Houston, #15, catches a pass at the game against a Missouri player in the second quarter of their game, September 12, 2015 at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, Ark. Missouri defeated Arkansas State University 27-20. | Photo By: Kayla Macomber

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