Football in Garland County officially started with Week Zero games, and all sports in the county dealt with extreme heat.
TUESDAY
GC 8-MAN COACHES EXAMINE THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS AHEAD OF SEASON
Despite putting up huge offensive numbers in 2022, the Eagles' season ended 0-7.
Head coach Nick Finley said defense is Cutter Morning Star's biggest question mark coming into this season.
"Pretty much it is defense," he said. "Obviously we are excited about coach (Steven) Love and the energy that he brings on the defensive side. Our big thing there is really focusing on what we are going to see and how we are going to attack it. We are making it simple to where we can get to where we fit in the right holes, make sure we are reading the right things and flying around to the football. The kids are getting better daily."
WEDNESDAY
JESSIEVILLE VOLLEYBALL SQUAD CONTINUES TO GROW CHEMISTRY
JESSIEVILLE -- Competing in the Class 3A-Central conference, Jessieville's volleyball squad has a mountain to climb.
Under second-year head coach Kealy Barber, she said the Lions are up to the challenge.
"Last year was good," Barber said. "It did not end up the way that we had hoped with the district tournament. The girls last year have played against some tough competition inside our conference. This year we are really young. I am looking forward to a lot of growth more than anything. I have two freshmen that I moved up from the freshmen team to start on our varsity team. They have been a really good addition to our team."
THURSDAY
LAKESIDE TENNIS TRIES TO BEAT THE HEAT
With temperatures soaring into the 100s, outdoor sport athletes and their coaches are taking precautions to beat the heat.
Football has reduced practice times and pushed kickoff times back for games. Lakeside's tennis program is doing the same.
Lakeside head tennis coach Shawny Green said the team has been lucky this year.
SHOWSTOPPERS COME OUT IN SARATOGA G1
The guest list for the Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga Race Course could have been drafted by its unbeaten Hall of Fame honoree.
Grade 1 winners Nest, Clairiere and Secret Oath head a six-horse field of older fillies and mares in the Grade 1 $500,000 event Friday. It forms the backdrop but in no way overshadows the next day's Travers, the G1 $1.25 million showpiece race of the 40-day season and this year positioned to break a logjam in the 3-year-old male division.
Nest, champion 3-year-old filly of 2022, scored her third Saratoga graded victory in the G2 Shuvee by 2 1/2 lengths July 23, her first start since November. Clairiere, at age 5, has four G1 victories, including Oaklawn's Apple Blossom Handicap April 15 in a photo finish with horse for the course Secret Oath. The latter filly, a 4-year-old, won the 2022 G1 Kentucky Oaks and defeated Clairiere in March's G2 Azeri at Oaklawn.
FRIDAY
'THE GAME' RETURNS TO PEARCY WITH HAYMAKERS EXPECTED
PEARCY -- It is time again for one of Garland County's biggest matchups.
The Lakeside Rams and Lake Hamilton Wolves face off in high school football tonight.
Lakeside, from the 5A-South, travels to Lake Hamilton, from the 6A-West. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. due to extreme heat.
TROJANS ENTER SEASON WITH MASSIVE EXPECTATIONS
Hot Springs head coach Darrell Burnett holds the chance to do something this season he really hasn't had to do since taking over as Trojan head coach: deal with big time expectations.
Hot Springs travels to Vilonia tonight as the No. 18 team in the entire state according to scorebooklive.com and the No. 2 team in the Class 5A-South according to Hooten's (only defending state champion Parkview sits above the Trojans).
"I think the biggest thing is make sure the kids understand it," Burnett said. "You've got a lot more freedom and you can play a little more relaxed when people don't expect anything from you. I don't think a lot of people will realize that and admit it. But when people are actually out to get you and when everyone was hoping you win, now everyone is hoping you lose, it's a big difference. You've got to be prepared for that."
FIELD DEDICATION, NEW FACILITIES BUILD OCCASION AT JESSIEVILLE
JESSIEVILLE -- It's all about the occasion for the Lions.
Jessieville opens its season against Mineral Springs tonight at Phillips Field, and the occasion includes the debut of a new artificial turf playing surface and a remodeled stadium after a tornado damaged parts of the complex in January.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. because of heat, and the new field will be dedicated at 7:30 p.m. to start proceedings.
SATURDAY
FORTE OWNER EYES TRAVERS SLAM DUNK
Juvenile champion Forte has a chance today to open daylight within the male 3-year-old division in the Saratoga race that traditionally defines stars.
The Violence colt, whose last race stirred controversy after a foul claim against the Jim Dandy winner was disallowed, is 7-5 program favorite in the Grade 1 $1.25 million Travers.
The mile-and-a-quarter classic also drew the year's three Triple Crown event winners for the first time since 2017 with Belmont Stakes hero Arcangelo early second choice at 5-2 over 4-1 Kentucky Derby star Mage and Preakness winner National Treasure 8-1. Disarm, one of four Travers starters with a Hall of Fame trainer, is 8-1 with Tapit Trice and Scotland 12-1.
SUNDAY
TROJANS BEGIN CAMPAIGN WITH IMPRESSIVE ROAD WIN
Hot Springs handled the hype in the Trojans' first game of the season at Vilonia Friday night.
Darrell Burnett's team returned to Garland County with a 39-13 win, getting off to a 1-0 start in a season that's full of promise for the Trojans.
"It was real big," Burnett said. "We had that 1-0 mindset. ... Overall we're young. It was a real good win to start the year off 1-0. Especially after putting in all your work you do in the summer and spring time, you never want to go in that first game with a loss. It was big for the kids."
'ROCK ERA' STARTS AT LAKESIDE WITH MASSIVE VICTORY OVER LH
PEARCY -- High school football is back in Garland County, and 'The Game' was a great way to kick things off for the area.
Lakeside (1-0) shocked the state, beating the mighty Lake Hamilton Wolves (0-1) 49-42, on their own turf no less.
"It feels good," Lakeside cornerback AJ Howard said. "We are the first team to do it, my senior class. It feels amazing. It sets the tone a lot, teams cannot play us lightly anymore. They know that we are going to work and play hard every single snap."
MISSED RED ZONE OPPORTUNITIES SINK JESSIEVILLE
JESSIEVILLE -- Battling the heat, Jessieville's game against Mineral Springs was pushed back to 8 p.m. at Phillips Field, and the night started with a ceremony to dedicate the new turf, lights and scoreboard after January's tornado tore through the stadium.
At the game, free hot dogs, popcorn and water were given out as the school asked for donations toward the new field and repairs.
The Lions came out swinging on the front end, but ran out of steam by the fourth quarter, leaving them with a 20-6 loss against the second-ranked Class 2A school in the state according to hootens.com. Both teams showed off tough defenses during the first half, keeping the score 0-0.
PHILLIPS SAYS PRAYER AT FIELD DEDICATION AFTER TORNADO
JESSIEVILLE -- After a tornado ripped through Jessieville at the beginning of the year, the Lions were able to play their opening game of the season on their own field, recently repaired.
The Jan. 2 tornado destroyed much of Phillips Field including stadium lights, bleachers, the scoreboard and areas of turf. But not the Lions' spirit.
Jessieville fans braved the heat for a pregame field dedication ceremony at 7:30, pushed back an hour as the game was delayed due to high temperatures Friday.
BELMONT WINNER TAKES TRAVERS STAKES
The first woman to train a Triple Crown race winner has a potential champion in her barn.
Eleven weeks after winning the Belmont Stakes, Arcangelo seized control of the male 3-year-old division Saturday at Saratoga in a race that its late sire won in record time.
Arrogate's son made trainer Jena Antonucci look wise for sending a rested horse into the Grade 1 $1.25 million Travers Stakes. Reunited with Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, Arcangelo rewarded owner Blue Rose Farm with his fourth consecutive victory from six starts.