5A EAST

2007 Schedule

Date	H/A	Paragould	225		Opponent	281	W/L	Record	Conf
Aug.31	H	Paragould	49		Greene Co. Tech (nc)	19	W	1-0
Sep.  7	H	Paragould	12		Pocahontas	41	L	1-1
Sep. 14	A	Paragould	12		Trumann	16	L	1-2
Sep. 21	H	Paragould	0		Beebe	35	L	1-3	0-1
Sep. 28	A	Paragould	7		Batesville	42	L	1-4	0-2
Oct.  5	H	Paragould	14		Nettleton	21	L	1-5	0-3
Oct. 12	H	Paragould	34		North Pulaski	14	W	2-5	1-3
Oct. 19	A	Paragould	42		Wynne	28	W	3-5	2-3
Oct. 26	H	Paragould	8		Blytheville	41	L	3-6	2-4
Nov.  2	A	Paragould	47		Greene Co. Tech	24	W	4-6	3-4

2007 Archives

Paragould sweeps GCT November 2, 2007 By David Grim NEARsports.com PARAGOULD - Kelsey Reely racked up 240 yards on 32 caries and scored 3 touchdowns in the Paragould Rams' 47-24 win over cross town rival Greene County Tech in 5A East conference play Friday night. It was the second meeting between the two squads this season, with the Rams beating the Eagles in the season opener, 49-19. The Rams needed a Wynne victory over Nettleton to qualify for the Class 5a playoffs, but Nettleton outlasted Wynne 21-14. Reely got Paragould (4-6, 3-4) on the board first with a 29-yard sprint to the end zone in the first quarter. Derek Hayes kicked the extra point, making the score 7-0 with 5:28 remaining in the first quarter. The Eagles (0-7, 0-10) answered on the ensuing kickoff. Standrick Williams ran it back 72 yards for a touchdown, and Seth Tripod passed to Dalton Adcock for the two-point conversion to give GCT an 8-7 lead. The Rams scored next on a 29-yard pass from Tyler Arnold to Zach Franks. The two-point try failed leaving the score 13-8 with 5:50 remaining in the half. Reely scored his second TD on a 5-yard run with 1:25 left before intermission. The halftime score was 19-8. Arnold scored on a 1-yard quarterback keeper in the third quarter and connected with Hadyn Mosley on the two-pointer to make the score 27-8 with 8:28 on the clock. Reely's third and final touchdown was a 30-yard run with 5:15 to go in the third. Arnold found Jay Bishop for two more points to make the score 35-8. GCT got its next touchdown with 2:47 left in the third quarter. Tripod ran in from 4 yards away and followed with a two-point conversion, making it 35-16. Paragould got one more score in the third quarter. Arnold connected with Franks again, this time for 25 yards, making it 41-16 with 9 seconds on the clock. Steven Vericker made it 47-16 on a 54-yard fumble return for a touchdown with 2:40 left in the game. Tripod got another touchdown, this time from a yard away, and passed to Tyler Williams for two points to set the final score with time running out. Arnold completed 5 of 9 passes for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns. Franks' only two catches were for 54 yards and both touchdowns.

Blytheville clinches 5A East October 26, 2007 By David Grim NEARsports.com PARAGOULD - The Blytheville Chickasaws clinched the top seed in the playoffs from the 5A East with a 41-8 win over the Paragould Rams Friday night. Blytheville (9-0, 6-0) began the scoring when quarterback Gabriel Osagie snuck in from a yard out. After a successful extra point, the score was 7-0 with 8:18 remaining in the first quarter. Josh Woodruff scored the Chicks' next touchdown with 2:59 left in the first quarter. Woodruff ran in from 3 yards away to make it 14-0. Blytheville recovered an onside kick and scored two plays later on a 30-yard run from Oscar Woods. The Chicks led 21-0 with 2:30 in the first period. Blytheville's defense got in on the scoring when Gerrett Howard returned an interception 71 yards for a touchdown with 8:24 left in the half. The extra point failed, and the score was 27-0. The Chicks ensured that the mercy clock would run in the second half when Osagie hit Woodruff on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 1:47 remaining in the half. Howard ran in for two points to make it 35-0. Don Jackson added one more touchdown for Blytheville early in the fourth quarter on a 6-yard run. Tyson Underwood got Paragould (3-6, 2-4) on the scoreboard with 2:49 left in the game. Underwood sprinted in from 41 yards out, and Steven Vericker added a two-point conversion to set the final score. Jarvis Jones was the leading rusher for the Chickasaws with 69 yards on just 4 carries.

Beebe blanks Paragould, 35-0 September 21, 2007 By David Grim NEARsports.com PARAGOULD - The Beebe Badgers took the Williams and Williams show on the road to Paragould in a 5A East conference game with the Paragould Rams Friday night. Sammy Williams rushed for 93 yards on 16 carries and scored three touchdowns, while Kyle Williams scored the other two in a 35-0 rout of the Rams (1-3, 0-1). Sammy started the scoring for Beebe (4-0, 1-0) on a 1-yard plunge with 6:53 left in the opening quarter. Roger Glaude, a perfect 5-of-5 on the night, kicked the extra point to make it 7-0. Beebe's Sammy Williams (33) rushes for some of his 93 yards as Paragould's Zach Franks (12) tries to make the stop. The Badgers shutout the Rams 35-0. Photo by Tony Rose, Timeless Photography. 09/21/07 Kyle got his first with 8:55 remaining in the second period on a 5-yard run to make it 14-0. Beebe got in the endzone one more time before halftime when Sammy ran in from 2 yards away with 10 seconds on the clock. The Badgers continued the Williams onslaught in the third quarter. Sammy sprinted 50 yards for Beebe's fourth touchdown, and Kyle turned on the mercy clock with 4:09 left in the third on a 3-yard run. Paragould's Kelsey Reely (7) runs the ball up the middle against Beebe's Ethan Quick (45). The Rams lost to the Badgers 35-0. Photo by Tony Rose, Timeless Photography. 09/21/07 "We were worried about a let down after last Friday night," said Beebe first year head coach John Shannon. "Our guys fought hard. We don't have a team of superstars. They have a real workman-like ethic. I'm proud of them."

Paragould's Aaron Cole (20) closes in on Trumann quarterback Kyle Barker (4). The Wildcats defeated the Rams 16-12. Photo by Tony Rose, Timeless Photography. 09/14/07

Trumann quarterback Kyle Barker (4) looks for an open man in the Wildcats' 16-12 win over the Paragould Rams. Photo by Tony Rose, Timeless Photography. 09/14/07

JV Rams hold off Manila, 20-10 September 10, 2007 By David Grim NEARsports.com PARAGOULD -  The Manila Lions finally got on the field after canceled games at Trumann and Marked Tree, only to fall 20-10 to Paragould's junior varsity Rams on Monday night. After a scoreless first half, Manila (0-1) got on the scoreboard first. Frankie Cowgill made a 21-yard field goal with 7:31 left in the third quarter. Blake Wheeler (11) hands off to an unidentified Manila running back. The Lions lost to the JV Paragould Rams 20-10. Photo by Tony Rose, Timeless Photography. 09/10/07 Paragould (1-0) scored all of its points in the final period. Tyson Underwood got his first of three touchdowns on a 3-yard run with 8:02 remaining. Steven Vericker found Jake Ford for a two-point conversion to make it 8-3. The Lions countered on the ensuing kickoff. Hunter Bryan's kickoff return for a touchdown matched his jersey number, an 82-yard sprint. Cowgill kicked the score to 10-8. Underwood scored the next two touchdowns for the Rams on runs of 13 and 41 yards respectively, the latter icing the game with 1:24 left on the clock. Manila quarterback Blake Wheeler (11) rolls out to pass while Matt Canales (26) pursues. The JV Rams defeated the Lions 20-10. Photo by Tony Rose, Timeless Photography. 09/10/07 "This is why we play on Monday nights," said Paragould head coach Brian Carter. "These kids know that they are just a snap away from playing on Friday nights, so it's good that we play these games to see how they look." "I think Coach Doke has done a great job with his team," continued Carter. "They are just getting that program started and those guys look well coached." Manila head coach Toby Doke was pleased with his team's effort. "They battled pretty well in a hard fought game with a 5A team," said Doke. "Except for a scrimmage a few weeks ago and a couple possessions at Marked Tree, this is the first time our guys have gotten to play a real game. We made some mistakes that we'll have to correct, but overall I am happy with how well they performed." Manila's next test will be at Nettleton when the Lions face the JV Raiders next Monday night.

Rejuvenated Redskins roll over Rams September 7, 2007 By David Grim NEARsports.com PARAGOULD - A week and a day after Pocahontas' lopsided 56-9 loss to Newport, the Redskins reversed their fortunes against the Paragould Rams, winning 41-12 in a romp Friday night. Ben Hibbard scored 3 touchdowns gaining 104 yards on 13 carries. Redskin quarterback Craig Green completed 13 of 16 passes for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns in the win. Hibbard began the scoring for Pocahontas (1-1) on a 2-yard run with 7:58 remaining in the opening quarter. Bobby Meier kicked the extra point to make the score 7-0. Hibbard notched his second score on the first play of the second quarter with a 1-yard dive into the end zone. Meier's foot made it 14-0. Paragould (1-1) mishandled a snap on a punt attempt and the Redskins took immediate advantage of the error. Pocahontas scored on the next play, a 20-yard pass from Green to Jordan Andrews. Meier made another extra point to make the score 21-0 with 10:47 left in the half. Hibbard's third touchdown came on a 34-yard sprint with 6:26 remaining in the second quarter, making the score 28-0 after Meier's kick. Pocahontas receiver Garrett Broadway (5) is pursued by Paragould defenders after one of his 4 catches in the Redskins 41-12 win over the Rams. Photo by Tony Rose, Timeless Photography. 09/07/07 Green and Andrews connected again with 1:21 left in the half on a 15-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was missed, making the halftime score 34-0. Paragould scored its first touchdown on the opening drive of the second half. Kelsey Reely scored on a15-yard run with 10:29 remaining in the third to make it 34-6. Tyson Underwood scored the Rams' only other touchdown, making the score 34-12 on a 16-yard run with 11:01 remaining in the game. The Redskins' Ashton Smith set the final score on a 5-yard run with 5:22 left to play. Andrews caught 3 passes for 64 yards, scoring on two of the catches for Pocahontas.

GCT quarterback Seth Tripod (13) is taken down by Paragould's C.J. Dunigan (76) in the Rams' 49-19 defeat of the Eagles. Photo by Tony Rose, Timeless Photography. 08/31/07

Paragould quarterback Steven Vericker (5) attempts to scramble away from Hoxie's Adam Madden. The Rams won the preseason game with the Mustangs 27-7. Photo by Tony Rose, Timeless Photography. 08/21/07

Paragould's Kelsey Reely (7) drags down Hoxie's Alex Ward (33) in the Rams' 27-7 preseason victory over the Mustangs. Photo by Tony Rose, Timeless Photography. 08/21/07

2006 Archives

Wynne dominates Paragould October 20, 2006 By David Grim NEARsports.com PARAGOULD - Terrance Boykin had a short night for the Wynne Yellowjackets. He only touched the ball 7 times on offense, but during those 7 touches he ran for 114 yards and scored 3 touchdowns en route to a 49-13 drubbing of the Paragould Rams in AAAAA East conference play. Boykin scored on runs of 6, 47 and 39 yards in the first half for the Yellowjackets (6-2, 5-0). He also hauled in an interception and returned it 23 yards to set up Wynne's second touchdown, a 1-yard plunge from Lee Harris. Ryan Wood, the Wynne quarterback, kicked all 7 of the extra points for the Yellowjackets, and threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Levi Arens to make the score 28-0 early in the second quarter. Demonta "Stick" McQuiston scored Wynne's last touchdown before intermission on a 2-yard run with 2:58 left, making the score 42-0. Romero Harper added a 4-yard touchdown for the Yellowjackets in the third quarter with 6:33 showing on the clock. Paragould (1-7, 1-4) got on the scoreboard with 3:10 left in the third quarter on an 83-yard touchdown run from Kelsey Reely, making the score 49-7. The Rams added one more score on the final play of the game, a 17-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Arnold to Hadyn Mosley. Brycein White added 94 yards on 5 carries for the Yellowjackets.

Big Batesville third quarter buries Rams September 29, 2006 By David Grim NEARsports.com PARAGOULD - Ronnie Hughes scored two of his three touchdowns in the third quarter as the Batesville Pioneers upended the Paragould Rams, 42-14. Batesville (4-1, 2-0 AAAAA East) scored first on Ronnie's first touchdown with 4:38 left in the opening quarter. Ronnie ran in from 3 yards out to make the score 6-0. Paragould (0-5, 0-2) Took a 7-6 lead to the locker room at halftime when Kelsey Reely scored on a 2-yard run with 4:41 left in the half, and Randy Davis kicked the extra point. Then came the big third quarter for the Pioneers. Ronnie Hughes scored on runs of 9 and 14 yards. He added two-point conversions on both touchdowns. The runs sandwiched a 46-yard touchdown pass from Cody Aycock to Adam Murphree. The score was 28-7 after the three Batesville's touchdowns with 5:28 left in the third quarter. Jeremy Boyett completed a 29 point third quarter for the Pioneers when he intercepted his third Ram pass and ran it in 33 yards for a touchdown. Nick Reynolds kicked the score to 35-7 with 2:14 remaining in the third quarter. Tim Hughes turned on the mercy clock early in the fourth quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run. Reynolds made it 42-7. Paragould got on the scoreboard one more time with 7:02 left in game. Tyler Arnold passed 40 yards to Hadyn Mosley, and Davis kicked the extra point to set the final score. Ronnie Hughes finished with 163 yards on 15 carries. Reely led the Rams with 115 yards on 20 carries.

An unidentified Trumann ball carrier is dragged down by Paragould's John Flannery (75) and Eric Johnson (22). The Wildcats won the game, 38-28. Photo courtesy Clifton Garmrath, Lasting Memories Photography 09-15-06

Gabe Wilson (37) leads the way for Trumann teammate Richard Nelson (9) as Paragould defenders Andrew Weaver (5) and Eric Johnson (22) close in. The Wildcats won the game, 38-28. Photo courtesy Clifton Garmrath, Lasting Memories Photography 09-15-06

Paragould's Kelsey Reely (7) tries to get away from a Trumann defender in the Rams' 38-28 loss to the Wildcats. Photo courtesy Clifton Garmrath, Lasting Memories Photography 09-15-06

Paragould's Hadyn Mosley (6) stretches for a pass with Trumann's James Dixon (41) on the coverage. The Wildcats won the game, 38-28. Photo courtesy Clifton Garmrath, Lasting Memories Photography 09-15-06

Paragould's Austin Smith (55) tries to get a hnadle on GCT's Kyle Evans (26). The Eagles won the game, 27-8. Photo courtesy Clifton Garmrath, Lasting Memories Photography 09-01-06

Paragould's Randy Davis (21) stretches for a pass with Greene County Tech's Jeffery Blake (8) on the coverage. The Eagles won the game, 27-8. Photo courtesy Clifton Garmrath, Lasting Memories Photography 09-01-06

Paragould's Kelsey Reely (7) takes a hand off from Andrew Weaver (5) in the Rams- 27-8 loss to Greene County Tech. Photo courtesy Tony Rose, 09-01-06

2005 Schedule

Date	H/A	Paragould	165		Opponent	335	W/L	Record	Conf
Sep.  2	H	Paragould	30		Greene Co. Tech (nc)	30	T	0-0-1
Sep.  9	A	Paragould	21		Rivercrest	0	W	1-0-1
Sep. 16	H	Paragould	25		Trumann	29	L	1-1-1
Sep. 23	H	Paragould	7		Beebe	41	L	1-2-1	0-1
Sep. 30	A	Paragould	0		Batesville	37	L	1-3-1	0-2
Oct.  7	H	Paragould	7		Nettleton	27	L	1-4-1	0-3
Oct. 14	H	Paragould	28		Marion	63	L	1-5-1	0-4
Oct. 21	A	Paragould	7		Wynne	55	L	1-6-1	0-5
Oct. 28	H	Paragould	18		Blytheville	47	L	1-7-1	0-6
Nov.  4	A	Paragould	22		Greene Co. Tech	6	W	2-7-1	1-6

2005 Archives

Marion's Darcel Johnson (20) is dragged down from behind by Paragould's John Flanery (75) in the Patriots' 63-28 win over the Rams. Photo courtesy of Tony Rose, Timeless Photography 10/14/05 Paragould's Kelsey Reely (7) takes the handoff from Chris Stidham (9) in the Rams' 63-28 loss to Marion. Photo courtesy of Tony Rose, Timeless Photography 10/14/05

Nettleton blasts Paragould, 27-7 October 7, 2005   By David Grim NEARsports.com   PARAGOULD - Derek Lawson rushed for 102 yards on 17 carries to lead the Nettleton Raiders over the Paragould Rams, 27-7, in an AAAA East conference game. Nettleton quarterback Seth Allison added 54 yards on 10 carries and scored 2 touchdowns.   Nettleton's Derek Lawson (2) takes a handoff from Seth Allison (14) in the Raiders' 27-7 win over Paragould. Photo courtesy of Ric Keefer, Keefer's Photography 10/07/05   Paragould (1-4-1, 0-3) held Nettleton (3-3, 1-3) without a first down on the Raiders' first two possessions. Nettleton began its third drive after Cooper Holmes intercepted an errant Ram pass at the Raider 30-yard line and returned it 11 yards to the 41. 59 yards and 10 plays later, Nettleton found the end-zone on the first play of the second quarter. Nic Schaff ran in from 13 yards out and Matt Johnson kicked the point after to make the score 7-0.   Allison scored the next two Raider touchdowns. He scored on a 4-yard run with 7:13 left in the half, and on an 11-yard run with 4:52 remaining before intermission. Johnson's kicks were good both times and Nettleton led 21-0 at the break.   After a scoreless third quarter, Paragould got on the scoreboard with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Chris Stidham to Kelsey Reely. Shawn Brummett's extra point made the score 21-7.   Kelsey Reely catches Paragould's only touchdown in a 27-7 loss to Nettleton. Photo courtesy of Ric Keefer, Keefer's Photography 10/07/05   Nettleton wasted no time on the following possession. Allison passed a 54 yard strike to Matt Akers with 9:22 left in the game to put the Raiders up 27-7 and set what would be the final score.

Valley View clips JV Rams, continues streak September 26, 2005 By David Grim NEARsports.com PARAGOULD - The Valley View Blazers extended their winning streak to five games, handling the junior varsity Paragould Rams 10-6 at Ram Stadium Monday night. The Blazers (5-1) scored the only points of the first half when Austin Byrd kicked a 28-yard field goal late in the first quarter. The score remained 3-0 until the fourth quarter. That's when Kevin Burgi hit Blake Kennedy with a 9-yard touchdown pass. Byrd's extra point made the score 10-0 with 6:59 left in the game. The Rams (1-2) attempted to rally as the game neared its end. Christian Moore sprinted 54 yards down to the Valley View 4-yard line, and Andrew Weaver poked it in for the Rams on the next play. Valley View's Josh Snow blocked the extra point, and the Blazers led 10-6 with 2:45 left to play. The Rams tried to keep the rally alive on the ensuing kickoff by attempting an on-side kick, but the ball failed to travel the required 10 yards. Valley View preserved the win. "This is typical of what we have been doing all year," said Valley View Coach Randy Coleman. "We have opportunities to score in the first half and we don't do it." "If we want to compete in the conference we are going to be in next year," continued Coleman, "then we have to score on every opportunity. We're going to have to work on this. It's still good to win, though." Burgi led the Valley View running game with 74 yards on 10 carries. The Blazers travel across town to play Nettleton next Monday night. Valley View won the previous meeting last week, 20-8.

Beebe drubs Paragould, 41-7 September 23, 2005 By David Grim NEARsports.com PARAGOULD - Wesley Lamb threw for 157 yards and two touchdowns as the Beebe Badgers upended the Paragould Rams 41-7 in the AAAA East conference opener for both teams. Beebe (3-1, 1-0) wasted no time lighting up the scoreboard. Ryan Longo took the opening kickoff 83 yards for the Badgers' first score. Wesley Lamb passed to Nathan Lamb for the two-point conversion, making the score 8-0. Paragould (1-2-1, 0-1) drove to the Beebe 26 yard line on its first possession. That's when Jacob Money grabbed an interception for Beebe and stopped the drive. Two plays later, Ricardo Mack sprinted 84 yards for the next Beebe touchdown. Money ran in the two-pointer, and Beebe led 16-0 with 5:01 left in the first quarter. Wesley Lamb's first touchdown pass came with 8:12 left in the half when he threw 18 yards to Nathan Lamb. James Anderson's kick made the score 23-0. Eric Holland caught Wesley Lamb's second touchdown pass, a 55-yard strike with 5:40 left in the half. The extra point was no good, making the halftime score 29-0. Money scored on a 29-yard run with 2:40 left in the third quarter, making the score 35-0 and turning on the mercy clock for the remainder of the game. Beebe's backup quarterback, Charlie Spakes, ran in from 7 yards out with 7:20 remaining in the game and scored the Badgers' final points. Paragould averted the shutout with 1:31 left to play. Chris Stidham threw a 37 yard touchdown pass to Randy Davis, and Shawn Brummett kicked the extra point to set the final score. "I am proud of the way they played," said Beebe Coach Cam Prock. "Re just ran our regular stuff that we always run and our guys made the plays. On a different night, things might turn out differently. Things were just going our way." Wesley Lamb's 157 yards passing were completed on 12 of 19 attempts. Holland caught 3 of the passes for 81 yards. Mack gained 96 yards on only 3 carries.

2004 Schedule

Date	H/A	Paragould	223		Opponent	253	W/L	Record	Conf
Sep.  3	A	Paragould	48		Greene Co. Tech (nc)	19	W	1-0
Sep. 10	H	Paragould	21		Rivercrest	27	L	1-1
Sep. 17	A	Paragould	21		Trumann	8	W	2-1
Sep. 24	A	Paragould	14		Beebe	28	L	2-2	0-1
Oct.  1	H	Paragould	7		Batesville	14	L	2-3	0-2
Oct.  8	A	Paragould	50		Nettleton	30	W	3-3	1-2
Oct. 15	A	Paragould	22		Marion	19	W	4-3	2-2
Oct. 22	H	Paragould	7		Wynne	21	L	4-4	2-3
Oct. 29	A	Paragould	7		Blytheville	45	L	4-5	2-4
Nov.  5	H	Paragould	20		Greene Co. Tech	6	W	5-5	3-4
Nov.12	A	Paragould	6		Alma	36	L	5-6

2004 Archived Stories

Batesville's streak continues October 1, 2004 By David Grim NEARsports.com PARAGOULD - The defending Class AAAA state champion Batesville Pioneers extended their winning streak to 17 games, and their unbeaten streak to 19 games with a 14-7 AAAA East conference win over the Paragould Rams Friday night at Harmon Field. Batesville (5-0, 2-0) started its opening drive on the 44 yard line and drove 56 yards in 15 plays. Senior running back Tim Childress capped the drive on a three yard touchdown run with 7:00 left in the first quarter. Mason Reeves kicked the PAT to make the score 7-0. Childress scored again on the Pioneers' next possession. Childress sprinted 47 yards to the end zone with 3:48 left in the opening period. Reeves set what would be the halftime score at 14-0 with his extra point kick. Paragould (2-3, 0-2) controlled the ball for all but six plays of the third quarter, but could not come up with any points. The Rams started the second half from the 33 yard line and drove all the way to the Batesville two yard line in 18 plays before turning the ball over on downs. After holding the Pioneers to a three and out possession, Paragould took over again. The Rams drove as far as the Batesville 32 yard line before the Pioneers halted the drive with an interception. Turnovers marred the fourth quarter as Batesville fumbled twice and threw an interception, while Paragould succumbed to a fumble and an interception. The Rams got on the scoreboard with 12 seconds remaining in the game. Quarterback Chris Stidham threw a 74 yard touchdown pass to Seth Mitchell, and Shawn Brummett kicked the extra point to bring the Rams to within seven points. An onside kick attempt by Paragould failed. Childress gained 137 yards on 24 carries for the Pioneers. Tyler Garmrath led the Paragould ground game with 68 yards on 18 carries. The Pioneers' last loss came against Sylvan Hills on November 15, 2002, in the second round of the state playoffs.

Paragould quarterback Chris Stidham (9) stiff-arms Rivercrest's Marcus Arnold (14) as he fights for yardage. Rivercrest won the game, 27-21. Photo courtesy of Mike Buhler, Eastridge Imaging 9/10/04

Completion of new Paragould field off target August 25, 2004 By David Grim NEARsports.com PARAGOULD - Bankruptcy. Torrential downpours. These two elements have all but guaranteed that the 2004 Paragould Rams will not get to play a down on their new football field this season. After some initial dirt work that was done in the winter, SRI Sports, Inc. was due to begin the project in late February 2004. SRI, the second largest track and turf company in the United States, has been responsible for many large stadium projects, including the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, LA. Just before the work was to have begun, SRI Sports declared bankruptcy. The initial funds PHS put up to pay for the work were tied up in the bankruptcy procedure until just recently. During the summer, some more of the work was independently contracted, but a far wetter than normal summer hampered the efforts of the work crews. The new contractor, Charlie Meeks of Florida, officially took over the project this week. Meeks has the turf for the field on its way from Europe by boat. "We were hoping to have the field done in time to play our last two ball games on it," said Paragould athletic director Dale Schenk. "If I were a betting man, I'd say that's not going to happen. We will be playing this year's games at Harmon Field" Schenk also dismissed rumors that the Paragould soccer team would not be using the new facility. "This field has been designed from the beginning to be wide enough to be a regualtion soccer field," said Schenk. After completion of the stadium, the only Paragould sports that will still be played off campus will be golf, swimming and bowling.

2003 Schedule

Date	H/A	Paragould	175		Opponent	184	W/L	Record	Conf
Sep.  5	H	Paragould	35		Greene Co. Tech (nc)	13	W	1-0
Sep. 12	A	Paragould	2		Rivercrest	27	L	1-1
Sep. 19	H	Paragould	27		Trumann	6	W	2-1
Sep. 26	H	Paragould	28		Beebe	6	W	3-1	1-0
Oct.  3	A	Paragould	7		Vilonia	34	L	3-2	1-1
Oct. 10	A	Paragould	27		Marion	6	W	4-2	2-1
Oct. 17	H	Paragould	0		Wynne	21	L	4-3	2-2
Oct. 24	A	Paragould	14		Batesville	44	L	4-4	2-3
Oct. 31	H	Paragould	21		Nettleton	6	W	5-4	3-3
Nov.  7	A	Paragould	35		Greene Co. Tech	12	W	6-4	4-3
Nov.14	A	Paragould	14		Pulaski Robinson	21	L	6-5

2003 Archived Stories

Paragould handles Beebe, 28-6 September 26, 2003 By David Grim NEARsports.com PARAGOULD - The Paragould Rams scored 21 of their 28 points in the first half, en route to a 28-6 victory over the visiting Beebe Badgers. It was the AAAA-East opener for both teams. The Rams (3-1, 1-0) got their first score on a four yard run from quarterback Zach Noel. Alex Brummett kicked his first of four PAT's to make it 7-0. Running back Seth Mitchell scored next for the Rams on a 17 yard sprint to the end zone, giving the Paragould a 14-0 lead. Beebe defensive back Justin Payne recovered a Ram fumble at the Paragould 49 to set up the Badgers' only score. Quarterback Jake McIlwain connected with Nick Taylor for 14 yard touchdown with 1:10 left in the half. Beebe (1-3, 0-1) missed the PAT, leaving the score 14-6. The Rams made the most of the time left before intermission. Paragould marched 66 yards in eight plays, and capped the drive with a 15 yard toss from Noel to Mitchell, setting the halftime score at 21-6. Paragould's last touchdown came on the opening drive of the second half. The Rams launched a time consuming 87 yard drive on 16 plays. Noel scored from the one yard line with 3:28 left in the third quarter. Beebe would threaten to score in the fourth quarter. The Badgers used the remainder of the third stanza to drive 61 yards to the Paragould four, before stalling out with 10:29 left in the game. "We did something we hadn't been doing all year," said Paragould head coach Brian Carter. "Our offensive line did a really good job protecting our quaterback so we could run our offense." Mitchell led the Rams ground game, rushing 12 times for 101 yards. McIlwain completed 9 of 22 Badger passes for 102 yards.

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