Mustangs Flatten Raiders To Extend Win Streak To Seven Games

Monday, October 26, 2009

Theodis Goodwin ran for 167 yards and scored four touchdowns to power Forrest City to a 55-8 victory over Nettleton (1-7, 0-5) Friday night in a 5A-East Conference game played at Sam Smith Stadium.

Goodwin, who surpassed the 1,000 yard rushing plateau for the season a week ago when he ran for 260 yards in a win over Paragould, amassed all of his yardage against Nettleton in the first half. The junior tailback watched from the sidelines as the junior varsity team members finished the game in the second half, which was played with a continuous running clock under the league “mercy rule.”

For all intent and purpose, the game was over after the first quarter.

If rules would have allowed, the mercy rule could have started after the first quarter, when the Mustangs rolled to a 35-0 lead. They extended that to 49-0 at the half.

The high school football mercy rule goes into effect in the second half once a team reaches a 35-point lead.

The Mustangs remain unbeaten in the conference at 5-0 and push their overall season mark to 7-1 with two league games remaining to be played. Friday’s win assures the Mustangs of a berth in the Class 5A state playoffs, with a possible conference championship and the No. 1 seed from the conference within their grasp.

The conference champion will have a chance to host the first two playoff games. The East No. 1 seed will host the No. 4 seed from the 5A-Southwest in the first round games set for Nov. 13.

Three teams — Little Rock Christian, Magnolia and Pulaski Robinson — are battling for the No. 3 and 4 seeds from the Southwest.

Forrest City has not hosted a state playoff football game since the 1990 season.

Friday’s win also equaled the 7-1 start by the 2005 Mustang team and gives the Mustangs a seven-game winning streak.

Forrest City will host Wynne on Friday before traveling to Blytheville on Nov. 6 for the final conference game.

Wynne also put up 55 points in their win over Paragould last Friday and are tied for second place in the conference with Greene County Tech, Batesville and Helena-West Helena, all four teams with identical 3-2 conference records.

Goodwin’s first touchdown of the game was set up when Nettleton fumbled the opening kickoff with Forrest City’s Ali Hardimon making the recovery at the Nettleton 21. Goodwin, on the second play of the game, scored from 18-yards out with 11:12 showing. Chris Barton’s point after kick hit the upright, leaving the Mustangs with a 6-0 lead.

After Nettleton went three and out, the Mustangs set up at their own 34 and senior quarterback Barrett Astin hooked up with junior Davyon McKinney for a 58-yard touchdown pass with 8:59 left in the first quarter. Goodwin’s two-point try was short.

After McKinney returned a Nettleton punt to the Raiders’ 33-yard line and caught an Astin pass to the Nettleton 14, Goodwin did the rest, scoring on a 14-yard run and adding the two-point run for a 20-0 Forrest City lead.

Leslie Parker added to the Mustang lead, scoring on a two-yard run with 3:42 left in the first quarter, and Goodwin’s two-point conversion put Nettleton in a 28-0 hole.

Teraye Lee recovered another Nettleton fumble at the Raider 15 and Goodwin scored on an 18-yard run 10 seconds later. Barton’s kick gave the Mustangs a 35-0 lead as the first quarter came to an end.

After a Nettleton kickoff and penalty pinned the Mustangs inside their own 10-yard line, Goodwin struck again, taking the handoff and racing 93 yards for the touchdown with 11:27 to play in the second quarter. Barton added the point after kick and the Mustangs stretched their lead to 42-0.

Forrest City’s Jermaine Larry fumbled with just more than five minutes left in the first half, and Nettleton’s Wesley Whybrew made the recovery.

The Mustangs got the ball back when Nettleton’s Chris Pitts lost the handle and Hardimon came up with his second fumble recovery of the game putting the Mustangs back in business at the Nettleton 40.

Hardimon scored his first varsity touchdown of the season on a one-yard run with 1:27 left in the first half, and Barton’s kick made it 49-0 as both teams headed into the half.

With wholesale subs in to start the second half, the Mustangs ran only four offensive plays as Nettleton held the ball for most of the third quarter.

Keri Barden accounted for Forrest City’s final touchdown, scoring on a short run at the final buzzer to make it 55-8.

Nettleton avoided the shutout when Calvin Weatherall scored with eight minutes left in the game on a 45-yard run. Weatherall added the two-point run as well.

The Mustangs finished with 377 total yards, 299 of that on the ground. Astin completed two of four passes for 78 yards and one touchdown.

Nettleton finished with 112 total yards after being held to just 28 total yards in the first half. The Raiders stayed with their ground game for 107 of their total yards.

The Mustangs used nine different running backs in the game.

Barden led the Mustangs with nine tackles, two for losses, while Hardimon and Akeem Bogart finished with six tackles. Gabe Barden had four tackles, while Ryan Green and Tevin Smith had two solo tackles each.

Forrest City’s JV will host West Memphis tonight at 7 p.m. at Sam Smith Stadium.


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