THE RIVER VALLEY REPORT FOOTBALL PREVIEW | 8.11.2024

KEVIN TAYLOR

SPECIAL TO RIVER VALLEY DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Second-year Mansfield football coach Whit Overton doesn’ t have the deepest roster in the 3A-1 Conference. But he certainly isn’ t complaining. Overton knows the Tigers won’ t be able to surprise anyone this season, and that’ s fine with him. The upstart Mansfield program enjoyed a revival last season by playing deep into the 2023 playoffs.

They celebrated Thanksgiving dinner, no less, with an early-morning practice.

“ It’ s something that you just kind of dream of,” Overton said.“ You don’ t even think it can be a reality, especially with it being my first year of being a head coach. It had never happened there. Coach( Jason) Gill had some really big years, but they had never been to the semifinals.

Mansfield returns nine offensive and nine defensive starters this season, including senior

MANSFIELD TIGERS

back Daniel Burton( 5-foot-9, 150 pounds) who accounted for 21 touchdowns, including 19 rushing scores. All-state quarterback Jeremy Strozier is back for another spin, too.

“ He plays inside middle linebacker for us, too, which is no easy task,” Overton said.“ He played the playoffs last year with broken ribs. He’ s tough as nails.”

Like many of his teammates, Strozier( 5-10, 180) is just a junior.

“ To bring back nine on offense and nine on defense, it’ s really an exciting time to be a Tiger,” Overton said.“ Probably our No. 1 guy on offense last year was Daniel Burton- 1,600 yards rushing. He had close to 2,000 yards with receiving, too. Plus, he was third in tackles. He’ s kind of like our dude. He’ s a guy we lean on, especially offensively.”

Overton said the Ore twins are tough.“ They love football,” the coach said.

Cadien Ore( 5-11 220) starts at defensive end and on the offensive line, and Logan Ore( 5-11, 220) also plays on both sides of the ball.

*— Denotes 3A-1 Conference game. All kickoffs 7 p. m. unless noted

KEVIN TAYLOR

SPECIAL TO RIVER VALLEY DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Paris football coach Jeff Weaver’ s old enough to remember tracking trips with oldfashioned road maps.

But now that he’ s in the 3A-4 Conference, the veteran football coach is just as happy to use the modern conveniences of tracking trips by phone.

“ I hate the bus trips,” he said.“ You lose some of the rivalries and the shorter trips, and it affects your junior high program because you’ re on the road on school nights for half of those.( But) there’ s a good brand of football being played there, too.”

The Eagles’ junior high team finished 9-1 last season, and with“ better numbers this year” the Eagles are eyeing to improve on last season’ s

PARIS EAGLES

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*— Denotes 3A-4 Conference game. All kickoffs at 7 p. m. unless noted

4-6 record. Long bus rides notwithstanding, Weaver and the Eagles have a reason for optimism.

“ Our numbers are good a little bit better than the last two years,” Weaver said.“ We’ ve 10 guys on offense than can go, and at the pace we’ re playing at, we feel like that’ s good for us. We have some good skill players, but we’ re not as deep.”

The Eagles return 17 starters in all with nine defensive holdovers, including senior two-way star Dax Baumgartner( Sr., 6-0, 150), a standout defensive back and receiver. Paris also returns offensive holdovers Jestin Churchman( 5-8, 190) and Mason Ulrich( Sr., 6-0, 175). Weaver noted the 3A-4 will no longer include Bismarck and Centerpoint( two of the longer trips) and will now feature Perryville( 8-4 a year ago) and Cutter Morning Star.

514 WEST WALNUT • PARIS, AR 72855 479-963-3051 www. paris-ford. com