WOODLAWN - Woodlawn can clinch a playoff berth this Friday night when the Bears host the Marvell-Elaine Mustangs in an eight-man South Conference game at the Carl Jones Sports Complex. The junior high teams are scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity teams at 7 p.m. Marvell comes in looking for its first victory of the season after falling to the Dermott Rams, 44-12, in a conference game last week. Woodlawn, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back from a tough 26-22 loss at Mountain Pine that essentially took the Bears out of the conference title race.
Still, a victory Friday night will lock up a third consecutive eight-man playoff berth for the Bears with two games left on the regular season schedule. After facing Marvell this week, Woodlawn will host the Spring Hill Bears next Friday, Nov. 3, in a contest that could decide the no. 3 playoff seed in the South Conference.
The Mustang football program is playing a conference schedule only this season. The fate of the program was in limbo last year as the Arkansas Department of Education was considering taking over the Marvell-Elaine School District. Ultimately, the state decided to allow the school to continue to operate under a charter school management organization called the Friendship Education Foundation, and the football program was allowed to continue.
While the Mustangs may come into Friday night's game with an 0-4 record, Woodlawn Coach Zach Meyer knows firsthand not to underestimate the athleticism that the Mustangs have on their roster. Last year was a prime example as the Bears, ranked no. 2 in the state at the time, were clinging to a 16-12 lead in third quarter before finally pulling away for a 40-20 victory. Meyer called the ugliest game of the season for his team.
Meyer said he has been telling his team this week not be overlooking the winless Mustangs. "They played pretty well against Mountain Pine earlier in the year," he said, noting that...
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